Some of us on the P2 team have mentioned being tired lately. In my case, I’ve wondered if this is just part of being middle-aged… but I’m noticing the "young pups" are looking kind of weary too. Where’s our resilience? What’s the deal here?

Maybe we’re rushing our slide.

It’s no secret that one of my favorite examples of teamwork is rowing. As I wearily pondered my fatigue and desire for enhanced resilience, I asked my boys, both rowers in their high school years, how they managed to maintain strength and energy during a long race. Tobin, my oldest, who rowed and coxed told me that when his team was getting really tired, he would coach them to focus on resting part of their bodies even while they were working hard with other parts. Ryan shared with me that appreciating and paying attention to the delight and joy of flying across the water helped him to go full-force.

There’s another thing about rowing… the importance of rhythm in "catching" and "sliding". At the "catch", you slip the oars into the water and pull back by extending your legs and body. Then you slide forward and the oar exits the water. This is rhythmically repeated over and over. The time with your oar out of the water, the "slide", is just as important as when your oar is in the water. A skilled rower does not rush his/her slide. It is an essential breathing space; a vital part of the cycle.

I’ve been thinking about how we might incorporate these concepts into our hard work. I’m noticing that lots of healthcare professionals are looking a little weary. Seemingly endless change, tighter constraints, long hours, and difficult patient circumstances, take their toll. How can we enjoy what we do? What is the role of delight? Perhaps we can enhance our resilience by taking advantage of our "slides"?

As busy as we are, our P2 team, does take some time to "slide". For example, birthdays are kind of a big thing in our team. This can be kind of noisy for the other folks that work on our floor, but we do have a good time. There’s usually a last-minute rush to tape up decorations, ("Quick, before she gets here!!"). When the birthday celebrant arrives a crown is placed upon his or her head and we sing a raucous rendition of Happy Birthday. We laugh together at the choice of the usually humorous presents. And, as we move on to other business, the atmosphere is lightened and our connection is strengthened.

We sometimes find other ways to rest, too, whether it be a brisk walk around the building and a peak at the blue sky, appreciating the view of the mountains from our office window, a brief shoulder massage for a co-worker with a headache, or greeting each other warmly as we arrive. One of my favorite resilience enhancers is holding our youngest members, Samantha or Jonas when they come in for a visit. We also try to make a point of going out to lunch together occasionally or meeting after work for a short while to relax.

It also seems to me that resilience is strengthened by staying in the present.

Jinpa, a friend of mine, works as a cardiovascular technologist in the busy lab at Sacred Heart Medical Center in Eugene, Oregon. Since he is a practicing Buddhist, our conversations often revolve around what it means to practice, in this case spiritual practice, which in part, is focused upon self-awareness, staying in the present moment, and treating oneself and others with loving kindness. Jinpa’s the first to admit he’s not perfect..that’s beside the point. He’s found that when he practices awareness he’s more apt to catch himself before he reacts and says or does something he’ll regret later... And staying in the present moment helps him stay steady in times of high stress or crises at work. Jinpa recently attended a lecture presented by a revered teacher. In the midst of the talk, the teacher paused to take a drink of water. For a few brief moments the room was silent as he totally focused upon drinking the water. He then sat the glass down and resumed the lecture precisely where he left off. That focused pause lasted mere seconds and in itself was an interlude. Breathing space.

"Don’t rush your slide" rowers are cautioned. Skillful rowing requires paying attention to rhythm. Oars in the water, pull back, oars out of the water and fly as your seat slides forward. Precision, balance, work, rest. It is as essential to slide as it is to pull. Don’t rush one moment in anticipation of the next.

I think we often miss the slide altogether by being caught in thoughts about the past or anxiety about the future. We miss the gift of the present; the rests in the moment - the sweet smile of the baby, the blue sky, the eagle soaring above. Coming back to the present, connecting with the here and now, making contact with each other, taking a breath… sliding… flying.

Transformation is dynamic. Breathing is important. So is our language, which is why I’m also a fan of Appreciative Inquiry. Reading Diana Whitney and Amanda Trosten-Bloom’s recent book, The Power of Appreciative Inquiry, I became enraptured with the phrase "Words create worlds". I’m more and more convinced that we build strength in organizations by what we focus on and we talk about. The words we use shape our experiences and our expectations. Leading sociologist, Ken Gergen believes that our "reality" is collectively constructed by our conversations, our decisions about meaning, and how we understand each other. Conversations about possibility, hope, and passion certainly evoke a different energy than conversations about dire predictions, fears and problems.

We took this into consideration when we recently began our first team interventions in North Cascade Cardiology. This is a fine group of dedicated staff and talented physicians, working hard in a growing practice. The intervention, based upon Appreciative Inquiry methodology has been to conduct interviews focused on what the staff and physicians value about the organization, their work, themselves and their hopes and dreams for NCC. Nicole Marsolais, our wonderful student intern from the Leadership Institute of Seattle, and I have been conducting one-on-one and small group interviews with the staff and physicians. The interview takes 30 - 60 minutes and in that time, our intent is to listen to each person with unconditional acceptance and delight, …to inquire into what is working well and their hopes for improvement. The interview offers opportunity for reflection and appreciation; an interlude in the pull of the work day - an opportunity to breathe, look ahead, slide forward. Staff report an upsurge in positive attitude and morale since these interviews have begun. This is a step in the adventure of shaping a hopeful, positive future.

What do we expect to find when we look into the future? Our expectations, silent and otherwise impact our experiences and our relationships. What we seek, we will often find. My 22 year old daughter, Browyn told me last night that her relationship with her father has improved to the point of considering him one of her best friends. In the past year, she has changed her focus from seeking to affirm and her criticism of him, to seeking and expressing what she appreciates about him. It has made all the difference. In my recent conversation with him, he mentioned how much he enjoys doing things for Browyn and how easy it is because she is so appreciative.

Appreciation, laughter, connection, joy.. help our spirits soar. It seems also important to take opportunities to rest when we can, perhaps in the form of making cookies on a rainy, cold Sunday afternoon, or taking a nap.

We are relational beings. When I walk through the waiting room at North Cascade Cardiology, I try to be aware of the patients sitting there. I don’t know what is pulling on their attention as they await perhaps an uncomfortable procedure or the outcome of a significant test result. If I am mindful and reach beyond my busyness to nod and smile, I’m usually rewarded with a smile in return. Connection. Heading through the door.. I remind myself not to "rush the slide". Each moment and every person matters. And, in this brief moment, there is rest.