For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest. A time to kill and a time to heal. ~ Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 or The Byrds (whatever you prefer)

Earlier this month (January 2023), I wrapped up another chapter of my life.  I had spent the last 18 months working for a venture-backed healthcare organization supporting self-insured employers called Crossover Health.  It was a whirlwind 18 months and ended relatively abruptly.  For the first time in my life, I had the ability (or the mandate) to slow down…to smell the roses…to chase a butterfly.  So much of our identity is wrapped up in the work that we do.  Our profession is almost always the ice breaker when we introduce ourselves.

“What do you do?”

What you do doesn’t define who you are.  It doesn’t truly define what makes you tick.  The Japanese use the phrase ikigai (生き甲斐) which means ‘reason for being.’  Take time to find what your ikigai is.  Independent of your profession.

I needed this reset to help remind me of that.

There are two other key lessons I learned in this time.

1. The importance of Gratitude
2. The importance of Sabbath

Gratitude

A wise man (Paul Gauche for those who have had the fortune of meeting him) once told me his daily exercise.  He would write a single word (or a few words) in his journal every morning highlighting what he was grateful for the previous day or season.  By doing this exercise, you open your eyes to new events, people or things to be grateful for in real-time.  You begin to actively look for things to be grateful for.  This gratitude percolates all you do.

So with this in mind, here are three top things I am grateful for in this season:

1. I am grateful for my family.  I have three wonderful daughters and a partner in life that I don’t pause and appreciate enough.  Having time to have morning walks with my wife Cathy, movie date nights with my daughters, not missing a single race or game and family dinners around the table are things I don’t often appreciate.  Dropping Ava (my 11 year old daughter) off at school and the smile and wave she turned back to give me meant more than ever before.
2. I am grateful for Crossover Health.  For their high integrity, servant leadership of that organization.  Scott Shreeve and Nate Murray have created something special.  They are singularly focused on solving healthcare through foundational primary health.  They tackle the challenges of their clients and the industry head on.  I will always be appreciative for their passion and humility in tackling these complex issues.  They have also surrounded themselves with consummate professionals to support the company’s journey.  Leaders across the organization were not only a pleasure to work with but inspiring.  I will be grateful for the experience and insight I gained in my time there.
3. I am grateful for mentors and advocates across the industry.  I am excited to share with you all my next chapter that starts in the middle of February.  This is an opportunity that I am super energized to begin.  Surrounded by thoughtful healthcare leaders tackling industry level challenges is something I am already gearing up for.  None of that would be possible without the advocates, mentors and friends that have been there to grab a cup of coffee, share an insight or connection.  It was a reminder to keep these connections regardless of the season of life.

Sabbath

There are numerous books and anecdotes about the importance of Sabbath.  Christianity highlights the creation of all things culminates with a day where God rested.  There are stories of zoo animals that demonstrate adverse behavior when they are left on display for more than six days in a row (Rob Bell, How to Be Here).  Our body tells us the importance of taking time to just….be.

I am committed to building the concept of sabbath/sabbaticals in all that I do.  This begins with a trip to the Grand Canyon next week with a good friend for a time of fellowship.  This continues with a committed weekly time with my wife away from the bustle of the week (Coffee and Walk days).  This includes planning family spring break trips, working around life events of my daughters.

Rob Bell used the phrase “Sabbath Leaks.”  By resetting and recharging you are reenergized to dig into the day to day tasks at hand.  You can drive with a renewed focus and energy that wouldn’t be possible if you did not allow your body and mind to slow down.  Just look at recent articles about four day work weeks.  The industry is catching up to the importance of Sabbath.

 

The best example of slowing down for me is from this picture above from several years ago.  I took time out of a busy week to fly a kite with my daughters.  This was almost seven years ago but the moment still sits with me.  It was a moment of immense gratitude that carried into my day-to-day.  Grateful for a job that affords me the time to be with my daughters.  Grateful for the income to buy a kite and go to a place to fly it.  Grateful for daughters who don’t mind their dad’s jokes and lack of fashion.  Grateful for the ability to practice Sabbath.

So with that in mind…thank you all…for having an impact in my life in whatever way you have.  I am grateful for this time of Sabbath in my life so that I can be fully charged to start this next chapter/journey in my life.  I can’t wait.