Jean's Blog

THE DIFFERENCE

“Opportunity in the midst of great crisis.”

Posted by Jean

That was what President Obama asked us to do in his Saturday radio address — to be open to discovering  “great opportunity in the midst of great crisis.”  In other words, be resilient — a key component of The Difference.

It’s not only possible, but I am starting to hear the sort of stories and examples that we should all be not just listening to but learning from — and being inspired by.  Marcia, from Sacramento, for instance. Marcia called my Oprah Radio show on Friday.  The dismal jobs number had just come out and we were talking not about crying in our beers but about where the opportunities actually were.  Marcia’s job — she didn’t say what — had been eliminated about six months earlier.  She’d given herself a few days to have a pity party but that was it.  Then she started to think about what she  could do to make some money in these tough times to keep herself afloat.

Her town was littered with foreclosed houses.  In the wreckage Marcia and her sister found opportunity.  They started a business cleaning out those foreclosed homes for the lenders who took ownership of them.  Brilliant!  Marcia’s business is actually growing.  She and her sister are hiring.   They are feeling great about the fact that they forged their way in a very difficult time and it has given them the confidence to know that they can do anything.

And Marcia, if you’re reading, I hope you take a few minutes out of your busy day to go see Sunshine Cleaning the upcoming movie staring Amy Adams and Emily Blunt about two sisters who make their fortune cleaning up crime scenes!  In fact, if you are, call the show again — the movie tickets are on me.