CURRENT CHANGES

I’m not looking forward to a harsh winter, but from all forecast reports from meteorology to geography to economically, we’d better be ready to weather the storm. The winds of change have picked up and it’s our clue to get ready for what’s ahead. Just the thought of unsettling circumstances may cause anxiety for some leading to panic and fear, but the old adage “cooler heads prevail” meaning the battle is won when you remain calm.

We can’t control the weather, prices, or each for that matter, but we can control what we have control of, ourselves and our actions. In just a few short months, we’ll be looking at the 2-year anniversary of COVID-19 and it won’t be a time of celebration or even remembrance because we’re still muddling through it all, but it will be a time to take inventory.

As a native Floridian when weather reports said brace for epic hurricanes, people took inventory. Water, flashlights, food, medicine, etc., not knowing how long the storm would last. Then they would bring out the hammers, drills, boards and sandbags to shore up and batten down anything that could possibly be moved by the storm. When you live on the coast or near it you stay ready and you listen to the winds of change. Nature has a way of telling us what’s about to happen, just look at the trees, when the leaves start to change color you know the season is changing.

As an agency we’ve seen lots of changes and had some growing pains, which should be expected with expansion and development. We can’t look at the changes negatively, but instead view the changes as part of the process of thriving, remember what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Will there be some resistance to change? Certainly! But that’s what makes us stronger, better, and wiser. Throughout these months of uncertainty and uneasiness, we found ourselves at home, disheveled, distant, and maybe even overeating, but we are still standing. When adversity comes we have to take a stance, we have to posture ourselves in a strong defense that nothing will prevail. When we mentally position ourselves for success, we’re already half way there.

Balancing our new normal, we have to stay strong mentally and physically because we can’t separate the two. When our minds are cluttered with noise from mindless chatter, we put our physical bodies at risk. Stay on guard, don’t feed into the negativity and don’t be a receptacle for it either. We’ve been through a lot these past 18 months, and it’s still not over. Listen to that still small voice inside telling you that you can make it, and you will. Send all of the naysayers, looky-loos, and busybodies packing, we’ve got a job to do.

“Getting over a painful experience is much like crossing monkey bars. You have to let go at some point in order to move forward.”  – C.S. Lewis

So come hell or high water, we will make it through the storm, at least that’s my resolve and I’m sticking to it. These may not be the best of times and changes may be occurring daily, however, we must elevate our minds, silence the chatter, and begin to move beyond the pettiness that serves to divide us. I’m grateful that in the midst of turmoil, we’re here and able to serve those who are without, and that we’re still working in the midst of layoffs and closures. I’m taking inventory of the good and the bad, and learning to appreciate them both.

Best regards,

Clifton Campbell
Executive Director