The message of Easter…

As a Theology graduate (you didn’t know that did you?), I have always found Theology fascinating and a great grounding for a career in business and in sales in particular.

Much of Theology cannot be proven in the way that science can be proven.  You can’t point at something and say – there you go – that’s God, or Allah, or Krishna etc.   But there is much truth within all religions and if you can make a good case for your ‘facts’ then you win the day and get a new follower.  Or in business – a new sale or customer.

But religion is also full of mystery and magic.  And it is full of stories. Which is how we like to learn, and have done since time immemorial. 

And the story of Easter is one of hope.  When things were blackest, when things couldn’t really have been any worse, when all hope was lost – something wonderful happened.  The message of Jesus’ life was one of hope – that the future would be better – that someone cares – that you can trust.  

And that’s a really good message – whether you are an Easter person or belong to some other religion, or to none. 

There’s an expression – it is always darkest before the dawn.  I don’t know if that is factually correct – but I get the meaning of it.  And you may have been there, like me, in the past.  In fact – I have been there so many times I was starting to wonder if the dawn was a fairy story. 

But what Easter says is that there can be a happy ever after.  It may not be the one you were thinking of.  It may not be the one you had planned.  But it’s important to hope. 

When everything is tough, when the clients aren’t coming in in the numbers you need, when there are issues and problems, when cash flow is causing sleepless nights – that’s when you must have hope.  Not the fluffy – I don’t really believe this but I hope it will happen.  Proper hope – in the knowledge that nothing lasts forever and that you are good enough to create the world you want to live in.

Our economy is in Easter mode – certainly in the North West.  From what seemed to many like a hopeless place just a few short months ago, we are now in low inflation, rising wages, falling unemployment, buoyant housing market and healthy order books.  People are hiring again – and that’s always a good sign.  Recruitment is the first thing to go in a recession and the last to come back (along with marketing) – and it is definitely coming back. 

So – have a good Easter break and we wish you everything you hope for in 2014.

Carole Fossey