8pm on a Saturday night isn't considered a propitious time to be initiating a big think like this post. Yet, here I am. It's not because I procrastinated. By custom, I start these on the Monday, a week before the Monday we finalize the post. I have a commitment to Robert who matches these words with a summative illustration. I want to get a solid draft to him by Wednesday, end of day, so he has time for his big think. Then Connor needs time to set up the post for email distribution so it arrives to you Tuesday morning.
Here it is Saturday night. Here I am five days past my intention and commitment to my colleagues and to you. I'm feeling the pressure, and at the same time, I'm here because of a week of decisions to do somethings else. I didn't spend a moment procrastinating. I followed my Kairos all week.
Kairos
Luke Leighfeld identifies kairos as timeliness, appropriateness, decorum, symmetry, balance.
My job this week was to be present to a greater number of people and to tasks than is customary for me. I control my time and calendar. I share responsibility, delegate responsibility, renegotiate responsibility freely. In this case, my full and present awareness to people important to me, and that includes a couple of you, fell under my higher sense of purpose.
Sunday morning: 7:56am. My higher sense of purpose includes this post. A few years ago, Jim Rider told me I was hiding my light under a bushel -- a biblical level, thus sayeth the Lord admonition that I've been unable to shake off.
The week could have been one of overwhelm and a sense of procrastination. I remind myself of kairos.
Timeliness
Summon my full awareness to what my judgment has chosen for this moment.
Stay in the present. I need to trust that a lifetime of diverse life contexts, experiences delivered and sought after, will offer what I need in the moment.
When my awareness drifts, bring it back.
Appropriateness
Surrender to the rules and processes of the human condition. Rest, nutrition, health, safety.
When thoughts come that aren't supportive of what my best judgment has chosen for this moment, tell them, "Thought. This isn't your time."
Decorum / Modesty
All I have is my best judgment.
Symmetry
If I'm wrong or underinformed, the correction will show up.
Balance
Jim and others think decorum includes being forthright about my authority.
Robert and I agree we don't stay the same: every day, we're either getting better or getting worse. This was a good week. I stayed exceptionally present.
After this week, I need more outdoor time.
This post balances a previous one where, that day, kairos was responding to the moment in contrast to this week's staying relentlessly on one task after another.
Warm regards,
Francis Sopper
REFERENCED IN THIS LETTER:
Luke Leighfeld: https://boords.com/ethos-pathos-logos/what-is-kairos
Jim Rider: https://www.jamesridergroup.com/
hiding my light under a bushel: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_5:15%E2%80%9316