A murder and a cathedral

What you’ll find below:

1. A murder and a cathedral
2. How to do year end: Thinking back, thinking forward and staying still
3. To read, to watch, to listen
4. Gifts that matter

A Murder, a Cathedral

The headlines of the murder in NYC are shocking— both in the brazen violence of a horrific premeditated attack, and the responses. Violence is never an answer to the problems that we face, and the specifics of this case will be unearthed over time. It seems to be, in a psychologically deranged way, a response— utterly and completely unacceptable to be sure— to concerns about the medical insurance industry. There is nothing acceptable in any way about this kind of action in a civilized society. And it stands out in particular as the worst of humanity responding to a challenge with our institutions. The best response for now is not to join the cacophony of voices, but rather, as said at the end of the first paragraph of TS Eliot’s Murder in the Cathedral (about the 12th century murder of Thomas Becket): ‘We are forced to bear witness.”

Bear witness— and pause. It is the hardest part of the art and science of active listening (remember this from The Grit Factor)— the pause. And it is the most important. Pause to listen. Pause to consider outside of that cacophony: what can you hear beneath the noise?

Looking ahead to gifts? I’m grateful for our partners at Monk Manual and Big Life Journal, both of whose missions and products align perfectly with the work at The Grit Institute. Monk Manual is the only planner I’ve stuck with, and truly enjoy using to plan and to consider— even to journal (enjoy 15% off your quarterly planner using the code SHANNONHPOLSON)! And Monk Manual incorporates gratitude as a part of your daily planning and assessments, too.

The other headlines, the other event— is the spectacular reopening of Notre Dame, a symbol of Paris, a symbol of France. Built over a century beginning just seven years before Thomas Becket was murdered across the channel, Notre Dame became the epitome of French Gothic. Its history is at once the history of France in the past millennium and the emblem of what matters to our common humanity over time. The French have a saying when something takes a long time— “It will be 107 years,” related to the time it took to build Notre Dame! (cent sept ans!)

Recall the horror of the flames consuming the roof of that vaunted architecture. Whether or not you put much thought to Notre Dame in the past, or have visited it in Paris, you certainly know of Notre Dame. It is a monument to the faith that forms us— regardless of whether or not you claim it. It is the form of story that is a part of us, whether or not we recognize it. It is a part of us; it is above us. It stands for us, and it stands to inspire us. It reminds us that stories matter, art matters, what brings us together-- matters.

Which is not to say that it hasn’t had its challenges. After the French Revolution, Notre Dame was desecrated and damaged, to the place that in the early 1800s, French officials were considering tearing it down. It is in large part because of a story— Victor Hugo’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame published in 1831— that it regained significance and interest sufficient to rebuild and repair.

And when Notre Dame burned, in April 15, 2019, the immediate response recognized all of this unspoken history, all of this unspoken significance. This is not the kind of response that builds for personal ambition, or selfish desires, or concerns of money or power— though of course religious institutions have been bastions of both at various times, such that the cathedral was built in the first place. But today— this is about the story and the connection to that we stand for, and as such an exquisite example of that stands as an inspiration to us all of what can be possible in the wake of destruction— a rebuilding of beauty beyond all of us.

After the devastating fire, Emanuel Macron declared that Notre Dame would be open again in five years, inspired by the bravery of the who responded to the fire, working nothing short of heroically to extinguish the inferno and save what they could. When interviewed on 60 Minutes, the interviewer asks if Macron ever doubted, and Macron responds: “If you doubt, it is already over.” He put a vaunted military general in charge of the project, who maintained military disciple and focus on the reopening date, though tragically died on a hike in the Pyrenees a year and a half before the cathedral was scheduled to open. The team of thousands, including craftsmen from around the world, pushed on. And on November 8, the bells of this vaunted cathedral— “some say the soul of the city's the toll of the bells,” writes Hugo in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, rang again.

What stood out in this reopening among the many examples indescribable beauty? The opening of Notre Dame first— before any other visitors— to the workers who dedicated themselves these past years to bringing it back to France, to bringing it back to the world. (people first leadership: a foundational tenet of everything we do at The Grit Institute).

As foil to the beauty reclaimed, beauty that has not been seen since the Middle Ages in the vibrancy of the colors of paint and stained glass, is a pool of lead in Jesus’ hand in the pieta, the statue of Mary holding Jesus after his body has been removed from the cross— lead that dripped from the roof in the intensity of the fire. “In the place where the nail went, right?” asks my son, and I look at him in wonder. This seems only appropriate— that lead, the heaviness of it, all it might represent in the trials of history, the trials of today, the trials we all hold and will hold, and is particularly poignant against the majesty of the surrounds.

