Thriving with the 40 Under 40

The New York Times deemed U.S. citizens as “languishing” back in April. Some psychologists may call it depression. Others might say it’s simply a lackluster performance. Still others might find the American population extremely busy and overworked. Whatever it is as we slog through COVID-19 issues, we’re back to being overly tired, wrung out from stress or work and overwhelmed by meetings.  

No one will know for years to come how COVID-19 affects individuals, businesses or the overall economy. Studies will be done in the future to look at education, housing and health care. The yo-yo of economic recession and growth will become part of educational texts. Medicine, already having changed by leaps and bounds, may be the next method by which humankind is judged.  

Without fail, the 2021 40 Under 40 winners shine as though nothing has affected them. Their scholarly and professional pursuits are an example of how to flourish during a rough time in our world history. Their focus on family, friends and fun continues without abandon. Athletic, cooking and outdoor pursuits have solidified and even grown, as they have with many people.   

This year’s 40 Under 40 winners are mostly in their 30s. They already had a sound foundation of work-life balance to start with, and their cleverness and multifaceted skills help them continue to achieve quite a bit over the past 12 to 18 months. While they might be tired or have too much work on their plates, they certainly aren’t languishing.  

Innovation, motivation and education seem to be the recurring themes this year. Innovation occurs at many levels with this group of 40 Under 40 winners — at work, at home and in their personal pursuits. Motivation has pushed many winners forward during different stages of their career. The motivation has come from deep within, and also from family and colleagues who demand the best. Education, some academic and some real-life lessons, continues every day for each winner. Winners subscribe to different forms of instruction and inventiveness, much of it in ways that seem novel and forward-thinking. 

By absorbing the many resources and achievements this group of 40 Under 40 winners has shown, those of us who are languishing can take heart in the fact that so many individuals are excelling

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