Smaller Dose #6. It’s good that you came back for more…..
Reading Time: 3 minutes
Length: 750 words
Dear Friends,
I hope this installment finds everyone doing well. It’s good that you came back for Smaller Dose #6.
So here we go…..
Last summer I had a conversation with my good friend Martin. Now, to know Martin is to know his passion for soccer. He was an incredible athlete, and at the age of 16, he was offered the opportunity to become a professional soccer player. And to quote him, he thought (as he shares with me and others) “I have arrived.”
His feeling at that moment was one of achieving the pinnacle of success where no additional effort was needed. Or so he thought. Life turned out differently and Martin’s path is about making a difference in the lives of others as opposed to the soccer field.
Last fall, my wife and I attended an event which was for people who had come from an area of eastern Europe to live in America. When meeting the host of the event, my wife was asked “when did you arrive?” And she proudly answered “1980” (the year she came to this country from Moldova.) The host responded with “oh, no, I meant when did you arrive at the event this evening.”
Now to provide additional context, both the host and my wife were speaking in English, neither of which is their first language. So, what happened still leaves us a bit puzzled. Was something lost in translation? Was it a valueless throwaway question? A conversation starter? Did the word “arrive” become mistranslated in some way? A follow-up question was never posed and all of us simply moved on to another drink and to socialize with other guests.
My thoughts: A simple question, a simple statement, a frame of mind with a potential for a multi-dimensional response. There was the opportunity to gain some new insights, yet all was lost in the moment. A moment to reflect on where one is now and what the next destination may be.
So, what does it mean to arrive? One can physically arrive at a destination. One can achieve status within an organization. One can achieve a goal. One can overcome a life challenge. So, my question to you is, when you arrive, is the journey done or is it time to set a new goal, and start advancing towards that new destination?
What are the lessons here in these examples about life and leadership?
I think of asking good questions to engage people and show interest in getting to know more about them. And I think about times in my life when I arrived and what that meant and felt like in that moment. Did I feel complacent or did I tell myself to start preparing for the next destination? Did I feel gratitude?
I can recall times in my life when I thought that I had arrived. The job. The car. The house. The completion of a large and highly visible project at work. Perhaps when I was younger there was only the element of accomplishment and satisfaction. And it’s ok to celebrate that success, that achievement, that arrival. Yet the idea of what’s next is one that comes with age, experience and maturity.
So yes, I have arrived. I am exactly where I am supposed to be now. And having a plan and striving for that next destination, that next arrival is always on my mind.
Being a better person.
Giving more of myself.
Being a better spouse and member of the community in which I work and live.
All destinations to which I will arrive someday. But not today. There is more to do. And miles to go before I sleep. (Note: Robert Frost gets credit for that line – written June 1922)
What is the connection to leadership? Setting goals for people. Achieving those goals. Celebrating. And setting new goals, new standards, new achievements. Challenging people to get them to believe that not only have they arrived but there are far greater destinations that each of us can achieve. You can’t expect others to believe in you if you don’t believe in yourself.
You will arrive and I hope that in some way my ideas will be there to challenge you to ask yourself “what’s next?” And continue to ask yourself “when will I arrive?”
Books make great gifts that can be enjoyed, shared and promote discussion and the exchange of thoughts and ideas which elevate everyone. Consider purchasing my book, Small Doses: Common Sense to Common Practice as a gift for yourself or anyone who could use a little wisdom. Get yours today by using the link below. You’ll thank me later.
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Until next time…..
Jerry