My stress levels are such that my memory is even worse than usual. I wrote this entire post in my head during a dog walk the other day (Gibson insists on taking me for three walks a day right now, where she was formerly content with one) and I can’t even remember what topic I had in mind. When my cognitive functioning lands in this place, if I don’t write it down it just flows through and away. When I first realized that this wasn’t “normal” — that my lack of memory was not typical for folks my age at the time (this awareness started about 14 years ago) — my first thought was “Huh. I guess that explains why I write… so I don’t forget my life.”
So in these phases I intuit my way through. My intuition remains strongly intact, even when my cognition takes a walk. I’m still great at my work: at coaching, and teaching, and listening to people and helping them in the moment, and stringing words together in writing (especially if I apply my structured note-taking habit throughout the day). I may actually be better at the consulting / coaching / advisory part of my work during these phases because my brain is so much quieter than usual. I’m more present with the person I’m working with: my curiosity piqued by the lack of focus on the past that may or may not be one of the missing puzzle-pieces in my brain; my empathy heightened because what I can offer is my presence and my questions and my ability to listen and reflect, if not what I learned in class last week or fourteen years ago.
I wish I had that post for you all that I wrote in my head the other day — it was a good one. I was excited about it.
Maybe over the weekend I’ll remember what it was.
In the meantime, instead, I’ve been saving up good stuff that makes me think so here are a few good thinkers for the week (click through to original sources on Instagram — the creators deserve the clicks / likes / shares and the post copy is often where the goodness lies).
Here’s hoping I can rest and meditate and move my marbles back into place for next week’s issue.
P.S. a reminder from @momgonefree on Instagram: