I think by the time we are halfway through our lives we have all had a 'What Now?' experience. I know I have had more than one. I bet you have as well.
What precedes our What Now experience(s) probably goes from a Cinderella life to nothing close to Cinderella. What we have in common may be only having the What Now experience itself. It's enough.
I think lives are often separated into before and after What Nows. There is a lot of that going around now. Personally, professionally, politically.
There was a time when we worked until retirement, after which we received a gold watch and a pension. Does anyone not in Congress, or at least in a civil service job, count on a pension waiting for them now? Probably not.
Maybe that has a silver lining.
There is something exhilarating about relying on ourselves. It keeps us tuned in, focused, honing our skills. Regardless of how long we have honed those skills, the added edge of keeping employed or keeping our world safe for our children is a great motivator for continued, ever greater, improvement.
Perhaps the dilemma of What Now will help our wonderful country get itself back on track, believing in a better future. When did it go away? If we think about it, it will be at the time of one of those What Now moments. And deciding to get back on track can be as simple an answer as exercising our vote.
Realities come in all different sizes. Some are personal, some are business, some are political.
Perhaps the dilemma of What Now will help
our wonderful country get itself back on track,
believing in a better future. When did it go away?
If we think about it, it will be at the time of one of
those What Now moments. And deciding to
get back on track can be as simple an
answer as exercising our vote.
There are many What Nows that we could have seen coming, but there are others we could not. The illness or death of a loved one - physical or mental - can be devastating. Trauma can visit any one of us at any time. There are things we can't control. But there is always something we can do for ourselves and it begins inside each of us. Let us not succumb to thinking we can't make a difference. There are plenty of opportunities to do so.
Improving ourselves is the only true solution for any problem. We'll never be able to change another person one iota. We can try to guide others, to be a good influence, to encourage. We can't make anyone change. And sometimes we have to let go. But never of our self confidence. Never of our ability to stand up and speak up. Let's make up our minds and determine for ourselves what comes next.
Jean Loxley-Barnard has been a writer all her life and studied both sociology and psychology at George Washington University where she earned a B.A. Her company, The Shopper, Inc., encompasses all the Loxley-Barnard family publications - The Shopper Magazines and Doctor to Doctor Magazine. She has been in the advertising, consulting and publishing business for 39 years.