We were blind, but now we see.
About a year ago, a bunch of speaker and author friends of mine were lamenting the fact that every single conference was going to be themed “
!” We laughed and laughed, rolling our eyes, wondering how were we going to keep them all straight?
And, then, suddenly it was no longer a problem.
Every event: gone.
Every conference: gone.
Every stage: gone.
But what we were left with, ironically, was more vision than ever.
Do you see what I see?
2020 became the year that every single one of us witnessed, maybe for the first time, or maybe just in ways that we could no longer ignore, the world around us. Some say that world changed because of COVID, but I think it merely revealed to us what was always there, bubbling just enough beneath the surface that we could willfully skim right past it in the rush of our all too busy lives. I know I often chose to look the other way, to avoid the hard conversation, to pretend I did not know better.
We see:
…who fights our battles with us, and who leaves us stranded alone.
…who actually returns the favor, and who volunteers first or at all.
…who brings others along with them, and who leaves people behind.
…who accepts getting uncomfortable, and can’t stand the heat.
…where people’s morality stops, and their self-interests begin.
…who is an upstander, and who is a bystander.
And, who shows the fuck up for us, and who sits on the sidelines.
I’m not going to mince words here. It’s right in front of your face and mine. Choosing to remain blind would be a choice actively made and foolishly followed.
If you’ve ever wondered if you could truly know what is happening inside of people’s heads, if they are really on your team, if you can count on them in tough times in the way you count on the sun rising every morning: watch them now. See them. Really see them.
They are showing you everything you need to know.
And so are you.
