Choose Wisely
"The life choices you make change so much more than your life. Sometimes I think our lives end up being less about us and more about others' lives, people you may not even know that you affected."
-Mark Davis, tax accountant, former Olympic hopeful, and world class friend
A few days ago I received an email from a good friend of mine. The individual was presented with a job opportunity where they would be making over $100,000 per year with a highly recognizable company, which could lead to greater opportunities in the future. If they left their current job they would be giving up a really homey work environment, would be adding a commute, and would be forced to develop a different skill set. So, what did they decide?
Honestly, I don't think the decision is really that important. The big decisions in our life and the small decisions in our life have the same effect. They take us one step further down our path, and hopefully closer to becoming the person that we envision us becoming. What we must remember, is regardless of how big or small the decision is, this decision does not occurr in a vaccuum. It is imperative that we recognize that our decisions each day affect so many more people than we realize.
While I was in public accounting, I met with people who were perceived as being really important, and I also met with clerks and analysts. I made sure that I treated the "little" people with extreme respect as they were the ones who were really going to be helping me. The results were startling. The A/P Manager at one firm sent me a bottle of champagne on my birthday; a Fixed Asset clerk invited me to her wedding; a Finance Director told me that I was the kindest auditor she had ever met--she also got me everything I asked for in record time.
So, as the new week begins I am reminding myself that treating people well, saying please and thank you to everyone, holding doors, and giving people a friendly smile is as important as making a big salary. Everything we do or don't do is a decision. Choose wisely.
-Mark Davis, tax accountant, former Olympic hopeful, and world class friend
A few days ago I received an email from a good friend of mine. The individual was presented with a job opportunity where they would be making over $100,000 per year with a highly recognizable company, which could lead to greater opportunities in the future. If they left their current job they would be giving up a really homey work environment, would be adding a commute, and would be forced to develop a different skill set. So, what did they decide?
Honestly, I don't think the decision is really that important. The big decisions in our life and the small decisions in our life have the same effect. They take us one step further down our path, and hopefully closer to becoming the person that we envision us becoming. What we must remember, is regardless of how big or small the decision is, this decision does not occurr in a vaccuum. It is imperative that we recognize that our decisions each day affect so many more people than we realize.
While I was in public accounting, I met with people who were perceived as being really important, and I also met with clerks and analysts. I made sure that I treated the "little" people with extreme respect as they were the ones who were really going to be helping me. The results were startling. The A/P Manager at one firm sent me a bottle of champagne on my birthday; a Fixed Asset clerk invited me to her wedding; a Finance Director told me that I was the kindest auditor she had ever met--she also got me everything I asked for in record time.
So, as the new week begins I am reminding myself that treating people well, saying please and thank you to everyone, holding doors, and giving people a friendly smile is as important as making a big salary. Everything we do or don't do is a decision. Choose wisely.
posted by Zen_Accountant at 11:23 AM
2 Comments:
Wow, I'm flattered. I certainly never expected to be the kick-off quote of your blog. Thanks!
I can't even imagine what the world would be like if everyone treated everyone else with respect. It is so simple a concept. Human beings can magnify something tens of thousands of times to scrutinize the very smallest of details. Human beings can look millions of light-years into the farthest reaches of the known universe.
Why can't human beings look at one another and see another human being?
I got the job! :-)
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