I spoke yesterday to several thousand people at the national Society for Human Resource Management conference in San Diego, CA. My presentation was titled “The Simple Truths of Service Inspired by Johnny the Bagger®,” and like the book and the story, it focuses on the ten simple truths of service, choices we have in every interaction, and how one person can make a difference.
I ended, as I do every presentation I give, with a thought from a precious friend of mine, Og Mandino, who passed away several years ago. (He told me once that he had sold enough books to go five times around the equator! His most famous book is “The Greatest Salesman in the World.”) I always ask the audience to close their eyes as I share Rule #10 from his book, “A Better Way to Live:”
“Beginning today, treat every person you meet, loved one or stranger, friend or foe, as if they were going to be dead at midnight. Extend to each person you meet, no matter how trivial the contact, all the care and kindness and understanding and love that you can muster. And do so with no thought of any reward. Your life will never be the same again.”
The audience was wonderfully responsive, and I even received a quick standing ovation at the end. The rest of the afternoon people kept coming up to me as they met me in the hall to thank me and tell me how much my words had meant to them; however, one person made me realize how important it is for me to constantly be aware that I am just the messenger. (My friend Ken Blanchard’s definition of “ego” is “edging God out!”)
She shared that the night before she left for the conference, she and her husband had had a terrible fight and they had not spoken since. She said as soon as I had finished speaking that day, she went out, got her phone, and called him to talk it through and apologize. She said, “After hearing those words, my life will never be the same again.”
What a blessing it is to remind people of how important it is to love and care for one another, whether the person is a family member, a colleague, a customer, or just someone you happen to meet in passing. Like Johnny, we can ALL make a difference every single day. Whose day will you brighten today?
To learn more about Barbara’s presentations.
To order the movie or the book about Johnny the Bagger®, go to Barbara’s Products.
