Is it just me, or have the past couple of years been a lot!? The constant change, fear for our lives, and civil unrest have been particularly draining. Other issues on top of that, such as squashing the pandemic, combating severe climate change, and improving workplace culture is a lot to handle. This doesn’t mention anything about taking care of ourselves, family, or simply enjoying our lives.
I don’t often talk about being Jewish, but the truth is I come from several generations of Silverstone Rabbis. As you may know, it was just the High Holidays. This represents a change of the year following the lunar calendar, beginning with Rosh Hashanah which literally means “head of the year”. This starts a 10-day period of introspection and reflection called the “Days of Awe.”
The period culminates on the holiest day of the year, Yom Kippur, which centralizes primarily on atonement and repentance. As good a person as you may be, everyone makes mistakes. It’s good to recognize the things you did wrong and who you harmed, even if it was unintentional. Then consider how you may do things better in the future. Additionally, consider what felt really good, what you did well, and what you should keep doing more of.
This year, 5782, marks a special year called the “Shmita”. Much like Shabbat or the Sabbath in other religions, it represents a period of rest. Shmita is the 7th year of a natural 7 year cycle dating back biblically to be an essential part of agriculture and harvesting. The word Shmita translates literally to “release” and “to let go”. It is the transition from the past cycle and moves into embracing the new one.
In our book, Internal Masterminds: How Smart Talent Leaders Create Engagement and Pivot Organizational Culture, we share the following anecdote relevant to this idea:
A little girl is watching her mom prepare a pig roast for the family. The mother cuts the butt-end off of the pig and puts it on a separate tray. The girl asks, “Mommy, why do you cut the end off the pig and put it on a separate tray?” The mom says, “I don’t know, that’s how my mom used to make it. Go ask her.” The curious little girl goes to her Grandma and asks, “Grandma, when you made a pig roast, why did you cut the end off of the pig?” Grandma says, “well, that’s just how my mom used to make it. Go ask Great Grandma.”
The little girl who is determined to get to the bottom of this goes to find her, and asks, “Great Grandma, when you made a pig roast, why did you cut the end off of the pig?” Great Grandma says, “well dear, in my old apartment the oven was very small. The pig roast was too large to fit on just one tray. I had no choice but to cut the end of the pig because otherwise, it wouldn’t fit in the oven.”
I love this story because it shines a light on the fact that sometimes we’re making certain decisions that no longer serve us. We don’t realize we’re not doing things the best way, and that we’re just doing them because it’s how it was done before. You don’t make that change or get to the real answer until you step back from the situation, reflect, and ask “why”. Then we need to consider whether or not this is authentic to us. Is this within our integrity? Is this within our values?
This is not a year of laziness or doing nothing. In fact, it’s the opposite. This is a chance to rearrange our lives. Stephen Covey would call it “sharpening the saw”. We must do this as individuals, and it would serve us well to do it as communities and as a society. It is a great time to assess your own skills, purpose, and opportunities around you. Figure out what matters to you most, and then do those things as much as you can. If you’re not sure yet, keep going. This is a period to learn, adapt, and readapt. In the spirit of the Shmita, consider the following questions:
What do I want to let go of?
What transition should I make in my life?
Am I doing these things for the right reasons?