We have endured a cascade of challenges on multiple fronts this year of our Lord, 2020. The Pandemic of COVID 19, medical care overload in hospitals, unnecessary fatalities, economic woes, protests, burnings, and looting, personal pain and suffering, social and cultural divisions, and the feeling of being trapped given the off and on quarantine along with the push back to the guidance and advice in dealing with COVID 19, has dramatically tested our personal, family, and national resolve.
And in the midst of these situational events, we must make decisions around schooling, jobs, leadership, medical needs, and how we can continue to move forward as we learn from all that has occurred in recent months. The conundrum in all of this is trying to change our habits and old patterns that were so normal and that do not always align with the new demands that are required to help devise new strategies that will help us endure this historic era. Decisions are continually being made at the city, state, and federal level and certainly by the family or household in each city, every day.
While most citizens understand the realities for taking precautionary measures, others are not ready to accept a mandate to change their personal lifestyle. There are indeed inconsistencies that provide room for argument on both sides of the issue. Some perceive the decisions made on their behalf as intrusive, misguided, and punitive. Their response in some cases, is to disregard the civility and legal expectations we have set aside for our individual and collective well-being. Perhaps one can describe these decisions as part of how human nature reacts when confronted with situations that cause a great deal of discomfort, frustration, misunderstanding, and anger.
We can choose to be angry, disgruntled and combative or we could take this time to pause and reflect on all the situations that are revolving around us so that the decisions we make can lead to the creation of unique opportunities. The opportunity can be that of identifying the core issue that is impacting our livelihood or to determine how our response to the situation can be a tool for moving forward. Other opportunities that have emerged during this time are reflected in how families have begun to spend more quality time with friends and close relatives or how we are more judicious in spending our money or how we now have a higher appreciation for our first responders or how our technology skills have increased or how the research for new approaches and discoveries has catapulted our organizations, businesses, and teams to find more efficient and effective ways to work in our new situational status.
As we continue to actively search for new opportunities even while struggling with a particular situation, these new opportunities can open the doors for new possibilities that had been only dreams in past months. The intense sense of urgency is helping us all create new strategies, platforms, and pathways to help us transition from our current state of anxiety to one that will bring healing, solutions, compassion, leadership, and a brighter future.
Change can happen but only if we study the current situations with an open mind so that we search for opportunities that will allow for viable possibilities and ultimately a positive change. Our impatient and suspicious nature at times wants to propel us to the stage of immediately making changes once we identify the situations. In some instances, that immediate response to change is required. However to undertake this extreme leap to making comprehensive changes without looking at how a situation can be an opportunity to create new methods and processes may lead to premature and poorly planned strategies that will not lead to a sustainable change in how we move forward.
We have learned that we possess a great deal of strength in thinking of new possibilities and solutions. We must continue to check our mindset and actions to guide out thinking in reaching our new reality. We owe this thoughtful and transformative process to our next generations!
Let’s keep learning so we can move forward!
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