In the late 70’s, a scientist by the name of Bruce Alexander created an experiment designed to show what really causes and increases the risk for addiction. In previous studies rats were placed in an empty cage with two different water sources to choose from; one of them was laced with cocaine or heroin, the other was normal water. In every instance the rats chose the drug-laced water, shortly thereafter resulting in their death. Bruce hypothesized that the issue was not the drug-laced water but rather that the cage was empty.

Bruce thus created “Rat Park”, a study where he aimed to prove that a person’s mental, and emotional, as well as their psychosocial state was the greatest cause of addiction, not the drug itself. Rats that were part of the Rat Park experiment were able to eat, drink, exercise and socialize with other rats as well as engage in play. None of the rats overdosed on the drug laced water. They had found something more fulfilling.

In the modern world — through social media platforms, email, texting, slacking, and pinging — our ability to communicate has never been easier. But communication does not equate to connection. While technology rapidly improves and innovation steadily transforms the world around us, depression, anxiety and addiction are also at an all-time high. “Who are you?” “What do you stand for?” “What are your priorities?” These are all deep questions that can — in part — be answered by how you spend your time and who you choose to spend it with.

According to Gettysburg College, roughly ⅓ of your life is spent at work. READ THAT AGAIN. For comparison, married couples spend around 2.5 hours per day with each other. The argument could easily be made that choosing who you work for is just as important/impactful as choosing who you marry. Does where you work leave a positive impact on you? Do you feel fulfilled? Does your mission align with the mission and vision of your company?

When I first began my job search post-military, I knew I wanted to be in an industry that was forward thinking, where there were abundant opportunities to grow, learn and be challenged. I wanted my job/my time to be about people, to have relationships and rapport. The company needed to have high standards, not just for me and not just related to performance, but for themselves. For their own integrity and work philosophy. I wanted to be challenged to reach for the stars and beyond. I wanted failure to be viewed as a learning opportunity versus something to shy away from. I was looking for a place where leadership and I worked together to positively impact the world, globally as well as locally.

At the end of the day, I think the saying “you are what you eat” is wrong; it should be “you are where you work.” Triumph Tech has gone above and beyond my expectations and has set a new standard for giving back to the community, constantly striving to have a long-lasting positive impact. They are even the honored recipients of the AWS “Rising Star Award.”

That’s what true leadership entails. I have finally found my Rat Park.

A. C. Levin, ISR