Lessons from a Little Brown Bat (and David Foot, too)

I watched a fascinating interview with David Foot, the author of "Boom, Bust and Echo" on CBC NewsWorld this evening. He is a demographer, tracking trends in population change and forecasting the impact these changes will have on the world economy. Even though I have no background in Economics, his explanations and forecasts seemed insightful and well-founded. If the demographics of a country's population change, there are bound to be changes in the economy.

As a result of watching the interview, I was rather late getting outside to mow the lawns. The cool of the evening had already set in as I rode into the sunset on my trusty riding mower. As dusk arrived, I watched a little brown bat purposefully darting this way and that, collecting its dinner one morsel at a time. It was performing precision acrobatics at the perfect time in the perfect place. We both knew it didn't have much time before the insects stopped flying for the night. It focused on its task while staying keenly aware of its surroundings.

Lessons Learned: Agility, Persistence and Timing
As I explore and develop my career options, I need to keep these lessons in mind. Agility to respond quickly to new opportunities; persistence to get the job done; and timing to connect effectively at the right time. As for David Foot's forecast for Canada? He says that Canada is in good shape to weather the current economic uncertainties. We will feel the downturn, but are in a better economic position than our neighbours to the South. Agility, persistence, and timing, eh?