Make Chicken Soup! Yesterday I made homemade chicken soup, my favorite anxiety remedy. In addition to my consulting practice, I am caregiver for my wife with advanced dementia. This requires me to be vigilant in keeping our home steady, drama free, stress free and as predictable as possible. For two years I hated my circumstances which forced me to develop another side of myself and be a better person.
Crises like the current one force us to reconcile the personal and the productive sides of our selves becoming whole people. For many decades social scientists have asserted that intimacy (the personal side) and productivity come from the same source or ego strength. The capacity to love and work are two sides of our humanity. While as human beings and leaders we may exhibit a preference or aptitude of one over the other, both are necessary to be effective and complete human beings.
I have worked with so many brilliant executives whose careers have faltered from failing this mastery in life. None of us relishes the scary and ominous pressures of the moment but it is a life altering opportunity to make the equivalent of chicken soup and rebalance our personal/professional scorecard becoming better persons and leaders. The results are resilience and gratitude.
Make Chicken Soup!
