This year has been a tough year. A pandemic, triggering and economic crisis, which again is triggering social hardship definitely not talked about enough. Existences were annihilated. Dreams shattered. And many, far too many, lives lost.
Could it all have gone better if ‘we’ had been prepared for such a scenario? Possibly.
Does that matter? Not really – it is the past.
Yes, there are lessons to be learnt. In politics, in business, in human interactions. No matter to where we turn the head, there is plenty we can do better going forward. Not just in a Pandemic.
Indeed, it certainly has not been an easy year for anyone. And yet …
Focusing on one thing that you are grateful for increases the energy of gratitude and rises the joy inside yourself. Opera Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey
And there is plenty at least I can be grateful for: My family, and in particular my parents, so far have remained healthy and weathered the last months reasonably well. Technology allows me to keep tabs on friends and family overseas. I had a great summer season with the alpine club, climbing three 4000m peaks and another as many in the upper 3000m range. Every single time I was allowed to admire stunning panoramas in near-perfect weather conditions. And despite lock-downs and all, I always had access to nature, to mountains, and to fresh air.
These are just the highlights. There is so much more to be grateful for.
It is not saying that it was an easy year. It was not.
In December, shortly before Christmas, I was made redundant after barely 6 months on the job. Company restructuring.
I decided to see it as an opportunity, and go it on my own. And sure enough, the initial signs where promising. Then the pandemic hit, it all went belly up and expectations out of the window. It turned out to be a lot harder than what it all looked like in the very early days of this year. And it’s not over.
And yet … it’s snowing outside my window as I write this …
One thing that particularly stands out to me, from all the experiences in the past months, the ups and downs, the wins and losses: There are two types of people in this world.
Those that champion the achievements of others. Who want to see them succeed and create positive change in and for the world and our global society.
And then some.
In a sense this is old news. But for me the message truly hit home, and reminded me of how amazing it is to work with great people: An ongoing adventure of learning creating, improving myself and the world. It is an ever repeating virtual circle.
In my trade – sustainability, ESG, or whatever you’d like to call it – the difference between these two types of people is stark. As we all work to make a genuine difference to the life and well-being of the generations yet to be born, and the ecosystem they will live in, the contrast between those types is like day and night. Like hope and despair. Like the sounds of birds in spring and the deafening silence of ‘nothing’.
Because
Alone we can do so little;
Helen Keller
together we can do so much.
The thing is: I am not interested in competing. I am in it for ‘making a difference’ only and exclusively. For the results we can create for all and everyone.
Shifting the needle needs every neuron we can find. Every person willing to contribute thinking, insights, passion, and commitment. Championing what has been achieved opens the door to more courage, more foresight, better work and even more progress and impact.
To close with another quote:
The success of every woman [ed.: person] should be the inspiration to another. We should raise each other up. Make sure you’re very courageous: be strong, be extremely kind, and above all be humble.
Serena Williams
To 2021. To 12 more months of opportunities, to learn, to become better versions of ourselves, and to create change. For us. But more importantly, for the generations yet to come.
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If you read till here: Send me a line – conversations are the start to achieving more together.
