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Strange title for an blog post, right?

But today I want to share both with you.

I wrote an email awhile back about how to respond as a 'leader' to tragedies, disasters, and sad events in the world.

I received a big response from this email, from other business owners who shared that the biggest thing they were struggling with was around 'how to address' the event.

What to say and how to say it in their newsletters or on social media.

I feel it too!

The unspoken pressure of needing to show up a "certain way" or write a "certain thing," in the wake of these horrific events.

The most INTERESTING part of it all, however, seems to be:

MOST PEOPLE DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY in the face of tragedy.

We'll address OUR connection to it:

"I live RIGHT there. I rode my bike down that path in NYC 1000's of times!"

We'll try to lift others up through blanket statements we simultaneously try to buy into ourselves: 

"This is the world nowadays. We've got to move forward."

But all the while, if we're honest with ourselves...

We're still unsure.

It's because these things bring up ALL THE QUESTIONS:

How could this happen?
Why did this happen?
What do I say about it?
How do I share my feelings?
DO I share my feelings?
Wait, I'm still hitting the town on Halloween, is that acceptable?!

And even though we may subconsciously ask ourselves these important questions...

We don't really want to answer them.

We want someone else to answer them FOR us.

And it's not just when tragedies strike.

But when difficult or frustrating things HAPPEN.

In life. 

In business.

In relationships.

We want an authority figure to tell us "THE WAY...."

The RIGHT response.

And all the while...

The ACTUAL "right response?"

It's something MOST PEOPLE don't want to hear.

The ACTUAL correct answer?

It F-ing UNCOMFORTABLE.

Why?

Because it requires sitting in the NOT KNOWING and learning to be comfortable with unanswered questions.

It requires beginning to understand that things typically are not just black or white.

(If they were wouldn't everyone just be saying one of two 'CORRECT' things?!)

Sounds pretty fake to me.

But THAT is also the COOL part.

Knowing that sometimes?

It's just flat out unanswerable??

THAT...my friends...

IS THE GIFT.

THAT'S where YOU get the opportunity to answer all the BIG QUESTIONS.

NOT for your subscribers.

NOT for the sake writing a "perfect post on social media"

But for YOURSELF.

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Now let's be honest lady love:

Sitting in the unknown?

Embracing the F out of it?

Being unafraid?

Going THERE?

It's something MOST people won't do.

Most people are WAY more accustomed to looking for answers on the outside.

Turning to yourself for the A to your Q? Um, no thank you! 

But GUESS WHAT.

When you are brave enough to venture inwards..

When you can address all the scary...

All the not knowing.

All the uncertainty.

When you can be CURIOUS about it WITHOUT judging it.

When you can breathe and feel through it WITHOUT the freak out.

When you can swim and do laps in the fricking GRAY...

THAT'S where you'll find the only answers that matter.

THAT'S where you'll find YOUR TRUTH.

******

As business owners we're already in the business of addressing the unknown.

We do it EVERY SINGLE DAY.

AND...

The most exciting, challenging, enthralling unknown to BEGIN TO KNOW..

Is your OWN.

The people who can do THAT.

Who are willing to go THERE.

Those are hands down the most courageous people in the world.

So in the spirit of taking a moment's pause.

In the spirit of being horrified at this tragedy.

In the spirit of moving forward with both sadness and hope.

And being both discouraged at the event and simultaneously encouraged to change things.

(And in the spirit of admittedly NOT knowing)

I offer these words to you:

Start by embracing the duality of the human experience.

In your in your business. In the world. In YOURSELF.

That, my friend. Is THE WAY.

******
Here's how I'm trying to bring some good into the world today.

I've partnered up with my biz buddy Reelika Schulte and 21 other experts to bring you free gifts throughout November as part of a Thanksgiving Giveaway.

Something bright for you in the face of yesterday's darkness.

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Sign up here and you'll get a gift a day delivered to your inbox from different experts on the topic of personal development, business, marketing, sales, mindset, copyrighting. 

Enjoy it. And today, don't be so hard on yourself.

Connect with people who feel like the RIGHT people.

Connect with YOURSELF.

And give yourself the treat of knowledge and friendship we're sharing with you here.

To You.
To Us.
To The World.
To New York.

💖, In Your Corner-

 

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