Let the storms come

Let the storms come

Each morning we get up and go to work, hoping to have a good day or a least one that doesn't create too many issues. We generally enjoy a week that goes by easily and smoothly, where the work is accomplished and the clients are pleased. We rejoice when the boss is content with the work being produced and smiles as they walk by. These are considered good weeks and good days. But honestly, not a lot is learned.

The weeks that bring with them a little chaos are the week where we learn to do our jobs better. Those are the weeks we adjust the sails to guide the boat through the rough waters or around the rocks craftily hidden just beneath the surface. And while these weeks are more stressful they are the weeks where we hone our craft and earn our paychecks. These are also the weeks where we learn a bit more about ourselves. And perhaps a bit about how we truly treat and think of others.

These weeks of storms reveal how we are built, the who we are inside. And when we are alert not just to guide

the boat through the storm but also to recognize what it reveals about us, these weeks become so much more valuable than the calm easy weeks that we very much prefer.

Each time we stop and interact with another person we leave a little of ourselves on them. We leave them with a positive or negative feeling. Though to be honest this feeling can be so small as to be easily missed or hardly even noticed. But we do leave a sense of impact even in these minimal situations. I expect my point is this, how are we leaving the people we meet? How are we impacting the world around us? If you are a leader in your company or interactive group, are you leading them up or down in your personal interactions? When you write a note or place a post, is it uplifting or does it create depression, regardless of how small?

The weeks of storms are the times when we are most likely to notice, to learn, but also the times when honestly truly don't care. We have a job to do. We have a point to make. We have no time for “Karens”. But that moment, that event, that rock barely hidden beneath the waves, is the true test. That moment is our chance to become better at what we do. Leaders take those moments and we learn.

A new year has begun. A new wave of weeks approaches. A great set of opportunities are before us. I am curious just how much better we can be at what we do this time next year? Are you ready to set sail?

Blessings!