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Just How Strong is Your Link in the Chain?
Original Publication Date:
December 2008
Yes, it's that time again—-time to put an old year to bed and unveil a new one. From the immediate shape of things, I'd say we're glad this one will soon be behind us. (Excuse me for a second while I stand up and cheer.) Normally, I'd do a bit of rehashing—a walk down memory lane—the old year-in-review type highlights. Not this time. Oh, I'm not trying to avoid the pain of a year that sucked for so many on so many fronts. I can handle the truth and the pain. I'm sure you can, too. After all, we're strong, right? I just want to get on with it, and the only way to do that is to pull a Nike and just do it. While it's important to remember 2008 for its few highs and its many lows, I'd rather focus on the here and now and what each of us can do to make 2009 a year filled with far more highs and far less lows.
You see, here's the deal that no one else will tell you. It's all about us. We are Wall Street and Main Street. We are the banks and the industries. We are Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. We are the Generals and the soldiers. We are the Congress and the White House. We, the people, ARE these people. That means you and me. The buck stops with us. We are the ones who get it wrong. We are the ones who also have to get it right.
Lots of things are currently bonkers. We could go further in saying things are broken on a very large scale. There are countless reasons why this is the case. It didn't happen overnight, but we are where we are. If we want to fix or adjust or alter the direction of the country, and, ultimately, the world, we'd better get ready to roll up our sleeves and get busy. There's much work to be done and we each play a role. Don't start the finger pointing, blame game, or we'll remain down in the mud and the muck for a while longer. I want out of the sludge. I want to hose myself off and get about the business of realizing fresh possibilities long overdue. For that we need to put our intention in a positive place and pull together. It won't turn around without a collective effort. It won't change because the slogans say so and we sit back and wait. No bailout or safety net will sustain us for long; nor should they.
I'm going to look to a favorite cliché of mine for some answers. Clichés can be trite or corny or overdone or tired expressions. I love clichés, though, when they symbolize and convey a thought or idea better than any other words possibly could.
The world is made up of one ginormous chain. Stop and picture it. Can you see it? In this chain there are no divisions by continents or countries or race or religion or tribe or gender. It's just one big chain where everyone who ever draws a single breath is added. Each of us on the planet is a link on that chain. We have a spot with our name designed specifically for us. We are all connected to each other on that chain whether we like it or not. The good guys and the bad guys are all linked together. That is the reality—plain and simple. As a member of the human race we have an obligation to hold up our end and make our link as strong as possible. As the cliché goes, "a chain is only as strong as its weakest link." Right now our chain is at a tipping point. When we kill and fight and destroy and hurt our fellow man everybody loses. The entire chain is weakened and our purpose is diminished. If we could put our attention on that simple premise, the collective spirit of all mankind would rise to heights we were destined to reach all along. It starts with you. It starts with me. We can set the example and show the way for others to embrace the cliché, one link at a time. That's the hope for the future of humanity. So, in this brand new and promising year we call 2009, what are you prepared to bring to the chain? What are you willing to do to live up to your potential as a citizen of planet Earth? Just how strong is your link?
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