“… If your time to you is worth savin’ and you better start swimmin’ or you’ll sink like a stone, for the times they are a-changin’” Bob Dylan (1964) Although these lyrics were penned over fifty-five years ago, their message still holds true for today. The path for our tomorrows has been developing throughout our lifetime and even before. A teaching from Chaos Theory tells us that when we step back from the moment, we can begin to see patterns from the past formulating the future. Numerous times, we have witnessed the opportunities that are present in the midst of crisis. An example of creating one’s future is exemplified in Hall of Fame quarterback, Kurt Warner’s story. He was cut from the Green Bay Packers in 1994 and could not find another NFL team. Therefore, he had to take the only job he could, bagging groceries for $5.50/hour. For the next three seasons he played in the Arena Football and NFL Europe League, striving for an opportunity in the NFL. In 1999, he made the St. Louis Rams and took a team that ended up in last place the year before, to be the Superbowl champs. He brought the talents that were honed over his entire life to the field that season and for the remainder of his career, which eventually led to the National Football Hall of Fame. In order to see the opportunities that can emerge out of crisis, the traditional approaches need to be questioned and challenged. Waiting for everything to return to the way it was is futile. Time moves forward, not backwards. So that is how we must move.
Key Takeaways
The times they are a-changin’.
Out of crisis, great opportunities can emerge.
Waiting for yesterday to be our tomorrow, is futile.
Best Practices
Embrace ambiguity and uncertainty.
Take time to step back and see our life’s bigger picture.
Ensure all your health related appointments are maintained, ie., medical and dental.
Things to Limit
Analysis paralysis.
Avoiding your health responsibilities.
Thinking that yesterdays don’t matter.
Quote of the Week
“The future is not some place we are going, but one we are creating. The paths are not to be found, but made. And the activity of making them changes both the maker and the destination.”
~ John Schaar
In summary, we tend to think in the present rather than in a reflective sense. This only limits our potential to take advantage of creating opportunities. The darkness of crisis is lifted once we accept the responsibility of creating our future.
Be well,
Dr. Francis L. Battisti, PhD and Dr. Helen E. Battisti PhD
The paraDocs
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The paraDocs are Dr. Francis L. Battisti, PhD, Psychotherapist, Distinguished Psychology Professor and former Executive V.P and Chief Academic Officer and Dr. Helen E. Battisti PhD, RDN, CDN, Chief Nutrition Officer at SpNOD, Health Promotion Specialist, Research and Clinical Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and former Assistant Professor.
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