Qarrtsiluni

What is Qarrtsiluni?

An Inuit word meaning, “Sitting together in the darkness, perhaps expectantly”. What feeling does this definition bring up for you? I have mixed emotions about “darkness.” On the one hand, there is the fear of the unknown, the boogeyman, the other is possibility. The notion that if I can get quiet, if I can get away from the distractions of everyday living, I might see alternatives that otherwise, I would miss.

It’s Work

I take a live zoom yoga class. Left to myself, there is no way (I’ve tried!) that I would get down on the floor and stretch and meditate. I have trouble motivating myself. But when I know other people will be there, suddenly I don’t want to miss the class. Because we are doing it together. I’m sure there deep, biological and sociological reasons for this but honestly, I don’t care. I just want to exercise for my mental and physical health. Any way that I can trick myself into doing it… is all right by me.

Change the Conversation

So when I think about sitting together in darkness, I think more about the possibilities than I do about any negatives. I want to #changetheconvo about work. There is so much pressure on young people to conform, to get into debt, to do it right… whatever someone else thinks that is.

Millennials and GenZ’s are different, times are different; the pressure is building. I’m not saying this generation has it harder than generations where we fought wars. I’m saying that the paradigms that we have for work, are outdated for these young people.

So I decided to connect with younger people. I asked:

• how is work for you?
• what is fits your needs?
• what is frustrating?
• what resources do you have?

The answers I got led me to write An Authentic Human’s Guide to Finding Meaningful Work. These younger workers want and expect authenticity in their environments. Companies that think they can bully their way to compliance, are in for a shock. Many companies are likely, already experiencing it. Revolving door employees who seem ‘difficult’ or hard to please.

From listening, I wrote to suggest that readers increase their ability to trust themselves by having strong self-knowledge. And, more importantly, that they find and surround themselves with like-minded people who want the same kind of work/life balance. Hopefully, they are not hard to find.

But we must have the intention of ‘sitting in the dark’ (not knowing what or how to do what we must)… together. When we are doing it together… I hope that makes it not only easier, but more rewarding.

I will be setting up zoom sessions in the near future so we can share ideas and support each other. I hope you will be able to join me. I’ll make sure we have big boat that we can all fit into.

Thank you to one of favorite idea people, Seth Godin.