Maybe sour grapes. But an e-mail my friend sent to me allowed me to express exactly what I have been thinking about lately.
My friend sent me an e-mail with an article of a woman succeeding in growing a company with type of work that I specialize in. It was about the president of People Focus Consulting in Japan. My friend’s message to me was: Inspiring?
It’s inspiring because this is sort of icing on the cake of knowing what I want to do. I respect people who go after what they belived in. I admire Kuroda-san for going for what she wanted and making something wonderful: her company, satisfied clients. But the story was also inspiring in the way that Kuroda-san leads exactly the antithesis of the life I want to lead.
I definitely don’t want to build the kind of business that would require me to spend 6 days a week just working. I’ve done enough of that for years and years, and know in my heart that I am determined not to waste away the next few precious years I have with my oldest son at home. He’s already 17! For the past 9 years, I just wasn’t there for him. I know in my heart, I want to spend more time with my younger boys. You know the saying. Nobody ever regrets not having spent more time working on their deathbed.
I am, however, setting my goal as creating a company that offers meaningful service to the society in general, where each person belonging to the company has full life, loving their jobs, taking pride in belonging to the company. The company will make a lot of money, and it will pay lots of tax to make social contribution, and on top of that,we will have regular volunteer events and make sizable donations to our chosen cause. Sabbatical will be encouraged, and more so if it was for global volunteer work.
Well, I just have to figure out what kind of business will allow me to do that! =)
Meanwhile, I keep doing what I do, enjoying the time with clients and partners, keep spending lots of time with my kids and family. But having a goal, I know I will get there. It might take me another 10 years since my youngest one is still 7. I believe in James Allen’s words: Thoughts maketh a man.
FUJIKO SUDA 