Don't Like It? Get Better.

Week 32: The Measure of Our Days

One of my teammates died on Sunday. He was 38 years old.

Gathering the team to tell them the news was one of the hardest things I’ve done as a manager.

Talking to his parents before that call was one of the harder things I’ve had to do as a person.

We lost a cherished friend and colleague. They lost a son.

The outpouring of support at our place of work has been heartwarming, and perhaps even a bit surprising given Corporate America’s tendency to sometimes forget the people side of things.

Even so, the world lost this person far too early. It’s not right, and it’s a harsh reminder that the world isn’t always fair or just. Ultimately, all we are is dust in the wind, dude.

And it makes us question why we do any of it.

Why get up in the morning and grind? Why put on a happy face when things are hard? Why work out and stay healthy when the final destination is always the same no matter what we do? Why continue to learn, grow, acquire skills and abilities knowing their use is fleeting and ephemeral at best?

Here’s why.

Because of the impact that person had on everyone he crossed paths with. Because of the dozens of messages about how he touched their lives, taught them invaluable lessons, or simply shared some laughs. Because we should all be lucky to live so fully despite the shortened timeline.

In a world of social media where self-obsession is fashionable, he was a throwback to an earlier time. There were no pretenses with him, no masques, no charades. What you saw was what you got. Take it or leave it, he made no supplications or apologies.

It was refreshing. And honest. And brave in a world where we only show our best sides.

We go and go and go these days. And then something like this happens that reminds us that life is precious and short.

Hug the people you’re close to. Tell them they matter to you. Tell your kids you love them as often as possible.

And for the love of all things, start working on the things that matter to you instead of spending your time trying to convince the world you already do.

“The best people possess a feeling for beauty, the courage to take risks, the discipline to tell the truth, the capacity for sacrifice. Ironically, their virtues make them vulnerable; they are often wounded, sometimes destroyed.” -Ernest Hemingway

Live triumphantly. See you next week.