Dec 16

12/16/2008

Dear Friends,

Sub-prime mortgage meltdown, foreclosures, Wall Street bail-outs, frozen credit, forced mergers of once-proud companies, bankruptcies, millions of job losses and more to come, 401ks and stock options disappearing, house values dropping, U.S. autos on the ropes...okay, we get it! This is a test! A big test!

If we were to assess the current world economy in weather terms, it would be a perfect storm of class 5 hurricane force (or typhoon for our Far East clients). We all get the chance to see what we are made of when tests come our way.  Hopefully, we won't make foolish fear-driven decisions, even when the wind is blowing in our face at gale force.

Sometimes the tests are painful, and things can sure look bleak in the moment, but usually we will look back at these times and learn that we grew the most as human beings in the testing periods of our life.  We don't tend to grow much in the comfort zone, with gentle winds at our back.  We can actually use the tempests to intentionally grow our strength.

Remember Lieutenant Dan in the movie Forrest Gump?  Forrest was at the wheel of their shrimp boat when the fierce hurricane hit.  Lieutenant Dan, missing both legs from a Vietnam War injury, was up in the crow's nest with the winds blowing at monsterous levels, screaming at God, "Come on! Is that all you've got?"  After the storm, Forrest reflected that the giant storm helped Lieutenant Dan make his peace with God.  He used the storm to face his weaknesses.  He was transformed and good things started happening to him.  When we are challenged the most, we can find a new perspective. Following real-life market meltdowns and job losses, markets - and people - usually recover and strengthen in the end.  How much we strengthen is up to us.

When there are more excesses in the system, a bigger correction is necessary to return to balance.  Few would argue that the world got too caught up with money and wealth.  This economic "hurricane" can return us all to what is truly important.  We can always make more money, if that is important to us, but we can't replace how we're spending our time, or the real sources of our joy.

In the end, when people have their real-world epiphanies about the meaning of life, the answer is always about family, love, relationships, and time well spent.  Have you ever heard a story, real or fictional, wherein the hero wakes up to realize that the answer was more money and possessions?

As we enter the year-end holiday season, we aim to pause and reflect on how we are living and honestly and courageously choose to live even more in ways that mirror our deepest core values.  How can we resolve to change areas that are out of balance?  Let's commit to tell our loved ones how we feel about them, bring our best to our leadership and teamwork roles, and take more time to live like human beings versus "humans having" or "humans doing".

In short, let's take time to tell people how much we appreciate them.  Let's live life in a way that acknowledges that we're all in this together and really help each other through the tough times.  It's sad to see so many people in companies in fear and pain as their firms contract, silently suffering.  Why not reach out and share with each other?

We certainly appreciate you, our clients and friends.  We care about you as people and realize and respect that you can go anywhere you want for self and organizational development.  We aim to serve in a manner that earns your trust for years to come.  We look forward to facing the hurricanes, tornadoes, tsunamis, you name it with you, since we're all in this together. We're also okay with the years of relative ease!

From all of us at Stop At Nothing, thank you for our relationship.  We wish you the very best for the holidays, whatever your faith and worldview may be.  We wish for you to come through the tempest stronger than ever and for your life to be whatever you really want it to be.  We hope you can maintain your inner peace no matter what the external forces.  We hope you can create the life of your dreams, living intentionally going forward.

Let's all relish the year-end pause that refreshes, enjoy the love of family and friends, and prepare to make a positive difference again in 2009 and beyond.  It's all such an adventure!

Season's Greetings and Happy New Year!

 Barry


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