Even on top of a mountain

⛰️ Even at the top of a mountain.

🚶🏼‍♂️When Kristen Riecke and I visited Saint Croix last month, I hiked to the top of Goat Hill–the highest point on the island.

As a Hoosier, I am built for flat surfaces. So, I found the hike to be strenuous.

🎉But it was worth it.

In two ways.

🏝️First, the views were the most magnificent I’ve ever seen. On this tiny island, you can see three of the four coasts from the top of Goat Hill. Turquoise waters. Verdant hills. Colorful homes dotting the horizon. And, of course, the sandy thread that rings most of the land.

Second, I met exactly two (2) people at the top of the mountain (you can hike much of St. Croix without seeing other people).

🗣️ After the usual small talk…

“Are you from here?”
“No, how about you? Where are you from?”
“First time on the island? Yeah, me, too.”
“Want me to take a picture for you?”

😔One of them mentioned that it had been a hard year.

I probed. Even in paradise, I have to probe.

❓“Just like, work stuff and cold weather, or something more?”

What they shared next is private, so I won’t write the details here.

But, we talked for a long time about

1. A recent death in their immediate family and
2. Burnout at work

Now, mind you, I consider these to be two of the most important topics in the world.

And here I was.

Talking with (and hopefully listening well to) stories of grief and burnout.

0️⃣ With zero other humans in sight.

🌄On.The.Mountaintop. Literally.

Even on top of the mountain, we cannot escape these truths.

😓When people die, it can be traumatic. And when we are burned out, it can be traumatic.

These things affect individuals and families. But they also affect teams and organizations.

🏢Trauma, burnout, and grief aren't just the concerns of individual coworkers. They affect the entire organization. I love to empower leaders to foster resilience in any situation.

#grief
#burnout
#stcroix