By Sheri LeClair Banitt
As 2025 comes to an end, I am reflecting on all the changes for me since this time last year.
Christmas 2024 was the first year for our family without my husband of 43 years. We still celebrated, but it was subdued and while we missed him, we didn’t talk about him much. This year feels different. Grief is with us, but so is joy and laughter.
2025 held many challenges for me, some more serious than others. I learned about grieving a lost loved one as well as a job lost to retirement. I have transitioned to independence and a slower pace. Above all, I have learned to let go of old expectations and make room for change. You really cannot move forward without leaving some things behind.
I will always grieve the loss of my husband, though it is consuming less of my daily focus. At first, I thought I would always grieve leaving the workplace. I truly loved my job, my employer, the people I worked with and the mission we were on, so it was hard to walk away. It was absolutely the right time and the right thing for me. Just five months into retirement I feel calm and at peace.
Corporate culture is win/lose, no matter how the story is spun or what label is put on it. Capitalism demands that everyone competes, even when that means some will profit and some will not. As the world recovers from the Covid 19 pandemic and steps into the lure of AI, corporations are operating in fear mode.
The race to utilize AI is all consuming and policies are written with that in mind. I have seen an increase in focus on mental health resources, emphasis on diversity, equity and inclusion as well as support for young professionals. I have seen older employees retiring in droves under the age of 65 as work has become more progressive, more demanding and less appreciative of knowledge gained by experience.
To be sure, AI is coming to all aspects of our lives, not just the workplace. I support provision of mental health resources and align with support for diversity, equity and inclusion and young professionals. I do wonder how all these young people in the workplace will fare with policies that support their well-being and work that does not.
With the emphasis on doing more, better and faster with less effort, people from management to entry level are afraid of losing their jobs. So, they get on board the frenzy and try to find ways to use AI while supporting all the other corporate initiatives. They’re on social media and posting about their good works, using AI bots to brag about it. They talk about good leadership as though humans are infallible. No one is teaching people how to talk to each other to resolve differences. Instead, AI bots are used to send emails and create internal communications. This may save time, and seems professional, but in my experience, using a digital entity to manage human behavior and emotions is taking a toll on the mental health of those in the workforce. People are often suspicious of true motives and mistrust what they see and read.
Getting out of the corporate world has given me a clearer vision of my purpose and how I can fit into a changing world. After working more than thirty years, I am able to use my savings to live a simple life. I can contribute to the world in creative ways that benefit individuals and me. I am no longer in a race to be better, smarter, leaner and more efficient than my colleagues.
I have let go of many expectations that are no longer valid for me. I will not reach my eighties with my husband. I will not continue working until I am 67. I will not share the responsibilities of home and family with a longtime partner. Mourning the loss of these things, confirms their value and reinforces my thankfulness for having had a wonderful husband and a job I loved.
Going into the new year, I will have neither a husband nor a job and I’m okay with that. I have lovely memories with an open heart and mind for new things to treasure. I will remember that good relationships and endeavors take time to find, build and grow. My age gives me the unique advantage of knowing the old ways, before computers, and living the new ways of technology. I can recognize the good and bad parts of each time and connect the dots to either avoid or encourage outcomes.
For the younger folks, and those dependent on employment, I recommend using your time away from work to reflect on what is important to you. As the world continues to change at a rapid pace, you will need to let go of expectations that no longer fit your current situation. When you do that, you make room for change, and that is where your genius and your happiness will be found.
