Words of the wise

I recently met up with my former manager. She was, by far, the best one I had. Supportive, compassionate, competent, and genuine. We did have our conflicts, but she did not take them personally, which is one of the many things she taught me. Never hold a grudge against others or yourself. No one is perfect, so always choose to be kind.

In many ways, I consider her my life and career coach. She does not impose her views on me, but she provides valuable insights. After she left the company last July, I learned that she has been enjoying every bit of her well-deserved break. She learned how to make good coffee (barista style!) and is currently learning Spanish. She has been meeting old colleagues and traveling with her husband. I am pretty sure her mini-retirement is not all roses and sunshine, but I know her to be an optimistic and undaunted person. Again, everything is just a matter of perspective -- happiness and suffering included.

I told her about my dissatisfaction with my merit increase. I do not really care a lot about money, but I fiercely care about justice. So when I see inequity I cannot be expected to remain silent. But I do recognize that I am not particularly good with office politics, so I reached out to her for advice. She never disappoints. Her advice was simple and direct, one that I could have easily dismissed. She said to give benefit of the doubt and to have that difficult conversation. There is no way around it.