What will you do when you get your life back?

This was the question posed by Pastor Colin Smith of The Orchard in Arlington Heights, Illinois. We find ourselves mandated to “Stay at Home” at least until the end of May and that is after sheltering in place for all of April and a good part of March.

Many millions around the country are in the same situation. So what have you been doing? More importantly, you should consider what will you do when you get your life back? I would refer you to The Orchard’s website or Facebook page for the edifying words of Pastor Colin, a rare and modest man of God. I refer you there because my words or thoughts pale in comparison. There you can listen to this sermon about King Hezekiah who can be found in Chronicles and Isaiah. You should go there now, I’ll be here when you get back.

I would just ask a similar question and about how you might apply it to work.

Yesterday, after complimenting my writing style, a very insightful co-worker asked me, “What do you want to do when this is over?”  Boy, That is the old $64 dollar question.  Actually at today’s rates, it would be $685.00, but I digress.   He postulated that maybe I should lay this question before you.   What are you going to do when this is over?

Didn’t I just say that my preacher where I attend church, online currently, asked the question this way, “What will you do when you get your life back?”  But no sermon from me today.  I’m not qualified.  I’m only asking questions.

We are all stuck at home doing things full time that we used to do part time and our full time job is nothing at all.  So are you making the best of your part time now that you can do it full time?  Are you becoming a better cook?  Are you learning to speak a foreign language, other than your son’s 6th grade math?  Have you started the garden you promised you would if you only had time?  That’s important stuff.  And there are a million other things on your To Do list.  But if you are like me, you are raring to go.  Dying to get back to work and to normalcy.  But the challenge is, Should you settle for normalcy?  Should you be thinking about what you can do Better?  Newer?  Different?  I’m talking to you!

When you get back to work, what will you do better?  Will you be more creative?  More cooperative?  Can you take your skills, your strengths and improve.  Can your change your less skillful attributes to something better? 

Give it some thought.  It looks like we may be in this for another month, at least in Illinois, hopefully that will be long enough to beat this scourge.  So that gives you another month to consider how to be better, at home, at work…at Life.  Don’t waste the time.  Be better.

I hope you have your team’s emails so that you can pass this along.  Challenge them to think about what is their strength.  How will they be better employees and co-workers and Moms and Dads and brothers and sisters and just better people?

Oh, that co-worker?   His name is Wally Kosch. Another smart fellow.