Reset - Reconnect - Renew in 2022

Scott HumphreyCEO, WFCA

Remember the old saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me?” I can’t tell you how many times I recited that saying as a child. As the kid who was shorter and skinnier than most in my classes, it made me feel better to believe it was true. As I grew older, I realized there was only one problem with it. It isn’t accurate. Words are powerful things. They have the ability to encourage and challenge, motivate and devastate, demoralize and inspire.

Words can change the course of history. Look no further than Ronald Reagan’s challenge to Mikhail Gorbachev – “Tear down this wall.” Those words of challenge began the process of reunification in East and West Germany. But my favorite example is Martin Luther King’s “I Have A Dream” speech. With it, and amazing courage, he crossed racial divides and challenged an entire nation to look beyond the color of one’s skin to the quality of one’s character.

Words are powerful things. With that in mind, we at the WFCA would like to challenge you to consider and apply three words to your new year. Our hope is that you will:

RESET — to set, adjust, or fix in a new or different way. The word reset has the connotation of starting again with the intention of fixing anything that was not right. Can you think of any baggage you brought from last year? Were you so busy at the end of 2021 that you found yourself fighting to stay above the tide? In the midst of the pandemic, did you find yourself bound by analysis paralysis – fearful of making a mistake? Then RESET!

Have you ever had to reset your mobile phone? If so, you know that doing so restores the device to its original factory condition. As someone who has done this multiple times, I can tell you how scary it can be – the fear of losing contacts, apps, and basically anything you have not backed up. I can also tell you that I have rarely lost anything of real value and nothing that I could not find elsewhere when needed. Resetting can be scary, but it is truly liberating. It eliminates redundancy and allows you to move forward without the baggage of your past. We often carry our baggage wherever we go. We are like walking hoarders. Afraid if we let the past go, we will suddenly need it. For those that do not struggle with living in the past, we are all surrounded by people who love to remind us of our past mistakes. We should all remember what I once heard someone say, “Quit bringing up my past. I don’t live there anymore.”

RECONNECT — to meet or come into contact again after a long absence. After two years of having our world rocked by a worldwide pandemic where isolation became the norm, and human contact became the exception, reconnecting is a must. In a world filled with “Zoom” meetings and virtual conventions, where face-to-face meetings are rare and often discouraged, it is vital that we do all we can to reconnect.

Before reconnecting, we must first understand what severed the connection in the first place. It would be easy to blame it on the virus, but the problem is deeper than that. The virus may have created the environment, but the connection was likely broken by fear. Fear will bind and isolate you, but worse yet, it eliminates hope. Without hope, it is difficult to trust, and without trust, it is impossible to reconnect.

Remember, reconnecting doesn’t simply mean reestablishing relationships—many need to reconnect with life. The isolation caused by COVID has created a tsunami of confusion that has caused a surge in clinical depression. In the face of uncertainty, many chose to isolate and hunker down. It is vital that we do all we can to feel safe and protect others, but once we have done so, we MUST reconnect with life.

RENEW — the act or process of making changes to oneself or a company in order to improve its potential for success. When I think about the word renew, I am reminded of a couple renewing their vows. In this sense, renewal implies recommitting. What are the things in your life you need to recommit to? Here are a few to consider. Renew your commitment to growing your influence; Renew your commitment to growing your knowledge; Renew your commitment to yourself, and Renew your commitment to being your best.

Renewing is not something you do with your words. It is something you do with your life. I began this article by noting that words are powerful, but in closing, I want to impress on you that words alone are limited in their impact. The greatest leaders master words in order to improve their communication, but they reveal their sincerity and commitment to those words through their actions.

Do you want 2022 to be your best year yet? Then I challenge you to Reset, Reconnect, and Renew in 2022! ■