Work that loves people
Helping Friendly Newsletter, 05.14.21
GM!🌻
Here’s what you’ll find in today’s email:
Work that loves people
Body of work
Practicing G.R.A.C.E.
Healthy conflict
1. Work that loves people
Street Gang, the new Sesame Street documentary, is fantastic. This comment on the show’s founder, Joan Ganz Cooney, grabbed me: “She was trying to do what television would do if it loved people instead of trying to sell to people.” Here are some prompts on the theme:
What would you be doing if your work was essentially about loving people?
How would that look different from or similar to what you’re doing right now?
What would you create? With whom? For whom?
2. Body of work
Work can be many things.
To encompass such broad scope, I embrace the idea of a lifelong body of work, as described by Pamela Slim:
Your body of work is everything you create, contribute, affect, and impact. For individuals, it is the personal legacy you leave at the end of your life, including all the tangible and intangible things you have created.
—Pamela Slim, Body of Work
3. Practicing G.R.A.C.E.
On Wednesday, Roshi Joan Halifax, founder of the Upaya Zen Center and prominent figure in end-of-life care, explained her G.R.A.C.E. model for compassionate interactions to a virtual audience, including me. This approach resonates strongly with my experiences. You name it—management, coaching, patient care, teaching, activism, family life—and G.R.A.C.E. fits.
4. Healthy conflict
G.R.A.C.E. can also support healthy conflict and difficult conversations. To clarify your intention, I recommend the questions below1. The trick is to consider them all. Don’t miss one. Each is vital.
What do you want for yourself?
What do you want for the other person?
What do you want for the relationship?
Thank you for reading
This newsletter is a labor of love. 💌 If you would like to show your support, you can forward to a friend, venmo me a coffee, or engage my services. If you’re seeing it for the first time, you can access the archive or subscribe here.
Treasure chest
I bet you find a gem ➔ the original Mother’s Day proclamation was 🔥 | a gorgeous prayer for peace2 | a tweetsheet for public speaking | business travel should stay dead | the economics of Bob Ross | LOL explainers for mRNA vaccines3 and NFTs | museums in the time of COVID | this adorable reminder to feel4👇🏼
Have a good weekend! I’ll see you again soon.
Jenny
From Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When the Stakes Are High, by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, and Al Switzler.
Via Velveteen Rabbi.
Via Deez Links.
Via Death Positive DC.