Since this is Thanksgiving week, I want to share a precious story with you, especially because in the busyness of our lives we sometimes forget how little things we do can make a difference. Every day I get about 200-300 email messages, and about 100 of those need some kind of response, so many days I feel completely overwhelmed, simply trying to keep up.

Several years ago, during a crazy busy time for me, I got one of those many email requests from a young woman working on her thesis on “Motivating and Retaining Employees.” She had found me on the internet and since this was my area of expertise, was requesting an interview. Now, honestly, in the tyranny of the urgent, the last thing I wanted to do that week was to spend time talking with someone who was “exploring” ideas and was not critical to my business; in fact, my first, ungenerous thought was to suggest to her to buy my books! So, I flagged the email and went on with my mountain of work.

Later that week my conscience was bothering me, so I finally called this young woman, even then with an attitude of “get through this quickly and get back to the piles on my desk.” Of course, she was delightful, and we had a lovely talk. I sent her several of my books and gave her access to a lot of research and material on my website that I normally do not share. She thanked me, and we both hung up feeling good.

As Paul Harvey would say, “Now for the rest of the story:” Last month I got a call from a young woman who said, “I am sure you do not remember me, but several years ago you helped me with information for my dissertation, and I have never forgotten your kindness. My paper was published and received high praise, thanks in part to your contributions.” She then went on to say that she was now the Executive Director of a large association on the East Coast and was wondering about my availability to be their opening keynote speaker for their annual conference in the spring of 2011. I was blown away that she even remembered me, and now she was offering me an opportunity to speak to her large clients from all over the state!

Oh, my, that call was another one of those “whacks on the side of the head” that caused me to stop and remember that we reap what we sow. How often do we all get buried by the business part of our work and forget those human level interactions that add such fulfillment and joy to our lives? I recently found a quote that touched me deeply: “Beware the barrenness of a busy life,” from Socrates!

In this time of giving thanks, I am so very grateful for the awesome opportunities we have every day to enhance the lives of others. May we all keep making a difference–and remember, good deeds DO pay off! Happy Thanksgiving!

Blessings,
Barbara

This past week I got a “Google Alert” that someone had written a blog about me and the “Johnny the Bagger®” movie. It is always wonderful to know that others are talking about your work, but this time I was horrified! This person wrote a sarcastic, scathing blog post about me and the story of “Johnny the Bagger®,” using four letter words and vitriolic accusations. He even called me “a soulless CSP giving her bullshit talk” and felt the whole story was one of using people, calling Johnny the bagger, “a poor exploited Down syndrome teenager whose entire identity the video kindly subsumes into his job description.”

His summary paragraph: “At this point my mind spins, trying to deal with seventeen kinds of horror all at once. First, this guy, in addition to working for the company when he’s off the clock, has doubled or tripled his workload while he’s on the clock. Second, he’s unintentionally done the same for whatever innocent bystander is working the register on his line. Third, how starved for genuine human interaction must we be in our society if something as chintzy as a printed out quote on a scrap of paper can make us come back, over and over, obsessively, for more?”

My first reaction was to want to talk with him to share my sincerity and belief in my message that one person CAN make a difference. Then I realized that with this kind of negativity, I would only be opening myself up to more pain. So, my next reaction was to write to many of my closest friends and supporters and ask them to write a response to him to defend me and Johnny. Fortunately, several of them wrote back immediately and suggested that even though they would be thrilled to speak up for me, it would only add more fuel to his fire, more traffic to his blog, and really accomplish nothing.

Finally, my precious assistant, Laura, sent me a quote that really touched my heart: “Forgive Your Enemies…..it messes with their heads.” And then this morning when I was posting a quote on FB and LI, here are two that jumped right out at me:

* “The practice of forgiveness is our most important contribution to the healing of the world.” ~Marianne Williamson
* “Forgive those who have hurt you, not for them but as a gift to yourself.”
* “Anger makes you smaller, while forgiveness forces you to grow beyond what you were.” ~Dr. Chérie Carter-Scott

How very sad it is that someone can take a story that has inspired millions of people to feel that they are important and can make a difference and has turned it into something negative. Today I am keeping this person in my thoughts and prayers with forgiveness and caring and the prayer that he will be able to find some joy in his life. And in the meantime, I will JOYFULLY continue to spread the message of hope that Johnny so preciously represents.

“Go out into the world today and love the people you meet. Let your presence light new light in the hearts of people.”—Mother Teresa

To view this movie yourself, go to www.barbaraglanz.com/johnny.

Barbara and the actor who played Johnny the Bagger

I just received this email from an audience member:

I have to share a neat “Penny” story with you (see the blog entry on “The Power of Five Pennies.”) . The other night I had taken down a bunch of helium balloons after our Women’s Cancer Awareness Day at the Co-op, and I had missed one. I took it down, and just as I was going into the hall to see if any children were left, the mall janitor was walking by. I smiled and gave him the balloon. He told me thank you and that he was going to tie it to his “chariot.” He then walked over and tied it to the handle of his cleaning cart. We both laughed, and I told him what a joyful attitude he had.

Love, Tammy

Hear is the quotation Tammy gave Reuben:

“If a man is called to be a streetsweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, here lived a great streetsweeper who did his job well.” Martin Luther King, Jr.

How precious that Tammy began to appreciate someone who had been around every day yet they had never connected on a human level. Now they have a special relationship of caring because she noticed and thanked Reuben. Whom in your daily life do you need to appreciate and thank?

To learn more about Barbara and to hear more inspiring stories and ideas, go to www.barbaraglanz.com/articles