Take A Moment to THANK Those People Who Made a Difference in You

Well, it’s Thanksgiving. At its core, it is a day to give thanks for what we have. While for some people in retail it is no longer a ‘day off’ holiday, it is still a day to take a little time to reflect on the things we have and the people that are behind each of us.Regardless of your level at this point in your career, you undoubtedly have people that influenced and helped you get to this point. It could be your parents, siblings, a teacher, friends, peers, supervisors, or a mentor you have found. There are always people behind people. Today is a good day to remember what some or all of these people have meant to you in your career. Perhaps it was just encouraging you to get started. A parent sharing their experiences in their work. A friend that helped you get your current job several years ago. Now it has just ‘clicked’ and you are a supervisor or manager with a promising career ahead of you. Maybe you have or have had a supervisor that took a real interest in your development. They encouraged you to take risks, learn new things, and pushed you to think differently.As odd as it may sound, recall some of those leaders that taught you things you did not want to emulate. I cannot tell you how much I have learned from people that I have worked with and for that I walked away saying, ‘I never want to be like that.’ I still look back and give thanks for having the experience with them though. It has helped to shape who I am today.When you stop to think about this, you will have some great memories of people you have worked with or just socialized with that have made a big impact. It is a nice trip down memory lane.To all those that have supported me and been a part of my career, I appreciate it. Thank you for pushing me harder. Thank you for asking more of me. Thank you for understanding and supporting what I wanted to achieve. Thank you for being patient while I figured it out. Thank you for picking me up when I stumbled and fell. Thank you for the smiles when I needed it most. Thank you for the kick in the rear when I needed that too. Thank you for your time and your wisdom. Thank you for being you and encouraging me to be me. Thank you for your love and friendship.This year I am especially thankful to my wife and kids in supporting me in making a huge career change. For the first time in thirty years I am not working for a specific retailer for the holidays. I am still not exactly sure what the new year will hold, but I am tremendously thankful for the opportunity to explore new adventures. I look forward to continuing to grow myself and the business I am currently working on to serve other leaders and companies in becoming better at what they do.Today is a great day to give thanks to all that have helped us get where we are now and who will help us into the future. It takes us back to the true spirit of the day and beyond sales events, football, and turkey. We each have much to be thankful for.To all of you reading this, thank you for your support!Now, who will you give thanks to today? Share your thoughts in comments.