What can we learn from silence? What is next?

"...I was dealing with something that thousands of others were dealing with as well – something that has come to be called burnout. What could I learn, that might be of help, not just for myself, but for others as well. In the silence of each day, I began to feel a kind of comfort surrounding me as answers began to flow into my mind."

Years ago, having felt drained and exhausted for months, I flew home from a work engagement and made an appointment with my doctor.  She called a few days later with the test results. “You have a serous compound viral infection,” she said. She proceeded to say that I needed to stop working “for a while” to recover.  When I asked how long “for a while” was she said she couldn’t answer that; “As long as it takes,” she said. At these words panic set in. There were people I cared about counting on me, as well as commitments I was in the middle of that were of such importance to me. When I tried to explain this to my doctor she said, “You don’t understand.  This is not something you can put off.” My husband was incredibly supportive as I tried to accept my situation. And once I did, once I understood what I needed to do to regain my health I surrendered to the idea of allowing myself time to heal. In the beginning it felt as if I was buried underneath an avalanche of fatigue. Over the months as I began to recover, I searched for answers as to how I got “here,” and realized I was dealing with something that thousands of others were dealing with as well – something that has come to be called burnout. What could I learn, that might be of help, not just for myself, but for others as well. In the silence of each day, I began to feel a kind of comfort surrounding me as answers began to flow into my mind.

During this period of healing and reflection, although I had to put my graduate studies on hold, the question of how I got “here” led me to reading over 100 books in philosophy, psychology, human behavior and potential, novels that held stories of difficult journeys undertaken that challenged assumptions, dealt with unexpected change, difficult choices, losses, disruption, and grief. I thought about what gives us life in the sense of energizing us, what drains and depletes us, and what honors our emotions and wisdom gained. I thought about an archetype that would speak to the need to renew and recharge not only for ourselves but for those we lead and live with. What came to me was an archetype I called The Inspiritor.

In the next weeks I will share some practical measures with you, Transformational Tools I created during that deep period of reflection; practical measures that can restore our energy and presence of mind; practical measures that can ensure our wellbeing and allow us to renew and recharge ourselves in simple yet profound ways.