My favorite month has just begun and I have already grown as a person. Little did I know that the most significant lesson of the day would come from a "Little Man", (or so I thought he was)...
It was one of those Wednesdays. A calendar filled with calls from 730 AM to 5 PM and the phone plugged to my ear well after that even as I was out with my family. I stayed true to the 'June' spirit of working hard and got much accompished, and for that I was happy. And then, at about 430 PM, just before I officially stepped away from my desk, it happened.
A colleague at work, in a crucial conference call, stood tall in his conviction. Remember I said "Little Man" earlier? It's true, he was the lowest on the totem pole among those on that call. And for several reasons, he was up against the wall. Yet, when it was his turn to speak, he said it like it was, without the least fear of being politically incorrect. He was not abrasive or rude but just plain forthright.
For a moment, when he was done, there was a stunning silence (a rare moment in a typical Wednesday). That said it all. He had made his point and the others had listened. No comments were offered and no one needed to speak furhter. It was decisive.
I've struggled ever since. Like I have always struggled to do this. I don't blame myself because I grew up trying to BE NICE. And when you are trying to be nice, it is sometimes difficult to say it like it is. I've struggled ever since trying to understand how to strike that balance...
Even as I struggle and try to figure this out, I can't but remember the man who made the difference in my day today. Thank you "Little Man". June began, because of you, in a most special way...
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1 comment:
say it like it is with honesty not ego or self righteousness like the little man. makes a 'big' difference cuz we wont have to worry about being nice then.
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