I’m sure most of us are glad 2020 is over. Unfortunately, as we start 2021 with increased restrictions, the challenges associated with the COVID-19 situation are not going away. The fallout effect from the pandemic, how it was handled, and the divisiveness that it has created in our society is significant to say the least. When reflecting on this, I was reminded of a personal event in my life that hopefully can encourage you.
I finally succumbed to the need for glasses. What a game changer that is! My perspective of the world instantly changed. I can see and read road signs! Sometimes we need a new set of lenses through which to view life. We get so accustomed to seeing and interpreting life a certain way that we find it hard to adjust.
When looking at the macro picture of our political, economic, and health situations, it is hard not to get discouraged. Things seem so misaligned. We want to see immediate change. Sometimes the change that is needed is not a different political leader (although sometimes that would be nice), but we do need to lead ourselves differently. We can make changes to our person, model a different way of living, and if trust is given to us, become people of positive influence.
We fear the unknown but really we don’t need to. The adventure of a new day is in front of us. 365 of them to be precise. What will we do with these days?
There are new skills and our character to develop:
- Habits to learn, or maybe unlearn
- New sources of revenue can be discovered
- We can adjust and reduce our consumption patterns
- We can live a proactively healthy lifestyle
As James C Hunter states in his book
The World’s Most Powerful Leadership Principle, “We will never ‘arrive,’ so the goal is to keep moving forward on our journey so we can periodically declare, ‘I am not what I want to be, but I’m not what I used to be!’ ”
So as we step into 2021, let us lead ourselves courageously, smile, and welcome the new day in front of us, being grateful for each new day that we get to live, and positively impact ourselves and those around us.
From my family to yours,
Lowell Harder
