Many things are going on in this world that we can't influence and are largely beyond our control.
But there is something we can do that lessens the effects of adverse events on our lives.
It comes down to a choice.
On a recent Sunday afternoon, Robin and I ventured out for a quick drive through downtown Austin on our way to help a friend with some groceries. Yes, we had our protective masks on.
Congress Avenue, ordinarily busy with people shopping, dining, riding bikes, and listening to street musicians entertaining locals and visitors, was different today.
It was lonely and quiet.
The famous landmark Paramount Theatre along Congress Avenue, just a few blocks from the Texas State Capitol, in all its glory, on a beautiful sunny day, shown amidst the empty streets. The message on the marquee read:
"So I will listen to my heart and be brave, no matter how uncertain."
- Jackie Venson
So the choice we all have is this:
What am I proud of that I did today?
What am I glad I did today?
Though their business is shuttered for now by a state mandate due to COVID-19, Andrew Sedler, COO of Burbank Dental Lab, and his sister Dr. Diana Sedler made a choice. They decided to use their time to retool equipment in their lab, which was typically used to produce dental restorations. They engineered with the help of several others and built a prototype of a protective mask that could be printed on their 3D printers, which you can see here.
They began producing these masks using the donations that came from people who heard about what they were doing and began distributing the masks to Los Angeles area healthcare professionals and hospitals on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. They even decided to help others by giving the 3D printable file to anyone who would request it to print their own masks, which you can get here.
They made a choice.
They made a mark on time, without allowing time to make its mark on them.
They took a dire situation in our country and became better because of it.
Today is a perfect time to invest in yourself and in others rather than binging on Netflix or checking your Facebook or Instagram account every few minutes.
Read a book you put off in the past.
Reimagine your business. I've spent much of the last few weeks helping some of you do this, which is something I love doing.
Help a neighbor who needs help and can't get out.
Maybe we can all make a small dent in the universe.
It's a choice.
If you feel like you don’t have the complete picture of what your business should look like or you have a business or marketing problem that you need a solution for, then a consultation with Jeff Payne is what you need.