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Loving Monday: Fighting June Gloom

loving_mondayJune gloom is what we here in Southern California call the coastal phenomenon of having our mornings blanketed in clouds and fog. They eventually burn off about midday to unleash the sun’s warm glory that we love so much.

But until then it is chilly and grey.

If it were winter, then we’d probably not give the cloud cover another thought.

But at the beginning of summer?! Right on the heels of a beautiful spring?! It depressing. It shouldn’t be.

Ever come to work ready to dive in and find an unexpected mess waiting for you? It’s depressing. It shouldn’t be.

It’s also partially a matter of perspective.

We expect it to be summer and the cloud cover becomes an unwelcome intruder.

We expect things to run smoothly or pick up where they left off, and problems take on an unwelcome appearance.

But as morning cloud cover is normal in So Cal’s June, so problems are normal when it comes to the realities of the workplace.

It raises the question of when we’re fighting the problems themselves and when we’re fighting our expectations.

If we can catch ourselves facing unmet or shattered expectations, then the perspective shift involved is our own.

That’s good news! We have control over our own perceptions, attitude and responses to what goes on around us.

Either reality is a possibility, of course. A storm may be approaching on the horizon. Or it may be an instance of June gloom. How you respond to each will be different.

Are you responding to June gloom as if a dangerous storm were approaching? If so, how might you change your approach if you knew that the sun would be shining before noon?

On your side,

– Karl Edwards

Loving Monday is a weekly column designed to encourage us to step into our weeks with an intention to show up authentically, engage fully, and choose to make it a good week for ourselves. Explore past columns here.


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