I love a fresh snowfall. It covers a multitude of ugliness and bareness in a beautiful mantel of fresh white. Even the process of snow falling is beautiful and serene as the white flakes blank out the sky and drift silently down from heaven. It becomes all about the snow, and once this exquisite gift has been delivered, the clouds recede to reveal a blazing sun shining in a brilliant blue sky while the land rests in protected peace. Have you ever noticed how quickly the birds come out after a snowstorm and sing their delighted songs exclaiming the beauty of the day, the provisions from the sky and the promise of life renewed?

It is fitting that the new year comes in winter, a time when we think of life as dead or dormant. (I realized that some of you may be living in climates where snow is nonexistent at this time of year or ever, but that doesn’t prevent the analogy from applying to you, too.) for some plants, winter is too hard and they die. But if you know anything about plants that thrive in cold climates, they need the dormant time of winter to rest and recharge for the burst of activity in the coming spring. It takes a lot of energy to produce leaves and flowers, and renew the cycle of life.

We, too, need a time of dormancy ~ not complacency nor denial nor regression but a time of reflection, planning and renewal. A time for a physical, spiritual, mental and emotional check-up, tune-up and balancing out.

So while you contemplate what the new year may bring, visualize the covering of snow over your past year. Think about what lies underneath. The failures, disappointments and pain remain, that cannot be changed, but what also lies below the surface of the fresh snow is the beauty, potential, joy and hope of all that is you and your days ahead. You can wallow, wither and die in the history of your past, or you can be dormant for this season as you prepare for the annual renewal of your life.

I will not be posting any blog entries during the month of December. I’m taking the time to rest and reflect on this past year ~ enjoy this holiday season ~ and gather my thoughts on goals and expectations for the coming year. You can check out my previous posts, or go into the Resources section of my website to read past newsletters. In the meantime, whether in life or business, learn from the past so you can move toward your desired future but not at the expense of the present. New posts will start January 2009.

“Company think” isn’t going to get you through tough times. Yes, there are core beliefs that every company is founded on, and there are some core beliefs that ring true no matter what, such as honesty, integrity, clarity, focus. Nevertheless, there needs to be intense scrutiny about what you are doing when it isn’t “business as usual.”

So I’m going to throw out a few things for you to think about as you navigate your business in tough economic times.

• Is your definition of success achievable? Can your “global” definition remain but be modified for the short term so you continue to succeed not fail? Or do you really need to rethink what success means to you? Mix in realistic thinking with your dreams. This is important because continual failure despite our best efforts and intentions can bring about depression and discouragement.
• Think about how you’ve handled crises and tough times in the past. What did you learn? What helped you successfully navigate the choppy waters? What mistakes did you make?
• Take responsibilities for your decisions. Do you have a I-have-no-control attitude or do you take control and do the best, or even better, for the circumstances at hand?
• Is it time to revisit your company’s vision, mission and purpose? What new opportunities may be on your horizon? Not everyone is wallowing in bankruptcy or depressed finances.

I will leave you with a definition of “crisis” that may change the way you think of that word. In Chinese, the word “crisis” is written as a combination of two characters ~ “danger” and “opportunity.” Which half do you ascribe to? The glass is half empty side or danger? The glass is half full or opportunity?