What We See – The Gift of Being Unhurried
What we are noticing, learning, and asking as we work alongside leaders and teams navigating complexity.
What I Am Seeing
The Gift of Being Unhurried
I see poets and their words interrupting a distracted world.
In a society filled with soundbites, clips, and constant noise, I’ve been thinking about the importance of images and words to help us make meaning of our experiences. I’ve been thinking about the gift of slowness and reflection in poetry and verse, and the artists who use words to paint new realities and weave wisdom together in unhurried time.
This past spring, I was gifted an anthology of poems by Julia de Burgos, a Puerto Rican poet whose life was cut short at just 39. I’ve lingered with her poetry for months, imagining how much more beautiful her words must be in their original Spanish.
One of my favorites is Yo Misma Fui Mi Ruta (I Was My Own Route). A line that has stayed with me is:
“But I was made of nows;”
What a beautiful call to be present with fervor.
I’ve also been reflecting on the poets, writers, and songwriters whose words have shaped my soul. Wendell Berry and Annie Dillard have helped me see beauty in the earth and community. Glen Hansard and Dolly Parton have given language and song to the experience of being human.
I’m thankful for the ways their words and sentiments remain with us.
May we listen to the old and new poets calling from the deep. May we be awakened, confronted, and healed by their messages.
What might we notice if we allowed ourselves to be unhurried?
Perhaps the invitation isn’t always to do more, move faster, or find the next answer. Sometimes it’s simply to be present enough to recognize what is already before us.
Continue the Conversation
The Inner Work of Leadership: A Conversation with Amy Elizabeth Fox
In a recent Leadership Vision podcast conversation with Amy Elizabeth Fox, she shared a reflection prompt she uses with teams:
“Tell the story of your life, starting two generations back in your family.”
I’ve continued thinking about that invitation and the way Brian responded by sharing family stories he had discovered in a cookbook.
It reminds me that our stories, and those of the people who came before us, can offer important insight into who we are, how we lead, and how we relate to one another.
Sometimes the inner work of leadership begins by slowing down long enough to listen to a story we haven’t heard before.
Ideas Worth Noticing
A few words, reflections, and questions that have stayed with me lately.
The Power of Poetry
An idea I am exploring
I’ve been thinking about how poets interrupt our ordinary ways of seeing. In a world that rewards speed and immediate responses, poetry invites us to linger, reflect, and discover meaning that might otherwise go unnoticed.
A Line I Am Thinking About
Reading
“You were made and set here to give voice to your own astonishment.”
— Annie Dillard
I love this invitation to recognize the wonder in our everyday experiences and to give voice to what we discover.
A Question Worth Carrying
Reflecting
When, where, and with whom can I be unhurried today?
Poetry, personal stories, and the practice of being unhurried all remind me that making meaning requires our attention. The more space we create to notice and reflect, the more we may discover about ourselves, the people around us, and the world we share.
I wonder how this question might change the way we enter a conversation, listen to a colleague, or simply move through the day.
What I Am Learning From
A Few Things Shaping My Thinking Right Now
- Reading: Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry and Song of the Simple Truth: The Complete Poems of Julia de Burgos.
- Listening: The crunch of fallen leaves beneath my feet on my runs.
- Watching: The Minnesota Vikings. 5 – 0 baby!
- Learning From: The resilience I hear in the experiences and stories leaders share with me.
