Not losing sight of what's important
Hello all, and welcome to the next installment of Making my Mark on the world. In this post, I talk about some of the values that are guiding me through this time. I hope that you enjoy it!
During my undergraduate studies, I decided to work for my school’s athletic department. I was interested in sports and the business aspect of athletics. However, I didn't really know what to expect before starting. I was nervous that I wouldn’t really fit in and I had flashbacks to awkward moments in high school. Yet, I still remember that first team meeting. It was the first time that I really got to know my then supervisor, we’ll call her Anna. Anna noted that she was a former graduate assistant coach for the softball team, and that she loves having a team to mentor. She also noted that we were her new team. She wanted us to grow and develop beyond our job roles. She wanted us to become better in all aspects of our lives as a result of working this position. I absolutely loved this mindset. To top it off, Anna also had a simple mantra. That mantra was “Be good to people.” As a brief aside, it was unbeknownst to me that this is actually a company and a foundation. I’m not affiliated with them in any capacity, but wanted to point this out in case if anyone is interested in checking out their products and message.
Anyhow, I bring this up because it resonates with me. I love the growth mindset with an emphasis on kindness. I had no idea going into this meeting that my work at the athletic department would be such a transformational experience. In fact, I worked there for nearly 4 years combined between undergraduate and graduate studies. The team changed over the years, but the chemistry never did. That is a testament to Anna and her philosophies. She cultivated a fantastic work environment that withstood the natural turnover inherent in student employment (graduation, transfers, internships, etc.). I still keep in touch with Anna to this day. It is 6 years after that initial team meeting, and I never expected that this position would have such an impact on my life.
This was a lengthy prelude, but I wanted to share it because these principles still guide me. I am in a rut. I am not feeling fulfillment in my work or really in several aspects of my life at the moment. However, I know that the way out of this rut is by not losing sight of what’s really important. One thing that I can always control is how I treat people, and this is arguably the most important thing in life. I can always be good to people, and I can always strive to be better. Even if I am having a bad day, I can still make someone else’s day better. That is powerful.
Furthermore, there is no magical elixir that will get me out of my current rut. The answer is to focus on growth and learning. How can I level up my skills and get out quality job applications? That will be the focus of my growth and learning over the coming weeks.
Hard work and kindness are the antidotes to my lack of fulfillment. By focusing on what is important, I will get to my end goals. It might not be quick, but it is worth the investment in time. This feels like a good opportunity to end with an inspirational quotation on kindness:
Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.
- Mother Teresa
A beautiful quote on what is really important.
As always, thank you for reading Making my Mark on the world. If you liked this post, please consider subscribing and sharing. There will be more genuine posts filled with insights from my personal development journey.