Four years ago today…

 

In my mind, today is the four-year anniversary of the start of the pandemic in the United States. On this day in 2020, both the Houston Rodeo and the NBA shut down entirely. Not long after that the entire country was pretty much in a lock down. For some of us it was a few weeks, for others it was much longer. Every single person, business, organization, and activity in our world was impacted. Many are still feeling that impact. Our world is not the same four years later.

 

What have we learned? I will stay away from medical, political, or socio-economic lessons. What have you learned as an individual? I have shared these questions before. They are worth considering again. Actually, they are worth considering frequently, not just in the wake of a pandemic.

 

·         Are you going to have better family relationships?

·         Have you learned a new craft or skill?

·         Are you growing in your faith?

·         Have you discovered new ways to give back in your community?

·         Will you be more serious about saving 2-3 months of living expenses?

·         Has your perspective about work/life balance changed?

·         Do you have new goals and objectives for the balance of the year?

·         Will you bring a new level of commitment and energy to your job or your business?

·         Have you read a business or self-help book you have been putting off?

Lesson from the Geese

We have all seen a flock of geese flying overhead in their “V” formation.  There is a lesson to be learned from them.  Did you know that as each goose flaps its wing, it creates "uplift" for the birds that follow?  By flying in a "V" formation, the whole flock adds 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew alone.  Pretty interesting fact!  I am not sure how someone actually calculated the 71% but the concept make sense.  The same is true of people who work together.  People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier because they are traveling on the thrust of one another.

Are the teams you work on flying in the same direction and in formation?