There’s a lot happening in the world right now. Every conversation with a leader seems to circle back to the same truth: the pace at which we’re being asked to operate is unsustainable. The conversation isn’t about preventing burnout anymore. It’s about stopping our best people from quitting altogether.

We’re all running on “E,” chasing energy and light in an unpredictable world.

Technology is accelerating faster than our ability to emotionally process it. The political climate is tense. Economic uncertainty looms.

But beneath all of this is something deeper: a collective distrust that leaves many wondering who and what to believe.

So, how do we lead, live, and stay whole in moments like these?

1. Stay aligned with your purpose

When the noise rises, clarity is your anchor. The leaders who will thrive are rooted in the answer to one question: Why am I here? If you’ve never fully answered that, start now. Reflection and self-inquiry help you re-root when the world feels shaky.

Consider spending time with practices that deepen your self-awareness, such as journaling and reflection, to help you reconnect to your mission.

2. Surround yourself with others who cultivate your growth

We become like what surrounds us. Negativity, gossip, and constant complaining drains your energy like a houseplant forgotten in the darkest corner of your home. Growth requires light, nourishment, and a healthy ecosystem.

Seek people who challenge you to rise higher. Those who create, think boldly, and move forward in faith, not fear. Connect with fellow innovators, builders, and leaders who lift others up while staying grounded themselves.

3. Tend to your emotional landscape

Just as a plant sheds what no longer serves it, you must release what weighs on your spirit. Every day brings emotional residue, such as frustrations, fears, anxieties, that, if left unchecked, harden into barriers to joy and clarity.

Take time to express, to feel, and to breathe. Breathe out the energy you’ve absorbed from others. Breathe out the worry, the fear, the noise. Your emotional hygiene is just as essential as any strategy, system, or business plan. Without it, you’ll eventually dry up from the inside out.

4. Unplug and reconnect to what’s real

Step away from the endless scroll of screens. Go outside. Put your feet on the earth, tilt your face toward the sun, listen to the sound of wind through trees. Nature doesn’t ask you to perform. It invites you to be. When you unplug, you reconnect to the rhythm of your own humanity.

Because here’s the truth: We’ve forgotten how to be human.
We sit on Zoom all day, look at our phones in between meetings, watch TV to unwind, and then wonder why we feel so drained.

If you spend that much time with machines, you will start to become one.

Nature reminds us who we are. There’s no algorithm in the park where you listen to the rustling of fall leaves. There’s no feed in the morning breeze. There’s no notification ping on the lake.

Let your energy reset.

If you do that, you’re going to be all right.

If you don’t, you’ll probably keep struggling.

I want to hear from you. How are you really feeling lately? What’s helping you grow, and what’s been clouding your light?

You can trust that as the founder of Seeding Greatness, I’ll always speak candidly about the challenges of our time and offer grounded, practical guidance for growing through them.

I’ll be sharing these reflections and resources every other week, as well as simple truths and steady encouragement to help you stay rooted in purpose, connected to what matters, and committed to your growth journey.

With light and gratitude,

Darryll Stinson