After a few years of not seeing old friends, the life stories accumulate. The challenges of life that pull on our bodies, hearts, minds had gathered and pooled. All that to say that everyone with whom we reconnected had a tale to tell. Some fear. Some loss. Some strain. And yet the joys and the exuberance were also palpable – and contagious.

You’ve said it. I know you have. Maybe you even said it to me. “It’s important to me to make a difference.” “I want my work to have an impact.” And you may have quietly thought…..“it doesn’t currently,” “I’m not exactly saving the world” or even “I think it does matter but it doesn’t really feel like it…” 

Are you a part of the Great Resignation? 4.4 million people quit their job in September. Maybe you haven’t hopped, but if all the news headlines are correct, well, you sure might be thinking about it. So I want to remind you of something that is easy to forget: the win isn’t getting the job, the win is getting the job that is a match. A mutual match. 

Looking for a little more happiness in your life? May I suggest a Moai (mo-eye). Neither food nor drink, I am talking about a circle of friends. Moai are a longevity tradition on the Japanese island of Okinawa, one of 5 Blue Zones – areas of long life and health. It seems that prioritizing social connection is a superfood. And one way to do so is in a Moai.

The best way I can explain the current mood is to say that it feels like we’re all at a construction site that is breathing back to life after a long pause. Maybe the work had been stalled due to an environmental issue that needed addressing (this is a rather straightforward metaphor, no?). Last week a horn sounded signaling a return to movement. 

History doesn’t determine our future, but it certainly informs it. Our own history is no exception. When it comes to how we spend our professional time, our CV presents the data in chronological order. But the space in-between the facts tells our fuller story – and is full of insights into our sources of joy in how we spend our time.