"Tradition" is one of those words that polarize and carry very different meanings for different people.
For some, a tradition is all about "How things have always been done" and it represents a privileged link to some kind of past, to be kept as it is both in the present and in the future: something to be protected, cherished, preserved no matter what.
For others, a tradition is a relic from the past, something that may have been seen as logical and useful at some point and under specific circumstances (historical period, location, social group, context, shared knowledge) but that doesn't have to be treasured any longer just because it has been treasured in the past.
[For many, 2020 has been a challenging year.
Still, it could also be seen as the year
where many new traditions have been established]
In the end, traditions mean different things to different people, and for each person ready to go above and beyond and even to die in order to preserve some of them, there is another person desperately willing to break free from the past, break through old limiting belief systems, and breaking with tradition once and for all.
They both see tradition as something coming from the past, they are interested in setting an example on how to deal with it in the present, and they have an (in most cases, very strong) opinion about whether or not a tradition should survive in the future.
But what about the traditions we can establish right now, in the present?
We are usually so worried about where we stand when talking about previous traditions that someone else created that we forget to talk about the traditions we want to create and that may reflect our lives, our situations, and our values better.
Just because things have been in a way for a long time, it doesn't mean that there is no place for new traditions that actually matter to you. As the world is changing, I hope you find some time this year to establish traditions to be thankful for right now and in the future.
Coaching question of the day:
"Which new tradition did you establish this year?"
Tags: Coaching question, Self-coaching, Self-awareness, Self-reflection, Traditions, Dealing with tradition, Dealing with the past, Establishing traditions, Time management, Reframing
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