Why bring these two headlines together? Because both are reactions in the face of catastrophe. One is productive and life giving, and one is not. One acts out of a belief in goodness and beauty, and one does not. One results in broad inspiration and unity, and one does not. There are many ways to be part of change in the world. We should each of us and all of us take care to be part of change that looks to the good, to remaking and co-creating a world worthy of its Creator. What a blessing the story of Notre Dame is to us all. In 2025, let us that blessing in all that we do.

Looking back, looking forward and staying still

2024 is coming to a close. (Prompts for your own reflection included for paid subscribers at the end of the post— as always, thank you for supporting this work!)

Looking back:

The Grit Factor made new and exciting inroads in 2024. Many of the engagements this year came from ongoing relationships with clients; others came completely out of the blue.

I use the quadrant method for looking back (and forward)— if you haven’t seen me talk about it before, check it out here (and please subscribe and share!).

• Ongoing work with a Fortune 100 company, and The Grit Factor being incorporated in ongoing mentorship circles as well as leadership book clubs
• The Grit Factor as text supporting a veteran’s leadership transition group
• The Grit Mindset— keynote and books— as part of a senior women’s leadership program in a 50 billion dollar company

Looking forward.

2025 is continuing to expand the reach of The Grit Factor and The Grit Institute and is already set up to be a total breakthrough year! How can The Grit factor and The Grit Institute help support your individual and organizational work?

The quadrant technique is another excellent way to look forward and to plan your year ahead.

• Ongoing keynotes and special events
• Going for Grit for Teens— a 6 week facilitated training in grit and resilience, leadership and communication— launching with a Boys and Girls Club in California, and expected to spread! (Interested in bringing Going for Grit for a school or youth organization in your area? Reach out to Sandy at Skillastics.)
• Integration of Going for Grit and Paths to Purpose into a global medical manufacturing company’s leadership training program
• An exciting partnership for women’s leadership community memberships (more on this in the New Year!)
• Looking forward as well to personal goals and areas of focus include planning family travel— a long expected trip to Japan— and investing in both my business itself, my writing, and making time for things that I love— conducting a small classical choir and painting— and making more time for wellness, too.
• Learn something new: whether it has to do with your work or not, learning something new should always be on a new year’s plan. I’m taking an online painting class and a St. John’s seminar on Jane Austen— whose heroines Peter Drucker said should be held up as leadership paradigms! Expect to hear more about that in the New Year.

My husband and I are co-leaders of a lay-led Episcopal fellowship, and together with three birthdays in our family (all three of my boys) the Advent and Christmas season is incredibly — busy. We are bringing in a traveling theater group for a play, designing and producing a Lessons and Carols service, including rehearsing and conducting and singing with a choir, and crafting a Christmas Eve service including a somewhat last minute Nativity play. And still finishing our business year, supporting kids with school and shuttling them to activities.

That means: being intentional about taking time to savor a quiet morning, falling snow, the sun on the mountains, the ethereal beauty of Kings College Cambridge Christmas music. The intention to pause, even to stop, to be still, and to take in the presence of all that is holy with joy and gratitude.

Read, watch, listen:

1. Reading: The Lady and the Monk, by Pico Iyer, in preparation for a spring trip to Japan. A fun anecdote: when working to build our community library, I reached out to Pico Iyer for a letter to the community as we opened the library and he kindly obliged with a hand typed note from a ship near Singapore.
2. Watching: 60 Minutes on Notre Dame, and Masterclass. My favorite is Doris Kearns Goodwin on Leadership. Though she focuses on the president’s, the lessons echo for us all— and may help you think differently looking back and looking forward.
3. Listening to: The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling, a thoughtful dissection of cancel culture from both political sides (podcast series); The Importance of Family Stories on Hidden Brain (podcast), and How to Have a Conversation, on A Slight Change of Plans. (And have you heard The Grit Factor and Facing the Wind series? An inspirational way to kick off a new year!)

One more newsletter this year, probably a but more personal— but get started on the work below (for paid subscribers) and discussed above for everyone else. Drop a comment or an email and let me know how YOU look back, look forward and stay still— and how the four quadrants works for you!

With all my best and to your grit factor!

Shannon

ps: if you like this newsletter, please be sure to like, comment, share, subscribe, here and at facingthewind dot substack dot com. And consider a paid subscription at Substack for the ongoing Masterclass!