No. 62, April 2006
I do believe in powerful, positive forces at work in the universe; small things that we do come back to us in the most unexpected ways. Recently, I had an amazing experience that showed me what a strong impact we can have the lives of others.
Just over a year ago I was having lunch with a business contact. One of his colleagues joined us unexpectedly before her late afternoon meeting. When my contact had to leave, his colleague and I remained. She and I spoke of many things; our backgrounds, our work, our plans, our hopes and dreams. It was a lovely lunch. We exchanged business cards and went our separate ways.
Last month, nestled amongst the various advertisements, magazines, bills and requests for Mannersmith tip cards I received, was a small package. Inside was a copy of a book that had just been published ~ Spoken Like A Pro: An Insider's Guide to the Language of Professions. It was written by the woman with whom I had shared the lunch.
One of the topics we had spoken about that day was a book she had been considering. She was playing with the idea of writing something quick and fun, "an insider's guide to the language of professions." She wanted to take the mystery out of jargon and buzzwords. But she was not sure if the book would have merit. I thought it was a great idea. Trivia fans, Scrabble addicts, and new graduates would all love this resource. And now, I was so excited... I held her brainstorm in my hands.
The best surprise was yet to come. I flipped through the book quickly and was fascinated to see what an "eighty-six" was, what "flying sideways" was, and all about "weeping marshmallows." Since I was off to New York City the next day, I popped the book into my briefcase. On the plane, I finished the book and was skimming the section entitled "Sources of Help, Hope and Inspiration." The last line read: "And to Jodi R. R. Smith, who was the first to see this book's possibilities, you have my everlasting gratitude."
What an amazing feeling, to know that a few sincere words of encouragement could help spark someone else's dream!
I realize this is not one of my typical columns. It is my hope that you will think of this column as taking thank you notes to a higher level. Not only does a well-behaved adult take the time to thank, in writing, those who have extended a kindness to them, but well-behaved adults consistently and earnestly extend heartfelt kindnesses to others. You never know how the universe will send your kindness back to you.
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