Humbled Hopes for a New Year

David West
January 7, 2022

Most years I return to the office in January energized from the extended break the holidays provided, grateful for what the previous year brought, and excited about the opportunities awaiting in the new year.

This year feels different for me. When I wrote my annual recap last January, I was hopeful that 2021 would find life returning to normal, with COVID receding and less strife and conflict in our world. The headlines in my news feed at the end of December, however, left me discouraged and a little embarrassed by the naïveté of the optimism that I felt in January.

If that wasn't your experience of 2021, I'm happy for you. If it was, know that you are not alone.

I usually use this space to highlight milestones from the previous year among our Equinox family, and there were several, including:

• The release of Protector 11, a clean sheet rewrite of our Fraud Management Solution
• Additions to our support staff (Simeon C'deBaca) and our development staff (Chase Haley)
• The return of Bill Menees to our development team
• The celebration of Equinox's 35th anniversary in September

But all those things were overshadowed by the loss of our friend and colleague Derek Drake.

Amid loss, bad news, cancelled plans, and more web meetings than I can count, I would be disingenuous to offer rosy words of hope and encouragement. Today I'm humbled in my aspirations for the coming year. Perhaps by setting the bar low, I'll better appreciate what good news does come and be more grateful for the many blessings I do have, rather than getting distracted by the busyness of good times and overwhelmed by negative headlines.

So, I will close with this gentle benediction: May 2022 be a better year for all of us and may we appreciate it even more for the losses and challenges we have endured in the days that preceded it.

About the Author

David West is Executive Vice President of Equinox Information Systems. David oversees the company's sales and marketing team, develops the company's long-term strategic plan, and works directly with the company's hundreds of customers across the United States, Europe, Australia, and Asia. When he is not making sales calls or updating spreadsheets, he enjoys spending time with his family, earning splat points at Orange Theory Fitness, and serving his parish as Treasurer at St. Bartholomew's Church. To learn more about Equinox, its products, and the people who power them, visit www.equinoxis.com or call (615) 612-1200.