Micro-Disruptions For the Greater Good
The pressure had been building for months... years, really. You could see signs of trouble brewing; minor rumbles here, little bursts of steam there. Many people gathered and watched, waiting for “the big one.”
Although similar, this is not referring to a boss about to lose it, but rather the Mount St. Helens eruption on May 18, 1980. Its cone was blown off, and a plume of smoke and ash was spewed 80,000 feet into the atmosphere, transforming itself and the surrounding environment forever. The sheer power of the eruption was relatively equal to 1,400 atomic bombs.
While we may not be at risk of that type or size of implosion, many of us miss or ignore warning signs that we need to ease the tension and address the issues in front of us - things which, left unchecked, could lead to a large eruption. Research indicates all of us will experience a series of large disruptions, or “life quakes,” during our lifetime. But our ability to successfully navigate those big ones depends on how well we intentionally maneuver the micro-disruptions: the more frequent rumblings and warning signs.
Micro disruptions are intentional, small, regular, frequent, continuous disruptions to our status quo, our normal day to day living and working. They are critical to maintaining growth, building resilience, and successfully moving forward to our ultimate goals and purposes. Why? Because growth never occurs without disruption. Continuous growth requires continuous disruption. The key is intentionally pausing, learning, reflecting, engaging in the little disruptions (adjusting).
However, this is rarely what actually happens; instead we get stuck. We don’t want to disrupt things. We hold tightly to our status quo (regardless of how well we like it and often even when we don’t); we become fearful of change; we get tired and worn down. Sometimes the idea of change and intentionality seem too big. We rationalize that we’ll work on it…tomorrow.
Rather than just waiting for “the big one," hoping things will change and get better, or implementing an “all or nothing” radical change (which rarely works), we want to focus on micro-disruptions for the greater good. We believe that everyone wants to grow and improve, and have a greater impact on our families, our work, and our communities.
At Ripple Effects, we start at the Core. We ask: what is your identity, your purpose, your story? How has God wired you? What is that “good work” you were created for? How do you align your identity and your life to that work? This may sound daunting, but knowing the answers is half the battle. Once you’ve got a good sense for these things, it then becomes a series of micro-disruptions of aligning your heart, your days, and your work to those things.
From a spiritual perspective, we are admonished “not to conform to the patterns of this world, but to renew our minds.” In the original language, the renewing speaks of a continual action, a series of micro disruptions to intentionally look at the world through the lens of scripture, while calibrating our minds to God’s reality rather than the world's. We are told in Hebrews to pay close attention to the truth we have heard because we are so easily prone to drift away from it. We must continually examine where we are and make micro adjustments to stay on track.
Feel stuck? Unsure how to have a greater impact? Do you see warning signs for an impending eruption? We’d love to connect. Check out our Leading From Your Core workshop and sign-up for an upcoming event.
