Last year I shared with you the story of Matt, the video programmer who quit his job to travel around the world with his funky dance. Matt now travels the world for Stride Gum connecting people through dance. This year, I share with you Juan. Juan had been living in London when his world turned upside down and he had to go home to Sydney. In his words, going home “now meant no one to welcome me back, no place to call home. I was a tourist in my hometown.”
As he stood in airport, he watched the other passengers meeting their waiting friends and family, with open arms and smiling faces, hugging and laughing together, he wanted someone out there to be waiting for him. He wanted someone to “be happy to see me. To smile at me. To hug me.” He did what many of us would not have. He got some cardboard and a marker and made a sign. He then found the busiest pedestrian intersection in the city and held that sign. It read "Free Hugs" on both sides.
For 15 minutes, people just stared right through him. The first person who stopped, tapped him on the shoulder and told him how her dog had just died that morning. How that morning had been the one year anniversary of her only daughter dying in a car accident. How what she needed now, when she felt most alone in the world, was a hug. Juan got down on one knee, put his arms around her and the sad, depressed woman left smiling.
To my knowledge, the only thing that Matt and Juan have in common is the choice they made to take a bad situation and make it better by making others feel good. Matt’s goal was to make people smile with his dance. Juan’s was personal connection and his instrument was two arms and caring heart.
Choice is a powerful thing. Choice is a catalyst for change. Choice can lead people to greatness or it can lead individuals to wallow in despair. Think about all the choices you make each and every day. Now, think about if they are getting you closer to your dreams or pushing you farther from them. A little deeper, who is making your choices? Are you or have you given the power of choice to others to make on your behalf?
The goodness about choice is that we all have it and are accountable to ourselves on how we use it. I am not encouraging anyone to quit their jobs (no matter how good you dance) or give away free hugs. But....what if this week, you made the choice to listen and connect?
· Stop, turn, and really listen to a neighbor or when they ask “how are you?” authentically respond versus saying “fine”.
· Reach across the organization to someone not at your location and find out what they are working on.
· Deflect credit to the individuals who actually did the work instead of choosing to take personal credit for it.
· Roll up your sleeves and pitch in when the going gets tough instead of choosing to get frustrated and complain.
· And yes..... even choosing to have a great day when you would rather wallow in self pity.
Listen to the world. Listen to yourself. After today, how will you use the power of choice to make a difference in your life? In our workplace? In our world?
Thanks for letting me share.
~Stacy
References
Story and Photo of Juan Mann owned by © 2009 Free Hugs Campaign. Information about Free Hugs Campaign accessible at: http://freehugscampaign.org/
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