As I Reflect on 2020, Three Themes Stand Out.
Compassion & Respect
There are millions of people in our nation and around the world dealing with devastating loss. I grieve for the families who lost someone to Covid. When the people they loved needed them most, they couldn't be by their side.
Nothing compares to the loss of life yet another reality many face is the loss of economic security. Before covid, people lined up around the block to buy concert tickets. Today people are lined up in their cars to receive food.
And then there are those whose commitment to serve has been tested like never before. What must it be like for our healthcare, social service & first responder professionals who - every day - serve an endless number of people in need. I can’t fathom the cost these professionals have paid risking their own psychological and physical safety in service to others.
To those who've experienced loss and to those serving our communities, I express deep compassion and respect for all of you.
Step Back Jumper
In the first quarter of 2020, my business like many others was very healthy and charging forward. Then Covid put on a full-court press that nearly shut me down. To reclaim an advantage, I had to use a step back jumper (ala Steph Curry) to put Covid on its heels and break its ankles.
The step back jumper is a term from the sport of basketball. It requires you to move forward, then stop and step back. This forces your opponent off balance and creates space for you to nail a jumper. 2020 forced me to step back and in the space created, rethink what I want for my business and how best I can serve my clients.
Raise Our Voice
So much of what occurred this year has served as a reckoning for who we are, what we believe, and what we want. Covid tested our resilience, racial injustice tested our values, and the election tested our democracy.
In today's world, if you wear a mask and want to be heard, we need to raise our voice. If you work or live in an environment where discrimination exists, we need to raise our voice. If you're concerned about our political climate, we need to raise our voice. In all these examples, the need to raise our voice - I believe - is on all of us.
Together we can solve the problems we face by showing compassion & respect for one another, stepping back to reflect on who we are, and raising our voice for what we want.
Goodbye 2020. Here's to a prosperous and healthy new year!