Some days we get so busy being the leader that we forget that small acts of loving kindness have a dramatic and long lasting impact.
In early January, my mother passed away. During and after the memorial service, many people shared about the impact of her actions in their lives. For example, a retired woman lawyer shared how my Mom taught her how to sew and cook as a young woman. Another person told me that my Mom was his first Sunday School teacher and then shared how important my Mom was in his life journey. Person after person had similar experiences to share. And when I listened to all of them, I realized that they were just a series of small acts done with loving kindness. When they are all added up, they had a dramatic impact and long lasting impact on the lives of so many others.
In our busy lives as leaders, we need to give ourself permission to have this level of interaction with others. We need to be more present to the moment rather than completely focused on the future. We need to protect the things that are of value from the things that really do not matter so much. As Goethe reminds us: “Never let the things that matter most be at the mercy of the things that matter least.”
This week and for the entire rest of the summer, I challenge you to offer more small acts of loving kindness. It will have a huge impact in the lives of others and in your own life.
I lost my mother 4 1/2 years ago, and her loss has had a profound effect on me. She had this quote put on her stone: "No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted." I keep a small plaque with those words in my office to remind me just how much effect we have on the lives of others, personally and professionally. Our mothers were wise women, Geery.
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