An executive told me: “I fall into the trap of thinking we’ve only done something big if we’ve exceeded our targets. But this year we didn’t even come close – yet I feel what the team accomplished is nothing short of a miracle.”
Sometimes doing big things means:
- surviving,
- earning the trust of a customer without selling them anything,
- finding a way to pay the bills,
- scrapping a failing project,
- telling the unpopular truth,
- planting something that won’t be appreciated for years,
- delaying gratification,
- standing up for yourself,
- forgiving,
- living your values when others aren’t,
- or giving thanks when the portion in front of you looks small.
Sometimes remarkable achievements sit outside the glow of the spotlight. While others may be quick to declare failure, you know the facts – and they tell an extraordinary story.
This awareness drives a type of gratitude reserved for the wise: Perceived failures, inadequacies and losses all become gifts. In each painful moment are the insights and wisdom required to be bigger and stronger in the next.
The losses of 2020 weigh heavily on the conscience. May your gratitude for the important things in life weigh even heavier.
With appreciation for the big things you do in life – have a healthy and rich Thanksgiving.
P.S. If your team is dealing with emotional fatigue, here is a quick Connected Focus video with three proven actions you can take as you round out the year.
