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Looking Down the Lens of Utter Chaos

When the world is spinning, stay still. There is refuge in the here and now.

I received this guidance today and it couldn’t have come a better time, as the chaos around us seems to magnify daily.

In the middle of the night, I learned that President Trump has tested positive for COVID-19, after ongoing contact with an aid who knew she was infected, and continued to travel with the presidential entourage on Airforce One to a campaign rally.

And then, there is the insanity, including shouting and spitting, Trump displayed in this week’s presidential debate. The thought that Trump has become a walking time-bomb, mentally and now physically, seems to me the last straw, the last nail.

Our collective back is being broken and our coffin finally sealed. I know such metaphors are overused and a bit beyond the pale, but the significance of this moment cannot be overstated.

Fear and uncertainty has been notched up yet another rung on what over the last six months has seemed a never ending ascent.

So with this ever-rising sense of hopelessness, where can we find faith? How do live in peace in such uncertain and chaotic times? How do we keep anxiety at bay? Should we be worrying about what the future will bring? What can we do to in the face of our powerlessness watching the insanity unfold?

These are the thoughts of an anxious and overactive mind. So today, I find solace in the advice: When the world is spinning, stay still! And I find hope in the idea that there is refuge in the here and now.

Actually, these are concepts I have tried to practice since the early days of the pandemic. Like many people, I have used this time for self reflection and learning. I have done a number of meditation challenges and online summits on collective trauma, mindfulness, and ancient traditions. During the lockdown, I have had and continue to have a daily meditation and journaling practice.

From there, I am finding ways to connect that internal work to support my creativity and knowledge as a writer and poet. I have taken a slew of online courses on creativity and the practice of writing, blogging, and poetry as a service and a business.

Determining what I want to accomplish as a writer not to mention all of the external information and influences that come into my inbox, I can become completely overwhelmed and even paralyzed.

And so, I need to constantly remind myself to return to my body, take in where I am sitting now, and rest in my breathe.

For me, taking a breathe and silencing my overactive mind is a moment-by-moment practice that is easier some days then others. But, in that way, I can also silence the internal critic, and simply do the next thing, letting go of the future and all of the possible outcomes. As a writer, that means sitting in the seat and trusting in the creative process.

Where I find hope and serenity in the midst of insanity is by remembering that when world is spinning, to stay still and in that way, I can find refuge in the here and now.

Down the Lens of Waiting With Quietude

And still, we wait.

Ballot counting in the 2020 presidential election continues, although it sure looks like Democratic candidate Joe Biden and his running mate Kamala Harris are going to win. — Heather Cox Richardson from Letters from an American

Like everyone, I have been waiting all week for the final election results, holding my breath if not wavering between worry and hope. I guess this is to be expected as we wait out the painful process of counting all the ballots.

Yet, I have never been good at waiting. Nail biting is just the start of it. My anxiety shows itself in restlessness and even crankiness.

Of course, I recognize that is the democratic process at work, especially amidst the ongoing efforts of President Trump and his allies to squash a Biden victory through voter suppression and illegal challenges to counting the absentee ballots.

And so again, I have turned to a meditation practice to weather the days up to the election and this aftermath of uncertainty.

In fact, I have been introduced to the Zen precepts of not knowing, bearing witness, and effective or loving action.

To sit with“not knowing” is a powerful place to be, if we can calm the mind to go to that place, and instead of getting caught up in the angst or numbing out, we let ourselves bear witness to the events.

I imagine myself sitting on the shore of a river of boulders and white water. I will not venture in to the fray but simply witness the ebb and flow of the rocky stream.

In these fraught times, this type on sitting on the sidelines may seem like a cop out. But, as explained well in the article, The Practice of “Not-Knowing:” Relief of Stress, Ground for Effective Action, it is actually a path to activism.

Relief from the stress at not knowing paves the way for witnessing and then taking effective and loving action. It paves the way for quietude. I like the word “quietude.” It seems to be a combination of quiet and attitude, resonating both calm and strength, peace and purpose.

In these uncertain times, we could all use a daily dose of quietude. Let’s meditate on this everyday.

5 Ways Newsjacking Can Promote Your Business

The Internet continues to change the way people communicate and interact with each other, and if you’re struggling to keep up with what′s trending in social media, online videos, apps, blogs, etc. your firm’s message is bound to get lost in the ether.

Newsjacking is one tactic a business can add to its content marketing arsenal to cut through the digital marketing din and standout in its geographic market(s) and/or area(s) of expertise.

