When we look back on our professional lives, we often think about the decisions we made, the risks we took, and the opportunities we missed. We may find ourselves asking the question: “When I look back on my choices, will I say, ‘I wish I had,’ or ‘I’m glad I did’?”
In my experience, we are more likely to regret the things we didn’t do than the things we did. Professionally, we may regret not taking that job offer or pursuing a designation. Personally, we may regret not traveling more, spending more time with loved ones, or pursuing our passions.
On the other hand, when we take risks, pursue our interests, and embrace new experiences, we are more likely to look back and say, “I’m glad I did.” Challenges and obstacles were faced, but with them came personal growth, fulfillment, and happiness.
All of this bubbled to the surface last month during National Volunteer Month, when we reached out personally to the more than 320 volunteers who help ensure CLM reaches its goals every year. These volunteers lead chapters, organize communities, teach at Claims College and LMI, speak at our conferences, and serve on our advisory board. Guess which response our team heard the most when having these thank-you conversations—”I wish I had,” or “I’m glad I did”?
Two people who were “glad they did” include attorney Michael Young and litigation specialist Taylor Rawal. Both were involved in spearheading all-new workshops at CLM’s recent Annual Conference, with Young helping lead the “Coverage Bootcamp Workshop,” and Rawal focusing on “The Art of Fair, Unbiased, and Equitable Claims Negotiation Workshop.” Afterward, Young said, “I did it just because I believe in it. I really think this is an area of improvement for the industry and it was a great opportunity to do this through CLM.” Rawal felt similarly, saying, “Our team put a lot of time into creating the workshop, meeting almost every other week since August 2022 to develop the idea and create the materials.”
This is passion at its finest and shows how our volunteers are truly an extension of our team. As you consider your place and role at CLM, I encourage you to look for opportunities to contribute and get involved—you’ll wish you had done so sooner, I promise.
All the best –
Ronna Ruppelt
CEO
ronna.ruppelt@TheCLM.org
LinkedIn.com/in/ronnaruppelt