Bring Your Best Self to the Table

Yesterday I was watching Meet the Press, which I don't usually get to watch. But I was home sick with a cold. My son was sitting next to me, flapping his hands, while I listened to the political commentators and others discuss the economy. Jerry Useem, who used to cover G.E. for Fortune magazine, was quoted as being stunned by this week’s developments. He said:

"The last time G.E. cut its dividend was during the Great Depression," he pointed out. He was quiet for a minute. Then he added, "If G.E. is in trouble, God help us all."

This last sentence was said with such emphasis that my son stopped flapping, looked up and asked in all his innocence, "Did someone get stung?"

Yes, son, we all got stung.

But that's not the end of the story. We can't wallow in the state of being stung. Get the EPI shot and move on. If we allow ourselves to get stuck at this point, that's the "God help us all" moment. Every person, every person, has to call up their best selves to help contribute to finding a solution.