Hello Aspire Community,

Happy fall. I hope you are enjoying these warm October days and finding time to rest, rejuvenate, and reflect in between the busyness of work and life.

I was reminded that it’s National Disability Employment Awareness month, which has me thinking about the ways work and employment impact our feelings of value, purpose, and connection. Work provides the vehicle by which we access essential human experiences and affords us the opportunity to create, connect and build community.

One of my favorite authors, David Whyte, wrote about this in the essay “Work” from his book Consolations: The Solace, nourishment and Underlying Meaning of Everyday Words. At the heart of the piece is the idea that work is our opportunity to share our essence, the core of who we are. Whyte articulates, “Work is the inside made into the outside.” I believe that work, or labor, is that which makes us human. It is what nurtures and feeds us. It is the expression of our creativity. Our heads, hands and hearts come together through our work and help us to express who we are.

At Aspire, I see our work as creating connections, being present to the person in front of us, listening with the intent of understanding, asking meaningful questions to help those we serve grow, and so on. Together our collective work allows the people we support to discover their passions, unlock their potential, and thrive. And we too grow and transform as we share our gifts through our work.

Thank you for all the work that you do—the creating and sharing of your essence to further our mission.

I am proud to work with all of you.

– Lou