If there is one thing that has been constant in life, it is Change.

Even for an overstimulated, ADHD riddled brain like mine, which craves new things, new systems, new ways to solve new problems.

Change is friggin hard.

And sometimes it isn’t the classic form of change where people move things from where you expected to find them… often it is challenges and hurdles in the process of doing great things.

We have all probably heard of the book “Who Moved My Cheese”, it’s a short book and is meant to teach us how to deal with change, and any MBA curriculum would have you read it. But it is a book, and I can not summarize the point it makes in my own words.

“Semper Gumbi”

Always Flexible. This may as well be the marching orders from me to anyone who has ever mistakenly started following me, allowing me to be a leader of men (and women)

We’ll See

I learned this as if it were being said by a Samurai, and that stuck in my head for years. Then, in one of the final episodes of the children’s show Bluey (the show that teaches adults how to get through life by entertaining their kids with bright colors and talking dogs), the children’s teacher read this story, and it was about a farmer. This actually makes more sense, so here it is.

Once upon a time, there was an old farmer who had worked his crops for many years.

One day, his horse ran away. Upon hearing the news, his neighbors came to visit. “Such bad luck,” they said sympathetically, “you must be so sad.”

“We’ll see,” the farmer replied.

The next morning, the horse returned, bringing with it two other wild horses.

“How wonderful,” the neighbors exclaimed!  “Not only did your horse return, but you received two more.  What great fortune you have!”

“We’ll see,” answered the farmer.

The following day, his son tried to ride one of the untamed horses, was thrown, and broke his leg. The neighbors again came to offer their sympathy on his misfortune.  “Now your son cannot help you with your farming,” they said.  “What terrible luck you have!”

“We’ll see,” replied the old farmer.

The following week, military officials came to the village to conscript young men into the army. Seeing that the son’s leg was broken, they passed him by. The neighbors congratulated the farmer on how well things had turned out. “Such great news. You must be so happy!”

The man smiled to himself and said once again.

“We’ll see,”

The statement often used as a comfort to those grieving, “this too shall pass,” goes both ways.

So – there we have it. In all things, we’ll see is the answer.

Good things – we’ll see

Bad things – we’ll see

Times of fortune – we’ll see

Times of loss – we’ll see

Jocko, of course, put it best when he dropped this banger years ago, explaining the use of the “GOOD” response. It is one of the few YouTube videos I often go back to, and watch it when I need to be reminded of this simple truth.

Finally, for those of us who believe, we can always take solace in the fact that the living King is on his throne and is always in control.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭29‬:‭11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“What you are doing today is important, for you are trading a day of your life for it. “

I don’t recall who said it or when/where. Nonetheless – I have been really leaning into this quote lately.

The more busy I have been the more I think real hard about what it is that keeps me so darn busy.

Here we are, its the year 2020 and we all thought it would be very different than it is now. We are living in isolation, which isnt new. We used to choose to do so, I was as guilty as the next guy. My crews, my team, my customers, my boards, my phone, my email, my- whatever you want to plug into that space, that’s what I was focused on. Now, the order is to isolate (physically) from the world, for some of the population. Most of my friends are at work, doing the work we love – and embracing a new set of challenges every single day. I am proud of them, they don’t blink, just read the briefs, understand that things have changed again (whine, just a little) and then put on their boots and get back to work. I’m not wearing my boots these days. I am writing the briefs, and sending them out to do work. I have been advised to avoid the operations portion of our business in an effort to not get sick, turns out you can’t do what it is that I do if you are sick. And what it is I do for a living isn’t important because the most urgent job I have is right here at the house (no, not in my home office downstairs, because that’s where my job has been lately) I am called to be the leader of a household and to be a steady husband and father. I am called to do that with a nearly constant stream of information (lots of noise, some signal) coming in. I am attempting to be dad and partner, but I am also balancing that with boss and leader (and self-proclaimed student of pandemic ems response). It is a tough balancing act. I pray that I have the strength to be both well, and to balance them.

This is largely a cathartic release of just writing some random thoughts in a non-coherent method, but it helps. I am going to finish up a few more tasks on this laptop and then try to put it away for a while. I am also going to try to stay off the damn social media. its not helping at all!

Be safe everyone, stay home, stay healthy. And if youre one of those who have others relying on you doing what it is you do, thank you for doing whatever it is you do.

-M

I want to take a moment to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas this year. In particular I would like to wish a safe watch and a blessed day to those who are away from loved ones this year, I pray that your other family appreciates your presencce this year as you choose to spend this time with them rather than with your actual family. I chose those words carefully, it might seem that you are on shift this year became your Scheduling people don’t like you. What I would like to remind you is that you choose this profession and that part of choosing it meant standing watch over other families on holidays when you’d rather be with your own. I feel that the sacrifice made by not only you, but your family should be acknowledged, if only on this simple website. 

So I’ll close with this, a simple wish for you and yours. Stay Safe, Be Well, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year. 

PS – I promise to post more next year. 

PPS – If you are not christian and I overlooked your holiday of choice – please do not mis-interpret this. I mean you as well as my Christian Brothern. So – Happy Hanukkah, Rohatsu, whichever I missed. Whatever it is that brings you Joy this season – for me it is the birth of my savior, for you it may be something entirely different. Either way – enjoy. 

Hello world

 

I am throwing this out as a post, because you have to start somewhere. And the beginning is a good place to start.

 

So. This post shall serve as my way of saying hello.

 

Stay safe, be well.

 

M

Hello to the world at large. This is my first attempt at a lot of things. Coding, Blogging, publishing, writing for the masses, etc. I am excited to be on this journey. Please come check this out again as I learn more and add a LOT more content to this site.

have fun & be safe.

M