A Memo to my Employees

I wanted to share with you a struggle that I've had earlier in my career that you might be going through now. Its that feeling of being stuck, not having any ambition, and basically not knowing what you want to do with your life. I would always beat myself up over these thoughts because as a person it always felt that I was a failure in life because I feel so bad about my current status. I saw friends of mine take the leap into their own businesses and succeed. I saw my peers get breaks in life that I wish I had and it always felt that life was leaving me behind. These feelings would always lead me to look for new opportunities in other fields but then again finding more disappointments at every turn. So the question was, how do I correct this feeling, and how do I do my current job and feel good at the end of the day? For me I prayed, read my bible, and consulted with very close friends but at the end of the day this is what I determined about myself.

• My Job does not define me. Yes I am a banker, but I am so much more than that. I am a son, husband, father, friend, musician...and the list goes on and on about what attributes I have in this life that truly define who I really am.
• I am in a respectable career: If you think about it, banking is a respectable career, it always has been. whether you are a teller or a president you are a banker and that is a good job to have. I dare say people admire you for being a banker and will seek your advice when needed.
• I offer a nessessary service: At the end of the day I help people. Practically everyone has a bank and depend on us to manage their financial picture whatever that picture may look like. Yes sales, deadlines, and other "corporate pressures" like this can interfere but I'll be honest with you Trustmark is a breath of fresh air in this area compared to other banks I've worked for.
• I matter. Yes, employed wise I can be replaced but I still matter. I matter to my family, I matter to my friends, I matter to my church, I matter in this life.
• Finally the reoccurring assurance that my peers, friends, and mentors remind me of, we are all still young! Who says we have to be at the top of our game at this stage in our life? We are simply on a journey. Do we settle on our current state? You can if you want to, but I dare say we all have ambition to do more. Whether if its as a banker at Trustmark Bank or in a field that more closely fits our dreams. We have the time to accomplish this. Lets not be so tunnel visioned on getting to the prize where we miss out on the journey there.

Since I realized these facts my outlook on getting up every morning to go to my job, and getting over the mundane day to day duties has decreased if not completely gone away. I still have "those" days but I am quickly reminded of these facts I just mentioned. The reason why I shared this with you, is I remember being there, I remember the feeling, and since no one was there to remind me that I wasn't the only one going through this, I thought I'd let you know. I appreciate each and everyone of you for your diligence to give excellent service, and maintain a professional outlook on life. I close all of my personal correspondence with a phrase that I try to live by daily, Out Live your Life, so...

Out Live Your Life,

-Steve: