Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.
- Leo Buscaglia


Thursday, August 30, 2012

Being A Guest Writer

     A good friend of mine runs a company in which values are regularly discussed and practiced.  They refer to their values as "tenets" and they have 25 of them that they teach.  One of the ways they keep these tenets relevant is by sending a weekly e-mail to their staff focusing on a particular "tenet of the week."  To make things interesting, they occasionally ask a "guest writer" to author one of these weekly messages.  Today it was my pleasure to write a message for them.
     The tenet I wrote about was related to the concept of learning to suspend our judgment and become more curious.  I have a whole chapter on this topic in my book so I have a lot to say on the issue!  If you've not read it, it's the chapter called "Fundamental #30."  I won't try to explain it all here because it's well worth the full read.  In any case, I hope my message proves to be meaningful for the employees of my friend's company.
     In my business career, I had many similar opportunities to learn from others and, in turn, to share my knowledge freely as well.  There was one person, in particular, who demonstrated to me a generosity of spirit that has had far reaching impact, well beyond anything he may have contemplated or even realizes today.  His willingness to share his knowledge so openly with me caused me to "pay it forward" to many others.  In turn, each of these people has also paid it forward and I've had the opportunity to witness this firsthand. It's yet another reminder that we never really know the far-reaching impact that a simple act of kindness may have. 

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