Saturday, October 29, 2011

Commit to Holding the Door

I was on my way home. A bit discouraged to be honest. Not overwhelming sad or ready to throw in the towel. But not really "feeling it" if you know what I mean. I guess you could say I was in a funk.

Anyway, I was walking to the train. Had my headphones on as usual. Listening to music. Trying to put the day behind me. Perhaps some of you have been there. My music was up loud. I wasn't really looking at anything ... I think my head was down most of the time. Try as I may to forget, I was reliving my day: not any of the successes - and yes, there were quite a few. Just replaying over and over all the mistakes and mishaps. Where I went wrong. Things I could have done better. How I wasn't the teacher I wanted to be ... or, maybe even the teacher the kids needed me to be.

At any rate, there I was, moving along, heading for the train, down the stairs to the familiar doors.

But something rather unfamiliar happened. As I looked up, someone was holding the door for me. And I mean HOLDING THE DOOR. I wasn't really close. You know the gesture: you're practically on someone's heels and they push the door enough so it won't hit you in the face. No. This person was actually HOLDING the door. She had committed to making my life just a little easier by holding open the door for me. Even though she didn't have to.

I kid you not when I say it changed my life in that moment. Suddenly, I had an epiphany. Things really weren't so bad. I could see the successes, the achievements, the things I had done right. In that moment, I realized that it was the little things that truly mattered. You know: Rome wasn't build in a day, the journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step, etc., etc. Only this time, I really believed it.

In this one, small yet significant move, this total stranger ... who I'll probably never see again (and even if I did wouldn't know it) ... helped me see the light. Little things do make a BIG difference.

So, I challenge you: commit to holding the door. You never know who you might inspire.