A friend of mine lost his job a few days ago because the company did not achieve the golden goal of 250000 EUR more profit than in 2014. But 180 000 EUR only, only a 5% growth…Well, things happen.

The cover of the newspaper is full of questions what will be in 2016. Questions about the climate, the terror in the world, the future number of refugees and how we will deal with it… At the same page there are more questions: if a famous TV star will have his comeback and if the next championship will be a success for us. If we will have again traffic jams and if the trains will arrive in time. On the following pages there are the tipical summaries on the highlights of the year, the “best” recipes for the New Year celebration and how to protect our animals from the fireworks noise at Midnight.

At the entry of the supermarket they had placed a guardian today to make sure that all fireworks will be paid – the selection is as big as the entire vegetable department.

The people at the cash table talk about party preparations, guests and “non”guests, diets and things to do in 2016.

It’s a colourful  world we live in. A world with many realities.

I have my own reality, too. Pictures of past travels to India come to my mind. People in small valleys living in the Himalayas with 30 EUR per month, a lot of natural calamities – just remembering the last earthquake – and no infrastructure, patients in the tribal and urban hospitals who could not pay for regular treatments, mulnourished children, handicapped people in small empty huts or abandoned at all by their families and cared by some sisters only “out of the normal life”. I see their smiles, remember their songs, the impressive landscapes. Their dreams which are so much smaller than ours (a sewing machine, a school fee, a smokeless cooking place, a tree in front of the kindergarten), but often not achievable.  Because there is no money. That’s it.

I know that’s life. There are many different realities all over the world. We cannot help everyone. Right? I know that there are rich and poor people in our world. That the destinies of individuals vary. Healthy or sick people, successful people and losers, burn-outs, careers that start and others that end – or never have started. Life is an eternal change and no one said that it is egual to all. Whether things are good or bad? Who knows. Often it depends on the perspective.

Now in 2016 the sustainable development goals are officially launched by the UN. It’s a reality: We are working on the big problems of our time, aren’t we? I think we do, yes we really do, because it matters. The intensity of how we work on it varies, ok. Well, the daily challenges and the short term business goals don’t leave enough space and time to care always about the big issues of this world. We are all interested to go forward and not back. To be winners. Like the TV star that in 2016 will celebrate his comeback. At least in the next months. The future which we can oversee. Please, another year where we can live well in the world. And then we will care. Even more. About the environment, the hunger, the injustice, the poverty. Promised. Even the maximum of profit then can be deduced to 80% or more to make sure that the world gets better …. Ah wait, maybe 90% only. The key performance indicators of our business says we have to keep somehow our financial goals.

A big cheers to all who do a little bit more right now.  Because our future starts today. Welcome 2016!