What The Work Left Behind (The Friday Ficks S6 E36)

Labor Day weekend is upon us, and according to the federal government, the holiday “recognizes the many contributions workers have made to America’s strength, prosperity, and well-being.”

Undoubtedly, you’ve contributed your fair share.

Have I?

When I applied for admission to practice law in Connecticut in 1988, the application required me to list every job I had held up to that point in my 24-year life.

So that’s what I did.

The jobs covered the gamut and then some. I washed pots and pans at a senior living facility, worked as a laborer at two machine shops and a moving company, tore tickets and slung popcorn in a movie theater, cleaned my college’s pool for three years, and hustled as a messenger at a large law firm.

Glamorous? Hardly.

Lucrative? Not exactly.

Fun? Some more than others (the unlimited popcorn and soda at the theater were pretty sweet for a 17-year-old.)

But every one of those jobs gave me something: Commitment. Discipline. Timeliness. Confidence. Perseverance. Teamwork. Courage. Grit. Resilience. Reasoning. Leadership. Emotional intelligence.

And most importantly, humility.

Those jobs didn’t just put money in my pocket. They put something in me.

They shaped how I see work, people and life and broadened my perspective. They taught me that no honest work is beneath you - and that sometimes the jobs you’re most eager to leave behind are the ones that leave the most behind in you.

So this Labor Day, celebrate more than a day off. Celebrate the jobs, bosses, coworkers, customers, setbacks and successes that helped make you who you are.

Because while the work may have been temporary, the lessons weren’t.

And that’s what the work left behind.

Own the day. Own the weekend.

Carl