The West Wing

It is beyond a shadow of a doubt that The West Wing is the best show to have ever been on television. It is clear. The subject is not debatable.

Jed and Leo lead Abby, Donna, Toby, Charlie, Mrs. Landingham, Margaret, Josh, C.J., Sam and a few others through an intense, smart, complicated and diverse series of challenges that MATTER. The work that they are doing is important. The subjects are substantial and the stakes are high. Hardball, compromise, nuance is all a part of the plot…

You can feel the pain. Tempers flare, celebrations are often spontaneous and over small victories, and the bonds amongst the team are unmistakable. The victories are SWEET, but short lived… There is another problem to solve in the next episode.

Throughout its seven season run the cast didn’t change that much and the characters that the actors played portrayed a fully engaged and intellectually superior group with tireless dedication and teamwork… because… their jobs were imperative and winning was REWARDING and fun.

It was almost as if each of the characters in the show were born to do their respective jobs. Another word for this type of outstanding fit and intense commitment and pleasure is – a Calling.

What I am doing professionally and have the opportunity to do is pretty similar. My partners and I are off to a great start. We own and manage a company that is a great platform to make a difference in the lives of people – its employees and the community that it serves. Recognizing that makes it exciting to go to work every day. Working with my teammates is both challenging and thrilling. Succeeding provides an opportunity to grow a bigger business, influence policy and have fun doing both.

How about you? Have you found that place – that Zone – where who you are and what you do are nearly identical? Watching reruns of the West Wing last night reminded me how worthwhile it can be to invest yourself into indentifying and pursuing your Calling. If you think about it, it must be pretty cool to determine that going to work is more significant than and just as interesting as going to the golf course.

For each of us too, the next episode has already been written, but we haven’t yet seen the script. Get focused on doing work that matters and laboring with a team that is as called and committed as you are. That’s when the winning becomes a little easier and the process more enjoyable.

Game on!

• Category: Dream Big Then Execute