At 16:54, I was completely chewed out by the then-partner of the firm.
I had submitted my resignation letter at 16:31. The managers understood nothing of my choice. The assistants thought it was a shame I was leaving, but watched with surprise to see if it would become a success. 23 minutes later, I was fully yelled at.
That was about 8.5 years ago.
Years later, I met that same partner again in a different setting. He was no longer involved with my old employer and had started another business. So we sat opposite each other in a different way. Now both as entrepreneurs with a shared goal.
After half an hour in the meeting, a silence fell. He looked at me and said: So many years ago, when I got your resignation letter, I was not happy. I thought: that boy is throwing his life away. Now I must confess that I think you have made beautiful steps and see that you have developed yourself on a very different level.
The sentence that stayed with me the most: I have respect for this.
I'm not looking for compliments. But this was recognition from someone I always looked up to. Now he shows respect to me as a person. I appreciate that very much.
Do you dare to admit your mistakes? Even if it is years later?
