What's in your toolbox?

"If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail."
- Abraham Maslow

A Certain Teacher

Steve McDowell was my 8th grade English teacher. He was young, cool and an incredible teacher. He was the one who encouraged and guided my interest in writing. But, he doesn't know. His guidance made an incredible difference in my life, but he has no idea how much he helped me. Who has made a difference in your life? What friend or mentor helped you in a positive way? Has there been a Steve McDowell in your past? Do they know?

Just as we do not acknowledge the impact of others, others do not always acknowledge our impact in their lives. Once we reach the other side, I am convinced that we will be amazed at the consequences of the spontaneous small kindnesses and the benefit of the passing compliments. Someone is learning from how live.

Maybe it would be a good thing to send a note to someone who has made a difference in our life. How much could we encourage someone if we took a moment and simply acknowledged their influence in our lives? Once I publish this post, I know that I am going to begin a search for a certain former teacher.

Still Standing

Have you ever thought about how many people have come and gone in your life? If you think about it, there are hundreds of folks we have met. Most have been acquaintances, but some managed to breech security and become a significant part of our lives. Of those who made the leap from acquaintance to friend, how many are you still in contact with? How many are still friends?

I've been thinking that the problem is not so much that we don't know people; the problem is that we don't know people well enough. Our culture encourages us to stay on the surface and never venture into deeper waters. Since our friendships tend to be more superficial, it takes little to interrupt them. A gust of neglect or a forceful bout of gossip is more than enough to propel us away from one and towards another. Repeat cycle. Remain lonely.

Quality is better than quantity. In genuine friendship, deep is better than shallow and permanent is better than temporary. The quality of our relationships is revealed in the amount of stress and pressure they can withstand. Only true authenticity provides the helpful resistance that makes our connections stronger.