This picture I took on a family walk this weekend reminds me of the 2020 workplace. 

At first glance, layers of the fields, forest, and sky look distinctly separate, how many of us have worked this year. We reach our empty arms to the sky, across meeting screens, working in home offices, kitchens, a bathroom if needed, for a distraction-free zone.

But, look closer at this landscape. It also shows how adaptable nature—including we humans—is.  There is life hidden amidst the plants, burrowed among the fallen leaves and windswept grasses.  The plants bend in turbulent weather, straighten and change colors when the warming sun appears.

Stop and listen.  The birds and geese still fly above. Even with the chilly air, they push on. As the seasons change, so does this place. And Us.

We have adapted and survived the upheaval that is 2020. No matter how your professional life is at this moment, my 2021 hope for you are that you can carve a new path.  Find some professional growth, some creativity, some chosen challenges, some mental ease, some partnerships or mentorships, some tiny green shoots, something unexpected in each day.

And even if you think you are alone, there is probably another tree nearby that you can reach out to.  Stand tall, sway in the flow as the two trees above meld into one, from this view. 

Happy holidays and Happy, healthy New Years to each of you.

The journey continues. Cindy