We are all being stretched, or shrunk, I’m not really sure which one. As a professional speaker, my world has been shut down along with anyone who is in the meeting industry. (Hotels, airlines, conference centers, etc.) I personally have experienced several conference and training cancellations along with the loss of income. And few of us are being spared. As an HR consultant, I have been working with some of my clients on how to lay off or furlough the employees they love because they don’t’ have a choice, the work is not there. This is very difficult for CEO’s and business owners as you can imagine.
That is the “being shrunk” part. So, what about “being stretched?” Many of us are having to reinvent the way we deliver our services. For instance, today was the second consecutive Sunday that my church did not meet in person but met via Facebook Live. Normally I deliver my keynote to a conference room full of people but now I am talking with some organizations about giving an online presentation of the keynote.
And we are all spending more time at home and having to find ways to entertain ourselves. Raised as a farm girl, I love being outside. Walking and jogging in my beautiful Tallahassee neighborhood or on some of the lovely trails our city has is one of my favorite activities. But I can’t even do that right now because I injured my ankle and my foot is in a boot. I can’t drive or walk! Seeing that I was feeling sorry for myself over all that life has thrown at us, my husband went to the garage and pulled out the bicycle that had picked up some dust and rust. He cleaned it up, filled the tires with air and lowered the seat. He put my boot on to test the bike and the functionality of riding with a boot. Once he saw that all was good, he called me outside to try it out.
As you might imagine I was afraid of falling off and making my ankle even worse, and so I was hesitant to take the risk. But I did it as he walked beside me. I rode around our cul-de-sac and up and down our driveway. With my husband walking behind, I went across the street where some nice flat streets for riding can be found. For the next hour I rode and he walked and it helped my perspective so much. We’ve done this a couple more times since and it is one way I will get through all of this.
This weekend, was my husband’s birthday. I couldn’t drive (because of the boot) to get him a present, and many stores were closed, and so I jumped on that bike and rode to the country club in our neighborhood and bought him a round of golf. (He loves golf!) I have to tell you I was afraid the whole time. What route would I take to avoid the hills? Would I be able to make it on my own? My heart has not had that kind of workout for years. When I got back to the house, my heart was pumping from exhausting and the excitement of the accomplishment.
I know that you too are being stretched and challenged because no one is exempt. And so, I would like to help. Here is how I can do that.
- I am an HR Consultant with over 20 years of experience. I have been studying the new HR 6201 law that effects all companies with less than 500 employees. If I can help answer your questions, feel free to reach out.
- If you are a small business owner and need to talk through how to deal with layoffs or furloughs, I can help.
- I homeschooled my children for several years. If you now find yourself with children doing school at home and have questions on how to manage the day, I can help.
- If you need someone to pray with you, I can help.