When being a “team player” is dangerous to your health

The show goes on…

The memorial where Epps was planning to speak was temporarily delayed, but resumed sometime after she was carried out for medical attention.

JoAnne A. Epps, the acting president of Temple University, died after falling ill on stage at a university memorial event on Sept. 19, 2023.

Epps had a distinguished career that spanned nearly four decades at Temple, including as law school dean and provost. According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, Epps had planned on retiring before the board of trustees asked her to fill the interim role as president in April 2023.

Epps’s sudden death was a shocking but somber reminder that while we may love our work – and even the organizations we work for – it’s vital to prioritize ourselves because tomorrow is not promised.

President Epps had deep ties to Temple and was beloved as a strong leader and stabilizing force well-suited to move the university through turbulence. But I wonder how much she was looking forward to the next chapter of her life in retirement. Was she planning adventurous travel, gardening with her spouse, or mentoring future law students over a leisurely afternoon coffee? We’ll never know.

So…take a mental health day if you need it. Stop eating lunch at your desk and use it for “me time.” Explore your passions. Write that book. Frolic in the grass. Blow off a slow Friday and take a long weekend. Enjoy coffee on the patio during a glorious weekday morning and clock in a little late. Enjoy every precious moment of your life – even those at work.

Time is a non-renewable resource and is your most valuable asset. Don’t waste yours. The work will still be there.