First, I hope everyone was able to enjoy their Thanksgiving with their friends and family. Whether you celebrated on Thursday or over the weekend I hope you were able to take time to exhale. I borrowed this title from an excellent book by Terry McMillan, which I read back in 1995. You might be thinking that this is a strange title for a dignity post but if you bear with me, you will soon understand where I am going (I HOPE).
It has been a long road since March of 2020 and every time we seem to feel like we can get back to normal we face another challenge. I do not know about you but I have had enough!!! Stress is high and patience is low. When we are experiencing this kindness, forgiveness, and dignity are often forgotten. Who would have thought that asking a person to put on a mask would lead to name calling and even physical assaults. This message is not about debating what we should be doing about COVID. It is about how do we take care of ourselves and how do we honor the dignity of others even when we disagree or are under stress.
Have you ever taken a deep breath and when you exhale it feels like this weight has been lifted off your shoulders and you feel more relaxed. Now, try exhaling and stopping halfway. You begin to feel this pressure in your head everything tenses and eventually you let the air out. It is not a slow focused exhale. It is like you are forcing the air from your lungs in order to catch that next breath. It is not a relaxing feeling. It is a feeling of loss of control. I feel that way sometimes and I am sure many of you do as well.
When we are called to lead, we have the responsibility to maintain or composure because others are looking to us to guide them when they feel like that are sinking. This is a great responsibility and as leaders we are human and sometimes we do not act in a way that brings calm to a stressful situation. This can be hard in normal times now add a 2 yearlong pandemic and it is almost impossible not to let stress get the best of us
As leaders we have to be honest with our teams. We have to let them know we feel the pressure just as they do. We have to be out there side by side with them to help them get through the challenges of the day and when we are alone in a quiet place we must learn to exhale and in turn teach our teams how to as well.
I exhale by singing. I exhale by watching Hallmark Christmas movies. I exhale by spending time with my family. I exhale by writing this blog. In order to honor the dignity of others we must first honor our own dignity and take care of our inner self.
I encourage you to find your exhale. There are things in life we cannot change but what we can do is change how we face those challenges. That is what my mother taught me when she made the decision to raise her three sons on her own. She taught us how to be strong and gave us every opportunity to make the right choices and become better men.
I pray that you find your exhale moments. Live in the now and cherish every moment and always elevate dignity within you and for others.
Charles Redd RN
Dignity Freedom Fighter
Dignity Freedom Fighter 