A Gift for Life
Imagine for a moment that you received a gift. A gift that stayed with you throughout your entire life. Something that had an impact on your life daily.
I believe I was given such a gift in the first corporate workplace in which I worked. I was 19 years old when I went to work for an insurance company in Hartford Connecticut. My job was menial – coding premium payments for processing. It wasn't intellectually challenging or stimulating.
I learned quickly that there was something special about this workplace, and that I was being given a gift.
When I wanted to get my teeth cleaned, I just made an appointment, and never left the office building. On my lunch hour, I went to the bowling alley in the basement to bowl with my colleagues. The onsite cafeteria offered many healthy options for lunch. Did I mention the squash courts, the volleyball and tennis leagues?
This was very early in my career, and I really didn't know what I wanted to do with my career. I joined a Toastmasters group where I learned to speaking confidently. I did career testing and received guidance on my strengths and skills.
I realized this organization was giving me far more than just a paycheck and benefits. They were looking after my well-being. Since it was my first job, I thought that all companies were like this. It wasn't until later in my career when I worked at many kinds of organizations of all different sizes, that I really came to appreciate how special this first work situation was.
What this organization gave me was the gift of well-being. I was provided with opportunities right at work to build good health habits (healthy food, exercise opportunities, a sense of community, and ways to create connections). They also demonstrated in many ways that they cared about their employees. That gift has stayed with me during my entire career and is something that I appreciate every day.
Imagine if every employer gave every employee the gift of well-being. How might our lives be different if we all left work every day feeling cared for and having learned and practiced good habits that contributed to our well-being.
