Collecting Gems
Life is a scavenger hunt.
So reads the large print, full-page statement contained in Keri Smith’s book, How To Be An Explorer Of The World.
At first blush this statement - and this book - may not seem all that related to our work.
We’re often told that when it comes to work we need to be focused, purposeful, following a single direction (usually up!), serious, professional, and __________ [fill in the blank with the words you were told that work is]
What we often overlook is that our working lives are a scavenger hunt.
We might start out on the expected pathway, collecting the obvious things like a degree, or two; an internship; a graduate position, with a neat graduate program; all of the skills listed on that development matrix; a promotion; new job and the rest.
When we stop and reflect on our work, we realise that there’s been a fair amount of foraging going on, as well. And, some of the most influential and long-lasting learnings come from those random, unexpected experiences lying in our way that we collect without thought. They may not seem relevant or important, and they don’t appear on the checklist, but they are the gems that sustain our working lives, and build our capability and wisdom.
I wonder what happens when we approach our work with the mind of an explorer. Perhaps, we might find, as Keri Smith writes: everything is interesting.
I’m curious, what is an unexpected gem you’ve collected along the way?