In the United States, we are celebrating Labor Day this weekend, but you don’t have to be a U.S. citizen to know that it’s time to give yourself a pat on the back. As a fellow learning professional, I know how hard you work and I know it can sometimes be thankless work at that. I just wanted to take a moment to let you know that what you are doing matters!

Teachers: You may never know how one kind word of encouragement turned a young life around, but I’m sure you remember a similar kind word from one of your teachers that made all the difference in your life.

Corporate Trainers, Designers, Developers: You may never get a “thank you” from the employee who came in as a “prisoner” and left your engaging class as a change champion, but you’ll see the lightbulb go off inside her head and know that you made something special happen.

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Professors: You may feel that no one is paying attention to that paper you spent so many hours researching and refining, but somewhere a fellow professional is gaining new insights and putting your ideas into action.

Consultants: You may wonder if all the sacrifice is worth it until you remember that you are privileged to follow your passion each and every day.

Learning Leaders: The employees who ask the most of you will probably give you the least in return, but you do it anyway – because you know it’s the right thing to do.

It takes hard work to do what we do every day, without fail, without praise, sometimes with little or no financial reward and no end in sight. We do it because we love the work.

It’s a labor a love. Let’s celebrate that today.

Happy Labor Day to all of you!

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