What To Do Now That “Business As Usual” Is Gone

Wow, it has been such a long couple of weeks.

I didn’t publish a blog last week because, well, I’m human.

On top of that, I’m a black, female-identifying human…so, I needed some rest.

Even now, two weeks into this civil rights movement – I’m finding my energy low, my mind wandering.

It’s not business as usual for me because, well, I can’t be Gieselle as usual.

Transparently, I think that version of Gieselle is gone…she’s upgrading into the version of Gieselle that is ready to take her place in the revolution.

I also believe that “business as usual” is gone.

I know for sure that the world that we inhabited in early March is gone.

It feels terrifying to step into the unknown, and dive deep into the revolution, but here’s what I know to be true:

The ways we were doing things in the past were broken.

Business (and our world) was whitecentered, harmful, and oppressive.

We lived in a world in which we were constantly rushing, separated from our communities, and disconnected from our truths and needs not just as a society, but as individuals.

There’s no going back, and honestly, good fucking riddance.

This moment feels physically painful for me most days, but as our world is burning down and restructuring, I get to do the same.

Personally, in a world where my next breath isn’t promised, I’m grateful for that.

I know it’s tempting to wish for business and life as usual.

Things felt easier there.

You probably felt a bit more comfortable.

Things felt stable, you had plans, and you knew how to show up and live in that moment.

But here’s what I want to remind you of:

There are no mistakes.

You are living through this moment of time, as the version of you that are you today, for a reason.

You are here because you are strong enough to handle the pain of this experience – and you and your unique gifts are needed to bring about this change.

Instead of wishing and hoping for normal, I want to invite you to do the following:

1. Acknowledge the parts of your business that needed (and perhaps still need) to be burnt down and restructured.
2. Re-evaluate your values in your business. What do you want? What are you no longer willing to accept from yourself and others?
3. Decide what kind of world you want to live in – and how you can use your unique gifts to be a part of the change.
4. Lean into community – because we can’t rebuild if we’re alone. We’ve got to do it together.
5. Give gratitude to this moment for giving you the opportunity to do better, and be better.

There’s no turning back.

It’s only evolution from here – how do you want to move forward?

xx,

Gieselle