It’s currently a million degrees below zero and I desperately want to curl up in a fetal position and cry until March, but … I’m holding my own. Brave face, thermal gear, and cold weather bag packed in the car for the brief trip uptown. January. (There’s a haiku in there somewhere; I’m too cold to care.)
The new year always cries out for a new label. I’m big on choosing words to define my journey (this year for me is “perspective”) and Iowa Specialty Hospitals & Clinics is no different. We have an ocean theme. It lends itself well to parties/events and celebrations - Caribbean, Hawaiian, shark tank, “ocean of possibilities”, and our tagline for the year is “A rising tide lifts all boats”. President Kennedy is credited with popularizing this term (means basically when one does well, all do well).
I was thinking about this rising tide concept and thought … if you are anchored in tight to the floor of the ocean and the tide raises – you’re kind of screwed. This is sometimes hard for me. My dad was not one for change. He said, later in life, that his main regret was not doing more stuff … change it up – “You can’t take it with you, Steve-o”. We need to release our anchors of “we’ve always done it that way” and rise to the occasion. Would life have changed much if Dad took opportunities when they appeared to change and grow? I don’t know – maybe.
So, with the mid-winter chill (deep freeze) – how does one change and grow? Someone recently talked about how fun snowshoeing was. Hmm … yes, lovely. And skiing? Ice fishing? All good options for some people. Personally, I’m content with hot coffee, hot chocolate, a good fireplace, nice books, and dinner parties. My change and growth will come from discovering new authors and a nice red wine.
Happy pre-spring!!
