What does Easter have to do with a business blog? Christmas has all sorts of easy things to consider that connect so well with business: gifts, Christmas spirit, parties. Easter doesn’t have those associations. Easter is about death and resurrection.
Being Better
One of the four core values in the Healy Spirit is “Be Better.” In many ways, “Being Better” entails death and resurrection. When we take the time to step back from the busyness of our lives and do some self-reflection, we all become aware of our shortcomings. Most of these shortcomings have to do with our ego and its desire for pleasure, recognition, power, and status. None of us is immune from these. Awareness of them in our lives is a good first step. After awareness, if we want to move forward and “Be Better,” we must deal with the inordinate ego and the shortcomings it fuels. That is very much a process of dying. The result of this death is a kind of resurrection to a better state of being. As much as I wish this was a “one and done” process, it is really a lifelong process that leads us to a state of being a fully mature human being.
Those of us who have children are keenly aware of this. We can’t just sit down and watch TV when we want to, go out with our spouse any time we want, or play golf any time we’d like. We give up all sorts of things when we marry and have children. It is a process of dying and sometimes it is very hard. We realize our time isn’t our own. But there is also resurrection that results from this dying. Parents come to a greater understanding of their love and commitment, and model that for their children.
A Work Culture That Encourages New Life
This isn’t just about parenting. It’s about every relationship in which we acknowledge that you are more important to me than my ego. “Being Better” presents us with all sorts of opportunities for death and resurrection in our work environment. I witness this all the time here at Healy Group.
- Coworkers encouraging one another.
- Colleagues who genuinely care about one another, taking the time to understand the difficulties in each other’s lives and to pray for each other.
- A fellow owner who, on his way to work, stops to help a person in the rain whose car had broken down.
- A colleague who goes out and changes a client’s flat tire while the client is meeting with his advisor.
- Our people set up rotations to provide meals for coworkers who have been hospitalized or had a baby.
- Colleagues cut the grass for a disabled colleague while others are helping her navigate the forms and papers needed to file disability and long-term care claims.
- Advisors who are interrupted in their workflow who patiently and kindly deal with the interruption.
- A group of employees who gather for 10 minutes of prayer on Wednesday morning and pray for each other’s needs and those of Healy Group.
There are so many sightings of people dying to themselves around our office, and it is very inspiring. When the people around you are “Being Better,” we all want to be better. And when we are all doing this, it seems like there is some type of resurrection to new life going on. The culture is raised up to a higher standard because the people around me are willing to endure little deaths.
Choosing to Be the Best Version of Ourselves
It doesn’t end there. It only gets better. “Being Better” leads to the other three aspects of the Healy Spirit shining out: Love Wins, Do the Right Thing, and Make it a Great Day. Come to think of it, Easter is a lot like Christmas. Our Easter gift at Healy Group is a culture that only gets better and brings joy to us all. The Easter Spirit is that sense of satisfaction that comes after those little deaths. And life at Healy Group is kind of like a party because we enjoy coming together five days a week to be together doing meaningful work to help our clients.
None of us will ever die on a cross. We can freely choose to die to those areas in our lives that hold us back from being the best version of ourselves. I thank God that I am surrounded by family, colleagues, and clients who have the courage to face the challenges in their lives, die to the things holding them back, and continue to come to a greater understanding of the joy emanating from the resulting resurrection. You all make me better and the world better.
About the Author:
F. Richard (Rich) Preuss, Jr.
Rich, the President and an Owner of Healy Group, has been a financial advisor for over 36 years. His overarching goal in his work with his clients is to help them connect their money to their values. He believes that his work with his clients isn’t just about rates of return, asset allocation, and maximizing wealth; it is about helping them create a better life for those they love and creating a better world.
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