Growing Stronger Together in 2022
President & CEO
UMA
Happy New Year! As we look ahead, what will guide and fortify us in 2022? How will we stay positive and lead with hope? I find myself reflecting on the powerful, faithful wisdom shared by Archbishop Desmond Tutu during his lifetime, before his recent passing the day after Christmas.
In 2012, I had the privilege of spending time with Archbishop Tutu when he spoke at the LeadingAge Annual Meeting. I vividly recall that he prayed and practiced gratitude in everything that he did – when he stepped in and out of the car, before he ate, before he spoke to the crowd and even when he tied his shoe.
Gratitude, compassion, forgiveness and generosity were among the guiding practices of his life. You may recall that they are among eight pillars of joy that Douglas Abrams, who co-authored of The Book of Joy with Archbishop Tutu and the Dalai Lama, shared with us when he spoke at the 2019 UMA Annual Meeting. Let us remember these pillars for strength and joy in the coming 12 months and beyond.
As we look ahead, let us also draw strength on the other four pillars to help our mindset: perspective, humility, humor and acceptance. For perspective, we must remember how much we have adapted and grown over the past two years of ongoing challenges. We have done so together – leaning on, and learning from, each other.
The centerpiece of Archbishop Tutu’s life, though, was his faith. Faith in goodness. Faith in God.
UMA humbly serves as a catalyst for your faithful, mission-driven work together. I invite you to continue to support each other throughout 2022 through our many peer networking events. With guidance from our Shared Learning Committee, and dedicated members and business partners, we look forward to spotlighting this year’s theme, “Growing in Partnership,” at the UMA Annual Meeting in Savannah, Ga., April 25-27.
I would love to hear from you. What will be your pillars in 2022?