More than a living

I’m not a fan of the inspirational posters that hang on the walls of so many offices and companies these days. They are well intended, but too often feel like window-dressing - there to send a message but without conviction.

You are not here merely to make a living. You are here in order to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. -Woodrow Wilson.

I never gave Woodrow a second thought, but he (or his speech writer) set some lofty aspirations for existence.

• Help the world live more amply. Add to the abundance.
• Enlarge the vision. Challenge the bounds and help restake the boundary of what is known, what is achieved, and what is sought.
• A finer spirit of hope and achievement. Optimism. Celebration of a job well done.

I think a well-lived professional life is as much about doing important work as helping those around you feel that their contributions are important too.