Professional Pointers From Your Kids: Stop and Smell the Roses

Shari Conaway, Director People at Southwest Airlines, lives by the motto that one must always pause, breathe, and enjoy.

By Shari Conaway.

At the beginning of 2014, I did an exercise with other Southwest Leaders where we each selected a word on which to focus as we face the joys and challenges of our busy jobs. This exercise was based on Jon Gordon’s book, “One Word That Will Change Your Life.” I chose the word BREATHE. It is important in this fast-paced world to take the time to stop, breathe and enjoy. It reminded me that when I was growing up, my father always told me to “stop and smell the roses.” It is advice that has always stuck with me, especially when life inevitably gets busy. My dad was an executive at an insurance company, but he always found time to “breathe” and attend every single extracurricular activity in which I managed to become involved.

This lesson held true when I became a parent. Childhood is so precious and so fleeting. I look at my grown children and remember the times we paused to enjoyed the moment. Being a single parent of three active kids for many years, I remember we had many “formal dinners” where we would dine by candlelight, heat up a frozen pizza, sip milk from our wine glasses, and just shut out the world for a few minutes—or at least as long as the pizza lasted! My children still talk about our “formal dinners” to this day.

When I speak to college graduates, many of them seem to know exactly what they want for their futures. They see their path clearly ahead and are energetic and excited to get started, to climb the ladder to the leadership position they envision. While I admire their tenacity, I always remind them of what my father taught me: stop and smell the roses. While passion and ambition are important, we cannot forget to take the time to pause and enjoy the journey. It is important to strive for something greater, for a better and more important future, but it is equally vital to slow down and appreciate where you are. You may envision a future as a leader, but you cannot get there overnight. You must make the journey that prepares you to be a better leader and a better person. It is important to dream big, but to keep your eyes open and take in the little things. I have found—both in my career and my family life—that happiness stems from balancing your journey and your joy.

At Southwest, I like to think of us as having career lattices rather than career ladders. There is no straight shot to the top. Many of our Executives held anywhere from five to ten positions over their careers with Southwest Airlines in various departments. Every Employee has the potential and is encouraged to achieve more at their own pace, through their own journey, and, more importantly, with a Fun-LUVing attitude. Southwest Airlines encourages Employees to Live the Southwest Way. Having a Fun-LUVing Attitude is just one of the three core values, which means enjoying your work, not taking yourself too seriously, maintaining perspective, celebrating successes, and being a passionate Team player. When I talk to Employees about their careers at Southwest, I am struck by their passion for the journey and the mission of Southwest Airlines.

“Stop and smell the roses” may seem like an old cliché, but it is a truly valuable life lesson that can be applied to all ages and to all situations. In this fast-paced world where we are constantly inundated with information and ambition and stressors, it is important to remember to take the time to breathe and enjoy.

Shari Conaway is the Director People at Southwest Airlines. She was featured in issue 10 of Forefront Magazine.