Sometimes, when something is meaningful to me, I see it and hear it more frequently. I may be more tuned in to it, or it may be a coincidence. Either way, this new year, it is something I want to keep thinking about. I continue to hear about, see, and think about the difference between “eulogy characteristics” vs. “resume characteristics”.
Who are you and how do you want to be known, remembered, cared for, and valued? For your computer skills and your work ethic? Maybe you always skip lunch or eat at your desk because you are a “hard worker”. Perhaps you even work Saturdays to finish projects? Or on the flip side, do you enjoy lunch with a colleague who has become a close friend? Do you put your kids’ games in your calendar on Saturdays and make sure you are always there?
Remember when we were taught about adjectives? I was told by teachers and supervisors that the more descriptive the word, the better. But I keep coming back to that short word “kind”. A decade or two ago, this word might have seemed not-good-enough of a descriptor. It is short, and maybe too general. But now it is one of the largest most descriptive words I can think of. And it is nowhere on my resume. Neither is compassionate nor wise. But those are two more I strive to be.
I am going to build those characteristics this year. My resume is satisfying and I am proud of it. But my compassion, wisdom and kindness can always use some tweaking.
