“May you live every day of your life.”
–Jonathan Swift
Part of what I enjoy about working at Walmart are the axioms for building a business that Mr. Sam wrote down and the 3 corporate beliefs he instilled in this organization. His perspective and wisdom helped create an amazing community and culture. We are honest, friendly, hard-working people that rely on and care for each other. We are in business to serve the needs of about 200 million customers per year. We strive for excellence in all we do.
These things excite me and inspire me to work hard, work smart and take risks. Another wise man once said, “Those that find their life will lose it, and those that lose their life will find it”. You’ve probably heard that before but have you ever thought deeply about what that means? Have you ever thought deeply regarding what you like about your job?
It’s about living life. If you cower away from a challenge, you may prevent loss but you’ll lose your passion for living. If you press forward into a challenge despite fear, you’ll risk loss and find a passion for life. Think of the epic movies that you know, Braveheart, Gladiator, Star Wars, and Lord of the Rings. Everyday people, not just he heroes in these stories were confronted with choices. They were afraid and still they acted with courage. Were you inspired by their actions? I hope so. We are those everyday people living in the real world. Stuff happens. We get wrapped up in our lives until something happens to nudge us into a situation where we must make that choice between the status quo and attempt something great. You get to decide as long as you’re paying attention and recognize the choice.
What would Mr. Sam say? “High standards of operation and a desire to be the best have been the hallmarks of Walmart since the founding days of our Company. It is for this reason that we must strive for excellence regardless of our position or responsibility with the Company. It is through the sum total of our individual efforts that we guarantee our continued success for many years to come.” (emphasis added) The people that came before us have built something amazing. What we leave for those after us will depend in no small part on our ability to recognize the choices that come our way and how we decide. I will chose life.
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