Newsjacking, according to David Meerman Scott, author of The New Rules of Marketing & PR, is the process of injecting your brand into the day’s news and creating a twist that grabs eyes when they’re open widest, i.e. just before the story gains momentum and journalists start searching for more information (see chart below).

And then if your analysis or take on the topic is compelling enough, this could position you as a local expert on the subject.

Not only is timeliness key to success, but is also important to choose a story that not only makes sense with your brand, but, like any content marketing, is appropriate for and of particular interest to your target audience.

To get started, Meerman Scott suggests monitoring Google Alerts, then putting one of five approaches to work to promote your firm via a blog, PDF document, or video, and then sharing it widely on social media.

Valuable Information. Based on your expertise, provide analysis that positions you as a local expert.
Humor. A take on a local news story or event that is funny enough for people to take notice.
Celebrity. Ride on famous coattails and inject your brand into a celebrity story.
Event You Know is Coming. Apply your expertise to help clients prepare/deal with what may be coming.
Politics. Need to be careful here, but use your expertise to provide analysis on a political development or candidate.

Taking a story that was once a hot topic in the news as an example, your firm could write a blog post or do a social media campaign on why your city would be the best location for Amazon’s new national headquarters.

Down the Lens of Collective Trauma

Too much energy in your country Is spent developing the mind, instead of the heart . . . Be compassionate. . . to everyone. . . Work for peace in your heart and in the world. . .Never give up no matter what is going on around you. Never give up. ― Dalai Lama XIV

Today, I was offered, as guidance, the quotation above (which I have abridged here) by the Dalai Lama. This was not only a reminder to silence my overactive mind and breathe into my heart center, but also to silence judgmental thoughts towards myself and others as I walk through my day, and replace judgment and resentment with compassion and love.

This quotation from a global spiritual leader is also a resounding message to us collectively that we are living too much from the mind and not from the heart. And, the result is nothing less than centuries of unfettered capitalism and imperialism, white supremacy and pilfering of the earth’s natural resources, all of which have culminated in the global crisis and sense of collective trauma that is 2020.

This week, I have attended an online conference on collective trauma, which is certainly an appropriate topic of discussion in these days of confusion and uncertainty: the fiasco of Trump presidency, COVID-19, Black Lives Matter, and now the fires that are consuming the West Coast, brought about by global warming and climate change, not to the mention the financial crisis facing small business and the legions of newly unemployed and homeless.

Not only are we living in historic times, but also in a world experiencing one crisis after another, here in the U.S. and across the globe, driving me to reflect as I did on 9/11 on where we sit today in relation to what has come before. Again, I view the past as if down a pair of binoculars reversed, which creates for me a tunnel to a far distant time and that minuscule moment of confusion and uncertainty 20 years ago funnels back to today in gigantic proportions.

Trauma can be defined as a fragmentation in ourselves, when one unit, our body, mind, or emotions, becomes hurt. Traumatic pain becomes undigested, leaving us frozen in the past, destined to repeat it over and over. Collectively, such damage and resulting fragmentation is also central to a societal trauma that is a pandemic unto itself.

And so, the key question we need to ask is what scar tissue have we personally and collectively been born into and continue to carry. This is important to recognize, because tactics once helpful to deal with a past traumatic situation lose their usefulness. In fact, it creates a filter that gets in way of us individually and collectively reaching our full potential.

I cannot help but think of our 400-year history of systemic inequality: sexism, racism, slavery, and the massacre of indigenous people, as nothing less than national trauma. How has this trauma afflicted on African American and Native Americans, impacted all Americans, white and black, male and female? How is our collective psyche affected today, for example, as we watch every increasing police brutality in name of “law and order”? More importantly, what would our country be like today if the forces of white supremacy had not been the bedrock of our nation?

I certainly don’t have all the answers to these questions, only that it seems that we must recognize that such collective trauma needs to be healed in all of us, and it must happen sooner than later. The first step is according to experts on trauma is to acknowledge our history, and become aware of the automatic responses that no longer serve us.

For example, does political, social, and racial division serve us collectively in the face of rising anti-democratic forces and economic downturn? I would say not.

And hand-in-hand with growing self and social awareness, we must also foster compassion for ourselves and others. In this way, we can begin to build a shared space to heal modern society’s fragmentation of mind and heart. Finding unity in our diversity requires nothing less than living in compassion and mutual understanding.

And so, in these times of fear and uncertainty, of personal and collective trauma, I turn back to the wisdom of the ancients. I aim to live in more moments of mindfulness (and less of confusion) and with compassion. Yet, a spiritual approach to my personal healing does not mean a life of isolation, but of community activism and service. As the Dalai Lama suggests, the collective path to healing to work for peace in our hearts and in the world, but more importantly, to never give up no matter what is going on around us.

