My life events are not unique. Just listen to the passion
of the 2008 campaign as people struggle within the greatest
country of modern times. Many have lost homes, retirement
savings, jobs, and health benefits. They may lose more if
their marriages or health do not survive the stress.
I was blessed with a twenty year marriage, successful
career, and a beautiful daughter. Then the next 5 years
brought divorce, the suicide of my ex-spouse, single
parenting, the death of my father, health issues for me and
my Mom, job loss, and astronomical private health premiums.
And now? I am a small business owner in the midst of an
economic recession!
In reality, it is unusual to have a lifetime of challenge
compressed into so few years, and it compounds the
consequences. Similarly, had the current confluence of
issues facing the United States arisen singularly and
separated by sufficient time, we may have managed without
the avalanche effect of the past few weeks. The combination
triggered a loop of fear and uncertainty, destabilizing our
economy. It was not a pebble, but a boulder that crashed
into the global pond.
Through the lens of my life, I see lessons on a larger
scale for us as a nation. Losses that could have
overwhelmed in fact awakened me. Had each experience been
spread over, say 20 years, I would not have been so
compelled to found a company to help people grow through
their own transitions. My passion was ignited, and became a
catalyst for Springboard™, so named to describe the
power of using life's lowest points as a launching point
for creating a new, often better life.
This election will set the course for the next four years.
Many worry that our golden days are behind us, but what if
this low point initiated a period of innovation and growth?
The fact that we are in debt, at war, and in housing and
financial market crises may very well be sufficient
incentive to park fear and dare to solve problems we have
ignored, such as energy innovation, restoring our
environment and rehabilitating social programs. We were
inspired and emboldened to meet Kennedy's challenge to land
on the moon. Belief is half the battle, so what if we dared
to believe? Isn't that what our founding fathers did?
Let's make our current crisis a new beginning to fuel
collaboration and exceed expectations. A crisis transforms;
without challenge to the status quo, there is no compelling
reason to risk change, make transcendent leaps or fully
challenge beliefs. Our untapped potential includes
involving all Americans in caring and contributing to a
rebirth. We strayed from the fundamentals that built our
economic and world leadership strength. By tapping our full
capacity of innovation and ingenuity, we can channel
current fear and anxiety into shaping a richer future than
we would have otherwise achieved.
It is said that people change when their fear of not
changing is greater than their fear of change. In this
election, people understand each voice matters, and they
are mandating a complete redirection in leadership. Our new
President must guide and compel, and it may be years before
we declare this "mission fully accomplished".
I believe we will reflect on this critical point in our
nation's course as a time when we accepted and exceeded the
challenge. Unlike the era surrounding our nation's birth,
we have a diverse cultural compilation of human experience
in endurance, plus technology and innovation which
strengthens our chance for success. Let's not settle for
merely surviving our current crises. My hope is that we
mine this opportunity to secure a sound legacy for our
children, and in unleashing our true potential, create a
future that is uniquely American.
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http://www.launchingnewlives.com Resources for divorce,
estate planning/settlement,job loss, aging parents,career
transitions. Network of professionals for
Consulting/planning/training; Employee
benefits,audioclasses,educ.tools.
info@launchingnewlives.com
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