In my grant writing workshop this past week I learned about critical infrastructure. In this context it refers to everything in our community and those surrounding that impact the inhabitants of the area. It got me thinking about how we can look at the critical infrastructure of our own lives: people; relationships; environments such as school, work, church, home; our social networks and support systems; our health and fitness endeavors and habits; and our psychological wellness. Ever thought about all of those things and how they impact you? When we are more emotionally intelligent, we're better able to access, recognize, acknowledge, understand, and then assess our attitudes, emotions, thoughts, and behavior in order to make changes if we deem them appropriate. When we're uncomfortable or there is dissonance that we're feeling, having emotional intelligence to know the critical infrastructure that creates our foundations gives us freedom and the ability to grow!
One of my favorite lines from a song that I love is: "There's a joy inside I can't contain...but even perfect days can end in rain." It speaks to how we can feel such immense happiness and at the same time discover despair. There is nothing wrong with that. It's what makes us human and fallible. It's what makes us real! And our critical infrastructure can allow us to gain insight and growth or stifle us.
What is your current critical infrastructure? Are you aware of it?
