I felt this idea was so powerful that I wanted to come up with ways to uplift people in every way that I could throughout the day.  So, I set up an experiment for myself to see how quickly I could sincerely accomplish that task.  I found ways that I knew I would only see people for a moment at a time.

There is an elevator at work...you know...the place everybody stands like a stick and forgets how to talk or even breathe!  I created my own "elevator process".  I only ride two floors so it's literally the time it takes for people to get in, the doors to close, and go one floor.  I found that if I saw what was fabulous about someone and stated it to them, it made a huge difference in their immediate countenance.  They stood a little taller, they smiled, they responded, and if I ran into them again, they remembered me.

One day a group of business men (who were dressed like they had been in a very important meeting) were already in the elevator from a floor above me.  There was a bank on my floor and they had the elevator door held open and were talking for a second as their boss was getting off at the banking floor.  I heard the boss say these words, "I know that it all sounded like a brilliant plan, but I just don't have that kind of worth!"  Then he got off the elevator shaking his head and walked into the bank leaving his younger executives in the elevator in silence. 

There I stood in my jeans and winter sweater and I looked at them and said, "Wow, that was painful to hear!"  One of the executives looked at me and said, "What to you mean?"  I said, "I have that kind of worth!"  They looked at me stunned and as I left the elevator, I looked back at them and said, "I don't have the cash, gentlemen, but I'm definitely WORTH it." 

Now, I know the boss was talking about "worth" in a financial sense.  But his use of that particular word made me realize his lack of self-confidence.  The executives stood there and nodded their heads.  As I walked away to my car I heard one of them say to another, "Now that's exactly the attitude we need in our firm."

Two weeks later I was getting off the elevator and one of those gentlemen was loading up his car with his personal possessions.  As I walked by, he stopped me and said, "Hey, you're elevator girl, huh?"  I chuckled and knew exactly what he meant.  I said, "I suppose I am."  He said, "I'm so glad I saw you again.  I really heard the message you were giving and I realized that what was lacking in my life was an environment of positive attitudes.  So, I'm starting my own firm where attitude is the most important part.  Two of my colleagues are coming with me.  Thank you for saying what you did."

I would love to hear from you, moments that changed your life, moments when you did something profound that changed the lives of another, and ideas of other places and ways to take this attitude to the world.

I am in the very beginning this program, and I am becoming very aware of how much power I have given to other people to mold me into what they wanted me to be...rather than just being me. 

I have made entire careers out of doing things that my parents suggested, rather than doing what I really wanted to do.

I have not gone forward with things I wanted because it didn't fit into the pictures of other people I was involved with or surrounded by.

I have put my goals on hold to help others reach theirs, knowing they would be so grateful that when theirs was attained, they would then do the same for me.  Yeah, right!

I think my concerns were that I would lose my friends/relationships, etc. if I didn't do things exactly that way.  If I gave someone the generosity of letting them be first, they would see that my goals were met, too.

I'm happy to say that those ridiculous patterns are going away.  I'm finding myself pushing forward in my own directions, and finding healthier, happier friends along the path.  I am no longer afraid to speak my truth and am confident that all that will happen if I continue to do so, is that I will attract people with similar interests. 

I've been in the inner-work arena for many years now, and I'm grateful for this first week of Tools because this gives me a way to really look at my own status...in writing...my writing; And hopefully meet some kind truth-seekers along the way.