We attended a local college dance recital last weekend and as I was waiting for the show to begin, I overheard a conversation a few rows ahead of me. Seems that a student was introducing herself to one of the professors sitting nearby. As he asked her about her background, she responded, “Oh, I’m just a freshman,” she said, and I loved his response.

“Just a freshman,” he stated, “I consider freshman to be our most important students. They bring in fresh ideas, new excitement, and they are always teaching me about things that I didn’t know was going on in the world.” “Believe me,” he told her, “you are way more than just a freshman.”

With that a big smile came across her face and their conversation continued unabated for the next few minutes until the curtain rose.

No doubt, that small bit of sharing and encouragement from that professor changed her evening and perhaps her perspective about her school and herself.

We change our world and the lives of ourselves and others through little efforts and a little encouragement is one of the best ways to do that.

Your Challenge this week is to see how an effort at encouraging someone changes them and you. It may bring a smile to their face or help them recover from a missed opportunity. Share your wisdom and insight and see where it takes your both.

© Richard Citrin, All rights reserved, 2019

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