Lean in. Brianna Wiest, in her book The Mountain Is You, counsels: “Embracing the grit of it all was what you were made for. Lean in and start living.” What does it mean to Lean in? What does it mean to you to do so?
To say we live in turbulent times understates the obvious. Reducing global experience to the minutia of our own daily lives, we may still live in turbulent times, facing challenges of health, budget, climate, safety, or more. To dismiss political tensions and tragedies is disrespectful; to ignore them is irresponsible. To begin with ourselves is a step that needs to be taken.
I first learned of antifragility when I was studying to become a Yin Yoga teacher. In his teachings, Bernie Clark, Yin Yoga master, teaches that physical and mental stress makes us grow stronger. Over years of teaching and practicing Yin Yoga, I can agree. Lately there has been some press on the term, antifragility. For example, Weist suggests that dealing with adversity makes the mind stronger and more creative. [I might note that overwhelming stress is not what we’re talking about here. Clark, for example, always recommends moderate stress to the dense connective tissue and joints when practicing and I doubt that any other professional would recommend getting lost in the quagmire of chaos.]
In 2013 Sheryl Sandberg published a book, Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead that encouraged women to lean into their lives and take more control of what lies ahead. So, the concept is not totally new.
In the world of endurance sports, names like David Goggins, Eliud Kipchoge, Camille Herron and Courtney Dauwalter conjur images of humans meeting larger than life adversity. Some face the work with grit and sheer will power while some, like Herron and Dauwalter, are know for their cheerfulness as they enter the often hours-long “pain cave” of their ultra endurance race. They know it’s coming. It always does. So, rather than try to avoid it, these runners lean in until they are through.
While few of us are out there facing extreme challenges, we may note that there are some little challenges in our everyday lives that make us want to balk, but do need to be faced. Each time we wash the dishes, shovel the walk, take the car to be serviced, clean up after a pet, do our exercise, etc etc – each time we are practicing leaning in.
Just this morning, the following arrived in my inbox: “Not everything that is faced can be changed; but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” James Baldwin. In a very small moment of practice, I used this powerful statement for something simple – walking my dogs. Trivial, I know. But it was cold, dark, and, though I am grateful for it, my environment is deep in snow. I geared up, leashed my silly girl, grabbed my hiking poles and out we went. My chocolate Lab, the one off leash, is like a snowplow and forged ahead breaking trail for my less adventurous yellow Lab. Realizing the yellow would not get very far, I unleased her and our adventure became magical. The girls romped and raced along the trail that the chocolate had created and I followed, enjoying the deep woods quiet as the sun rose and eventually filtered through the trees. We all three literally and figuratively leaned into our adventure and returned home much the richer for it.
While we may not be able to reframe all challenges into something manageable or positive or even sunny, we can put one foot in front of the other as we step into the process of meeting what we can. To lean in may not be sexy or exciting or dramatic but it may be methodical and ultimately effective. At the very least, we might get the job – whatever it is – done. We may arrive at our destination.
Motivational quotes have become an industry. I will not share one here but instead suggest that to move into a challenge rather than shrinking from it is an act of emotional intelligence. It is a practice of looking squarely at the obstacle, determining what is possible, and, even if uncomfortable, doing it. Life is messy. When the winds blow, let us lean in.
