A touchstone.
Two times each year –– the first weekend of October which, where I live, is almost always a glorious fall weekend, and the first weekend of April, which usually functions as a harbinger of spring, the earth is undergoing rebirth—I dedicate a Saturday and Sunday to what we know as General Conference.
We listen to leaders of our church, men and women who hail from all over the world: across the United States, Central and South America, Africa, Asia, Europe, and Micronesia. Only Antarctica goes unrepresented, as far as I know. These diverse individuals share their testimonies and belief in God and Jesus Christ while providing concrete suggestions for how I (we) can become better human beings, kinder, more generous, better parents, better co-workers, etc. And how we can be generally happier in our lives.
I have been doing this every year for as long as I can remember. My earliest memory is from when I was about five years old, watching the television in our home in San Jose (the Willow Glen neighborhood), California.
And that’s what I did again this past weekend. I’m no longer in California, but we watched it in our home in Virginia. Though it’s still on television, it’s also available now through YouTube: five hours on Saturday, and four hours on Sunday.
For some, it may seem boring, but I find it relaxing. It was so relaxing that I did take a few naps, as you can see in the pic below. But it’s a touchstone, a grounding point twice each year, a check-in for me and my family on how we are doing generally, not just spiritually.
This ritual helps to provide a time to stop and reflect upon where you were, where you are, and where you want to go. It helps us step back in order to grow.
My friend, Harry Kraemer, participates in a silent retreat at a monastery in Wisconsin and has done so every year for nearly forty years. It’s a spiritual touchstone for him, too. This ritual can be something—anything—that a family decides to do together every year. Even a team offsite can provide the same space to evaluate how we are doing compared to how we want to do; how well do our actions and achievements align with the things we value most?
What traditions do you have around such moments that stick with you? Or maybe there’s something that isn’t a tradition yet, but you might want to make it one. We took walks down to the garden between conference sessions and picked some of the season’s final eggplants, jalapeno peppers, and raspberries. We made coulis from the latter and ate it over vanilla ice cream. It was a perfect way to end the day and season. It isn’t a tradition, yet, but we want to make it one.
What about you?
What do you do personally, as a family, as a team, as a company, to ground yourself –– to take a reflective step back in order to grow?
Our podcast guest is Chris Rainey, CEO and co-founder of HR Leaders, the world’s #1 online learning platform preparing HR Professionals for the ever-evolving future of work, whom I have known for several years.
He wants to cast a light on HR Leaders, but I want to shine the spotlight on this captivating, full-of-grit, big-dreamer entrepreneur.
I hope you love his story as much as I do.
As always, thanks for being here!
Whitney
