When I reflect upon my career, I am in awe at the number of people at work who provided support during all phases. From the college to work transition, to the development within the Human Resources function, to the grueling law school phase, to the transition from HR to the Law Department, to the development within the Law function, to the transition to senior management, the sheer number of supporters I have had has been mind-boggling. I have been blessed beyond belief by the support of dozens upon dozens of people whose names include Kathy, Jerry, Keith, Laurie, Dwayne, Dennis, Bob, Sara, Mary, Don, Eric, Anna Marie, Donna, Alison, Bruce, Bill, George, Kristi, Lisa, Alyssa, JoAnn, Mike, Dan, Erich, Lyndsey, John, Sue, Rob, Chris, Larry, Melissa, Emily, etc., etc., etc. And, the beautiful thing is that the support didn’t only relate to work matters. It also related to personal matters such as a near-fatal skiing accident, the death of parents, the death of a sibling, and the birth of a child. It’s a special place where people come together not only to support the furtherance of commerce and the growth of a business, but also to support each other in times of hardship despite the prior common goal.
Sure, there have been times where certain coworkers have been challenging to work with (and vice versa, I’m sure). And while I could dwell on that, those times are dwarfed by the times of grace and gratitude. To quote Marcus Aurelius, Roman Soldier and Emperor, “Our life is what our thoughts make it.” Or, if you prefer a Greek philosopher’s view, “People are not disturbed by things, but by the view they take of them” (Epictetus, 55 – 135).
The above, of course, addresses only the support received from coworkers. As important, of course, is the support, encouragement and “2×4 to the head moments” received from friends and family outside the work sphere. It is there where our true personalities and frustrations, unconstrained by the norms of the work environment, often come out. It is outside of work, therefore, where a great amount of gratitude is also warranted. So, my thanks to family members who didn’t see me much during the law school years, to those whose vacations were impacted by the predictable work events that would disrupt our time off, to my children who sacrificed time with their father due to the demands of work and to the friends who provided a listening ear so that I had somewhere to vent.
I am truly touched by the people who take time to develop others, whether in their professional or personal lives. I have clearly benefited from such people and my appreciation for their efforts is beyond my capacities of explanation. For those of you who helped further my career, who helped me view things in a different light, and who made me a better person, I am forever grateful that you took the time to do so. “No man is wise enough by himself,” Plautus, Roman playwright (254 – 184 BCE).
I’ll provide more on this topic as I move past the next few weeks and into retirement itself.