December - Be Thankful

December 1, 2020 Elizabeth Chrane

Hello OneDigital,

Surprise! I’m acting as a guest contributor today as Adam has asked me to share my thoughts on a BE message to close out this noteworthy year.

If you are like me, when I think about how much there is for me to be truly thankful, I see faces… and smiles. It’s my wife and kids, parents, sisters and brothers and so many good friends. It’s my OneDigital friends and colleagues with whom I spend so much of every day sharing my thoughts, dreams and work. It’s for the physical and mental wellbeing of all these same faces that I remain so thankful. This year more than any other, being thankful seems to be the right way to start each day… even each conversation. Think about how much better this world could be if everyone started each email, text, tweet or simple conversation by being thankful for so much that is right in their lives? I’m going to start taking this approach as we move into the new year. So, hold me accountable when next we chat. 😊

Also, I have thought often during 2020 of how fortunate we are to be in the benefits, HR and retirement advisory business during a time when employers are truly in need of what we do each and every day. Our response as a company to COVID-19 and all that it entails is second to none in the industry and for that I am truly thankful. We will weather this crisis together as will most of our clients, but the world may be a little bit different going forward. I think we all feel a little bit more vulnerable to things outside of our control. I am hopeful this somehow translates to a greater level of empathy and kindness to each other irrespective of differing views.

We are in the people business. We advise employers on how to take care of their people. We are in the middle of decisions every day that impact Americans ability to afford health insurance, prepare for retirement, as well as manage their wealth. It is easy sometimes, in the grind of our jobs and the noise of life, to forget the importance of what we do for our clients. And while we advise other employers on managing their human capital, we do our very best to get it right ourselves. It’s not easy to build a thriving culture when you are growing as quickly as OneDigital is. And, as someone who leads a team focused on acquisitions, I cannot thank each of you enough for the way in which you welcome new faces, but for also doing it in a way that says, “bring the right attitude, energy and intelligence to our team each day.” 

So, as we enter the last month of 2020, I encourage all of you to BE THANKFUL for all the things large and small that impact your life and your work. Most people think, “I can’t wait until this year is over”, but I believe we will find bright spots – spots of grit and resilience when we thought that we couldn’t take any more --challenges we flipped to opportunities – and love and compassion where we thought there was none. Focus on those and you just may see 2020 in another light.

I am so thankful that 20 years ago, Adam and I decided to team up with a handful of other folks to build what is now OneDigital. We often get asked, “could you ever have imagined that 20 years later….?” When I look in the rear-view mirror, the answer is always, “No, I never could have imagined.” But asked today, what will we look like 10 years from now, all I can do is smile. To each of you, thank you in advance for what is yet to come.

Mike

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