This past year, 3 companies I loved working with failed spectacularly. At their peak, all 3 were places I (and countless others!) wanted to work—each characterized by a strong sense of purpose, learning, and commitment to making the world a better place. It was a joy and privilege to work with each of them.

Tragically, they sacrificed the core values that had driven their success, prioritizing greed over mission. In my view, even though they still exist (with bigger bottom lines than ever) they FAILED.

Many colleagues and I lost our livelihoods, our community, our sense of purpose, and our pride in making a difference in ways we deeply cared about. Worse, our clients lost the life-affirming services we provided. It has been gutting to watch these orgs I once felt so proud of and energized by, become smoldering, lifeless heaps.

Simultaneously…

…the government of the “United” States is forcing a slash and burn campaign on its own citizens, and the world. What should be run by us is running over us. Again, profit over people. Chaos and hate over equity and belonging.

I am deeply disillusioned.

Feeling a range of strong feelings—fear, sadness, anger—is only natural. But it isn’t sustainable, and it isn’t by itself generative. We must remember: even though the FORM of our work and our nation has changed, our aspirations still burn bright.

Paralysis and cynicism extinguish these aspirations, so somehow we have to move through heartbreak, horror, and rage. Then, we have to reconstitute ourselves individually and collectively, and activate for the world that still so badly needs us.

The way forward is a clear-eyed assessment of what currently IS. Not what we thought, or hoped, or wished for, but what actually IS. I urge you: do everything you can to pull yourself out of denial, and through the tsunami of emotions. Tell yourself the truth about what has happened, and what is unfolding.

Then ask yourself:

•Given the facts, what does the world need most right now?

•What could I offer to meet that need?

•What’s my next best move?

It is only through acceptance of reality and commitment to the next step—even if tiny—can we get to the next level in our work, our relationships, and our world.

And even though this time feels murderous to much of what we have loved, perhaps there is a faint silver lining:

When you are dis-illusioned, you see things as they really are—only from there can you build something new, something sustainable, something life-affirming.

As James Baldwin famously said, “Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.”

There’s no way out but through. Let’s go.

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Recent events have left many of us traumatized, while countless others are having reactivations of old traumas. The months ahead may well be perilous. If you are trying to work while navigating through these perilous times, you may benefit from coaching. If you would like executive coaching, team coaching or leadership training that is trauma-informed and focuses on self-regulation of the nervous system, please contact me at danamgallagher@gmail.com.