Simple But Significant

Celebrating 20 years of "working" this year, and memories of my first job (and others along the way) keep streaming into thoughts.

• At 16, I was a wide-eyed young woman and got the first job I could find near my home - Taco Bell. Learned humility while cleaning bathrooms filled with remnants of patrons' meals, dealing with the stress, and learning how to expedite large orders. My favorite quote to this day was from my first manager, Bob ...

If you've got time to lean, you've got time to clean.

• During college, I had the most wonderful opportunity to work in hospitality, at South Seas Resort on Captiva Island. As a Recreation Coordinator, I learned how to swim thanks to the head Lifeguard, who used to meet me early in the mornings to show me what I'd never learned in childhood. (Thanks LeeAnn!) Working at South Seas was a treasured experience, from coordinating large events, to spending time with the kiddos at the "Fun Factory," I learned that 5-star service means more than ...

The customer is always right.

• Restaurants, coffee shops, telemarketing, as side jobs - I even bar-tended once. For those that work so hard to earn meaningful wages, two jobs is often a necessity to keep up. Self-care became yoga and sleep while I was surviving those years.

Sleep is the best meditation.

• Pay-per-performance, post-secondary education, commercial real estate, and even marketing agencies ... The "for profit" hustle can be a painful grind.

The struggle you feel today will offer the strength you need tomorrow.

• Today, I sit in silence - contemplating sustainable agriculture initiatives to meet present needs in Haiti ... Focused on good stewardship of the resources and faith bestowed upon me.
• As the Marketing Director for a Christian nonprofit humanitarian organization, I find myself reflective of the amazing journey that led me here. I'm not just a Marketing Director, but a mother, a sister, a daughter, that dorky 16-year-old with Taco Bell memories, the wacky yet appreciative new swimmer, and more. My eyes are open to the true colors these memories and lessons instilled in mind and heart.

Keep your eyes open to your mercies. The man who forgets to be thankful has fallen asleep in life.

May you be blessed in your work journeys, whether it's year #1 or you are nearing retirement (yay!) ....