C.S. Lewis said, “What you see and what you hear depends a great deal on where you are standing. It also depends on what sort of person you are.”  This raises some questions: 

• What do you see? 
• What kind of person are you? 
• Are we so different from each other?
• Who do you hear or listen to?
• And . . . Who has time for standing? We’re busy here!

Interesting thoughts, but we are busy! Conference calls, plowing through emails, phones ringing, technology buzzing and people demanding our attention. We diligently labor to ensure personal and professional success. Long hours each day, relying heavily on technology to keep us connected.

Our interactions bring us closer or create more distance. We encounter a LOT of people and occasionally we become frustrated, discouraged or just too busy. And yet – none of this works if we don’t work together. One person can influence an entire organization. Influence can be positive or it can be disruptive. It happens so quickly and gets complicated in a hurry. That’s one reason the practice and reminder of gratitude are a priority. It helps us level set, to remember that there is always someone deserving of our kindness and appreciation. There is always something to be thankful for. 

There’s a song by The Alternate Routes called, Nothing More, that was created in support of Newtown Kindness, Newtown, CT shared below. (Newtown Kindness has been renamed the Charlotte Helen Bacon Foundation).  And perhaps the next time we find someone challenging or frustrating, we’ll remember that (like it or not) we are connected. How we treat each other makes a difference. May the words from their song nudge us to be a bit more kind. 

What DO we see and hear? Where DO we stand/sit? Do we transact or do we connect? What if our value was based solely on how we treat others? What sort of person are we?