Finding the Lesson in Blessings

I’ve been mulling over recognition lately – what it means and what learnings you can take from it to inspire future growth. Some are not always recognized for their efforts, even though they truly deserve to be. I feel it is incredibly important when you are recognized - when those rare moments occur - to ruminate on why, and what you can take away from it to build yourself into a stronger, more well-rounded person for others in the future.

2021 was not rosy and filled with sunshine. It was a lot of late nights at the computer. It was pushing myself to keep a positive mindset with an insurmountable number of priorities. It was listening to the pain from my closest peers and friends, and trying to encourage them, even though my heart was breaking alongside theirs. It was pivoting fast and hoping I got it right. At the end of the year, I was exhausted and at the same time, filled with with a nagging drive that I hadn't accomplished enough. So these two surprises, outlined below, had an impact that is hard to put into words. But I'm going to try! So here’s my #longpost on what these incredible blessings in 2021, and the lessons that came with them, mean to me.

I was shocked and honored to be selected as Gannett’s Greatest Collaborator. Gannett is fueled by so many incredibly talented team members. I have seen the tremendous efforts of my peers - the ones online at odd hours, the ones inspiring each other by example. So many of my peers deserved this honor. To bring it to center, I want to explain what this means to me. When I think of what it means to be a collaborator, I think of what it means to be one team. To be one team in such a vast company requires several groups of individuals who choose to come together to achieve one vision - one measure of true impact - that shapes our organization by accomplishing that vision. The impact comes not just from how we are improving towards our personal goals - it's understanding where we can help each other. Where do we see opportunities where we can grow? Who can help us along that journey? And how are we actively helping others succeed towards their unique goals? Only by building each other up and helping each other thrive do we achieve a unified vision that results in success. With true collaboration, we can reshape our growth trajectory and become a catalyst of positive, measurable change. I am blessed to work at a company that adopts this mindset and truly values collaboration, and I am beyond grateful for all my peers that nominated and selected me. Thank you truly, from the bottom of my heart.

Another surprise from came from outside my company, through an organization I have been learning from since 2017. The Jaycees, a.k.a Junior Chamber of Commerce International, is a team of young individuals who come together to build their leadership skills through impacting positive community change. We build projects and programs that foster community development and active citizenship in the communities we serve – getting our hands dirty, learning the root of a community pain point and developing a path to help our communities solve that problem. Working with local officials, non-profits, and such an inspiring group of young people who want to take the time out of their day to help build community solutions is one of the most precious and humbling experiences I have ever taken in my adult journey. Doing this work – and helping my peers with their goals – has been a catalyst to help me grow both as an individual and professionally. It has given me hands-on experience to develop my leadership skills, and be inspired by others young leaders across the world. In this organization, I ask myself: How do I build a more successful business plan? How do I build this large-scale project from scratch? How do I solve this community issue in a scalable way? How do I inspire others to reach their highest potential? Through these questions, I’m constantly learning better practices of encouragement, sustainability, and commitment. I am blessed to have this recognition for my passion and dedication to achieving a higher purpose in my life and the lives of others.

Reflecting on the blessings I received during this very challenging year, I have started 2022 with a new outlook. At Gannett, I am developing a path toward accelerated, strategic positive impact – taking a deep dive into mentorship and how I can help myself, our teams, and our clients achieve unified goals. I was also elected President of the Springfield Jaycees this year, and work every night to lead my board and our team with a service first mentality. I am being pushed to lead and inspire in new ways that set our team up for success and build a better community. I have big ideas and fantastic people to help those ideas become strong measures of impact in both endeavors. And finally, a life milestone: I am getting married this year to the best human I have ever met. He grounds me and rounds out my weaknesses with his strengths, and I truly don’t know how I got lucky enough to have him by my side at the end of each day.

I am honored to be surrounded by encouragement from my partner, my family, my mentors, my peers, and my friends. Thank you to everyone in my sphere. I learn from you daily. Your impact shapes my life, and I want to do whatever I can to help you shine.

In 2022, I will remember that while I cannot control every situation, I can control how I respond to it. I will remember that late nights lead to new innovations. That communicating your appreciation for your peers is a conscious practice that we all need to do more. That hard conversations bring humanity, grace, and a better understanding of how to thrive together. And that I have one life - it's this life - and it's beautiful.

To celebrating growth and learning from it.

Thank you for reading. <3

Ellyn Thorson