#PracticingGratitude Project: Appreciating Those that Helped Us Climb
/Like most of us, I get caught up in the day-to-day grind. Wake up, drop my daughter at school, go to work, sit in meetings, try to be a productive contributor in afore mentioned back-to-back meetings, work out, pick up kid, make dinner, watch mindless programming, go to bed, wake up and repeat. It’s no wonder that in this programmed routine that so many of us practice day in and day out that we don’t actively practice gratitude more often.
In a rare moment of introspection the other day, I paused to reflect on my career. As a woman who has worked in historically male dominated industries for her entire life – media, tech, startups, finance – I found it astounding that my path had been guided almost exclusively by women. It hit me that by seeing women lead, excel, launch and impact the trajectory of industries, companies and others, that I had just blindly assumed that I would and could do the same. To quote Ayn Rand “The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me”.
So I made a list. About a dozen women who had impacted my professional life in some way and I sent them an email, letting them know why they had inspired me and how important the way they showed up in my life had been to me pursuing my own professional path. The beauty of this exercise was I had zero expectations. I didn’t want anything, but I hoped that I would make someone’s day by letting them know they were fantastic.
The response was beyond what I could have imagined. I received replies from women who I hadn’t spoken with for decades and got the real (beyond social media) updates on how they were doing. So many of them were launching new ventures, taking on new roles and continuing to be just as impressive as I remember. Replies ranged from genuine thanks, to let’s get coffee, to unearthing ways that we should be collaborating on upcoming projects. The email served as an authentic conduit into their lives today and re-established valuable connections that had waned over the years.
So I challenge all of you to #practicegratitude. Connect the advocates and inspirers of your career. Break out of the tactical and strategic relationship building and take time to appreciate those who helped create your foundation and carve your path. In a world where we put a cost on everything from a lead to engagement, the value of gratitudes has no cost, only reward.
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