Mastermind and Rocket Attacks: What's the Story?

I think if you are not Israeli and/or have not experienced what it means to have rockets fired over your head and into nearby streets, fields and homes, you will have a hard time imagining just what it is I am going to write about. Because, frankly, it doesn't make any sense, it is not something that can be easily comprehended.

But this is exactly what has been the reality Southern and Central Israel (much more so in the south) for nearly 3 weeks now. I would like to share with you my little anecdote, from the "mastermind perspective".

It was the fourth or fifth day of the War in Gaza, July 2014, 12 mid-level managers gathered together for a second of four quarterly mastermind events. Participants arrived a bit late as the nightly rocket alert sirens, 24 hour news updates and morning traffic slowed us all down. After some morning refreshments they were all seated there in the circle awaiting the facilitator (me) to get the ball rolling. Which is what I did by saying, "It is very important to start every mastermind meeting with an infusion of positive energy as the mastermind is driven by positive thinking, one for the other". I explained to them that we were going to do an exercise in pairs in which each person will describe one very positive development in their lives at this very moment, "I will ring this bell", I continued," and then I want one of you to just start talking about this positive thing for two minutes." Which is what I did…but…the exact second that I rang the bell we heard a very loud "rocket alert" siren go off. We all scattered to one of the areas on the floor which was considered a "safe haven", as we were in the basement many others came down to the floor and suddenly we were about 40 or 50 of us out there waiting to hear the ….boom!... another rocket was intercepted and destroyed by "Iron Dome", the extraordinary Israeli innovation that has protected Israeli civilians from the otherwise certain damage, horror, injury and even death that would have resulted from the hundreds of rockets that have been launched into Israeli citizen, towns and villages over the past few weeks.

A few minutes later we were all back in the room, seated, buzzing with energy and adrenalin, but back in stride, moving ahead with our daily program. The Mastermind took over as if nothing had happen, one more siren would take place later that morning but the mastermind program took place in its entirety with all the positive, supportive and professional energy of all.

I ask you, reader, is this normal? Is this something that one can live and ignore over time? One may say many things about Israel and Israelis, both positive and negative as their view may be, but I must say that I am intensely proud and admiring of this "gene" Israelis are carrying. It is the gene, or attribute that says, "we go on, no matter what!", it does not allow the threats, violence and reprimands of others to sway daily lives. It is a type of "toughness" that makes "winners", regardless if your views are "left or right", "religious or secular", "nationalistic or global"…I have never seen a people who can so easily just carry on the routine as if nothing has happened. It is the attribute of drive, commitment and standing up for what you believe it.

The Mastermind is not an "Israeli product", but on this day I felt it was. There was something about this mastermind event that was unlike all others. It was a mastermind that said "We are Here and Now". Rockets or no rockets, the mastermind goes on…