A SIMPLE WAY TO MAKE A LIFE-CHANGING DIFFERENCE
When our schedules permit, Sherry and I begin our day at a
McDonalds that is conveniently located across the highway from
Judson High School (Converse, TX), where she teaches. One
morning as we were sipping coffee and chatting, she related the
success she was having with one of her eleventh grade math
students. It didn't take long for me to realize the success was
not accidental.
Sherry said that on the first day of school, when the girl
walked into her classroom, she noticed the young lady's
beautiful smile. So, she simply told her new student, "You have
a smile that just lights up a room, and I'll look forward to
seeing it every time you come to class." Sure enough, the girl
always brings her smile with her to class.
Interestingly, Sherry said that other teachers have told her the
young lady can sometimes be a real behavioral challenge. Not
once has Sherry found that to be the case.
I related this to a customer one day, and he seemed to enjoy the
story. I, in turn, enjoyed hearing a similar story from him.
He said that his wife's best friend is a very prominent
Nashville lady, named Trish. As illustrated in what he went on
to relate, she is a very caring person.
According to my customer, Trish one day saw a little fourth
grade girl, from very poor circumstances, on the street in
Nashville. She was so touched by the sight that she walked over
and told the child, "You are the cutest little girl I've ever
seen." The girl brightened, and they both went on their way.
Little did Trish know, the impact her words would ultimately
have on that child's self-image.
Many years later, Trish received an invitation to appear as a
guest on a network television show. On that show, OPRAH related
the incident that took place on the street in Nashville and
thanked Trish for being one of the very first person to ever
give her the positive reinforcement that shaped her life.
BARBER-OSOPHY: Never underestimate the power of words to shape a
life, at any age, for better or worse.
Copyright 2005, Sumerlin Enterprises.
Permission is granted to reprint this article as long as a link
to www.barber-osophy.com
is included.