Good times or tough times; which ones do we remember most?
I came across a Theodore Roosevelt quote, “Never throughout history has a man who lived a life of ease left a name worth remembering.” This idea got me thinking about my recent visit with Service Express’ retired CFO, Kraig Harper and his wife, Nancy. My wife, Jodi, and I met with them to catch up. We talked, laughed and shared stories. About an hour in, we stopped and realized that the best and funniest stories, and the most memorable times, were the challenging ones.
Kraig and I worked together at Service Express for 20 years. We’ve had a lot to figure out throughout the years as we’ve grown and scaled. When you’re a part of a growing organization, there are a lot of challenges to work through. I always try to tell people that figuring out these challenges is the fun part. The tough times are where all the good stories come from, which came to life as Kraig, Nancy, Jodi, and I relived these memories.
We thought about all those years when we were on track, and everything went smoothly, and I can hardly remember them. Nothing stands out from those easy times. On the other hand, the challenging times we faced were the best and very memorable, and they reiterate Theodore Roosevelt’s quote.
Nobody wants tough times, but they’ll come. Life happens, and there will be challenges. It’s those hard times that you’ll look back on a see what you were able to do, what you figured out, and what silly mistakes you made along the way. Yes, it’s important to look back on the good times and cherish those memories, but when you think about your personal and professional life, those tough times are probably the most memorable.
The best and funniest stories usually come when things go wrong, yet here we are, growing and talking about our memories. If you’re going through a challenging time, keep going. You’ll get through it, and it may turn out to be the most memorable story and one that you’ll laugh about the hardest.