Looking Down the Lens of Mindfulness

More moments of mindfulness mean less moments of confusion.

I received this guidance in a meditation gathering this morning, and it set off a light in my mind, a profound realization of a new way of being.

Confusion and uncertainty seem to be general states of being these days. As everyone knows, we are living in historic times of the fiasco of Trump presidency, COVID-19, Black Lives Matter, and now the fires that are consuming the West Coast, brought about by global warming and climate change. And, then there is the ongoing financial crisis facing small business and the legions of newly unemployed and homeless.

All and all, it seems that we are living in a world in crisis, one after another, here in the US and across the globe. And so, today my mind is on what has come before, and again I view the past as if down a pair of binoculars reversed, creating a tunnel to a far distant time, a minuscule moment that funnels back to today in gigantic proportions.

Why is such a perspective of interest to me? Because it helps me to interrogate how I have gotten where I am in the current chapter of my life. In fact, I find that my experience over the last six months as someone unemployed and in lockdown, has been a fruitful time of learning and reflection.

Like everyone, I have experienced fear and uncertainty on what the future will bring. And so I have kept myself engaged with what’s happening in the world through opportunities for online lectures and discussions of timely topics, such as the fight against racism, and for equality, and the need for a profound cultural shift and spiritual awakening if we are going to save our planet.

Meanwhile, I have participated in online job search seminars and meetings, on how to “develop my brand” by perfecting my LinkedIn profile and networking skills. And then, I have taken numerous free online courses on book, blog, memoir and poetry writing, on how to get started, how to fight procrastination, and how to complete a project and publish.

Where has all this activity brought me? I am certainly preparing myself for what comes next in my career as a writer and editor. However, more often than not, I am walking about in a state of confusion and anxiety. For one, I sense a conflict in myself and our culture between self-seeking ambition and service to community, the personal and the political. And secondly, I am not sure what to do next and so tend to get stuck in an ongoing mental rewind of procrastination and anxiety.

The one saving grace over the past six months is that I turned to meditation and journaling. I engage in a daily practice alone and in online community. This commitment has helped me find a semblance of peace, to settle myself in the present, to do the next thing, and to let go of the outcome. When I reflect on the past, I find clarity, also by letting go.

And so, on hearing it said that more moments of mindfulness mean less moments of confusion, this simple but profound advice moves me to consciously cultivate more moments of mindfulness throughout my day, letting go of the anxiety of doing the right thing by doing the next thing, by writing the next word. In this way, I open myself to ongoing lifelong learning and community service and allyship with humility and gratitude.

5 Steps That Will Make You a Better Blogger

It’s very easy to let your blog get swept under the rug in respect to everyday business activities. With all of your responsibilities as a marketer for your firm, why would you take the time out of your busy day to put together free content?

While blog posts are technically free content for the viewers, statistics show that companies who blog generate at least 67% more leads per month than companies who do not blog (Source: Impact). Think about that for a second. 67% more leads EACH MONTH. So while you may think you’re wasting your time giving away free content, the statistics beg to differ.

I have been producing content for a while, and continue to see an increase in website traffic generated from my blog. Here I share the top five tips I’ve have learned on how to be a better blogger:

Have a Set Schedule. I can’t stress this enough. Your blog is nothing without a plan behind it. Sporadic posting and sharing simply doesn’t keep your content relevant. Whether you have a content management system such as HubSpot to help you out or you have to plan your posts out in your calendar, it is worth the effort.

But how do you decide what your schedule should look like? To answer this, take a look back at your past blog posts. Which ones had the most views? What days did you see a spike in views? Was there a particular time people seemed more willing to read a blog post?

Experiment with Times/Titles. Don’t be afraid to try anything. You might be surprised what works. I noticed people are willing to read posts in the early afternoon on Sundays. Maybe this is in response to the impending start to the work week. During the week, early morning, just before lunch and just after lunch seem to work best for us. It does vary between companies, so if you’re afraid to experiment on your own, you’ll never find your perfect time(s).

When it comes to titles, think of what would grab your attention. Which title catches your eye, “Top Five” or “Top 5”? Use different combinations of keywords and/or numbers to improve SEO while also making your post something people want click on.

Guest Blog Posts. This strategy has been invaluable for PSMJ’s recent spike in blog views. I recently reached out to different experts in the A/E industry (whether they have their own blog or not) and asked if they would be willing to write a guest post. Most of the people I contacted were thrilled with the idea and quickly sent us a first draft.

