25 years ago. I graduated from Freedom High School in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. My impressions of 1996 include memories of brightly lit, nighttime basketball games at the township municipal courts; Memories of driving around with friends, listening to mix-tapes, and arguing over the appropriate place The Roots deserved in the modern zeitgeist; I remember really bad efforts at bowling, and really good efforts at enjoying high school friendships, followed by late night stops at a Taco Bell in Wilson; I remember awkward teenage interactions, surrounded by friends, with a pretty waitress at Friendly’s.
In the blink of an eye, time passed…
Becca, Jessica, and me on a Thorsen wedding day in 2006 
An afternoon in Nyhavn in 2007 
Christmas 2012 
Christmas 2012
Young Holger
4 years ago. I embarked on a professional journey with USI Insurance Services after they purchased our legacy firm, and I took the role of Employee Benefits Practice Leader for Central PA and West Virginia. I viewed the opportunity as incredibly attractive: I would lead our team through integration; I would learn sales leadership within a leading model in American insurance brokerage; I would grow my network; I would add meaningful experiences.
Covid-19: 2020-June 10, 2021. During the global pandemic, I was exposed to the field of positive psychology; I wrote a post about it here. As I imagine the storyline of my own life and where the past year “fits” into that narrative, the examples of challenges arising from remote work, virtual school, and coping with the effects of the pandemic are overwhelmed by the opportunity I had to, every day, be together with our family as we worked our way through (and attempted to interpret) the historic time. Together.
It is interesting reading the views of folks like Jonathan Haidt and Clay Christensen, as well as philosophers who grappled over many centuries with existential and foundational questions. “How does one manage a modern life and maintain balance?” “What are the best sources of happiness?” “Am I doing this (parenting, career, friendship, etc.) right???” One essay I come back to periodically is this post from Danish technologist David Hansson on the extent to which more money is a source of happiness. He writes about the experience of selling a portion of his business and not finding the incremental impact he had expected:
“It was like I had pulled back the curtain on that millionaire’s dream and found, to my surprise, that most of the things on the other side were things I already had. Equal parts shock and awe, but ultimately deeply reassuring.
Chiefly because I couldn’t lose those things…
…It’s funny, though, because I remember rich people trying to tell me this before I was rich. Not necessarily in person, but through clever or modest-profound quotes and interviews. And I remember always thinking “yeah, that’s easy for you to say now — you got yours”. It’s not lost on me that most people reading this will probably feel the same. It’s just the natural, instinctual reaction.
Primarily because I think it’s scary to think This Is It. This is what I got. Changing the numbers on my bank account or the size of TV or the make of the car in the garage or the zip code isn’t going to complete me. I have to figure that shit out on my own.”
@DHH via his blog at https://m.signalvnoise.com/the-day-i-became-a-millionaire/
So, wondering “how can I figure this shit out on my own,” I invested into seeking insight. In Haidt’s Happiness Hypothesis, he presents an analysis of the body of philosophical thought about the human condition across numerous cultures over time; He identifies scientific evidence which supports (and at times refutes) the views of Buddha, Seneca, Epictetus, Krishna, Jesus, and others. The personal takeaways I identify as important from this work include the following:
- Invest into relationships and experiences. These sources of joy endure and are worthy of our energy.
- Avoid investing into physical objects, particularly where those objects feed into a cycle of “keeping up with the Joneses.” There is little joy to be had in running on the “hedonic treadmill” and there is scant evidence of enduring satisfaction that arises from such incremental expenditures.
- Seek work that connects to meaning, creates impact, and is part of “something larger.” People desire this, and it is worth striving to be a part of a mission to which you feel connected.
- Seek activity that is strengths-based and leads to “flow” experiences. These states, especially with others, bring a unique state of mind and satisfaction.
- Work on the rider and the elephant and be open to meditation and therapy (and do not stigmatize the appropriate use of prescription drugs). Note: If this bullet seems confusing, read Haidt’s book…
- Be charitable, and patient, and open-minded with others. And be humble.
Now: June 11, 2021. I am leaving USI.
As I consider my time at USI, while contemplating personal and professional priorities, my conclusions are two-fold: First, I am grateful for my past experiences and work at the firm. Second, it is the right time to turn the page and begin a new chapter. (I have come to view career development as an ongoing balance of Current Operations Value (COV) and Future Growth Opportunities (FGO) in a corporate finance metaphor. I think I will write a blog post on this topic in the near future!) I do feel ambivalence about stepping away. Our organization leads in the American insurance brokerage marketplace, a space I love sincerely. [Blog post on this topic here.] More importantly, I value my relationships across the organization. I will miss working with our folks across West Virginia and Central Pennsylvania, Falls Church, New York, Chicago, and Austin, as well as the opportunity to help with sales and technical training. I will miss the people at USI and our clients.
The future. I am uncertain about the “next steps” in my career. I have formed ThorCo Solutions, LLC, through which I will engage in some consulting projects and insurance placements. I have a list of ideas I will deliberately evaluate: corporate as well as entrepreneurial. But not now. For now, I am excited for a vacation with our family and close friends to National Parks across Utah and Nevada. I am looking forward to a memorable trip.
Hannson wrote, “[I]t’s scary to think This Is It. This is what I got.” I used to rationalize my distribution of time with family as focused less on quantity and more on quality. I wonder if @DHH would argue I got that wrong in the first place. There isn’t quality time. There is just time. And it is fleeting.
Comments
I cannot believe that it took until now to learn of the connection to eastern PA. My grandparents on my Mom’s side lived in Easton. My uncle was 7 years older than I and looked up to in that way that only a young boy could. I spent many afternoons or evenings in the stands, cheering as a proud nephew could, as my uncle starred in football, basketball, and baseball – for Wilson High School.
We moved to Bethlehem from NJ when I was in grade school. A lot of our family remained in Paramus (etc) and the ever present Dixie Cup in the Wilson sky was a demarcation on our regular journeys to and from NJ…
Jens,
It was a pleasure working with you at USI. I admire and commend you on searching out your priorities. You will never regret putting yourself and family first. Prayers and blessing for you!