At Car Dealership, ‘I'm Still Standing’

“You could never know what it's like/Your blood like winter freezes just like ice/ And there’s a cold lonely light that shines from you/You'll wind up like the wreck you hide behind that mask you use.”

These are lyrics to Elton John’s song, “I’m Still Standing.”

We got knocked down hard over the last six months or so. We started out with massive bushfires in Australia killing over a billion animals. The coronavirus outbreak happens. Trump gets impeached. Kobe Bryant dies in a helicopter crash. The global stock market crashes. Travel Bans. Major events cancelled, such as the summer Olympics. Civil unrest breaks out. There was talk of murder hornets and squirrels with flamethrowers that look like sharks.

And the Netflix documentary “Tiger King” made us wonder what Carole Baskin did with her husband.

As I sit in my car dealership office in Boulder, CO, I’m thinking that we are only halfway through this year.

The good news is that the stock market is recovering along with the economy and with sales and businesses reopening, this should help ease the pain we have all experienced. We are finding our way again as society and businesses are adapting to the new changes and guidance given by our leaders.

I would be totally fine if I never hear the term “in these tumultuous and uncertain times” again.

The reality is, things have never been certain, they were simply easier or better due to circumstance. There are only two certainties: death and taxes.

Then again, in many cases we can say, “If it’s to be, it’s up to me.”

It begins by holding yourself accountable. Being accountable at work, to your family and in your relationships.

Sometimes this requires us to shift our focus on to the things we can control, such as activities, attitude and with whom we spend our time. Life is not what happens to you, but how you respond to it.

Monitoring self-talk is of huge importance. Feed our mind healthy and positive input. Allow ourselves to show grace to ourselves and those around us. This allows us to step back from an ego-driven focus and instead appreciate the journey. The sunshine wouldn’t be as nice if we didn’t have a storm once in a while.

In so many ways, we are blessed. We are alive and we have opportunities all around us. This is the time to remember what you want to accomplish, what you need to accomplish.

Tough times and setbacks are what differentiate successful people from failures. Even though it can be discouraging to see our routine, our paychecks and our chance to connect with customers fluctuate, this is the time to push through and focus on what matters most.

The second half of this year should be great for the auto industry. Inventory is starting to break lose, interest rates are at all-time lows, there is a ton of pent up demand and people are returning to work.

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Justin B. Gasman is Financial Services Director, McCaddon Cadillac Buick GMC, Boulder, CO.