Deliberate Development

We are meant for great things. However, when the finish line of the race is designed to edify ourselves, we are missing the point. We have the gifts and talents that we do to further a cause or an ideal. We will all be pushing posies at one point, but the causes we champion will continue on. I already know you are a legend, no need to prove it to anyone else. Further someone or something and your work will live on forever.

It always makes me smile when I hear someone talking about a person or subject as if they know all of the facts. I usually just let them go on and on. Why do people feel the need to educate others on things they haven’t had the time to educate themselves on? If you want to be the person who educates others; educate yourself first.

I remember wanting to learn martial arts as a child. I watched Karate Kid and checked out some books from the local library. After countless hours of self tutelage, I was still not an expert. In fact, I learned more in the first week of an actual martial arts class than I did in all of those books. We have to put what we study into motion. If not, it is just like a book on a shelf in our minds. The knowledge might be there, but it is useless without action.

I have been guilty of doing this a lot. I have actually quit new endeavors before they had a chance to take hold. I have made excuses not to try something new, because I might look like an idiot. We need to stop worrying about the bad things that could happen and be present in the moment. We can actually sabotage our futures by worrying about the next step so much that we forget to do something vital now. It is like when a football player starts to run before they catch the ball. Ensure you are fully in this moment before you think about the next.

This is a trying season for our nation as we try to hold this virus at bay. Although it is not a flesh-eating bacteria or some other type of zombie making disease, it is very serious due to its potential impact to the certain key demographics and the potential overload of vital resources. As this pandemic continues to unfold, there are a few takeaways I have and some thoughts as we move forward.

Lessons Learned:

1. If a zombie apocalypse ever does occur, I have a good idea of who to turn to and who to avoid based on social media posts and personal interactions.
2. Our nation (the populace) is not very good at recognizing 2nd- and 3rd-order effects. Many of us are acting as if it is not a big deal and it is simply a flu-like illness. This appears to be true to some degree; however, our community and government leaders are doing very well with this and appear to be doing all they can to help us avoid spreading the Coronavirus because of the dangers to those with compromised immune systems. I could very well go to work and contract this virus and deal with the symptoms with few issues. However, I could easily spread this to my neighbors and family members before I even know I am ill.

   Another potential risk many don’t think about is how viruses like this can trigger autoimmune issues. I don’t want to pretend to be another Facebook Doctor, but do want to highlight that after the H1N1 “Swine Flu” outbreak of 2009, there was a spike in Type 1 Diabetes and other types of autoimmune deficiencies in those who showed no symptoms prior. And certainly many other risks similar to this that most of can help to prevent.

   All of that to accentuate the point that just because we are not afraid of “the flu”, we need to consider the impacts this could have on others. Especially, when our leaders are doing everything they can to aid us in not spreading this to others.

3. Humans are not numbers! This is not a lesson learned; rather, a societal flaw. “Only 40 have died…” or “Only a 2% fatality rate…” and many other statements like this are very upsetting to me. Just consider how you would feel if one of your family members was one who has passed during this. Yes, it is great that the fatalities are very low considering what they could be and the intent of the statistics is to gauge how well the response to this is going. However, those impacted mean the world to someone else.

Opportunities Moving Forward:

1. Telework. Some have jobs that can be done from anywhere. Most of us have jobs where partial tasks can be done from anywhere. Do NOT waste this opportunity to prove the value of this to your leadership. I am blessed to be able to work remotely in my new career and it is great to be able to toss a load of laundry in while I am on a conference call or to simply avoid the morning commute. I accomplish higher quality work while I am working from home than when I am at the office filled with distractions and I am not stressed from the morning traffic before I even get there. This is an area where military leaders are seriously lagging industry. There has not been much of a reason to explore this option…until now. Take advantage.

   If you don’t have this ability, look for opportunities. Some examples: My son’s speech therapist is going to do FaceTime sessions with him. Music schools are going to do Facebook Live lessons. Schools are leveraging Google Classroom. The technology is available. Let’s find a way to use it for more than just sending toilet paper memes.

2. Solve Problems. This has been one of my biggest pieces of advice ever since I can remember. Anyone can point out problems. Just look at your social media feeds and see all of the complaining about the President, the Democrats, the <insert organization here> are doing everything wrong…I get it. Why don’t we run these complaints through a filter before posting? For example, share lessons learned (sound familiar?) or something else that offers a path forward and not simply just creating “awareness”.

This whole situation may seem trivial to many and I hope it turns out to result in very little impact to us all. Stay healthy and be deliberate with how you lead and mentor those in your sphere of influence.

I find it funny how the lessons I learned taking martial arts as a kid translate into real life. When in a clench, we would say “control the head, control the body” because wherever we moved the head to the body instinctively followed. This applies more than to just the physical applications; rather, to the mental as well. Whatever thoughts and beliefs that we latch onto will control our destinations. If we allow negativity to take over, it will affect how we view every part of our life. If we think we are entitled to more, we will approach everything that way. Where do you want to go?

Way too often we look at our situations at work or in life and expect everything to change to suit our needs. I have even “stood my ground” on certain situations where I thought my workcenter should alter their policies to fit my needs. “I do all of this stuff, it is the least you could do…” How arrogant are we to expect the world to revolve around us? When injustice is being done, we need to stand up for what is right. However, when it is in the context of our job or environment, we have to adapt. If not, we will find ourselves left behind.

I think it is important to push ourselves out of our comfort zones. When we do try something new, we become a better version of ourselves. My kids are not afraid to try anything. Why are we afraid to potentially fail or not be good at something? Who cares? Go do something new and see if you want to invest your time into getting better at it. Any experiences out there where you tried something new and failed or succeeded?