Blessings

By Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter

As I publish this, it is Christmas eve. I stopped working hours ago and started to unwind from a week busier than I expected.

This continues a season where peoples’ kindness and generosity seem greater than usual as they surrender to holiday spirit. Some will be crabby at their office’s holiday party or from standing in lines at crowded stores (or in traffic to that store and the difficulty finding parking). Generally though, no matter what your beliefs it is one of several times of the year (depending upon your faith or beliefs) where the world seems a better place to live in.

We feel thankful for family at times like this. This is natural, normal, and instinctive.

We may feel appreciation for our financial well-being.

Yet one of the neglected areas of appreciation is being aware of the blessings we receive in our workplace.

As someone who works in recruiting, it is often difficult to feel the balance necessary to be happy while striving for “the next deal.” I often forget that these are not “deals” but instances where I effectively assisted a person find a job with an organization and each will benefit from that.

That I did some good for some people.

So I thought I would take a moment to acknowledge some of the blessings of the year and invite you to do the same below. List one or one hundred and one. I think we and the world need to hear appreciation for the kindness showed to us and our feeling of blessing.

So, the obvious one. My wife and son for their patience with me while I went into start up mode.

The firms who hired me to recruit for their firms and the opportunity to be of service to them.

The people who reached out to me for help.

Those of you who wrote notes to thank me for my videos, podcasts, and articles.

The people who responded to me as a good teacher would when I made a mistake (and there were a few this year).

Marc who took that wonderful photo of me that I use everywhere now.

My many friends who for many years have supported me emotionally and have allowed me to do the same for them.

My former colleagues who stayed in contact when I left the firm to go out on my own.

The folks in The ManKind Project who have held my heart countless times when I struggled.

My meager meditation practice that kept me in better balance.

This is a sample of the many blessings I have written down. I don’t want this to just be about me.

Again, I invite you to use the comments to do the same.

Then imagine what the world would be like if each and every one of us could spend 30 seconds each day sincerely acknowledging the blessings in our professional lives and in our personal lives. How different our country and our world would be.

Blessings to all of you and let’s make a prayer for an ever more blessed 2025 for everyone.

 

© The Big Game Hunter, Inc. Asheville, NC 2014, 2024