Trina Hoefling Untethered

Are you noticing that tightening belts and financial meltdown is fast creating community and connection? Maybe I’m just an idealist…. I had a friend in the 80’s who used to say that I found the good in everyone and everybody. Her example was that I would introduce people by saying something like, “Meet Joe (NOT the plumber). He’s an ax murderer, but he has the singing voice of an angel!”

I’m not promoting ax murder, but I do look for the noble and the good as much as I can.

I, like everyone else, am impacted and challenged by the current financial market in my work – Can you say Bye Bye budget?. My home – how bad could my timing be to sell my home for lots of reasons that are not just financially driven? My bank balances. My story isn’t unusal – or even very important.

What matters is how much authenticity, transparency, and honesty I’m experiencing in my conversations with strangers and friends.

A successful entrepreneur, friend, and colleague admitted she would be in trouble in 2009 if things didn’t shift. One of my personal service providers admitted she’s living in a motel because it was cheaper than her rent while waiting for a family member to clear out space for the family to move in. I sold my second car and am reclaiming my ancestry as garage sale queen.

You might ask, Is that a pony? Sure doesn’t sound like it.

And I say, YES! You know why? We’re not complaining. We’re not even mad. Worry is present, but most of the people in my life are focusing on friends, family, and community-building. I’ve advocated collaboration, community, and sharing whenever I can. Nothing like the financial unknown and not knowing if we’re on the edge of an abyss to make more inroads toward working together collaboratively!

If that’s part of what comes out of this mess (and hopefully a return to more balance, less greed, and waking to how much most all of us were unintentionally participating in an unsustainable system), I hope we can come together as a community, a country, a people, and make progress toward becoming better global citizens.

That works for me! Make it a good week, everyone.

This is a short, quick, and honest post…. I’ve been buried with commitments and distracted by politics and history-making news. Taking way too much time reading, watching, and researching to better educate myself as an “informed citizen.”

The good news for the blogosphere is I went out of town Wednesday morning and was completely unplugged until Monday morning – was in the glorious Rocky Mountains at a gathering with 15 years of friends. I came back and slammed myself into DVR’ed news shows and emails and catching up with the world. Not that I learned good news, but fundamentally, things were about as I expected.

Moral of the story? I’m clear on what I need to do as a citizen and need to relax about being hyper vigilant, and am antsy to get back to my professional blogging and writing. You’ll hear more from me soon with some news and more strategy-based and business-focused postings ….

Though tonight I have a debate to watch. Catch you on the rebound! Trina