Friday, March 18, 2016

Plant for the Future



The scientific man does not aim at an immediate result.
He does not expect that his advanced ideas will be readily taken up.
His work is like that of the planter -- for the future.
His duty is to lay the foundation for those who are to come, 
and point the way.

Nikola Tesla

Some years ago I met a man who asked me if I truly believed that what I did and how I behaved had an impact on those around me.

Of course, I said, to which he was surprised. The way I greet each day, tells my children that each day is a gift. That they cannot control what happens, but that they do have the choice to see it in different ways. They can choose that it is an adventure and that they will surely learn something, or they can see it as a scary, untrustworthy, difficult 24 hours ahead.


They can give someone the benefit of the doubt or they can pack up their resentment and hurt and carry it in to the next day. They can smile and give a wave of thanks as a driver stops for them at a crosswalk, or they can dawdle and not appreciate that someone has paused to do a courteous thing.

They can remark on the wonderful smelling croissants to the coffee barista, or they can pocket their change and complain that their drink is never hot enough.

They can be nice.

Each day in our work lives, we can choose to be positive in the light of a flailing economy, stand up for what we believe in, and treat ourselves with the fondness and respect we deserve. We need to remember that this full-time, part-time, temporary role was not created to antagonize or defeat you. Or make you a doormat. You get to choose who to be.

So do I think that “who” I am everyday can and does change the world. Absolutely positively YES! Surround yourself with people who believe that too.

Needless to say, it was the only date we ever had.

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