Soaring Through Turbulent Times

I think almost everyone on the planet would agree that 2020 was a difficult year. A year full of turbulence. As I considered the fear of so many and hatred spewing from social media onto the streets, I was drawn back to an Instagram post I made in late 2019 after a fruitful week in Ethiopia.

Instagram Post November 24, 2019

Why do I (I would argue we) spend so much time thinking, talking, and worrying about the meaningless things in life? It’s like I am constantly attacked by an evil force that try’s to keep me focused on the negative. Everywhere I go, even half way around the world, I hear people TALKING about things politicians do and say, social injustices, and war. This leads me to a place of fear and hopelessness. As my plane took off from Amsterdam yesterday, I opened my eyes to see what was causing the sudden and severe turbulence and was captivated by a beautiful sunrise. It was like an opposing and more powerful force was shedding light on a world full of fearful and hopeless inhabitants, just like me. This force was shouting at me to ignore the negative deception all around me, and fly with confidence through the turbulence. My thoughts quickly turned to the experiences of the week and my spirit soared with a renewed strength as I considered all WE, a small group of highly diverse individuals, did that could change the world starting with a few small villages in Ethiopia. I smiled as I consider how easily this group could have gotten derailed by our diverse ideologies and the turbulent things we experienced. Instead, we choose TO simply love. That alone drove out FEAR, gave me HOPE, and allowed me to truly LIVE.

I find these thoughts even more encouraging now as I consider what a small group of dedicated individuals can do when they choose to not "tolerate" people but truly love them. What if we saw problems or challenges as a way to come together and make the world a better place? From my experience, we would see the beauty in each other and show the world how to soar through the turbulence. BE EXCELLENT and use your INFLUENCE.