I’m New

When I worked in direct sales, one of the things I would tell my team is the grace given when someone heard the words “I’m new.” It was as if suddenly there was a totally different playing field. A fresh start, if you will. An Etch-A-Sketch moment when everything up to that point gets erased. “I’m new” says a lot to the other person.

You probably don’t have the answers.
You probably haven’t had all the experience.
You probably won’t know the perfect solution.
You are simply “new,” and therefore, afforded a magical pass enabling you to receive heaps of patience, maybe even the tilted head version of “Bless your heart,” with a big ‘ol smile and all the Southern charm that accompanies it.

Guess what…right now, we are ALL “new.”

None of us have experienced COVID 19 before. None of us have a clue when we will receive the “all clear.” None of us know what the fallout will be after it’s ok to return to our “normal lives.” Will anything ever really feel “normal” again? Who knows?! I sure don’t…

But I do know this: one of the BEST parts of the “I’m new” phrase is there isn’t a set timeframe for when you have to relinquish it. You can be “new” for as long as you want, or at least, as long as you feel comfortable saying the phrase. Honestly, there are “new” things that pop up daily we’ve not yet encountered, so it is completely applicable, dare I say accurate, to say we are all “new.” EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. Most of us just don’t want to admit or say it in the out loud.

So in my REAL moment with you today, I give you the phrase “Hello, I’m new.” Wear this badge proudly. You are in good company, because my friend, we are experiencing this newness together. Let’s afford each other an extra portion of grace. Let’s be kind to one another. Let’s walk through this, at our safe social distance, with a fresh perspective, buckets full of patience, and an eagerness to learn how we can be both human AND kind in this uncertain time.