Talking Paradox

My father is featured here in a picture leading a presentation, and I have kept this photo for the irony; every year is and isn't the year of change. Sitting in the family room with my grandfather, father, and brother during a discussion of their business experience I gained a wealth of knowledge on many topics including what is new may be old and what I learned. Now what I see happening concerning business and loss of the two-way street of generational respect while it has always been, it is also new .

I am an Experient. I wear many hats. From running a business to recruiting/hiring to training to working directly with clients, each requires different information, skill sets, and training. My skills have evolved through diverse work experience and education. The absurdity is that if I took my experience on the road to a job interview, it is not likely I would be hired. While not an issue for me, it is a failing of our society.

My friend's son is a Tiro. Just graduated from a highly recognized university his parents paid part of his tuition, but he owes a significant amount. He has a specific degree which should lead him to the first step in his career. However, it seems he lacks the experience to get more than an internship. To pay his current debt, he is working as an hourly laborer but, that's not the experience he needs. Again, we fail.

The paradox is created by the fact the Experient, with too much knowledge, and the Tiro, with too little, are at the mercy of the perceptions of others. Neither can change their plight - it is all in the opinions of those who hire and the technology programmed to weed out - by keyword and profile.

In the movie, The Intern, the Experient is played by Robert De Niro. It's on my list of films I can watch anytime, and I like it for many reasons including the evolution of Anne Hathaway's character from "Old-a-phob" to "Experience-valuer." To boil it down, it is all attitude and perception. So in looking for a company, whether tiro or experient or anything in between, check for the attitude. Are they assessing what you bring to the table or are they "profiling?"

​Every day, I'm thankful to work as I do, with people who challenge me to grow daily, regardless of what I think I know. Being categorized by someone before even knowing your name is too limited. Instead, I continue to expand my value, impact, and opportunities and the judgment is in the success I find, monetary and other. If you would like that opportunity -         let me know.

Developing my plan for 2019 means taking a look at the year past - the controllable, uncontrollable, repeatable, and improvable. Working with the incredible people of Symmetry Financial Group, it's easy to look at our system and repeat, but there is also the absolute necessity to make the first focus on growing ourselves, regardless of the level of leadership.

I get concerned with the beginning of the year, and the fatigue, depression, malaise which many people experience.  Let's face it. The lack of football games is enough to throw the best of us into a tizzy. (Um, not me). But, also this is the time of the year people mourn - their decorations, their spent bonuses, and unfortunately, their nearest and dearest.  January and the winter months, in general, are when the most people are lost to natural causes.  I am not alone in my year review also impacted by remembrances. 

In my nerdy way of going down rabbit holes looking for what's relevant, I find some fantastic information. This time, it was about the topic of adding value and the CMO of Legacy.com, Kim Evenson. She has taken the mission of her company and made it her own, "Working at Legacy.com, a company dedicated to memorials and obituaries, I’m touched by death in some small way each day. It’s not what I expected. Rather than making me feel sad, the work has made me more grateful for each passing day. I hug my kids a little tighter, am a little better at making time for friends, and understand the need to value wisdom in a different way.

In that spirit, I set out to better understand the meaning of life — and to build our collective wisdom — by conducting one "Meaning of Life" interview each day. I focused the interviews around life's big questions: What advice would you give to a baby? What would you do differently if you could go back? And most importantly, what is the meaning of life?"

She shared the thoughts of  Umberto Colangelo, and it has had great impact and value for me, Kim says, "…in his own words, here is what Bert wants you to know:"
“You have often heard people say that they are 'waiting for their ship to come in.’ I believe that everyone’s ship comes in at exactly the same time… and that is the moment we are born. Our ship arrives with a cargo area that holds a large, empty crate and from our very first cry, everything goes into that crate — everything. The first and last words we will speak; every breath we will ever take; every heart we will ever break. Every thought, every word, every deed… all our sunshine, rain, suffering, and pain. Every opportunity, experience, success, and failure. Every relationship we will ever share. We spend our entire life filling that crate until one day our ship arrives for us again. Hopefully, our final journey will be over calm seas helped along by a slight breeze… and then we set sail, never to be seen or heard from again. But there is one thing we leave behind. The crate. The crate filled with everything we ever did, said, or felt in our lives. This is the priceless treasure that we leave on the shore for others to find and by which to remember us or judge us. As you read this, my ship has set sail for my final journey… so I bid you this: As you live your life and make your choices, remember to fill your crate well, my friends. Fill it well.”

I will leave you with this thought - what we offer others in value is what we leave in the crate, whether we want to think of it or not - what is the legacy you are piecing together each moment - what is in your crate?