“Often, when you think you’re at the end of something, you’re at the beginning of something else.” Mr. Rogers
I love this quote. Given that after years of a weekly newsletter, we are discontinuing that practice and instead transitioning to a monthly D is for Disruption missive, the question I am asking myself is, “What are we at the beginning of, now that we are at this end?” (Maybe, for example, I will get better at spending time on Instagram!)
In the meantime, I’d like to remind you of the importance of taking time off (see last week’s newsletter). In that spirit, we will not have a newsletter next week, which means this is the last in our long series of weekly newsletters. Watch for our first monthly letter on January 11.
We will also have no social media posts between Christmas and New Year. So that there is true time off for the whole organization. If you are looking for inspiration during that time, you will want to listen to our encore podcast episode with Tara Swart. She is not only an MD, but also a PhD neuroscientist. She is brilliant and insightful––and with a nod to Mr. Charles Dickens, she reminds us to be aware of, and to watch out for our ghosts of the past.
I have observed that when we go quiet and take time off from doing what we do on a day-by-day basis, when we have time to just quietly sit with our thoughts and memories –– or are spending time with people whom we feel obligated to spend time with—the ghosts can come up.
Be aware, be curious, be gracious, and recognize that those ghosts, just like those brought to life by Mr. Dickens, are an invitation for you to be at the end of something—perhaps your old, haunted self—and at the beginning of your new self. It may require coaching (call us!), therapy, or both, but it’s an invitation to disrupt yourself, to be the self you might have always been.
In that spirit, in addition to listening to Tara Swart, you may want to also re-listen to Katy Milkman’s podcast episode. It suggests that the beginning of a year is a good time to start something new.
And, finally, this week’s podcast guest is Ken Woolley, founder of Extra Space Storage, the largest owner of self-storage spaces in the United States. He is an amazing storyteller, but more importantly, a person whose integrity I deeply admire.
All best,
Whitney
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