RACA Journal May 2020 | Page 62

Professionals who care MICHAEL YOUNG Michael Young is a trainer, coach and contracts engineer in the HVAC industry. He graduated from the University of the Witwatersrand in the field of Mechanical Engineering (B.Sc Mech Eng) in 2008 and qualified as a Professional Engineer (Pr.Eng) in 2013. Michael is passionate about promoting knowledge and helping other young engineers grow within the industry through his training workshops and coaching sessions. ATTITUDE BEGINS AT HOME By Michael Young I received the most joyful news in the world last year. I discovered that I was going to become a father. M y initial reaction was both a feeling of joy and fear as I kept asking myself, “Will I be a good parent? Will I be able to provide all the emotional and financial support for my unborn baby?” I guess this feeling of self-doubt was normal as becoming a parent is a life-changing moment. Things were going fine until my wife woke me up one morning and told me to rush her to the hospital. With fear and chaos in my mind, I quickly got dressed and rushed her to hospital. The doctor came to see us and conducted an ultra-scan. That was when we received the bad news. There were complications with our unborn child at 12 weeks. The child’s heart was growing on the outside of the chest, the brain was not developing and there was a 95% chance the child would not survive the birth. A colleague’s attitude, mood and emotion within the workplace begins with their personal life. Nothing in this world could have prepared me for such devastating news. The feeling of absolute loss and pain dominated me for the following weeks. At this moment, we had the most difficult decision to make in life. Do we proceed with the birth, knowing that there was a 95% chance the child may not survive, or do we choose to have an abortion? There was no correct or wrong decision. If by some chance the child survived the birth, what kind of life would it live? Would it be a normal life that is filled with joy or a life of pain and suffering. Unfortunately, the result ended in the loss of our unborn child. 62 RACA Journal I May 2020 After conducting tests, we discovered that our unborn child was a girl. The following few months were the hardest in my life as I knew I had made a decision and I had to be responsible for that decision. The reason I chose to share such a tragic story is to bring awareness that life is all about making decisions. The decision we make either yields the desired outcome or an undesired outcome. Whatever the outcome, we must be responsible enough to say,” I know I made this decision and I am willing to accept and be held responsible for all results from this decision.” Unfortunately, there was no happy ending to this experience. I did however learn that family, colleagues and friends are the people who help you get through the difficult times in life. All it takes is one act of kindness and one sentence of hope to make life a little easier for someone else. I hope that sharing this event with you brings you hope when times are hard. I know it’s hard to be a team player within a business when your colleagues are not themselves. Please remember, a colleague’s attitude, mood and emotion within the workplace begins with their personal life. So, next time your colleague is angry or in a bad mood, the best thing to do is give them space and then be a friend. Listen, sympathise and understand what they are going through in life before judging. This is the key to becoming a team player within a business. This is what defines us as being humane. Wishing you a successful month ahead and chat soon. RACA www.hvacronline.co.za