SERENITY AT WORK?

I think we can all agree careers can be tough and life and work can be insane!  We could use a little serenity now and then.  Serenity refers to a state of calmness and peace.  A little sprinkle of this magic makes life’s challenges a bit more bearable, at work and at home.    

Eventually, someone enshrined the idea into a prayer that is widely invoked today by many.  The most common short version of the verse goes like this: 

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change;

The courage to change the things I can;

And the wisdom to know the difference.

Its origins are a little murky, but thanks to Alcoholics Anonymous and other organizations, the serenity prayer is alive and well.  My father shared it with me during his time in rehab.  It truly spoke to him and guided him for the remainder of his days. 

First, we need to accept the things we can’t change.  Don’t do it too quickly.  Don’t give up without a fight, but…you do have to learn to pick your fights.  When you realize a thing isn’t really changeable, only then can you begin to think about living with it, working around it, or otherwise trying to survive it.

Next is the courage to enact change. Sometimes whether the object is a person, a team, a rule, or a machine, you will believe that change is possible.  That's nice, but making it happen can be very difficult, thus the need for courage.  Whether you're taking this on alone or working with trusted others, a little courage and bravery goes a long way.  Change ain't easy.

Finally, we need a little wisdom to help us understand which of these things we're actually looking at. Wisdom grows slowly over time as you collect more and more experiences.  It's a very educated internal gut feeling that helps keep you safe and productive. (Pro tip:  wisdom accumulates faster when you surround yourself with really smart people).

Again, at work and in life, we need this – right?  At work we have the colleagues we don’t understand, ones we don’t like, and the one’s we can’t believe were hired!  We have those with whom we are competitive and those with whom we fight for resources.  We sometimes lack purpose and wonder what the h-e-double hockey sticks we are doing!

Don’t even get me started about the reality faced by leaders.  Sometimes leading is a brick to the head you never saw coming.  You did great work and earned the promotion – yea!  Only later do you realize the reality.  People are strange and sometimes quite difficult to lead.  They are all different.  They don’t all understand or like you.  Did I mention that your bosses and clients always seem to have crazy expectations too?  Leadership can be tremendously fulfilling, but not before many headaches. 

Enter serenity.  When you’re facing the latest impasse and don’t immediately know what to do, remember the serenity prayer.  Look at whatever it is and ask if it is changeable.  Don't rely on just your thoughts.  Bring in a confidant or two – a colleague, a friend, a coach, or a mentor.  See if there's any consensus.  If the thing is changeable, time for step two – who has the guts to do something about it?  It's wisdom that guides the whole process, which is why a group effort is often the best.  You almost never know as much as the whole group.

What about you?  Do you have a saying, quote, poem, or prayer that helps you when times are tough? 

WHAT’S UP WITH DR. D? 

I’m so gray!  (see attached picture)  I feel great for 54, and most people think I’m a little younger than I am… mostly because I choose to be bald.  When I’m lazy and all the gray comes out – it’s over.  I look even older than my age.  I don’t mind it though.  It reminds me that though there is much life to live, I've been through my fair share of it and maybe I have a little wisdom to offer.  I’m writing this on Sunday and tonight will be huge fun. Tonight, my youngest son Parker graduates from high school.  We're all very excited to cheer him on.  I'll be attending with my granddaughter Haylee, which will be special because she's leaving in just a few days to spend the summer with her family and friends in Ohio. Cheryl will unfortunately miss the event tonight thanks to medical stuff.  Believe me that woman understands the serenity prayer! :)  On a professional note, I must say that I remain humbled by the power of LinkedIn.  You just wouldn’t believe the notes I receive from professionals around the planet.  A woman from another part of the world who does not speak English as her first language watched one of my courses recently.  It was in English.  She told me she understood most of it and wanted me to know that what she did understand she found very useful.  It’s that amazing? After all these years notes like that one still blow me away.  Dare I say they provide me with a tiny does of serenity because they remind me that I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing? :)

Until next time – go learn something, maybe help someone, or at least do something interesting!

My courses:  https://www.linkedin.com/learning/instructors/todd-dewett

My books:  https://tinyurl.com/yvwuvmaw

Me on stage:  https://bit.ly/3EfcDSb

Book me:  https://bit.ly/3WHeRB0 

All links in one place:  https://linktr.ee/drdewett.