7/17/10 A Lesson From a Teacher

Do you have people who know you and support you completely? Besides your spouse/significant other (and no, your parents don't count either)? We all need at least one someone like that in our life. My siblings are that for me...if I said 'I need you.' any of them would come.

I received a little gift I want to share with you as there are lessons here for us all...and they came from a Teacher...let me tell you about my middle sister. She's one of the best people I know. Seriously. She's one of those people who has touched so many people's lives (she's an elementary teacher), I know sometimes she hears that from them, but I wish she could hear all the good that she's done for each person. She's one of those people that gives selflessly. My Mom is another one of the best people I know...remember we dubbed her Saint *Name*...and this she is like her in all the best parts, which is a high compliment indeed.

Having 4 siblings growing up in a kind of crazy environment and her being three years younger, we didn't get that close until we were grown. Usually she's so busy with her four boys and work that we don't get a lot of time to talk during the school year. We spend more time together during the summers and I miss doing vacations together as our kids have gotten older and busier.

She had a tough period this year, not with teaching or her current job, but with some office politics/people that were incompetent, that effected some new things she wanted to get involved in that everyone thought she greatly deserved (that were also selfless), but didn't happen for her...yet (you know it's coming Sis). I can tell you out of her trials and tribulations, once again, she has effected others in a great way...she's effected changed in her organization that is already helping others and will continue to grow (and most that are helped will never know that she made that change that helped them, but now we all know!).

I tried to be there for her as a sounding board through all the ups and downs (they put her through the wringer for a long time) as she couldn't do this with her co-workers/friends much. I'm so proud of her as there were so many times that she had the opportunity to give up, or just decide not continue to the next step, and she never did that.

Here's my sister in a nutshell. She slips a present in my luggage when I came back home after my last visit a few weeks ago. My DH noticed it and told me on the way home, but I didn't get a chance to sit down and read it until about a week ago. I'm sure she's wondering why I haven't mentioned it yet or thanked her, but I wanted to really take the time to think and thank her properly...it was one of those rare gifts that blew me away. Seriously. My DH knows me very well and if he had picked this item up even he would have never thought that it would mean so much to me. I want to share with you what it was because there are lessons in this for all of us...I know it's a long post, but hang in there and you'll learn some things...hopefully some that will apply to your Band journey.

...it was...

...a little tiny book...

...Rules of the Red Rubber Ball

The book has a wrap around the cover that reads "An adults version of Dr. Seuss's Oh, The Places You'll Go! - a pocket-size guide to finding your way in life" -Newsweek

OK, right there I started to freak out. I'm sure I never told my sister that one of the gifts that I gave a few people in my life in the work world that I really admired (usually when they got a promotion) was that very Dr. Suess book...I'm crazy that way (take any life situation and I can find you a line from a Dr. Suess book that applies to it...I swear it's true). In fact, I had planned and was looking forward to when the her work stuff worked out in her favor to sending her a bouquet and that favorite Dr. Suess book, and get this...

I. Already. Bought. It!

How much of a coincidence is that?! D*mn, yes now I realize, a good sis would have sent it anyway...my thought was that it might rub salt in the wound since it didn't happen for her (yet, Sis), but I now realize the time you need to get inspiration from your cheerleaders most is when it's not happening for you, that's why she's the good one...she realized that...yes I'll do it...NOW.

I started to read the little book...Sis added a note thanking me, and telling me she saw this book and thought of me and congratulated me on the WL. The book is set up very creatively like a children's book (even fold out pages, etc.)...OK, creative is my thing...I read on. The author discusses his love of sports as his passion and how it has led to different jobs along the way that he's loved and how work has always felt more like 'play' (yes, he played soccer for awhile, but then the jobs were as an athletic trainer, then he worked for Nike, and now is a corporate consultant and speaker). OK, we've all heard that we should follow our 'passion', right? Not always as easy as it sounds; if you're interested in figuring out yours, read on, or you can skip to the 'Band/your journey' part below.

Then he asks you to figure out what your passion is...hmm...this was easy for me because I'd already done the work long ago to figure it out. For most people it's not as easy as 'sports'...I'd suggest you trace back through your jobs and think about them hard...even in a job you hated, was there a eensy bitty piece of it that you enjoyed? How about in a job you loved, what specifically did you love doing? Could you state it in just a few words? DH and I have had this discussion over the years and I think I've shared before that his is 'Finding Things'...he's great at it and he loves it...it's been a thread through many of his jobs and in his current one he's the one that pulled together several elements and businesses across the world to help form their current business in the company...it wouldn't have happened without him (and don't get me started on the collections in our house he's 'found'...even with some of my collections, he's the one that does most of the 'finding').

It's funny to me now to tell you that I've shared this in detail near the beginning of the book...My passion is 'Creative Change'...tracing back through my jobs and volunteer work, this is the piece I love...even in jobs that didn't require this I was always a 'change agent'...I just can't help it...I see things differently than others and it drives me nuts until I 'fix things' for the better, whether that be; people that need to be moved in more appropriate jobs (underutilized or in the wrong job), better utilization of tools, or changing how we do things. In my last job figuring out my passion, and having others around me start to see me as a 'Change Agent' led to some wonderful things for me...little things like I was allowed to attend a small group in the company (all about creativity) which brought in guest speakers now and then to talk about creativity and I brought pieces to share back to my group. Later, I was selected, after a long process of applications and interviews along with one other person to lead a team of people to set up a few days for everyone in our department (thousands of people in a Fortune 500) where the focus was 'change' and how we can improve processes and interactions in processes. Then I finally got my 'dream job'...the company started and hand picked an elite group of 100 people across all departments to set out to effect change in business processes, both internally and with customers who wanted our help. My job was all about my passion; 'Creative Change'.

Then the author started to make me think as he talked about not losing sight of your 'red rubber ball' and that you need 'courage, strength, and imagination' to follow your passion...hmm...this got me thinking about where I am with the book...am I'm trying to effect 'Creative Change'? Did I see a need in a process that needs to change? Well, yeah...I'm trying to do the book because our Doc's don't give us all the information because they're not banded...I'm trying to do it to help people along in their journey with information that would have/did-from others, help me. So back to those three words 'courage, strength, and imagination'. That's just what I need right now; 'courage, strength, and imagination'.

*Portion of Post Deleted for Lap Band Book

Now please thank my Middle Sis (not me) for the lesson (someday she may see this...I love you Sis)!