What Did We Learn?
Two years ago last week, life, as we knew it, stopped.
Businesses, schools and stores closed their doors.
We could not gather in public or visit the homes of friends and family.
Loved ones got sick and we couldn't be with them to comfort them or take care of them.
Remember the sinking feeling we got every tine we turned on the TV, checked our phone, or read a paper and discovered yet another alarming statistic or scary news story?
Remember how awful it was, how powerless we felt?
Yet this morning, I went to a soccer game and a t-ball game with my son and his family. No masks. We went to the library. No masks.,
Life, for many of us, has returned to normal.
And it's easy to move on as if it never happened.
But it did happen.
We lost loved ones. Jobs.?Homes. Income. Our sense of safety. So much more.
Winston Churchill said, “Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”
领英推荐
And Pema Chodron says, "Nothing every goes away until it has taught us what we need to know."
What did we learn from this history? What are we doing differently? What do we know?
Are we remembering what it was like to live in fear, to lose our freedoms, to not be able to walk out our front door without risking our health?
Are we remembering we didn’t know if there would ever be a vaccine? We didn’t know if we’d be able to return to work, gather in public, travel to conferences, celebrate birthdays, attend sporting events, eat out at restaurants, visit each other’s homes?
It was all up in the air.
How quickly we forget. How important to remember.
Anne Morrow Lindbergh said, "Perhaps we never really appreciate anything until it is challenged."
Are we living more mindfully and appreciating our freedoms, now we've got them back?
Instead of taking our new norm for granted, are we taking it for gratitude?
Are we looking around and imprinting how glad we are to have survived this, to once again have the opportunity to go about our lives without the risk of losing our lives?
What did you learn? What do you now know that is impacting the way you live your life?
Resilience & Workforce Futurist, Keynote Speaker & Researcher | WSJ Bestselling Author of Pivot & Change Proof | TEDx & Podcast Influencer | Attorney & Investor | Co-Founder/Chief Researcher at WORKWELL
2 年Love that!
Certified Designing Your Life Coach, Speaker, Reinvention Strategist, Certified Professional Performance Coach, Trainer
2 年What an intriguing article Sam! My lessons learned from the pandemic disruption. - Cherish and nurture your relationships and never take them for granted. Savor and find joy in little things - my purring cat, the hummingbird in the garden, a porch happy hour with friends. When things get overwhelming, ground yourself in nature. Contemplating the sunset, walking mindfully through the woods, or even gardening can be soothing. Look for the opportunities hidden in the storm of chaos - perhaps you never would have recognized them if your world hadn't been turned upside down!
COO, CFO, CTO, Private Equity, Venture Capital, RIA
2 年We should focus what we unexpectedly gained - many of us re-learned to value family time. In the hustle and bustle of the daily grind pre-COVID, we were rushing to work, school, and after-school/weekend activities. When our world came to a grinding stop in March 2020, we rediscovered family dinners, board game nights, and quiet conversations. Parents were gifted the opportunity to connect with their families in ways that they could not have previously. Now that we have a new hybrid work world, we are trying to keep these activities and spend more time together as a family. It is our silver-lining of this pandemic.
The Conflict Strategist? ? Workplace Conflict? It’s Your Turn to Get Unstuck ? Let's Manage Conflict, Together ? Leader in Conflict Management, Negotiation & Communication ? DM for Actionable Tips, Strategies, & Services
2 年Your post, Sam Horn, is thought provoking! I have learned so much. I think one big change for me is to be intentional about connecting with people [since the unplanned meet-ups are gone for now].
Bachelor of Commerce - BCom from Nizam College at Hyderabad Public School
2 年????