“When all the senses are synchronized, the soul emerges.”
-Adolfo Bioy Casares
“Get your act together” is a familiar refrain – or at least it was in my household! Getting your act together requires that you slow down, set priorities, and begin to take positive action towards specific goals. Acting together is one step beyond that, requiring that you collaborate with others to set priorities and act collectively.
We are in a confusing time. The bulk of the economy is doing well and the most recent Gallup poll says that a record 74% of Americans say that now is a good time to find a quality job. At the same time, only 24% are satisfied with way things are going the United States. It is more important than ever that we get our act together individually, and then act together collectively to solve our most important issues. The United States must do both in order to compete globally, and for the global economy to thrive. The list of issues is long, but manageable for a nation of incredible resources:
- Struggling communities need an infrastructure package that will catalyze activity, and high-growth communities desperately need the resources to keep up so as to not add to the issues of congestion and inequality. Let’s hope that D.C. agrees to a package that can achieve these objectives soon.
- Companies are struggling with an unprecedented labor participation shortage and a dysfunctional global manufacturing and logistics system. Both are solvable with coordinated action and cooperation.
- World leaders are currently meeting in Europe to address climate change and the actions that are required to adjust to current changes and prepare for the future. The technology exists to reduce emissions, grow our economies, and protect our shared environment.
All these issues and dozens more require getting our acts together and acting together. The hard work of building deep multi-sector coalitions and acting locally and globally is upon us.
Let’s have a great week, don’t forget to vote and to thank all the candidates that were willing to put themselves forward to serve.
-Kenny McDonald