(NOTE: Today's post comes to us from Anne Guidry, the editorial genius behind much of the content you see. She carefully edits and crafts pieces not just for grammar and spelling, but also for coherence (at least in my case) and consistency. Many of us would honestly sound like babbling idiots without her, and would thus fail to fulfill our mission at SolarWinds. - Leon)

Artist Agnes Martin said,

“Fulfill your potential. That’s the way to happiness.”

I was drawn to consider the word fulfill because it reminds me of another word that holds great meaning for me: effort. I believe in making an effort, showing up, doing the hard work that has to be done, because work that is hard is fulfilling. There is fulfillment in effort, even on the smallest scale. The word “fulfill” is usually tied to the word “dreams,” but I prefer less lofty aspirations, at least for now. Instead, my path to happiness – while my children are young – is guided by the hard work I do as a mother. There is magic in the mundane, I have learned, if you pay attention. And if you do the work. So step up, make an effort, and fulfill your potential, however you define that for yourself. Until you do, happiness will likely elude you.