Roula Eid Sawan, Executive, Organizational & Systemic Coach, Managing partner Team In Motion, and Coach enrolled in Berytech’s Impact Rise Social Entrepreneurship Program, writes a very open and personal piece for the Berytech Blog on Resilience, a few days after the explosion in Beirut.
Time froze in my body, mind and soul after the destructive explosion of Beirut on August 4, 2020. I didn’t lose a parent or relative, but I lost many friends. I lost something inside me, which is so deep, it has captivated me in for the past few days. Each one of us has a story to tell about this explosion. We are each living this tragedy differently, but what is common among us is that we are all concerned in one way or another.
Being an entrepreneur and a coach, among the different hats I wear in my social and professional life, I was not able to fake positivity. I was angry and very sad; I was not able to just think about being resilient as if it’s OK to restart from scratch.
NO, this time it is not Ok. This time I don’t want to be JUST resilient. I don’t want to reconstitute my life and continue as if nothing happened. This time, it is different, it is stronger, and it is deeper.
Over the past few years, I told myself that I was strong enough to rebuild. Today I will say that I am experienced enough to know that rebuilding alone won’t create the change. Being just resilient won’t make the transformation I dream about. Being just strong is not enough. We need to dig deeper and touch the roots.
Resilience is a good choice, but alone it won’t heal from the origin. Resilience will help us overcome the situation in order to take powerful steps and resolve the problem from the source.
I know that our issue is so profound and heavy, but I know also that we are a community who loves to live, wants to live and dreams of a better Lebanon.
My hope is not to lose hope.
So, in this case, what do we need to add to our resiliency trait?
We need to live our values, not only state them on our mission and vision boards.
We need more accountable leaders, not only titles and positions.
We need more faith, not only prayers.
Let us lead the way and walk the talk and I am sure this time it will be different since our path is already different.
Allow me to share this poem by Ruby Dee, which I feel is very inspiring.
“Today is ours, let’s live it
Love is strong, let’s give it
Peace is dear, let’s bring it
Our work is here, let’s do it
The world is wrong, let’s right it
The battle is hard, let’s fight it
The road is rough, let’s clear it
The future vast, don’t fear it
The faith asleep, let’s wake it
Because today is ours, let’s take it
Together we are stronger, so let’s make it”
About the author
Roula Eid Sawan is CEO at Team In Motion – specialized company for team building activities, team coaching and personal development training, and is the GM of Youth & Culture Center at Zouk Mikael municipality. She is currently enrolled as a Coach in Berytech’s Impact Rise Social Entrepreneurship Program.
