Gratitude, Goals, and Going for It: A Radio Host’s Recipe for Professional Contentment

It's 3 pm and I've been working steadily since 4:15 am, by anyone's standards, I've done my part today.

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I was packing up and about to leave when I stopped packing and sat back down to look through my notes. I saw a list of things I really wanted to work on and I decided to stay. When I say "I wanted" to work on them, I really mean it.

My name is Lou Milano and I'm a radio show host/writer in the Danbury/Brookfield, CT market. I've been in radio going on 25 years, I started in September of 1999 when I was still a kid. It took me eight years in the business, to get the gig I wanted, the morning show. Once I got it, I grabbed on and did not let go.

I love what I do, and who I do it with. I get real fulfillment from my work and I cannot think of anything more valuable. People may look at me and draw different conclusions but there is an inarguable fact about me, that everyone can agree on, I have a fun job.

For well over a decade. I've put all my attention into making the most of this opportunity, making the I-95 Morning Show the best it can be. I never get upset at the idea of coming to work. In fact, I sometimes get sad when it's time to leave.

I made a decision a long time ago that has changed my life in many ways. I decided this was exactly what I wanted to do with my life and I'll do anything to protect it. I decided not to measure my success with dollar signs and decimal points. That does not mean I stopped having goals but if I died tomorrow, I'd die happy with how I spent my time on Earth.

Check out the Ethan, Lou & Large Dave Podcast on Apple and Spotify

There are 7 days in a week and I never had any intention of giving any of them away. I can't work somewhere that puts me in a position to live for 2 days. I get happiness out of the entire week and I always will. I've decided I will accept nothing less than that.

The only question or hiccup comes in, when I let gratitude slip away which happens to everyone. Sometimes I let my focus slip away from the things I'm thankful for. When that happens, I take a breath and see my life for what it really is, a massive blessing.

I'm not trying to say I am an expert on life and by no means, a model of professional success for everyone. I found my happy lane and that is what I want for my kids. I hope that they'll identify the thing they cannot live without and find a way to make it their career.

If you're professionally unfulfilled, you can fix it. If you're not happy where you are, you can change it. The same cannot be said for all family or social issues. Some of life's problems can be out of your control. What you do for work is 100% up to you.

I have no good reason to share this with you except that I want others to feel the way I have for the last quarter century. There are a lot of people that make more money than I do and tons more who have found more conventional success.

But I don't know anyone who got more out of their job than me. I met my wife through this job, raised my kids on this work and built an unbreakable bond with my longtime partner Ethan. Now, I am building that same bond with Dave and we're creating new memories as a trio.

Your dream has never been more attainable than it is right now. Employers everywhere are doing whatever they can to hire good, loyal employees.

My New Year's resolution was to let my guard down and share my personal secret to happiness. Hopefully it inspires someone, hopefully that person gets to enjoy half of the laughter that I have.

Happy New Year.

You filthy animals.

Check out the Ethan, Lou & Large Dave Podcast on Apple and Spotify