Happy October! 
I keep telling everyone how my brain seems to be stuck in March, but here we are in a whole new season! When I think back over the last 7 months, the word that comes to mind is resilience. Ok, two words: resilience and adaptation. I’ve seen friends, family, and clients make huge leaps in these areas in spite of the uncertainty around them. It’s been humbling, to say the least. What changes we’ve all seen and experienced-employment and housing uncertainties, grief and loss, the challenge of staying connected in spite of the isolation, staying safe in spite of the unknown. Who knew a tiny virus could cause so much trouble?
Being a fan of both animals and science I know that adaptation and resilience is the key to survival. I’ve been thinking incessantly about the art of the pivot-when to do it, what tools are needed, and how to leap. A few things have come out of my mental acrobatics on this subject. One is all the courageous stories I’m hearing out there about people who, in spite of their own discomfort, are pivoting in some lovely ways. The second thing to come out of all of this is my own pivot. After 27 years practicing my psychotherapy and coaching craft in an office away from home, I have decided that going forward I will be offering services exclusively by video and phone. While anywhere from a quarter to half of my business took place this way before March, the pandemic has offered that extra little push to REALLY pivot and completely change my business model.
What have I learned? As much as my Luddite alter-ego wants to argue, I’ve learned that the marriage between technology and my work has been nothing short of amazing. Seeing clients in their safe space has deepened my knowledge of who they are. That brightly colored wall behind them, that chicken that stands hollering at their glass door throughout the session, even the small changes in my clients’ expressions and voices because of their location-all these things have helped me see more of them. Yup, you heard me. More of them, not less. It has improved my focus on them in unexpected ways and that has led to my ability to do even deeper work.
The truth is these last 7 months have made many of us take stock in what is really important. Sure, maybe we all had an idea before, but what better opportunity than a pandemic to put things in perspective and give us the opportunity to practice what we preach. Extending my reach and ability to serve people, helping them with the necessary tools for living the very best version of themselves-that’s my jam. Making decisions that reduce my impact on the planet, that’s also my jam. I could go on, but what I want to leave you with is this:
Change, while sometimes uncomfortable, leads to growth. I believe we are all here to learn, grow, and serve in whatever manner makes our heart sing.
Check out my website in the next few days for the post on The Art of the Pivot. I want to share some of the amazing pivots I see around me and give you some food for thought. Maybe you will find some inspiration there for a pivot of your own?
Be well, fellow travelers! 