There is one thing I know as Thanksgiving approaches this year: I would not be where I am at today without my dear friends in the online HR community and the countless readers who choose to put up with some of the crap I post here. I know everyone says that but I can’t think of too many others who have leaned as heavily on their readers. I have a quick story for you to demonstrate:
I lost my job in late July and after it happened, I was nervous. My wife wasn’t which is the role reversal of the century by the way. She worries for two of us most of the time while I worry for none of us. She said I hadn’t worked for three years on my blog for nothing and that everything I have put into that and the connections I have made because of it would come full circle. It always does.
She was right. She usually is.
The one unintended consequence of this is that it has changed my risk profile completely. I have slowly but surely realized that I don’t have to miss opportunities because of their risk and that others can feel more at ease taking a chance on me because I am able to throw my weight behind it without worrying about how I’ll eat down the road if we happen to fail.
Without you, none of this happens. I may have been unemployed. I would not have as many fantastic friends and business partners. I would be bugging the crap out of my friends and family about HR ideas of the future instead of discussing them with people who are a much bigger deal than I am.
There are no other words to express my appreciation other than thank you. Thank you for your e-mails, phone calls and in person conversations. Thank you for sharing the stuff you dig with your friends and network. Thank you for demanding my best every time I sit down to write.
Have a great Thanksgiving!
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Good stuff Lance. Thanks for all the help and support this year and all your great contributions on the HR Happy Hour show.
Aww, big hug!
Lance: Perfect post. I love Thaksgiving because it really makes me focus on all the things I have to be grateful for. The list this year is extremely long. One of the things I’m most grateful for is what I have learned about the true meaning of community this year. You’ve been a big part of that, my friend, and I’m grateful for your geneoristy. I hope you and your wife have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
I’m thankful for your wife, too. I think our spouses don’t get enough credit for being married to restless HR folks who want something more. We choose to blog, attend conferences, and read endless amounts of HR posts in our google readers — often at the expense of talking about something more interesting.
I’m glad Jen hasn’t said, “Put down the iPod touch and stop talking about social media policies.”
We’re glad she shares you with us!
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