THE RISING

You may have seen the popular motivational quote out there which says “leap and the net shall appear”.  It’s an expression of faith.  Promise.  Hope.  But what if there is no net?   Nothing to catch you?  What if you leap and there’s nothing to fall back on?

Well here we are.  The unthinkable has happened and the world has grinded to a halt.  For the most part and especially for those of us who live, eat and breathe hospitality – it’s over.  At least for the short term.  As the industry develops next gen business models, this “in between” time is scary.  Airlines are offering two for one flight just to fill their planes to half capacity.  Hotels and restaurants are closing, and many long-time favorites which used to be bustling hubs of activity won’t open again.  In short, it’s bad.

Depressing? Yes.  Upsetting? You bet.  Unsettling? Of course.  Many of us have lost our jobs, some are faced with the uncertainty of if and when they will return, and those who still have jobs are working at a significantly reduced income.  The big, dark question mark hovers over everyone.   People are no longer talking about when things will bounce back – the question now is if. And that’s extraordinarily scary.

And yet, lately I’ve been encouraged.  Not about business “coming back” because frankly, we don’t know that it will.  I’m encouraged because I’m beginning to see a change.  A shift.  A “rising” if you will.  People pulling themselves together and doing the work needed to take action.  Make the change.  Take the leap.   Friends and former colleagues are pursuing their dreams and they’re not half-assing it – they have no choice but to jump in with both feet.  Full force.  With commitment, rigor and passion.

I’ve seen a former financial executive do a complete 180 and become a wellness/health coach.  How long do you think she dreamed about this?  A revenue management executive I know is teaching home cooking classes and has thousands of followers on social media.  She’s giddy.   How about the former hotel executive who is teaching full time and has never been happier?   Is all this the same as flying around the world at 10,000 feet in a six-figure job?  No.  Not even a little bit.  And here’s the thing.  Not only is this OK, it’s extraordinary.   I see it and I hear it and more importantly, I FEEL IT.  The people who are taking the leap and pursuing their passions are happier and more fulfilled that they could have ever imagined.

This RISING is not driven by the airlines, or the hotels, or the associations – it’s driven by the human spirit.  People.  People like you and me.  People dusting themselves off, asking themselves hard questions then doing the work needed to really thrive at work.

So, how’d they do it?  They did it one step at a time.  And you can too.  Maybe it’s just sitting with this idea for a bit.  Maybe it’s signing up for a podcast or blog which interests you.  Perhaps you call someone who you admire for their courage?  Or maybe you file it away and keep going, content for now and knowing you have choices.  It’s with sincerity and sense of promise that I ask you…. what would you do if you knew you could not fail?

www.athenawise.com