Today and Beyond
/I was travelling in India to meet with the Indian Institute of Management in Ahmedabad, Bangalore and the Indian School of Business in Hyderabad. The beginning of the trip started with a stay in New Delhi to attend the FICCI Higher Education Summit, as we are working on establishing a joint CMA-MBA program with these elite universities.
At 40,000 feet above land, for the most part it is blue sky with unlimited visibility. But at times, the 767 would be left in the clouds, and looking out the window, it was complete blindness. We were totally dependent on the technology of the aircraft and the skills and competencies of the pilot to carry hundreds of helpless passengers safely to their destination. If I allowed myself to dwell on the situation, it would be easy to become anxious. But as always, there comes a breakthrough, and the clouds disappear and clear blue sky prevails. As frequent flyers know, this is a normal part of the flying experience.
As we reached New Delhi, as with most flights, the flight attendant started announcing landing procedures and connecting gates. There was also a weather update. I was pleased to know that the temperature for New Delhi would be in the low 30’s - a brief escape from Toronto’s November cold and dampness. But the next announcement was intriguing. The ground (horizontal) visibility was only 500 meters! Due to smog, a haze had covered the city and would be resident for a few days. A health and traffic advisory was issued.
The traffic system in India is quite something. I have been to Rome, Mexico City, Cairo, Bangkok and other cities famous for their driving habits and traffic congestion, but I must admit, driving on the streets of the major cities in India is quite an experience. On two-lane roads, it is common to have five lanes of cars, mopeds, motorcycles and sometimes even animals. When you reduce visibility to 500 meters, the chaos and related stress is heightened. But I am amazed how everyone, in spite of poor visibility and traffic madness, gets to their destination slowly but surely. And of course, no one was more pleased to arrive at the hotel than I.
As we look back over years past, would you have ever thought you would have had to face the experiences you did? Wouldn’t it be nice to have absolute visibility for the future? There are times I wish I could tell my children with certainly what is up the road in front of them so they could be properly prepared, but I can’t. So as parents, we do our best to give them the skills (and values) to navigate safely and successfully.
Some of us may rely on horoscopes. Others may seek advice from their local psychic. We confer with economists about our monetary and fiscal policies. There are former prophets like Nostradamus who seem to get a lot of press coverage these days because it appears they were able to predict events that unfolded as they said. We use their success rate to evaluate the future. We cannot forget forget the predictions for 01012001. And of course there was the fascination with the Mayan prediction of complete destruction on December 21st, 2012. And most recently, our world was coming to an end because of the COVID-19 pandemic. There are many who claim they have inside knowledge on the future. But the inconvenient truth is, no one really knows.
I carry in my wallet a card that says, “Behind the clouds the sun is always shining”! Even if we can’t see the sun, at some point in time, its rays will penetrate through providing absolute visibility.
As we look ahead, our visibility is limited. We don’t know with any certainly what we will have to face. Whether it is health, economy, or relationship, we must approach each day with at least one absolute: behind every cloud, above every haze, for each of us the sun will shine brightly in time! For example, we know that every year as we enter the harsh Canadian winter, in a few months spring and summer will arrive, as they are even now approaching upon us. The seasons of life are no different.
For you, your family and your friends, I hope and pray today will be the beginning of a great journey towards peace and prosperity in your life. Regardless of what challenges you may have to face, rest assured there always comes a time of breakthrough.
Merv
