Privilege and Responsibility

Last night I saw a documentary about a guy who was really passionate about his job and his contribution to his work place.

The highlight of the show was when he told a story about how a visiting businessman stopped to talk to him and when the worker asked if the businessman ever worked with the founder of the company, the businessman paid the worker the compliment of telling him that the founder of the company would have noticed him and his attention to his work if he were still alive.

You could tell that moment was a defining moment for the worker.

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He just beamed.

I thought about how that moment cost the businessman nothing, but yet meant everything to the guy.

The businessman could have been to busy… or too “above” recognizing what that compliment would mean to the worker who clearly was very invested in what others thought of his work.

Then I got to thinking how many of us have the ability to do that for even just one person in our lives?

In the workplace or life in general.

I mean, if we just stop and pay attention, it is often so obvious what it is the other person across from us needs– be it a smile, a note of encouragement or a simple compliment.

Our words and our actions can be so powerful in another’s life.

What a wonderfully huge privilege… and responsibility.