Thanks Giving

"Travelers, there is no path.
Paths are made by walking."
--Antonio Machado

In the US, the coming week is Thanksgiving, the beginning of the holiday season, a time to pause and think about what we value most in our lives. Perhaps a time to think about the paths we are making by our walkings.

It seems to me that, for most of us, the most well-worn of our paths is to and from work. Even when work isn't a place we go to, it is a destination for most of our waking hours. At least one-third of our energy is dedicated to the objectives of the work we have chosen to do. Every day billions of people pour their energy, their minds, and their hearts into their work life.

It seems to me that this makes organizations (the places where people go to work, whether profit, non-profit, education, or government) the most powerful change agents on the planet. They are agents of change for the individuals who go there every day to work, as well as for their "customers," the communities around them and for our planet.

Normally at this time of the year we give thanks to God, for the people in our lives and for our health and well-being. And that is right, those are the most important parts of our lives. But, perhaps we should also give thanks for our work organizations. Maybe as we give thanks for these organizations, which are not always perfect, we will also think of ways to help them be better stewards of our future.

Wherever you are, may the coming week be one of thanks giving.
--Joyce Wycoff