Perhaps the biggest blessing we can receive is to live a life rich with both meaning and purpose.
When I listen to wise leaders like Emily Esfahani Smith, I am reminded that the gulf between talking about being a servant leader who guides others towards purpose and meaning, and actually being that person, is very wide - and the chasm is deep.
It requires much more humility to put others first than to post on social media about why it matters. It requires much more subtlety to elevate those you collaborate with than starve for credit and recognition to fill a spiritual vacancy. Smith highlights something we often miss (or at least I do), allowing others to help you is sometimes the greatest gift you can give them. I think I may have started to wrap my mind around the many shapes help from others can take and how to be open to receiving it. If you've helped me at any point, thank you. :)
Industry is populated with those who aspire to lead, but are really just managing day by day. It is understandable. We exist in a time period where so many converging points of crisis unfold at any given minute on both the macro and micro fields of our attention that it is tough to be present for ourselves or our families, much less someone you work with.
These "managers" are often going through deep personal change. They may view their work as an exchange of time and energy for money alone. They may be possessed by Machiavellian instincts forged in the crucible of their mentors and validated by cultural acceptance of dysfunctional norms. They may just be people who were never taught any better. We've all met them. At some point we may have met them in the mirror.
But we can all grow.
You can be focused on what matters at the personal level and create "wealth". In fact, it sure seems that accumulating true wealth requires you to do so.
By focusing on what truly matters at a personal level and cultivating a mindset of abundance rather than scarcity, we can create true wealth in our lives. This kind of wealth is not measured in dollars and cents, but in the depth of our relationships, the impact we have on others, and the sense of fulfillment and purpose that comes from serving something greater than ourselves.