Trust, Change and the Gilmore Girls (yes, really)

A story about how having fun might be the most serious business in uncertain times

This week was meant to be different.

I had another newsletter ready (well, about 80% ready), but sometimes life gives you signs to pivot.

Yesterday, while listening to my favorite German radio station, they decided to make it a "positive vibes only" day. Everyone could share their song wishes to make the end of the week better.

I loved this idea so much that I'm pushing my original newsletter to next week and talk about what is really on my mind this week.

When the World Feels Heavy

Let's be honest - this week has been intense.

While I could generally be more involved in politics, these past weeks I've found myself watching more political discussions than anything else.

It's probably the first week since my son was born where I've felt political decisions could dramatically impact our lives.

And it's worrying - for me, our family, but also for the 2-year-old who hopefully still has many years on this planet.

Two things happened - Trump got elected, and the German government split on the same day. While different in their consequences, both are highly consequential decisions that will have a big impact.

I think both bring insecurities to people, for different reasons.

One German politician made a comment that really resonated with me.

He acknowledged that yes, this coalition broke.

But he raised an important point: the more extreme every party gets, the more difficult it becomes to work together.

He asked how we could create a system where this becomes possible - where open discourse isn't threatening anymore or even violent at times, but just good fact-based discussion.

Where the ideal outcome is finding the best solution, not winning for whoever thinks they need to win.

Have we lost the ability to discuss?

To create something together, even though it might not have been our idea?

"The question is not who is right, but what is right." (Bertha von Suttner, first woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize)

Learning from Job Sharing

I listened to a great podcast this week on job sharing and the fundamentals needed to do it right.

The two women (unfortunately it's still mostly women doing this) mentioned the importance of trust.

Okay, so far so good - trust is fundamental for teams as well. But trust in this situation goes even further.

Whoever is in charge that day takes decisions, and the other one goes with it.

No questions asked.

Whoever has an idea will make it the idea of both.

Own egos need to go, and a new ego needs to be built.

They even sign every email with both of their names.

Imagine if this would be the case in a government.

If any decision taken would be supported by everyone, and would not need to be taken back once there is a new lead.

Everything would be discussed in a way that all sides are heard, the best middle ground is found, and the egos are taken out.

Changed to one new ego, which is the one of the full government.

Or company.

Or team.

Or couple.

Or parents.

Don't get me wrong, I know it's not easy.

But what if we start small?

Strong me, strong we, strong us. Let's start at the "me" and go from there.

Finding our way back to the positive

And because this was such a challenging week, as promised, I wanted to really also create some positive vibes. Because in the end, we cannot just be scared and concerned. We actually need to do something about it.

Strong me is the base of everything, remember.

I would love to hear what you do in these times. What do you do to fill your tank again? To feel more positive and ready to take on the world?

The positive vibes toolkit

Here are some of the things I tried to do this week. And every single one of them helped a little bit:

• Connections: Quality time with friends and family, sharing perspectives and just talking

• Fun Exercise: Tried outdoor Padel in Dubai (yes, in the heat!) surrounded by palm trees and lovely women. The only focus: hitting the ball and noone else.

• Creative Expression: Joined an art workshop with the Tribe group - 3 hours of pure immersion in painting (skill level: debatable, joy level: 100%)

• Light Reading: Nothing too heavy, just pure enjoyment

• Time with my son: LEGO time, swimming, or drawing with my son - when I put my phone away, the world truly stops with him

• Fun Music: Still riding the joy wave from that Backstreet Boys concert a few weeks ago - there's something so fun about 80s and 90s music!

For everyone who needs some spark now, just press play on: the Backstreet Boys.

• Comfort Viewing: Yes, I'm admitting it - Gilmore Girls is my anxiety antidote. Those opening credits with the fall leaves just hit differently. 🍁

• More Connections: Because honestly, friends are the constant that keeps me going

As Maya Angelou beautifully said: "Try to be a rainbow in someone's cloud."

Sometimes the smallest acts of sharing joy can create ripples of positive change.

I would really love to hear your list!

• What fills your tank when the world feels a bit too heavy?

• What's your go-to mood lifter?

• Your guilty pleasure series or your favorite way to move your body?

Share your positive vibes toolkit with me - maybe we can all learn new ways to bring more light into our days in weeks like this.

Coming Full Circle

While finding those moments of joy helped me navigate this challenging week, it also made me think deeper about what we discuss in this newsletter.

That job sharing podcast wasn't just about two people finding a better way to work - it was about reimagining what's possible when we dare to think differently, outside the box.

In times like these, when political landscapes shift and uncertainties grow, we need new approaches more than ever.

New Work isn't just a buzzword - it's becoming crucial for all of us.

For parents trying to balance family life with careers.

For individuals seeking more meaning in their work and outside of it.

For teams wanting to collaborate in healthier ways.

For organizations aiming to stay relevant in a rapidly changing world.

Something in the system needs to change.

The old ways of working, of leading, of making decisions - they're showing their cracks.

But here's the beautiful thing: change doesn't always have to start with grand gestures or complete system overhauls.

It can start with small steps:

• A different way to share responsibilities

• A new approach to decision-making

• A fresh perspective on collaboration

• A reimagined work-life balance

Remember that job sharing example?

Two people decided to trust each other completely, to let go of their egos, to create something new together.

What if we all started there?

What if we took these small steps in our own spheres - at work, at home, in our communities?

We need to start small. But most importantly, we need to start.

As we head into next week, I invite you to consider: What's your small step going to be?

Until then, keep those positive vibes flowing! Just press play here. ;)

Constanze

Inspiration

• Youtube ;)

• Fast & Curious Podcast

• anyone I talked to this week