Priorities. We all have them; I would suspect that in 2020 without much planning your priorities changed. A line that speaks to the unconscious way we organize priorities is from author Robert Proctor. I paraphrase a bit, but the intent is the same:
“If you want to know what is important to a person who fancies themselves success-driven, look at their calendar and their checkbook.”
At the height of the 2020 Great Pause (my euphonism for an epic global screwup), I was invited to be a guest on Sarah Brown’s podcast, The KTS Success Factor. I enjoy being a podcast guest as much as I enjoy co-hosting the Hey, Boss Lady! podcast. I get to learn every time I am asked to think about my work and my thinking. Sarah asked a question I really liked, “What is the question I wished she had asked me?” Typical of my consultant training, I answered the question with a question:
“What if I believed this moment in time was the greatest opportunity of a lifetime?”
What I have seen from the beginning is a shift in priorities at the individual level and at the institutional level across the board – corporate, government, and not-for-profit. I have observed an increase in the 3 C’s:
- Compassion
- Collaboration
- Cooperation
Okay, okay it is far from perfect, and the longer this epic mess up continues, the greater the illusion that compassion, collaboration, and cooperation are fading. I boldly state the illusion is false. We have collectively broadened our outlook on how and where we can work, we have begun to value a segment of our employment population that we had traditionally undervalued, and the Grand Canyon-sized issues in our educational system are out in the open for the world to see.
I recently took a trip to Fairbanks, Alaska to see the Northern Lights. The hurdles and hassles appeared endless, but my friend Karen Robilotta and I succeed. On a -20 degrees below zero walk the first morning, I came across a war memorial highlighting the joint cooperation between the US and Russia during WWII. I was taken by the inscription which reads:
The structure of world peace cannot be the work of one man or one party or one nation; it must be a peace which rests on the cooperative effort of the whole world.
Waiting too long to seek cooperation and support to adjust our priorities is a challenge for all of us – business leaders, government leaders, and the rest of us who are just as essential. My suggestion; stop waiting. Reflect, write, and ignite your shifted priorities.
Listen to the short podcast and then play with the question yourself:
“Upon reflection, what if I believed this moment in time was the greatest opportunity of a lifetime?”
A don’t know about you, but I am amazed we have concluded the first month of 2021. Moment-by-moment, I am reminded this moment is all we know we have for sure. I suggest we use it wisely. That is my top priority.
Good one, Andrea. At this time, the greatest opportunity of my life., at 74 years young, is to continue establishing the Enlightened Feminist movement—wherein I am working to help inspire and motive women of all ages to be more informed, involved, and innovative in personal and political matters that affect their potential for success. their personal. There is a huge lack of feminine energy and wisdom in the world, and that and that needs to be transformed. Thank you for this article. Well done.
Good one, Andrea. At this time, the greatest opportunity of my life., at 74 years young, is to continue establishing the Enlightened Feminist movement—wherein I am working to help inspire and motive women of all ages to be more informed, involved, and innovative in personal and political matters that affect their potential for success. There is a huge lack of feminine energy and wisdom in the world, and that needs to be adjusted quickly. Thank you for this article. Well done.
Oh Alice, That is the evolving phase for sure. And given all that has happened in the news we are seeing the difference between being female and feminine energy. Just because you are female (or male or binary) does not mean you have developed your feminine energy. Your work is important. Thank you for your contribution.