Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1279613
WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM AUGUST 19-25, 2020 UCW 15 Showing up for yourself and others during challenging times Great change has been forced onto parents, fami- lies, students, teachers and school administrators. Yet every day these leaders, citizens and ordinary folks put on a brave face before leaving the house to face new challenges. e Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tell us that children are less susceptible to COVID- 19, and politicians tell us that kids returning to school is the only way to stabilize the economy, but still there is a deep sense of fear, uncertainty and distrust. We're at a critical juncture in history where we are forced to look at how we live, what we stand for, and what we value. We can choose to recoil and hibernate in survival mode or we can ask how we can serve and show up for others. We are being forced to live in the present moment, to live uidly to move through stress, unanswered questions, and well-founded concerns. A lot of the individuals I work with in therapy are faced with the choice of who they want to become and how they want to show up in light of this pan- demic. I am so proud of our teachers, our parents and our students. ese trailblazers are rising to the demands instead of being paralyzed by fear. ey show up to classes, login to their remote assign- ments and make the best out of a terrible reality. ank you for not hiding and playing small. ank you to our leaders who are making dicult decisions and facing public scrutiny. Right now is the time to lead with empathy, expansiveness and patience. Your family, friends, employees and clients need you to take decisive action, to lean in and to be fully present. Your hope and vision for a better future can help others see through this tough time. An antidote to the fear, panic and overwhelm is helping people to feel seen, heard and validated. While it's wise to show up for yourself rst and foremost, it is important to balance that obligation with supporting others. Let those under your lead- ership fall apart and break down and express their worry and fear, and be the one to oer them hope and certainty. Right now calls for personal and professional evolution. Make room for a new, better identity and society to emerge. Push past judgement and sur- vival mode. Guide yourself and others to do the best possible, to channel their emotions into action. Let us be grateful for this opportunity to trans- form and discover what we're really made of. I hope you are able to see how amazingly resilient, com- passionate and truly brave you are. HEALTH REBECCA CRAIN, Ph.D., Li- censed Psychologist COMMENTS? rcrain@rebeccacrainphd.com Right now is the time to lead with empathy and patience. Your family, friends, employees and clients need you to take decisive action, to lean in and be fully present. FREE HEALTH CARE • for uninsured Adults call 910.485.0555 Shop Local Visit the many shops located in downtown Fayetteville!