On Adjusting

As many of you know, Emma, our founder and Executive Director, had a beautiful baby 5 months ago. She’s now coming back to her role as a teacher and executive at Integral Steps, in addition to her new role: being a mom! So, we wanted to take this opportunity to talk about adjusting. Though we’ve all experienced it, adjusting can feel difficult.  With many expectations around it and resistance to it, adjusting is a central part of how we live. That’s why we asked Emma three things she has learned about adjusting during these months. And, as the world demands more adaptation everyday, we invite you to think about how you adjust to new experiences, what parts of you resist, and how do you deal with that. 
From Emma: 
Three things being a new mom taught me about adjusting:

1. How to be more flexible: sometimes what we had hoped for doesn’t happen in that exact way, and that’s OK. It’s better if we accept the change without suffering from it, which brings me to the second thing I've learned...
   
2. How to abandon a good plan: it may be the most beautiful plan, but it will change. It’s better to stick to the bigger goal than the details about how to get there. Getting stuck to a plan because it feels more perfect, may not bring the best outcome at the end of the day. 
   
3. How not to take things quite so seriously: this sums up my last two points. It focuses on our reaction, rather than the situation, that needs adjusting.  It’s really not such a big thing. 
   

Now, being flexible and changing our plans is not always easy. It’s also important to be comfortable with the part of yourself that you don’t want to change. Accept that truth just as much as you open up to accept what’s new. 
When planning for my leave at Integral Steps, for example, we had to adjust many things – positions, expectations, plans – that, today, I realized made us stronger and better at what we do. However, we had to be open and flexible for that to happen. 
Reflecting on my role as an executive, at an organizational/professional level, sometimes we think we have to do everything and have all the answers. Being open to change can unlock the possibility to discover people in different ways, realizing they have abilities that otherwise would not have been shown, and now, we can learn from those skill sets. 
Just as we often talk about the importance of developing our personal three centers – body, mind and spirit – organizations and communities are made of people who represent those centers or pillars, and making sure they’re all strong is a key aspect of being able to adjust. As a new mom, I often need help either in this role or in others that I carry, and being part of an organization with strong centers has definitely been key. 
Let’s keep the good work, inner and outer, to strengthen our centers and pillars, so that we can be better at adjusting and living a happier life.