A Leanfulness Way of Thinking

As I write this letter of hope, I am pondering over the precarious reality across the globe. Such a reality is unprecedented in modern times. In short, I'll attempt to describe the unique nature of our current situation as I see it. For example, think about what you’ve heard or personally felt about globalization. In my experience, globalization has elicited feelings of angst and increasing uncertainty. It's hard to imagine what the next five or ten years will look like for our societies and business infrastructures. On the other hand, globalization has demonstrated the remarkable ability to link almost every facet of personal, professional, and national interests. Therefore, I would like to present a positive result that globalization is having in the context of the COVID 19 pandemic. The purpose of this essay is to suggest that we can spend too much time worrying about the elephant in the room and miss the beauty of the resilient human spirit that occurs only in an environment of extraordinary unity.

In the context of the COVID 19 pandemic, globalization is less about politics, business, or even technology advancements. I am thinking about a phenomenon that none of us could have predicted. Currently, we are globally experiencing a pandemic that has rocked any sense of predictability in each of our lives as individuals, families, businesses, and nations. All nations are in crisis together at the same time. The entire globe is collectively fighting to salvage life as we know it.

None of us chose this mess. The pandemic does not discriminate. From billionaires to the homeless, we are all dependent on each other to make certain choices. Each of us is vulnerable and responsible for the health and safety of our neighbors. Similarly, the pandemic doesn’t have boundaries. Every nation is dependent on each other for national health and safety. Sure, this has happened in the past. Humanity seems to figure it out. Sometimes at the expense of millions of lives lost before the fix is in. As we accept this current reality, it appears to me that the same globalization that elicits a sense of uncertainty is currently evoking a sense of global unity. Never have we been able to track and share data, resources, and innovations at the rate and with such sophistication as today.

What does this mean, and why do I think about it. Well, I believe that during times of crisis, we are faced with choices. Fear is our greatest adversary as we attempt to navigate through the crisis. Besides fear, other human instincts emerge. The good the bad and the ugly will emerge and is emerging. However, rather than focusing on the inevitable negatives, we will all witness, I prefer to discuss an opportunity for each of us to embrace. In every crisis, a hero will emerge and inspire current and future generations. Who will be the hero in this crisis? I believe that we all have an opportunity to be heroes of the day. We don’t have to have superpowers or special skills to be a hero. Each citizen of this vast world we live in can be a hero. The challenge, however, is not letting the negatives that we will undoubtedly witness taint our hearts and lose hope. We fair better as individuals and societies when we maintain a sense of hope and faith in our neighbors even when we see and hear about some bad actors in our midst.

Our brains are unfortunately wired to defend against fear first. Whether or not this is genetic or socially constructed, it’s our reality. Conversely, it is imperative to be courageous and stand united. At the same time, we must resist fear and the contagious effects of negativity, which destroy the human spirit. Consequently, courage and unity can destroy any adversity we face. Many of our leaders who we depend on will take his or her political perspectives and color their messages to fit agendas. However, unknown leaders will emerge with visions of hope and solutions that are absent of any agenda besides an agenda to heal and solve problems.

Now is the time for each of us to find the courage to deny our fear. We are all tasked with the role of being heroes. We are writing history as we face this invisible enemy. Whether we live in East Asia or North America, our choices affect each other. We need to be brave enough to think critically about the messaging we here. It doesn't matter what side of the political fence you declare. What we face together is not about politics. We have a collective opportunity where the human spirit united across the globe can reshape many of the political towers that tend to control and manipulate us.

Every problem creates an opportunity to solve the problem. We could have never predicted this problem nor the magnitude. We have an excellent opportunity to embrace the global unity that we have been forced into. We can be courageous and be the heroes that will pave our future individual and national identities. Future generations will read about this time in history books. I believe that we will be the greatest example of global unity and individual heroism in the history of humanity. This is only possible because of globalization. Maybe globalization is not such a bad thing after all.