What We Earn vs. What We Are Given

I heard someone say something recently that struck me as remarkably insightful: each of us minimizes what we think others have given us and maximizes what we think that we have earned on our own. I know that I do, and I see it around me all the time.

I remember back when I raised money for a state university how many prospects I visited who were clear in their conviction that “I did it all by myself.” Lost from their memory was the faculty member who generously graded a less-than-stellar paper, or the pizza shop owner who overlooked their not showing up to work the day after a blow-out party. Let’s not even talk about the good taxpayers and donors who supported their university — relieving them the true cost of an education.

No doubt that they worked hard — as we all do.

The career lesson here? In this age of working in teams, people who quickly give recognition to others are valued. Recognizing those who help us does not diminish our own accomplishments. Being grateful and speaking about those on “whose shoulders we stand” (IMHO) actually makes a person a better job candidate.