Guest posts are great for both parties involved. I was able to get content to add to the PSMJ blog and the writer was able to get exposure. And, invariably, guest posts were viewed by more people than PSMJ created content. When I shared the post, the writer would share it in addition. Sometimes the writer’s company would share it on his/her blog and within his/her company as well. This allowed the post to be viewed by more people than it would have without the shares.

Recycle Content. When I share our blog on Twitter, I typically tweet a link to each blog at least six times. This isn’t to throw our content at people, but to give people who missed the first tweet an opportunity to read our content (some people are busy, time zone differences, etc.).

At times when you are struggling to find content to post, don’t be afraid to go back to an old post and put a new twist on it or even combine two similar past posts. This will allow you to post a completely new article, while only taking a fraction of the time to produce it.

Recap. Provide your readers with a short recap of your blog posts over the past week, month or year. Again, this is something unique to your blogging experience, and is all about finding what works for you.

This is a great way to get more eyes on your articles you have already published. I recently started producing articles containing the top three most viewed posts from the previous month. Some people will be even more willing to open this link because the most popular (and typically the most useful) information is all in one place.

There is no perfect formula for a successful blog, but these tips can help you increase your views, leading to more traffic to your website. Even if you are currently blogging without finding much success, don’t give up! You never know what type of success could be right around the corner.

Looking Down Lens on What Was and Is 9/11

Like everyone, I can remember exactly where I was when the World Trade Center was hit on 9/11/2001. Each year, I have reflected on that historic day, what I was doing in that particular chapter of my life, and compare it where I sit in my life’s most current chapter.

Now in 2020, I am looking back to 9/11/2001 from these historic times of COVID-19, Black Lives Matter, and the Trump presidency. In fact, it’s as if I’m viewing the past down a pair of binoculars reversed, creating a tunnel to a far distant time, a minuscule moment that funnels back to today in gigantic proportions.

This is not to say the senseless act of terror that resulted in loss of thousands of lives on 9/11 was not a catastrophe and national crisis. In fact, it was a wake up call that our country is impenetrable from outside attacks.

This realization certainly was a shock to me at the time sitting in my cubicle at a large magazine publishing firm reporting on such emerging technologies as smartphones, WiFi, Bluetooth, and watching TV over the Internet.

And, as I and most of my coworkers emerged from our section of the cube farm to join the rest of the company in the kitchen, we were floored by two conflicting thoughts. Glued to the TV as we watched the Twin Towers fall, we couldn’t figure our where all the unfamiliar faces in the office came from, yet in such anonymity, we also found community and a sense of unity. No matter where we were on the org chart, we were not alone in facing this traumatic national event.

On reflecting back today, it seems that our experiences of national crisis have ballooned over the past 20 years, culminating in the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting financial free fall for small business and working people.

And then, we have a president who calls himself a populist, but in every way cow-tows to corporations and their drive to maximizing profits. His lack of leadership in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in 175,000 deaths and counting.

Today, I have started a new chapter in my life as one of the thousands of recently unemployed, laid off when my firm cut back staff to keep the business afloat. Like us all, I watch shops and restaurants in my neighborhood close down, not to mention increasing numbers of homeless ask for money outside the supermarket. I have also been more frightened than not, seeing militia and police roaming downtown with guns and clubs, some sort of protection against what are mostly peaceful Black Live Matters protests.

Yet, as if in a parallel universe to 9/11/2001, there is a sense, despite our six-month isolation due to the pandemic lockdown, of unity even among strangers. Not only are we in it together as a country, but also for the first time across the globe. Certainly an appreciation of global community and distance learning has been fueled by technology and connectivity via Zoom and other webinar products in exciting ways no one predicted.

Yet, every day venturing out from the home front, I am deeply touched with the small kindnesses of strangers I encounter, doing small things such as keeping a social distance and wearing a mask. There is the ongoing recognition of and gratitude for essential workers and medical staff on the frontlines.

Meanwhile, generations of police brutality and other forms of systemic racism have brought brought both black and white to take to the streets nationwide. I am inspired and moved to action everyday to fight for this new unity, one that honors diversity and equality, and builds an equitable society for all.

As I remember the historic event of 9/11/2001, I view the historic events we are living through in 2020 to be of far more gigantic proportions than I’d ever imagine if by chance I could gaze back through my binoculars from my cubicle in 2001.

In this moment, I live with anxiety on how the future will unfold, but also with hope that as a community of strangers we will find unity and the path forward.