11Thriving at Work

Oh, no, I don’t consider myself an idealist,” said Jim at the end of our second interview. “There are people who do much much more than me. This is just the part I can do.”

“And what got you started doing this part?” I asked.

“I was hanging out with some friends, and one of them, Lisa, just casually asked me what I was working on that really mattered to me. At first I didn’t have an answer, but her question got me thinking—and you know the rest.”

Nearly every person I spoke with who was engaging at a higher level also referred to what I call a “tap on the shoulder”: some contact with a peer, friend, or mentor who inspired them to think about their true priorities or sense of purpose.

It turns out that the story of redefining ...

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