Resiliency

J. Keith Hughey

Founder

Volume XXIII, Number 1 (Issue 1110) | January 6, 2025 

Resiliency

Another year is underway. Though 2025 did not start on the best foot given the terrorist attack that took place in New Orleans in the early hours of January 1, we will nevertheless manage to put that horrific event behind us the same way we have done so many times before. That is not to suggest we will forget what happened. Nor will the pain and suffering experienced by those touched in some way be diminished in the foreseeable future. Yet moving forward is one of the most remarkable aspects of the human spirit. Collectively, we manage to find a way to weather the unspeakable. We suffer, grieve, regroup, learn, adapt, and make the best of things. Granted, the trajectory may not return to what it once was. It seldom does in the aftermath of a major event. 

——- 

The paragraph above is as far as I got with a draft on the afternoon of January 2 before watching two TV news reports from New Orleans that also embraced the resiliency theme. Since those commentaries and others like them have addressed the tragic events of January 1 so well, there is little need for me to add my thoughts at this date. Thus, rather than continue with a message of resiliency, it seems appropriate I tackle a different topic. So here goes… 

“The Time to Make Up Your Mind About People is Now” 

Said Tracy Lord, a character in George Cukor’s 1940 film adaptation of Philip Barry’s play, “The Philadelphia Story.” I came upon the classic rom com, starring Cary Grant, Katherine Hepburn, and Jimmy Stewart the other day. The moment I heard that line this time I knew it would serve as a solid topic for an essay. So, let us dig in and see where it takes us. 

For starters, since we all deal with others (assuming one is not a hermit living in isolation on a mountain top), we have to learn how to interact effectively with people. Granted, not everyone we encounter will be likeable. Some will even be testy and cantankerous. We will learn still others are motivated by an entirely self-serving agenda. Adding to the complexity, many of those we will deal with will be from generations that differ from our own. That means their backgrounds, experiences, mores, and values are not likely to align with ours. Yet somehow, we must get along with them. The Golden Rule tells us to do unto others as we would 

have them do unto us. Derived from the Bible verses that tell us to love our neighbor as ourselves, we are apt to fall into the trap of projecting our own expectations and sensibilities onto others. However, that would be a mistake since they are not like us in some important ways. Thus, we cannot, must not treat others identically. Rather, to be effective we need to discover what makes others tick and work with that. That goes double if we are in a position to lead them. 

Second, there are lots of people (some estimates range as high as seventy percent) who are not happy in their job or current situation. For many of these individuals, they settled for something less because they needed a job, paycheck, safety net. But not being a good fit means their unhappiness can adversely affect those around them. What comes to mind is the old adage, “one bad apple spoils the whole barrel.” Once again, as leaders or simply supportive friends, we need to speak the truth when someone is a square peg in a round hole. If not, others are apt to suffer. 

Parts of this message may seem harsh at first. Yet we are all charged with taking care of others. That means meeting them where they are and giving them what they need. Sometimes that equates to offering a guiding thought, or a hand up, but not a handout. 

As Katherine Hepburn’s character said, “the time to make up your mind about people is now.” 

Soli Deo Gloria 

“And he answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.’” Luke 10:27 

J. Keith Hughey 

Mobile: (210)260-0955 

E-mail: keith@jkeithhughey.com 

Website: www.jkeithhughey.com 

Transforming Potential into Unmatched Performance 

Copyright 2025 by J. Keith Hughey. All rights reserved. Permission is hereby granted for reproduction and redistribution of this essay as provided under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Recent issues of Musings may be found at www.jkeithhughey.com. Your comments are always welcome. 

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