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


Friday, October 12, 2012

A Sounding Board

     I caught up with a friend/business associate over lunch today.  I hadn't seen him in some time and so I had reached out to him several weeks ago to set up the lunch.  It was great to see him and to catch up on each other's lives and work.  During the course of the conversation, he shared with me some of the challenges he's trying to think through.  I was able to help him to "re-frame" how he was looking at things and to consider things from an entirely new and useful perspective. He appreciated the insights and I offered to continue to be a sounding board for him as he continues to think through some of these issues.
     For whatever reason, I seem to have an ability to organize information and crystalize ideas in a way that makes it easier for people to understand and to use.  I love using that talent/skill to help people like I did today.  It's exciting to see their eyes light up as they come to a realization that had never occurred to them quite that way before.  Given that I'm completely useless when it comes to doing things with my hands or fixing things, it's rewarding that I can at least use my brain to benefit others.
     I suppose it's a reminder to me that every person has some unique gifts and talents, and that we're typically most satisfied and fulfilled when we use those gifts in service to others.  It's also a reminder that our unique gifts are often right under our noses, despite our sometimes desperate search to discover them.

No comments:

Post a Comment