But it’s raining outside

Making the best in any condition

I recently went on a week long cruise through southeastern Alaska and had an amazing time. We explored, went hiking, biking, kayaking, snorkeling, zip lining and plenty of site seeing. I would say it was one of the best vacations of my life. Interestingly enough, we didn’t see the sun until the last day and on what I would say was the best day of the trip, it rained the most. A friend of mine warned us before we left to not let the weather stop us. I’m glad she did, because it gave us a better perspective. I ran into people throughout the cruise complaining about the weather and each time they looked at me to agree I did the exact opposite and told them why.

I think we can all read the writing on the wall and know that as we enter the second half of 2009 the economy will not change overnight. Our companies have more job and budget cuts coming. As I meet more and more people faced with a layoff notice or the impending job loss, I am shocked by what I hear. Sure, we cannot change the weather, but we can change how we prepare for the storm. I have great admiration for those who are saw the storm coming months ago and who took time to gain new skills. Creativity has gone a long way for them. I’ve met one person who found a way to start two new lines of work, doing each part time, but now makes more than he was in his previous one job. One co-worker defied corporate bureaucracy of charge lines and budgets and began to freelance his skill across Boeing. He now has to turn customers away.

It sure is nice when the weather is perfect and you can see everything from the top of the mountain. We don’t get that every day at work, in training, or in other parts of our life. The trick is to prepare accordingly and make the most out it to enjoy the time with people around you.