For auld lang syne

December 31, 2009 | thoughts

With every year comes new dreams, hopes, and wishes, as well as fears.

Today, You Tube has announced that a fellow Scot – Susan Boyle – became it’s biggest global hit of 2009 with over 150 million views.

Yet, some remain convinced social media will never work!

In the midst of the global financial chaos of 2009 – when I was told my business would be lucky to survive – has come many joys, as well as sadnesses.

The reason I decided write about this, on the last day of this decade, has been in no small measure due to the premature death of my sister in law, Dr Lorna Bryce, earlier this year.

To suggest that Lorna – who single handedly built her own private dental practice – was a feisty character, is not intended to diminish her in any way at all.

That she was passionate about life, her children, her horses, and her business was not in question, yet to many, her apparent single mindedness, focus and drive, could be socially quite intimidating and isolating.

It’s fair to say we had our own share of verbal spats over the years, however, because she fought her personal battle against cancer for over 5 years with such fortitude, I never thought I’d be pre-deceased by her, and certainly not before she reached her 40th year.

And so, on a beautiful azure blue skied March morning, as I stood at Lorna’s grave, beside my brother and his children – my little niece and twin nephews – and watched them say their prayers as her coffin was lowered into the Scottish earth, everything changed.

Shaken by Lorna’s death I decided from that juncture to engage fully with Social media as a positive way of communicating with the world, and business community, about my life and work.

At the age of 53 I made a strategic decision to merge my company with my own name, through the medium of Web 2.0, which some said was tantamount to creating fiscal suicide.

Instead, we experienced unprecedented growth, and a more publicly accountable, and ultimately responsible approach to building genuine business relationships, than I could ever have imagined possible a year ago.

Of course it could be argued we have always been connected to each other in one way or another, however I believe facebook, twitter, and a myriad of other social networks are now creating global accountability to other nations, cultures, beliefs and values, which in the long term could prove to be the saviour of our society, and businesses at large.

Well today, it’s likely that Susan Boyle’s version of “I dreamed a dream“ has now upstaged “Auld lang syne” as the most instantly recognizable song around the world, which was of course was written by yet another fellow Scot, Robert Burns, many many years ago.

For me the most beautiful adaption of “Auld Lang Syne” was arranged and sung by my friend Mairi Campbell and accompanied by her talented husband Dave Francis.

It was used in the movie Sex in the City, and tugs at the heart strings as well it might.

Watch the clip here

This evening, if you’re singing “Auld lang syne” with your family and friends – as you see the old year out – don’t forget to extend the hand of friendship, love and goodwill to those in your global network in 2010, and go for your dreams!

We can all play a part in making the world a better place in which to live and work.

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And days o’ auld lang syne.