Now, a month into this, I'm here to tell you that I have learned some fascinating things. Well, maybe these are ideas that I have relearned, but they are worth talking about. So, you are going to join me today as I do exactly that.
First: folks are just genuinely good and really want to help each other. I've been amazed by the people that have reached out to me to give suggestions, or just a shoulder to lean while I'm in the middle of the job search. Maybe it's just the part of the world I live in, but that's not all of it. I have been astounded that people will offer their time and invest energy into helping me find the next connection, or meet the next person that may be the one with the perfect job. The energy that some of these folks have put into this is amazing, and I will never be able to say thank-you enough. I will just have to remember how wonderful they have been to me. More about that later.
Second: if you ever wonder what the power of your personal network is, find yourself in a reset. That is one of those times when you need to reach out to the folks you've met through a lifetime, no matter how long or short, and ask for their help. So, what this really means for each one of us is that we should constantly be working on the network that we have in place. Authors and speakers within the business world often talk about the need for, and the power of networking, but interestingly enough, they don't always cite one important facet ... it is fun. It is a joy to get to know someone new. I recently met a person who grew up in Southwest Iowa, half a state from where I lived, but as we sit here today, I feel that I know him well enough, that if we ran into each other at an event, like the State Fair (because everyone goes there) we would actually stop and talk. I met another young man just the other day, who is going fishing on the Skunk River and told me about how people in Keokuk county were pretty protective of "their" river. Some things around Sigourney never really change. I know exactly who he was speaking about and told him to use my name the next time he ran into those guys. Networking at its best.
Finally - thinking about how to ever say thank-you enough to those who have stepped up: This experience has impressed on me - one more time - the necessity of paying it forward. The people who are helping me right now will probably never need this exact kind of help from me, so it would be impossible to repay their kindness directly, but they get that. In fact, they don't even think about that. All that is important to them is that they are helping me, and when someone else reaches out to me over the coming months or years, I will do the same thing. I will help. That is what we do. Honestly, it comes so naturally, and gets easier all the time. So, we continue to take care of each other and be happy with the fact that we made someone's life better in the end.
So, that's what is going on in my world lately. We are going through a reset and I have confidence that when all is said and done, I will come out on the other side, doing something fun that will let me make another company better and give me the chance to help others. I remember back to the late days of Payless Cashways, when we were all working to help others land in a better place in the world, after the bankruptcy. Then, when the last of us left the organization, there were a ton of folks that were out there ready to help us. Once again, in the middle of this reset I find myself so thankful for the friends that I have, and the acquaintances that surround me. Thanks so much to all of you.
One final note - my daughter turns 21 this weekend. Do you just wonder where the time goes? That is another thing that I'm thinking about today. Send me back some of your thoughts on the subject.
