It's a time to come together - even if it's not face to face!

Social distancing. Travel bans. Closing of schools. Stopping gatherings of 50 or more people. Closing restaurants and bars. Impending closures of daycares, and likely other restrictions coming soon.

As a workforce development professional, my lifeblood is people. Helping connect people with the skills and knowledge they need for success in their current and future roles. I do that in a variety of ways, but the main one is live leadership training seminars once a month.

That option is off the table. We are in the throes of planning virtual sessions for March, but likely for April and maybe even May as well. It’s a dynamic time, with every day bringing new information and making new decisions necessary.

I already work from home, which means I am blessed to find some of the new measures less impactful, but it doesn’t mean I don’t ache for those that are living without paid time off, without a safety net and with a limited selection of not-great options. However, I’m an entrepreneur – my income is highly variable, and as a start-up, my expenses have nearly surpassed that income so far this year. And, right now, I’m supporting my partner on his journey of discovery and transformation to entrepreneurship.

I am not telling you this for sympathy, but to share a story. Stories are what people remember. We have been telling them since the beginning of time, and they are important. We are in control of our own story – and I wonder if the current challenges are inspiring you to get introspective and then get proactive.

I know for my partner and I; we’ve taken this lull as an opportunity to walk and talk together – about our goals and aspirations and interests, and to follow up those walks with action planning at the dining room table. I feel more connected to the present and have a clearer vision of the future.

Now is a great time to ‘dial in’ – what is most important to you? What makes your heart sing? What fills you with joy and passion and energy? What are you doing to get more of that? To learn more about it? To master it and serve others?

There are many organizations that are doing the right thing during this challenging time – offering free courses, waiving fees, migrating services online and more. Let’s come together and share resources we’ve found. Together we will make it through this. I’m glad to have you in my network.

Best,

Stacey