The past week has been rough. Sadly, one of my co-workers passed away…at work. What started as a seemingly regular and uneventful day, quickly turned into one full of shock, sadness, and sorrow as someone who I had literally interacted with moments before, was gone. Almost immediately, news of the unfortunate incident began to permeate our organization, stunning those who were learning of the unexpected tragedy. There was a major event taking place on the premises as everything transpired, which required all hands on deck, so still in a daze and most likely fueled by pure adrenaline, I, along with a few of my other coworkers, finished the job our co-worker was in the middle of doing when they met their untimely demise.
Hours later, I sat in my office and found myself still completely rattled by the events of that day.
As I looked around, others were also visibly shaken, but eventually business continued as usual. In those moments, I could not help but think about my co-worker’s family. I figured it was about that time that they were being alerted to the earth-shattering news of their loved one’s passing. Yet, there I was, working at my desk, almost as if a traumatic incident had not occurred in the next building earlier that day.
It was at that moment that I had to face a hard, but true reality: life really does go on.
As your family tries to pick up the pieces and figure out how to do life without you, your place of business will likely be writing the job description to post your newly vacant position. The desk you once adorned with plants, funny quotes, and family pictures, will be cleared and made ready for your replacement. Your place in the company will soon fade away, and your memory will become just that: a memory.
While my intention is in no way to insult my company, this observation has been extremely eye-opening for me. Today’s culture promotes the hustler mentality that tells us we should be worker bees constantly doing. If you work outside the home, you will likely spend more time with your co-workers than you do with your own family. If you own a business, you are likely to never take a day off to ensure business is going smoothly. However, we must learn to set these boundaries so that we can take the much-needed time to rest, recharge, and enjoy our loved ones because they are what matter most at the end of the day. After all, your presence or absence will impact them most.
As the dust continues to settle at work, I am reminded to really live in the moment and be present, and to fully occupy space and enjoy those who bring me joy. As I continue to climb the corporate ladder, I will be deliberate in separating these two sides of me, ensuring my work life does not spill over into my personal life. My career is such an important part of my life, but it is not the most important. Who I do it for will always trump where I do it. Last week’s encounter will now be a daily reminder of this revelation for me.
