Borrowed Air

I was lying on a paddleboard today, post yoga (my first time!), and the instructor said something about breathing in the air and returning it.

It hit me: even the air we breathe is borrowed.

I am thinking about this concept as I struggle with the balance between business needs and employees’ needs. A part of me, as an older, jaded manager, says, “The Company owes you nothing. Expectations are the root of disappointment.” The part of me that is the writer, the optimist, the advocate, the employee, says, “Screw that! I deserve a good work environment, a satisfying wage, good benefits, a good retirement plan.”

I sometimes worry I have too much empathy when it comes time to deliver tough feedback to my people. I try to acknowledge their feelings, own where I went wrong as a manager, but still make it clear what the expectations are. I’m aiming for Kim Scott’s “Radical Candor.” I am also a recovering perfectionist, and Brené Brown reminds me to be kind to myself. I am all of these people, and we are all breathing borrowed air.