In my early business days I recall holding a view that American oriented companies were short sighted; everything was focused on the next quarter’s results. Decades later, it is easy to see that far more companies have embraced a quarter-to-quarter mentality than have not. Life, age, and experience remind me that doing things the wrong way take as much time as doing things the right way. In the context of the how far one looks forward, the premise is that taking action is all consuming. A candid question remains; what action should we take and why?
As I work on the launch of a company I find myself struggling to answer the questions. I find myself coming back to the premise Life keeps reminding me; what and why are always relevant. One may be tempted to think that the decisions will be easy versus hard, or long term versus short term. Perhaps a better question is why. Why should I take this action versus another? Why should I prioritize one choice over another? Why, why, why?
It is tempting to ignore the question. The immediate always seems to have an obvious answer. If expenses are tight, then how can I cut and avoid cost? It is easy to miss the larger question – what should I do with what I have? No investment dollars, the question remains. Hiring freeze, the question still awaits. Whatever the negative is, the opportunity remains. What will I do with what I have?
Spiritually, some question the benefit of holding onto hope and idea of the resurrection. It is a variation on the short sightedness viewpoint that plagues businesses today. Bluntly put, “If there’s no resurrection, ‘We eat, we drink, the next day we die,’ and that’s all there is to it. But don’t fool yourselves. Don’t let yourselves be poisoned by this anti-resurrection loose talk. ‘Bad company ruins good manners.’” (1 Corinthians 15.33)
With God’s help, you and I can see beyond today. Hope lives within us. The possible is within reach. Progress will require fully engaged thought and action.
