Jaka jest Twoja historia pochodzenia? (What's your Origin Story?)
/My Origin Story
I was fortunate enough that during my senior year of college, two of the top tier accounting firms that I had an interest in working for gave me offers. It was the culmination of my parents’ job of raising me and they were happy and proud that I would have a REAL job after school. I’m sure the fears that their most “spirited” son would not be able to support himself after college were alleviated. Why do I think they feared that? Well I was not surrounding myself with the most ambitious peers in my high school days. Not that they were all bad people (some were) – they were some of the most proud and honest people I’ve known. But perhaps just lacked the motivation to do much more than was required in school or at work. Looking back now (and being a parent to three) I realize how much faith my parents must have had in me to make good choices - OR it’s because I was their third kid & they were tired. I hesitate to say I was making all the “right” choices because I was not an angel and made a BUNCH of choices that were perhaps not in my best interests! For the most part, I made more good decisions than bad. However, I can reflect now and easily see I could have made bad choices altering my future options.
So, what was it that kept me on a more productive and positive path? I believe now, it was the moral compass that was given to me by my parents. It is a gift that last generations, didn’t see it that way back then.
Both my parents were born in Poland, my father born in 1934 and my mother in 1945. So, imagine what their home country was like and what environment they had growing up. If you’re not very history inclined, Poland was invaded by Germany in 1939 starting World War II and the war ended in 1945. Its almost impossible to imagine living in a place and time like that unless you were there. It’s not something they ever openly discussed. We heard bits and pieces over the years, but it’s not something that was generally talked about outside of our family. There is no way to understand the personal impact that type of environment has on a person. I have no idea what was seen, felt, heard, etc… What is the impact of war on a young child? What did they see, how did they live? These are all questions I get curious about but not sure I wanted answers. My parents were shaped by their experiences and their values were cemented in those years. They brought those derived values here when my father made it to the United States in 1949 and he went back for my mom in 1964 (there is a story there for sure!). A very simplistic, eighty-thousand-foot overview of the background of my parents. I know there are many more complex layers that I’m not exploring or doing justice especially for Eastern Europe post WW II. Perhaps explore for another piece of work. Goes without saying, I'm very proud of my heritage and the role it has played in my life.
So along with my other two brothers before me (and a little sister after me), they were doing what they thought was in the best interest of their children guided by the values they learned growing up. Work hard, get their children a good education and that will lead to jobs and opportunities they never imagined for themselves growing up in a communist controlled Poland. They would continue to take advantage of those opportunities they could see here in the United States.
As for some of the key things that were important to my parents when I was growing up; family, faith, strong work ethic and having guiding principles of what is right and wrong. They did a great job of providing a foundation for their children to build upon.
So, those were the seeds that were planted in me, growing into the values I’ve come to embrace as I started my journey into the workforce as a newly minted college graduate in the public accounting profession. I didn’t realize I even had “values” until they were challenged. Once you leave the nest, its amazing how quickly those challenges arise! If you struggle with “values” and its impacts – don’t worry – there is good news! This process of discovery has been YEARS in the making for me and continues to evolve. I’m not alone in that frustration. How many people are unhappy at work, you hear it all the time. Why are the Monday morning blues such a popular trope? Most people are in conflict and they don’t really know why or what the root cause generating the frustration. So, hopefully, sharing my origin story can help bring clarity on your values path, save YEARS of career frustrations, or even help define your purpose. It’s been a personal voyage that continues to this day and I embrace the journey!
What is your values origin story?
How has that story helped shape, re-shape or challenged your personal value framework?
How has that framework shaped who you have become and what you do?
