Graduating from Normal
I was inspired by a question from Rob Hatch recently. He asked,
While everyone else is rushing back to reclaim what was, what if you started defining what will be?
There is no new normal. Do we really want to live normal? I always reflect on the metamorphosis process of a butterfly. I like the definition of metamorphosis that says it is “…a change of the form or nature of a thing or person into a completely different one, by natural or supernatural means.” I have found that the fight we must engage in to discover metamorphosis requires grit. It is the fight to be free from the cocoon that gives strength to the butterfly allowing it to not only fly, but to be a different creature and experience life in a new way.
As we have worked with two high schools recently to tell their graduation 2020 stories using video, many students that we interviewed spoke of the disappointments they faced. Many didn’t get to walk through the halls one last time. Some students didn’t even get to go to the sports finals that were inevitable for them and others missed out on trips to Carnegie Hall for artistic merits. But what struck me was the positive perspective many students had. One student said,
We understand that we’re in a global pandemic and this is affecting a lot more than just our seniors.
I believe graduating from normal means embracing change. Heraclitus famously said, “The only thing constant in life is change.” We have to embrace change. I am going to stay positive in the midst of change, see the good, and keep hope alive. The struggle in the cocoon grants the strength for the butterfly to catch the wind.
Our company started focusing more on video storytelling after the pandemic. The gates have opened wide. One project is a 1/2 hr show for the School District of New Berlin high school graduates that airs on My24 Monday, June 8th at 7:00PM. We get to tell their graduation story.
Think about how you can be deliberate about not looking back and looking forward. How are you defining what will be? How are you graduating from normal?
