It takes a village to raise a child

Christmas and the New year are symbolic milestones to sum up the year and celebrate achievements. I am almost done with my year-end summary, and there’s one dimension that I started to track 2-3 years ago that I want to share.

It is the question “Whom did I help”, where I literally make a list of my clients, friends and friends of friends whom I was able to support somehow. For helping professions it’s a moment of truth ?? and self-reflection.

The flip side of it is acknowledging who’s helped me. What I observe is that we tend to attribute too much of our success to ourselves, while in fact… part of it is our network, referrals, and who knows whom. Part of it is our talent and skill. And part of it is luck of being in the right place at the right time.

Extending the famous Tolstoy’s notion about happy and unhappy families, success is the result of multiple actions and circumstances, where we are merely one contributor among many.

Teachers, mentors, clients, bosses of all kinds, our kids and families, our peers – they all teach us something and we are led to where we are. Perhaps it is this time of the year when it’s most appropriate to send some gratitude back to the Universe.

#fridaythoughts #careercoaching