I joined this group in May, 2007. We've spent 8 years together. I came in as a newlywed. I was in that sweet spot of about 3 years experience under my belt but still very much a novice. I was joining one of the premier global hedge funds and was thrilled to have found the position.
We underwent considerable changes - the industry changed as regulation tightened and we experienced tremendous internal changes too. I guess that's part of building a career. Some things you plan for, many things you don't but if you're lucky, you live to tell about it and you learn a lot.
The way these past 8 years have influenced my life is undeniable. I bought a house and financially achieved many goals. I also learned that I needed more out of my career than a hefty paycheck. I witnessed leaders in action who were patient, calm, brilliant and effective. True role models. I made amazing friends and was let down by people whom I thought I could trust. I endured a high risk pregnancy, birthed a son and came back to my desk with a new identity as "working mom". I saw how that made my perspective shift ...and how it didn't.
I have a much deeper understanding of myself and the world around me than I had when I started. I have enjoyed myself and I have suffered - I grew.
Fifteen years ago, I used this quote in my highschool yearbook. How true it still remains:
“This house sheltered us, we spoke, we loved within those walls. That was yesterday. Today we pass on, we see it no more, and we are different, changed in some infinitesimal way. We can never be quite the same again.” - Daphne du Maurier
