Have you ever identified those individuals who had a major influence in your success and progress?
A few years ago I identified the two men who had the most positive impact on my life. Their framed photos soon found a place on my wall. Seeing them daily I soon developed a nagging feeling that two more men’s photos should be up there with the first two. And that had gone on now for years and more photos of men and women who played major or sometimes lessor roles in whatever successes achieved Perhaps it was their signs of interest or maybe needed words of encouragement at a given moment. In some cases it was just an Attaboy from an unexpected source. One of those old song lyrics that keep popping into my head goes, “Little things mean a lot.” And little things we say and do can help or hurt others, sometimes in a major way.
I have been so blessed, so many times, by the kindness of other professional speakers, or authors, or teachers, or family members, or even the kindness of strangers has influenced my life and my career. I guess that is it. Blessings. And they have come at all times and places and often from the least expected source.
What I have found is that it is critical that we keep our minds and our hearts open for such blessings and we must fight off that cynicism which creeps in.. We must ever renew our trust in others while discovering opportunities to be of service to others.
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As with you, Art, many of my memories have come from the National Speakers Association. The most prominent, of course, was our founder, Cavett Robert, who never met a person he didn’t like. At age 90, I still keep in touch with several members I have not seen in more than 10 years.