I will be the first to admit it took a while, but I have learned to express gratitude and appreciate how I would not be where I am today without those to helped “make me possible.”, e.g., the company I kept.

I now understand it is OK to give myself credit and to own my success internally (to fuel the old self-worth-o-meter) and externally (without coming across glib and douchey)

Eleven weeks of introspection since my exit have allowed me to forensically appreciate those who helped make me possible and those who did not.

For it wasn’t just those who pulled their weight, dug in, and believed; it was the overwhelming majority who didn’t, most notably those who genuinely believed they did and endlessly avowed “we support you.” through
verisimilitude, absenteeism and virtual cheerleading.

To that end, the other best thinly veiled aphorisms I could have heard across the years were “no”, “no thanks”, “not yet”, “not now”, “not a fit”, “maybe later”, “check back in a few months”, “not a priority for us”, and “GRANT DENIED”.

Thank you for your support.

To infinity, and beyond!