“Out with the Old and in with the New Reality”
As we hear more often than not of late, the future sure ain’t what it used to be. These words may throw some people into a state of panic or even mourning over the past, but for us eternal optimists, it gives us reason to reflect, rejuvenate and look forward to a brighter future.
At a recent client conference I attended – can you say Dallas in July – I was impressed with the spirit of moving forward. Embracing our past successes, learning from uncertain times and using this “lull” (for lack of a better word) to see where we can improve and just plain do things better. It’s interesting to see how we as individuals, as sponsors, clients and entities, respond to “the new normal.” Do we sit back and wait, as many of our senior constituents are doing, to see what’s going to happen? Or do we take the bull by the horns – a shout out to my Dallas compadres – and find unique, innovative ways to stay ahead of the curve and make the right, although at times, difficult decisions for our future?
Although we certainly could not have foreseen what was coming, I think it has taught us that we must always be prepared for the “what-ifs.” Sound familiar? Maybe a common line when selling the CCRC lifestyle. The same holds true for those of us not there yet – we don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow, and often get caught up in the churn-and-burn lifestyle we all lead. But if we take this time to sit back and think, we realize that we should always find the time to challenge ourselves, our processes, our beliefs, how we do things – we must not become complacent, but rather continue to push ourselves forward, no matter how much we want to look back.
Here’s a great quote I read recently in our internal weekly agency newsletter that reiterates my thoughts above: “Our dilemma is that we hate change and love it at the same time; what we really want is for things to remain the same but get better.”
Let’s turn over those loose rocks, question everything, and find a way together to build upon the past but forever strive to make the future better for those we serve. We — and most especially they — deserve it.
