This piece by Michael Hayman originally appeared in Country & Town House, February edition, see here.
Einstein was a master of the generalities of genius. One of his many gems was this: nothing happens until something moves.
The what ifs and the what to dos, the penury of indecision. And more often than not the choice to delay, dither and defer marked out our last decade as an age of noise rather than the much needed signal of direction.
Whether you were worried about Brexit, elections, or the state of the economy, there has been no shortage of big problems to furrow the most optimistic of brows.
It has been wisely said that life is what happens while you are busy making plans. And years planning contingencies and coping strategies taking us nowhere might well have been the epitaph of the last decade but for its final weeks.
One that started with the anxiousness of the financial crash has ended with a sudden sense of settlement. And the speed of that resolution has been a seismic surprise.
The recent general election is a big move which opens up the prospect of change, and that applies whether you love or loath the result.
So, hello to the twenties and the hopes of a new decade. Will it be roaring as it was a century ago or dispiritingly similar to the one we leave behind?
Einstein also contended that doing the same thing over again and expecting a different result was the definition of insanity. Which begs the question what will you change if you want a different outcome?
A century ago was a very different time. Four years of total sacrifice in total war was to lead to a massive outpouring of energy and enthusiasm as many of those who felt lucky to be alive made it their mission to live.
Dark days were to follow, for sure. But in the dawn of this new decade there are lessons from the past, and again a choice.
Optimism and kindness are your gifts to give. And what a hallmark for this new decade they could be.
Positivity not pessimism drives progress. And that, as Einstein might have said (but didn’t), isn’t rocket science.