The truest gift to receive is being part of changing a person's life in a positive and meaningful way.
Like an Oprah-esque level of change. Life changing. You know the ones: Where you’re sitting with a huge grin, tears pricking your eyes or shamelessly pouring down your cheeks as you watch someone who has lived through unimaginable challenges being given their dreams on a diamond crusted platinum platter.
It happened to me recently. Minus the budget. One of the roles I play is facilitator for (mostly) uneducated and unemployed women through certified courses to be more employable, and on this day one of the women burst into tears in the workshop...
Why?
Because this is the first time in her life she absolutely believes she can follow her dreams.
Because when she asked me during our lesson if I believed she had what it takes, and I said yes. Cue the healing tears bursting forth from her. Great big sobs. Which felt wonderful to behold knowing this lady is going from rock bottom to the opportunity of landing her dream job because I believe in her. I didn’t even need squillions of dollars to do it.
Before you ask, yes I got teary. As did the other learners in the class.
It had me thinking about the true power behind our words. It is humbling to be aware of this power, and even more so to watch this power in action. J.K Rowling herself has said: "Words are, in my not- so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic. Capable of both inflicting injury, and remedying it."
Abracadabra! The word used by magicians the world over to make magic happen, is Hebrew for “I create as I speak”. Books such as The Secret all deal with controlling the internal dialogue to manifest our desires, citing various rags-to-riches stories to prove these methods.
One word, spoken in love, has given a woman the confidence she needs after a series of hurt after hurt knocked her down. From being rejected by her mom at birth; to raising another woman's children as a child herself; watching these kids go to school while she has to stay home; and because she has no education told how dumb and useless she is... She is now shining from one little word. A single syllable!
Imagine if we all start using our words, the ones we use all the time to everyone daily, for good. At work, at home, with strangers, with kids, with adults, and possibly most importantly with ourselves.
Imagine a world filled with people who are able to follow their dreams and be passionate with it...
Imagine your children following their dreams and growing into happy adults, ready to change the world because they know they can. Children who grow into self-sufficient adults glowing with confidence…
Imagine the success of your company being built on upliftment and employee happiness. Not the stereotypical sitcom corporate "happy": real happy. A company filled with employees that love Monday morning's because it's work time. From your executives to the cleaning staff! Working as a perfect team, supportive, efficient. Everything runs smoothly because each employee is proud of who they are and the role they play in your company for the ultimate client experience...
It's as easy as the words you speak. Are you building and empowering with your words?
Or not?
Building needs to be done with proper compassion. With true interest in the individual.
The airy fairy hippy way. Remembering we are one.
Seeing every individual and purposefully seeking and growing their strengths. Looking for the uniqueness and the value this unique strength has for the individual and your company. The challenge is finding this gift. Giving every individual the opportunity to find their gift, and learn their value. What I can pretty much guarantee is making it a practice to find this gift in every individual in your company, then nurturing this gift and empowering this individual with this gift will create a loyalty to your company that cannot be bought.
The best part of all of this? I'm nobody. I'm just some girl, who after a series of unfortunate events has managed to find rock bottom. Seriously broke. Who was inspired today by a woman in a worse situation inspired by me... Using just one word.
It got me imagining a world of people being empowered by more powerful words. Words that cost thousands of rands a second to utter, being used to start a trend of mindfulness. Mindful of the power of those words to everyone they come into contact with. Choosing friendly and genuine over powerful and aloof.
If you think about it, this article in a nutshell covers most of the HR management techniques for staff retention and loyalty, increased revenue and profit, etc.
Just a lot simpler, and in my personal airy fairy executive summary mode.
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