Mixed Feelings Today -
TRIUMPHANT
SAD
GRATEFUL
I just completed one of the most grueling first quarter periods of my life. My company holds an annual shareholders' meeting and this year a great deal of the prep and execution fell to our marketing team. I was tapped to Project Manage the President's presentation, the Chairman's presentation, the Year in Review video (a first), an Annual Report (another first), and the officer's workshop on Going Global. When these assignments first began pouring in I was NOT feeling Triumphant...I was feeling OVERWHELMED!
But after taking a deep breath, talking to my fabulous boss, tapping in to the many talented people in our team, I was feeling better. Still, it was a lot to deliver on top of my usual workload, AND culminating all on the same deadline.
The end result - huge and (almost) universal positive feedback.
The tinges of sadness come from finally getting a chance to speak with a friend and colleague over drinks last night and learning of his ongoing battle with cancer. The cancer is incurable, but "controllable" with careful monitoring. I didn't press a great deal for details, since this was the first time he had shared this with me, so I can only imagine what is in his future...and how long a future that may be.
While I continue to feel triumphant about the success of these meetings, I could not have asked for a more vivid reminder of how short life is and not to waste time on unimportant matters. My friend has a wife and two daughters, he has a beautiful and wicked sense of humor, he has a brilliant mind, he has a kind and giving heart, and he is simply a good man to know. I hope I learn from him to find joy and to get rid of some of the bullshit in life.
I'm grateful to know this man and to have the opportunity to prioritize time with him. I'm grateful that he came through the original crisis after diagnosis and has a fighting chance to enjoy some more great moments in life. I'm grateful for so many things in my own life, not the least of which is the good health of my immediate family.
So triumph at work is pretty cool. But it is good to remember it's just a job.
6 comments:
You? are awesome.
This? made me cry.
It also gave me perspective.
Thanks.
Congratulations on a job well done.
I have a situation in my life right now with a very close friend that is similar to what you describe--but is not ending well. The sorrow I feel as a bystander, albeit an involved one, makes me wonder how my friends make it through each day.
You are so right about perspective.
You have such amazing perspective. I'm glad you have such wonderful friends in your life, and I'm glad that you are able to balance the triumphs at work with the enjoyment of life as it comes.
Hi, Thank you for the comment you left on my page. I will be praying for your friend. He sounds like a very special person to you (and to many others) and I love how you wrote about his wonderful personality and how your perspective on life has changed a bit as a result of his health crisis. I hope you'll keep us posted.
Congrats! But it is good to remember, it is just a job. Don't forget to always stop and smell the roses (or hyacinths in the spring time)!
Congratulations! Perspective is good, isn't it? I got some yesterday on my morning run . . .
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