One of my beloved colleagues is retiring this week. Lucille Rivin has been a guidepost, a light, a compass towards all that is good and right and true. I am so blessed to have been able to call her friend, colleague, and mentor for more than fifteen years.
We’re all blessed with certain people, aren’t we? People that change our minds, or our hearts, or our spirits? People that leave us changed, for the better, after having been with them?
Do you have a person or three like that in your life right now?
There is a quote I've been thinking about this morning. It is credited to The Buddha, though it's probably more like "Fred from Sacramento." It's okay though; it's a good one:
"One moment can change a day, one day can change a life, and one life can change a world."
And that has reminded me of another quote I’ve been sharing a lot lately, this one by Douglas Conant, former CEO of Campbell’s Soup:
“Even a brief interaction can change the way people think about themselves, their leaders, and the future. Each of those many connections you make has the potential to become a high point or a low point in someone’s day. Each is a chance to transform an ordinary moment into a touchpoint.”
Which finally has me thinking of this quote by one of my favorite artists and storytellers Brian Andreas:
“Time stands still best in moments that look suspiciously like ordinary life.”
And when I hold all three of these quotes together, all I can think is “wow.”
We have so much more potential impact on people, and by extension—our community, and by further extension—the world, then we ever fully realize, I think.
In short: You Matter. You matter a whole lot.
I hope you haven’t forgotten that. And if you have, I’m here to remind you.
And your people? The ones I asked you about before? The ones that have changed your head, or your heart, or your spirit? They may have forgotten, too…. or never realized in the first place. So why don’t you take this moment to remind them how much they matter, to you.
Text them. Call them. Write them a letter. Turn to them and tell them. Post a message to them on social media. If they’ve passed or are no longer available to you, reach out to their loved ones or a mutual friend, to reminisce and share their impact on your life. Say a prayer of gratitude to the universe today for the fact that at some point in time your paths crossed, and you are changed because of it.
"One moment can change a day, one day can change a life, and one life can change a world."
To you, who matter. (Don’t forget that)