Wild Ride Ahead. Buckle Up and Keep Smiling!

Wow!  What a different world we’re living in these days.  Anyone who pays attention to the news has heard about the ever worsening supply chain issues all over the world.  I have no doubt it’s affecting your industry as well as ours.  Frustrations abound no matter who you speak with and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed.  

Vendors are tired of selling what they think is available only to find the inventory is gone when the customer commits.  Customers are tired of ordering goods and then have their supplier tell them someone else swooped in and bought the stock.

Although we can’t control these issues, we can adjust how we deal with them.  I’m sure sometimes we all throw our hands in the air in frustration and feel like giving up.  We might appear distant or cranky to those around us when we’re really only focusing on the issues at hand.  The first step to overcome these increasingly common pressures is to be kind to ourselves, which brings with it the natural consequence of being kinder to others.

A simple smile or a funny anecdote could brighten someone’s day in ways we don’t even realize.  A five minute break from what you’re doing to ask a co-worker how their day is going will make you both feel better.  Bring someone a book you enjoyed reading that you think they will like too.  Extend an act of generosity without expecting anything in return.  Remember how someone else’s kindness made you feel?  Pass it on!  

Let’s look after ourselves and each other.  To quote my very wise co-worker – “Spread some joy”.  It will be contagious!

“Remember there is no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end.” — Scott Adams