The Things I Miss The Most.....

Posted on May 22, 2020 by Jonathan Roberts PhD, One of Thousands of Executive Coaches on Noomii.

As I sit and ponder all that has happened and the new reality we all are dealing with, I cannot help but think about my lost relationship and experience with Starbucks. (I know there are more important things, but this is my post :-) )

So, I have turned to The Kubler-Ross model which indicates 5 stages of grief we experience to help me with my loss.

1. Denial – what do you mean I cannot go in and sit down and drink coffee for hours. Like what am I supposed to do, make coffee at home?

2. Anger – make my own coffee? Have a virtual cup? How do you do that? The former and the latter.

3.Bargaining – where else will I meet my clients? You mean I have to Zoom them? What is Zoom? Well I do not actually have to brew it myself; I’ll just use a K-Cup!

4. Depression – I can never make my coffee the same way Starbucks does, will be so glad when I can sit and sip again. Wow, this coffee I just made sucks.

5. Acceptance – well, at least the drive-thru is open, I can get in the car and go through the drive-thru and then jump on Zoom with one of my clients and have a really good discussion.

A bit ’tongue in cheek", but the Kubler-Ross grief model is an excellent tool to apply when dealing with change, loss, or grief in your life.

We all go through the model in different phases and sometimes we go backwards. We cannot expect a person to travail through the process as we did, it is an independent journey.

If you are experiencing loss, know it is ok and it will get better. Always reminded of a phrase from my high school football Coach, Jim Wall, “tough times don’t last, but tough people do”.

Enjoy your cup of life!

Dr. Roberts is the Founder and President of Onyx Management Consulting, an Executive Coaching and Business Consulting firm that improves organizations and individuals’ capabilities.