A Decade. It seems like an eternity, yet has gone by with a flash. What a ride it has been, like a roller coaster with plenty of ups and downs and filled with twists and turns. It hasn’t been easy. No one ever said that it would be. To the contrary, it takes a tremendous amount of effort, from both of us.
Many faces have come and gone over the years. In this day and age that is more commonplace than exception. But here we are, ten years in, staring back at each other. We’ve shared in joy and pain, from births to deaths. We’ve had good days and not so good days together. Even so, we’ve been there through thick and thin. We’ve been committed. It never would have worked otherwise.
Honesty, loyalty and communication all form the bedrock of what we have. Everything else is superficial to that. Of course, the things that attracted us to each other at times are the same things that drive us crazy. We know what makes us good can at times be our achilles heel. We know these things and we accept them for what they are. Over time, we have built confidence and trust in one another and looking back we can honestly say that we are better for knowing each other.
No, this is not a letter to my wife (whom I love dearly), although it could be. This letter is to my “employer” on my 10 Year Anniversary. Not a singular being but the entity as a whole. It takes a lot of hard work and commitment to have a lasting relationship. With any job and in life for that matter, you will be challenged, you will face obstacles and you will get frustrated. How you respond to those challenges help you in your growth and maturation. The lessons you learn in going over, under or through those obstacles make you stronger. The choices you make when frustration sets in will determine how far you can go. Will you let it weigh you down or do you choose to use it as fuel to take you up.
I meet a lot of young men and women, who are entering the workforce for the first time. I am often asked what traits I see that separates the successful people from the others. It’s always an quick and easy answer. It comes down to two things: Attitude and Work Ethic. If you have the right mindset and are willing to work hard, nothing can stop you. The best part about that, is you control both.
If you jumped out of a plane every time you hit turbulence, you’d get nowhere.
Cheers to the years!
