Today Schwinn and I turned left on the beach road instead of right, exploring unknown territory. I passed a local theater with an LED sign saying How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying POSTPONED.
It got me thinking about how to succeed in business – trying or otherwise – when your business has been forced to close. In our retreat center in Peru all the March guests have been repatriated except for 2 who had pre-planned to stay a few months. No guests in April because today the Peruvian president declared a 3rd extension until April 26.
The couple renting my old house weren’t able to pay the rent this month because their shop in Pisac is closed and their recently ordered new stock is warehoused in Cusco under lock and key. I left some extra money with my trusted caretaker Evaristo that should cover this month but if there is a 4th extension of the quarantine and my tenants can’t pay May rent, then there is no cash for Evaristo until I return.
My partners who now run the retreat center, have more staff than me. A halt to our business with great uncertainty for when and if travel and tourism will recover, leaves them, their staff and their regular vendors without a livelihood.
How to succeed in business? If ever there was a “domino theory” here we have one. Each business no longer operating, touches many lives down the line. My dear friend in San Diego who offers beautiful beach weddings was meant to retire this year. All of her weddings from March until May were cancelled or rescheduled for next year, leaving her with a sizable cash flow problem. Her employees are also out of work. The airlines and hotels who would have brought and housed all the guests, the caterers, the flower arrangers, the chair rental people, all toppled at the same moment, unclear when weddings will resume.
News reports say the virus may be peaking in NY, a hopeful sign. But fear runs deep for some in this pause. Do we open up too soon for the virus or not soon enough to ward off economic collapse? See how fear escalates? Dominos.
I pause and take a deep breath. I remember to trust in Divine Source. I ride the bike because it broadens my horizons, helps me feel free and requires me to breathe deeply. I choose now to visualize Light and Love expanding around the globe, using this down time to pause and reflect on life, the way I’d like it to be; on what kind of new normal I want to see in the world and see in the magical mountain pueblo I call home. Today, that’s how I choose to succeed without really trying.
April 8, 2020