I was on a quiet morning walk; the sun was sharp and playing hide and seek with it seemed to be the smart move. I hugged the side of the building, hungry for any shade it offered, and felt grateful to be out and about with some greenery around me.
I found that with my earphones on, a nice, guided walking meditation can transport me to another world. Around my condominium I went, occasionally smiling at another walker, wishing them good morning. And all of a sudden, my peace and calm were shattered.
I found myself dripping wet, some uncaring soul from up on high, watering the plants on their balcony, drenched me. The shock of this water falling on me transformed the peaceful, quiet, meditative me into a roaring animal.
The unexpected waterfall was a shock to my system; the amygdala kicked in, and I was screaming at the top of my voice. I found myself starting up and shouting at an unseen perpetrator who hastily must have beaten a retreat beyond my view into their home. As I scanned the tower, it became clear that 3 possible culprits could be the target of my ire. All of them were bursting at the balcony seams with green foliage. One in particular felt likely to house the culprit, given the angle of the waterfall and the cluster of plants in that corner. I was all set to rush into the lift, ring the doorbell, and let them have it.
Lucky for me (and maybe them), my prefrontal cortex kicked in after a few seconds of yelling and scanning the horizon for threat. I asked myself if this is how I wanted to spend the next 20 minutes of my morning. And the answer was easy: I took a few breaths, calmed myself down, and continued my walk, this time more mindful of my environment and finding other avenues for shade.
A reminder that my environment plays a big role in my life and my ability to respond to external stimuli is equally important. The ability to recalibrate and repair is a crucial one. The capacity to respond instead of reacting comes with practice and preparedness. This is what enables some organisations to navigate difficult situations effectively, while others flounder.
Crisis preparedness begins with being able to know the difference between an issue and a crisis. And once that decision has been made on how to classify a potential problem, then the ability to respond comes from knowing what the choices are and how to move forward. If the company has built a response mindset and muscle system, it will be able to move forward with practiced ease. If not, it can end up yelling and screaming at someone who sprinkled some water and wasting its time and resources.
Lesson for the week, courtesy of my waterfall moment: choose my environment, watch where I am going, and when I get taken by surprise, remember that I get to decide on my response. The ability to manage relationships and repair them when they get under pressure is a wonderful life skill. The inner work defines the outward journey.
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