The Stick We Carry: A Resilience Keynote Speaker's Unexpected Lesson on Burnout
An Unexpected Lesson in Resilience
So, last month, at noon on Wednesday the 2nd, I started my 10km jog.
I was in Mount Barker, a gorgeous part of South Australia. I was running next to a gorgeous creek with the sound of water flowing in the background and a picturesque view of the trees next to the creek.
I was at the 3rd km mark. If you are a runner, you would know that at this point the mind slows down, the breath regulates, and you enter a state of flow.
At this point, I heard a noise from behind.
I turned around and saw a magpie attacking me. I tried to punch it away, in complete self-defence. It flew away and sat on the branch of a tree.
I don't usually take my phone with me on runs; however, in this instance, I wish I did.
What happened next turned into an unexpected life lesson about stress, burnout and resilience.
When Our Nervous System Goes Into Defence Mode
Something told me that the magpie wasn't done. I stayed steady and faced it. It flew in my direction again to attack me. Not once, not twice, but three times. Each time, I tried to punch it away. At this point, my nervous system was activated, my body was tense, and I was looking around for anything that I could defend myself with.
I found a wooden stick that was being used to hold up a barrier. It was at least 1m long.
I pulled it out of the ground, detached the barrier from it and got ready. The magpie attacked me for the fourth time. My heart was now racing, and my breath was short.
I swung the stick at it. It didn't hit it, but this time, it flew away for good.
I waited for a bit but couldn't see it. I thought maybe it had had enough. I restarted my run. No longer in flow and with this stick still in my hand.
The Stick We Carry: Understanding Stress and Burnout
I kept running, having completely forgotten that I was still holding on to the stick.
Imagine if you were someone on the side of the street. You would have thought, what a lunatic! Why is he running with such a long stick in his hand?
Seven kilometres away from where the magpie attacked me, and at the end of my run, I noticed the stick was still in my hand. At first, I laughed. But then I noticed how alarmed I was and how tense my body was. Here is the reason I wanted to share that story with you in this month's blog.
As we go through this gorgeous gift of life, we will experience moments like that magpie attack. We get our hearts broken, our boss doesn't appreciate our work, and we are spoken to unkindly. We experience unexpected changes, challenges and setbacks.
And in facing these events, we naturally become defensive. We pick up a stick for each event to defend ourselves. We collect these sticks as we go through life. But then, we carry these sticks with us when they no longer serve us. Yes, the stick served us once, but we don't need to carry the sticks and their weight with us everywhere.
Just because something served us once, it doesn't mean we have to carry its weight with us everywhere.
What Carrying the Stick Teaches Us About Resilience | Insights from a Resilience Keynote Speaker
The stick is an analogy for something that we all experience psychologically. When we continue carrying the emotional weight of past experiences, we may remain defensive, tense and stressed, even when the original threat has passed. Over time, prolonged stress without adequate recovery can contribute to chronic stress and burnout.
This is why I believe resilience is such an important skill to develop, both in our personal lives and in the workplace. As a resilience keynote speaker, one of the messages I share with audiences is that resilience isn't simply about pushing through challenges.
Sometimes, resilience is about recognising when something that once protected us is no longer serving us. This is particularly relevant when we experience change, uncertainty and pressure at work. Whether we are leading a team, managing increasing responsibilities or navigating organisational change, we can unknowingly carry the weight of previous experiences into new situations.
And sometimes, those sticks affect how we work, how we lead and how we respond to others.
How Do We Learn to Drop the Stick?
You may be asking, Ali, how do I drop the stick?
This is exactly why I put my keynote, Hosing Down Burnout, together.
In this keynote on resilience, stress and burnout, audiences explore how to recognise and drop the sticks they no longer need to carry.
We also explore three hidden contributors to burnout that are often overlooked:
1. How we work
2. How we live
3. Who we become under pressure
As a keynote speaker specialising in resilience, change and leadership, I believe understanding these three areas is essential to helping people navigate challenges and perform sustainably under pressure.
It's also a message that connects closely with my work as a change keynote speaker and leadership speaker. Because whether we're experiencing personal challenges, leading through uncertainty or adapting to organisational change, the way we respond can influence what happens next.
Sometimes, the most important thing we can do is recognise the stick we're carrying and decide whether we still need it.
Looking for a resilience keynote speaker for your next event?
I help organisations build resilience, navigate change and lead through uncertainty. Explore my keynotes or book a free introductory call to discuss your event.
What's New in October?
October is looking to be a super busy month.
At the start of this month, my new website went live after working on it for about two months.
Check it out here: aliahmadi.com.au.
On the 22nd of October, I will be delivering my keynote on Burnout for an event organised jointly by the Australian Water Association and Engineers Australia.
On the 23rd of October, I will be participating in the finals for the Speaker of the Year competition.
Wish me luck!
On the 28th of October, I will be flying to Sydney to deliver my other keynote, Map for Change.
This is for Robeco's staff day. Robeco is an international asset management firm, and the event will be held in the Blue Mountains.
What a gorgeous backdrop for delivering that keynote!
Through Map for Change, I explore how individuals and teams can navigate uncertainty, embrace change and take ownership of their response to it.
Anyway, that is from me.
Until next time, let's drop those sticks!
Ali Ahmadi
Keynote Speaker | Resilience, Change & Leadership
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