Last week marked my third anniversary as the President and CEO of Elevate Rapid City. This, of course, reminded me of a little fable.
Whether it's your first day on the job or your last, I hope the story serves you the way it has served me.
Once upon a time, a man was walking home and came across a large and vicious tiger. Fearing for his life, he fled, but the tiger gave chase.
The man soon reached an edge of a cliff overlooking a giant waterfall and the mist of the water below. Were there rocks down there? Was it safe to jump? The man could not know.
Just as the tiger came rushing up to kill him, the man noticed a vine growing out over the side of the cliff. So, he climbed down the vine and dangled over the precipice. The tiger stared down at him, swiping and growling.
There he was, hanging out of the tiger's reach but also hanging on so that he didn't fall down into the unknown. Great, he thought. What could be worse than this?
It was then that two mice scurried out from some holes in the cliff and began gnawing at the vine.
He had his answer.
And as he pondered his fate, desperately looking for a solution, he beat himself up for letting himself get into a situation like this. If he'd only been more careful, he thought.
Suddenly, though, he noticed on the vine a plump wild strawberry, as deep and red and plump and juicy as he'd ever seen.
With his free hand, he plucked the strawberry and popped it into his mouth. It was so sweet and delicious, and for a moment, he had never tasted anything so wonderful, so beautiful, so rich. And at that moment, there was no tiger, no waterfall, no mice, just the moment and the strawberry and everything that ever mattered.
There have been several interpretations of this story over the years, but in my telling, the meaning is obvious. By focusing too much on the past or the future, we lose what is accessible and real to us right now, which is the present.
In my three years at Elevate, I've found myself sometimes so-hyper focused on getting results in the future (jobs, wages, growth), or on what I could have done better in the past (not losing my cool in a meeting comes to mind), I've failed to appreciate the moment for what it is and enjoy the journey. As they say, the journey often is the destination, we just don't realize it at the time of travel.
This is easier said than done, of course, but it still doesn't make it any less true. We must allow ourselves to enjoy the journey because the results may or may not come as we hoped. And even if they do, we may not appreciate them or look at them as we thought we would when we imagined our success. There is always another season, a nicer car, a better grade, another sale. And the hedonic treadmill isn't breaking. It's always there 24/7 if you want to take a spin.
So, as I enter my fourth year, I'm still going as hard as I ever have. I'm still trying to elevate the region for all with every fiber of my being. I'm still trying to create jobs, grow the workforce, improve the quality of life, and advocate for a better future for the Rapid City region.
But I'm also taking the time to enjoy all the little moments—the celebrations, the struggles, and all the beautiful people (those friendly and even a little unfriendly) along the way.
And I hope you join me.
Stay safe and God-speed.
Tom