Engage!

Hello!

Apologies if you only got last week’s issue yesterday. My newsletter provider had a bit of a hiccup, but it’s been sorted.

I’ve been home sick since Christmas Eve, which has made for some forced relaxation. Plenty of movies and good family time, for which I’m grateful.

It’s also left me with some thinking time. Last December, somewhat inspired by Sameer, I chose a word to lean on during the upcoming year.

For 2019, I chose “grace”. The choice was influenced by a hectic December and the anticipation of a 2019 that’d demand plenty of juggling. I hoped to gracefully handle whatever I meant to do and “jettison the rest”. I think it worked alright. There weren’t many major meltdowns or blowups on my part. There were certainly emotional ups and downs—moreso in my professional life than my personal life, interestingly—but they seemed to fit into a manageable flow.

While it was a good year, I end it with a slight unease, a sense and fear of growing complacency on my part. (Admittedly, this has been on my mind for years, and some things are probably okay to get comfortable with.) For 2020, I’m choosing—and announcing—the word “engage” as my reference.

For my purposes, I’m not too interested in “engage” as far as “social media engagement” goes. But these senses of the word interest me:

• Engage an audience, engage with history: I plan to host more historical walking tours.
• Engage with those around you: I’ve shrunk a bit from social engagements for a while; something to make up for next year.
• “Engage.” Think of Jean-Luc Picard (or so many other great Star Trek captains) confidently giving that command. I’d like the confidence to set a course and take it—while handling whatever bumps come along the way.

That’s all from me for now. Here’s to a restful, reflective few days—all the best for the week ahead.

Lucas