Farewell to a Decade


Dear All:

Monday marks the start of FY2020 for the company, but for me, it marks the start of something else: the chapter of my life that I spend outside of the company. Yes -- after nearly eleven years in the company, I have decided to ‘leave the company to pursue other interests* PASSIONS.‘

A relationship that lasts that long is bound to change you in many ways: it claws its way into your innermost being, in the process exposing both your weaknesses and failures; but more importantly your best self and your potential. And so understandably, ending the relationship comes with pain – because parting ways means having to pull out that claw - no matter how deeply burrowed, seeing that claw slowly fade away, and then becoming aware of the void that it had carved out of your being.

And yet beyond the pain, there is relief and gratefulness, because that past decade also equates to more than ten years of fond memories and growth in this fantastic company. In the end, despite the gaping hole left in your being, you emerge as a person far bigger than who you were when you started the journey. I leave the company enriched in many ways. I feel so blessed as getting to work here is an opportunity that some people can only dream of. Much more than that I am grateful for the bonds that we have shared over the years – I am truly thankful that I have gotten to share this magical journey with you.

And so to you – the managers who trusted me more than I trusted myself; the direct reports who kept me on my toes and whose triumphs, big and small, have made me soooo proud; the teammates and contacts who remained patient with me through the toughest of times; and whom I hope to have served with nothing but my best – THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH!  

As we go on with our own lives, I have a few simple wishes for you all:
  • That you be able to anchor your passion for winning on something that is worth being passionate about;
  • That you do not betray yourself (especially your physical and mental health) in the name of loyalty to your role, your leaders, and the company;
  • That you do not forget to be kind to others as you have been so kind to me.


Pope Benedict XVI is supposed to have once said (this had been in my email signature for the longest time): “The world offers you comfort. But you were not made for comfort. You were made for greatness.” This early I can admit that deciding to leave the company at this point in my life is undeniably the most uncomfortable and anxiety-inducing decisions I have made my entire life. But if this is what it takes to have a shot at greatness, then it’s a path that I will willingly take. On this note, my final wish for you all is that you may find greatness in yourself, in how far you have come, and in how much further you can go – and that your greatness be used for purposes that truly matter in the greater scheme of things.

Thanks and regards. I will miss you all!

==========

*** This was my final email to select colleagues last July 1, 2019 as I left the company I've been working for since 2008.  

* leave the company to pursue other interests - this is a phrase often used within the company to describe an employee's decision to resign. I do not subscribe to this articulation, as employees there are naturally very passionate. It feels inadequate to say that one leaves the perks and benefits of the company for a mere 'interest.' 




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