Riding the Wave of Change

The Secret of Change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new. Socrates

Through the last few weeks, I have spent time thinking about what the world looks like in the upcoming weeks, months, and perhaps years. What lessons have I learned that I can take forward in my life moving forward. I, and I expect many others, have asked ourselves – when are we going to get back to normal? This is what made me question what normal really is. Being somewhat of a workaholic and extrovert, I can honestly admit that I have struggled to find my groove in today’s environment. I miss seeing people and I have waves of motivation and then it’s gone. My focus is on and off like a light switch. I thrive on a busy schedule with multiple deadlines. In my mind I tell myself I can hardly wait to get back to ‘normal’; yet in my heart, I am challenging myself to think about what an amazing opportunity I have to create a new normal. One that accepts balance, embraces time cooking, reading, going for hikes. One where I have more quality time with my husband, friends and family (even at a distance) and discover new ways of practicing self-care, creating, thinking, and learning about myself. A time to re-establish my personal and professional boundaries, and carving time for my community and those in need because it fills my soul.

Change is constant. It is the only thing we can rely on. If we allow it, we can leverage COVID-19 and our current situation, to grow and enhance ourselves, and our businesses into the future.

What I encourage you to do – as an individual and/or as a business - is to take some time to reflect on the past few weeks and answer these questions:

1. What has been most unsettling for you during this change?
2. What have you learned about yourself?
3. How have you responded to the change?
4. What fears have you identified?
5. What possibilities and opportunities have you identified?
6. Who, or what, has inspired you?
7. What new skills or technology did you learn?
8. What creative solutions did you adopt?
9. How have you continued to engage others – friends, family, co-workers, staff, others?
10. What did you think was not possible, but was made possible because you had no choice?
11. What has surprised you?
12. What will you keep doing moving forward?
13. What will you stop doing (or change) because it may no longer be relevant?
14. Who supported you during these times?
15. Who can you show your appreciation to today?
16. What are you most grateful for?

Fundamentally, what I have reinforced is how talented we are. The creativity and innovation being demonstrated by individuals and businesses has been so inspiring. I’ve also noticed how important human relationships and connections are. Even in the most difficult of times, we have found ways to communicate, engage, and be connected with our loved ones, even when distance keeps us from being close. We have embraced community through lending a hand (or several hands), helping our neighbours and those most vulnerable. We have been baking bread, growing gardens, and teaching our kids things are parents and grandparents taught us. We’re working out, travelling and visiting countries, museums and art galleries virtually, and listening to world class musicians and artists locally and around the globe.

Professionally, we are learning online, managing remote workforces, and embracing technological solutions like we never have before, or were too afraid to.

It is not easy – change is never easy. This change is challenging each person and business. It is non discriminating and it’s fair to say it will touch every person globally in some manner. Some more than others.  It is going to have a long-lasting affect – and one where we will need to work collaboratively and together to rise above the impacts.

What we have discovered is as a human race, we can do anything – anything at all – but we do it better together. Change is constant and it pushes us to be better, respect life and each other. It pushes us to grow and make the world even better than it was before. It also reminds us how important kindness and love really are. Let’s not go back – let’s create a new future together where we embed the goodness we are living now each and every day going forward.

Kindness, love, and each other are the things that really matter. Let’s continue to do this together!

Without a struggle, there can be no progress. Frederick Douglass