We at BLTnetwork would like to wish you good health and humor as we close out a volatile 2020 and move into yet foggy 2021. Our wish for Health is for combating Covid-19, and Humor is for staying sane and hopeful during these trying times.

We have faced many hardships this year due in large part to Sars-Cov-2 and, despite the promising efficacy of new vaccines, we will most likely continue to see a domino effect of increasing social, political and economic challenges well into next year and beyond. Some researchers suggest that all this hardship may have been inevitable even if Sars-Cov-2 had never made an appearance. They suggest that this period is an essential part of an age-old cycle taking society from death to rebirth.

I came across this perspective in the book, The Fourth Turning, by William Strauss and Neil Howe, in which they hypothesize that there are four generational shifts, called turnings, that occur about every 20-25 years in a larger cycle, called a saeculum, that lasts about 80-100 years. According to the book, we should currently be in the fourth turning, which is a crisis period often marked by destruction, sometimes resulting in revolution and/or war. Fortunately, it passes into “The High” in which we redirect ourselves towards community purpose, and begin to rebuild a brighter future as members of larger groups with common goals. It appears that all is not lost and that there is light at the end of the tunnel after all.

All my best wishes for a brighter future!

David Hylton

Manager, BLTnetwork LLC