Finding trees in a blizzard saved skier Bruce Kasanoff* from danger. He believes we also need mental trees in the current disorientating situation.
I’m writing this shortly after returning from skiing in a whiteout.
It was snowing, the wind was howling at about 55 kilometres an hour, and fog made it almost impossible to judge which way was down.
In such circumstances, it can be extremely difficult to maintain your equilibrium.
In other words, you get dizzy, which is not a great thing to happen while you are sliding down the side of a mountain.
Fortunately, I knew what to do… find trees.
We skied sideways until we reached the side of the wide-open trail, at which point the green and brown of the trees provided enough contrast for us to regain a sense of balance.
In some larger storms, I’ve literally skied right into the woods — deliberately — to escape the winds and surround myself with reference points.
Actually, I like skiing in the woods.
Over the past year, there have been plenty of situations that might make your head spin.
Nothing seemed to be stable or predictable anymore, and I still catch myself wondering what the ground rules are for the year ahead.
Some people enjoy taking a deep dive into the news and arguing incessantly about who is evil and who is good. I don’t.
Such activities also tend to make me a bit dizzy.
So instead, I look for reference points. Who can I count on to always be optimistic? Who has a sense of perspective that this, too, will pass?
Who is so caught up in their love of entrepreneurship or painting or music that their passion can quickly banish any sense of foreboding I may be feeling?
These are the people I search out.
Even in the midst of chaos, some people and elements remain stable. Lighthouses, for example, have long served this purpose.
When the world feels disorienting, look at the edges of your field of vision for the waypoints that will help guide you out of the chaos.
*Bruce Kasanoff is an executive coach and social media ghostwriter for entrepreneurs. He can be contacted at kasanoff.com.
This article first appeared at kasanoff.com.
