Gratitude

The month of November and Thanksgiving holiday are a natural time to reflect on those things for which we are thankful.  Not that thanks and appreciation should be limited to just one month per year, but it’s when it becomes front and center for many.  Amongst being thankful for friends, family, security, and a roof over my head, there are many things from a professional perspective for which I’m grateful as well.  Sometimes it’s easier to focus on the parts of our jobs that irritate or annoy us, so I thought I’d take a moment to focus on the career-related things for which I’m grateful.   

I’m grateful for parents who raised me to have an appreciation for the satisfaction of working towards something, rather than waiting for things to be handed to me.  That’s a value I’ve carried with me into my adult life, a value which set the stage for me to pursue an education and a career, ultimately allowing me to make a contribution to something beyond myself and support the life I love.  I’m proud that I’m a woman who has the ability and ambition to provide for myself.  I’m grateful that I like to work and enjoy being busy, and that I’ve been taught that there’s a difference between laziness and well-deserved downtime.  I’ve learned to recognize when downtime and recharging is necessary and justified, but that true laziness isn’t productive or an acceptable way to live my life. 

I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to work for a company filled with employees who understand the value of an honest day’s work.  They’ve taught me what it means to hustle and have pride in a job well done, no matter how simple or menial the task may seem to someone else.  You don’t always need to be changing the world to be proud of what you do; sometimes the smallest gesture can make a difference. 

I’m grateful to work for a leadership team whose actions embody the meaning of commitment.  Commitment to the business, to the communities in which we operate, and to the people who make the company what it is.  They inspire me, every day. 

I’m grateful to have worked for people who’ve invested in me, and allowed me to grow and develop in my career, and for those who saw something in me early on and encouraged me down the path I’ve taken.  I can’t imagine not having taken the path I did or how different my life would be if I had taken another.  I’m grateful for the opportunities I’ve had, for those that didn’t pan out that ultimately kept me on my path, and thankful for where I am right here, right now. 

I’m grateful for the phenomenal network of colleagues and connections that make up my professional network, for those in my network who have also become friends, and for everyone who generously shares their knowledge and experiences and makes me a better HR professional, and better person, every day. 

I’m grateful for a career that allows me to have an impact on people.  I’ll never forget when years ago, a few weeks after one particular training class I facilitated, having a participant approach to tell me how something I said in the class changed his entire outlook on life.  As HR pros, we have the opportunity to have this kind of impact every day, sometimes with just the simplest of actions or a few right words at the right time. 

Do you often enough stop to count your blessings?  What are you grateful for today?

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About the Author: Jennifer Payne, SPHR has 15 years of HR experience in employee relations, talent acquisition, and learning & development, and currently works in talent management in the retail grocery industry.  She is one of the co-founders of Women of HR, and is currently the Editor of the site. You can connect with her on Twitter as @JennyJensHR and on LinkedIn.