Resignation
”Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
- Jesus of Nazareth
The folks at Praxis warned us last March (you remember life before the pandemic took hold, right?) that we were entering an ice age, and nothing would ever be the same again. We thankfully read that article when it was released and took it very seriously. I remember the uncertainty, fear, and hope we all had that this would all be over by Summer. This article was a cold slap in the face for us and the dozens of business leaders we gathered with on Zoom calls.
It was powerfully prophetic and continues to be proven true.
The Labor Department reported that four million Americans quit their jobs in April alone. One of the ways that things will never be the same is that a majority of American workers are not intending to go back to work (at least to the way it was). They reapportioned their time and other resources toward family, experiences, and getting healthier in various categories.
Some prefer things to go back to the way they were.
Some will reluctantly go back but resent those making them.
But millions will resign.
Resignation from being overwhelmed, busyness, and the comparison culture that has us constantly wanting more and never feeling truly satisfied, is something we should all be embracing in more significant measure. While we are still teaching all the sound business principles that comprise the roadmap we think our client companies should complete, our leadership teaching has become oriented toward taking our lives back over the last few years.
Becoming an “essentialist.”
Designing and claiming your “best week.”
Prioritizing more “soul care.”
Claiming processes of elimination, delegation, and doing less better.
Although not all our clients share our Christian worldview, they all are finding value in the life and teachings of Jesus. While we claim him as the Messiah, others might claim him as simply a significant historical figure. Regardless, his teaching to live freely and lightly with less burden and yoke is an antidote to our age. Getting away, recovering our lives, and learning to take a real rest, is precisely what many of us have been doing. Maybe for the first time in our lives.
But this is not a recipe for doing nothing. We’re encouraging a resignation from “that” way of living and leading while strongly inviting them to resign to a more profound, more meaningful, and impactful way to live. Sitting with a leader claiming more margin, living with less hurry, and realizing significantly greater impact from their life is precious and rare. We are working hard to make it less rare.
I guess we shouldn’t be surprised we see so much interest in our Lifeplan Retreats. It is one of those rare places where we can quiet the noise long enough to fathom a better version of ourselves and a more inspired life. And as it turns out, if you are going to experience the right kind of resignation, you better have a pretty clear and exciting place to land.
Consider
What are you resigning yourself to?
Is it a good resignation or a bad one?
Do you think you would benefit from a couple of days to reimagine your life? (If so, join us in Fredericksburg, TX in September or Avila Beach, CA in October! Click here for more info.)