What’s Holding You Back?

Charlottesville

December 12, 2021

Recently I have come to realize a transformation I have made. It started before I began my walkabout but going to Paris has taken it to a higher level.

The transformation has been from a bottler and brooder, from someone who got stuck in my own head to someone who articulates my thoughts and feelings and who is not afraid to put myself out there (more of the time). Not only has it liberated me but but it made me more curious about others. I challenge my assumptions and I want to explore what’s below the surface of the iceberg that we all are. Most importantly, my journey is not about me - it is about those I interact with explicitly and implicitly.

With that in mind, I came across the following discussion today. Very poignant.

There are two doors that open any room—‘Please,’ and ‘Thank you.’” How simple, but how profound—always, and especially at this time of year. They are investments in others: I see you. I value you. You matter. You make a difference.

Don’t underestimate the simple, yet profound power of our greetings of grace—whatever form they take. Some are paper and ink. Others are kind words of appreciation—said personally or sent digitally. And if ever there was a time to convey them, this is it. Here are some thoughts:

• The gift we’ll never return. No doubt we’ve all had this experience, especially at this time of year. We give someone a gift and wait anxiously for the wrapping paper to be removed and the box opened. Suddenly, we’re having second thoughts about what had seemed like such a good idea…. Nervous and a little uncertain, and even to hedge our bets, we lean over and whisper when no one else is listening, “If you don’t like it, there’s a gift receipt at the bottom if you want to take it back.” Not so with a heartfelt greeting that conveys how much we appreciate others. These sincere expressions are the gifts that no one will return.
  

• Hope 2.0. A few days ago, while out walking my dog, Charlie, I spied a message emblazoned on a light pole along a walking path. In yellow chalk, someone had written in large letters, “Empathy is humanity’s only hope.” I seriously did a double take. Here was the last thing I expected to read. Immediately, I was taken back to another time—and another message. It was surreal. Twenty months ago, at the beginning of the pandemic lockdown, I had been walking with Charlie, just steps away from this light pole, when I came across childish handwriting scrawled on a stretch of pavement: “Everything will be OK.” It simply conveyed a promise of hope. Now, this new message provided further context and texture for this time of year. Maybe it’s Hope 2.0—and it’s our gift that we can give to others.

• Our guiding light. A few years ago, my family and I went stargazing in a remote location. Without city lights to obscure our view, every tiny dot of brilliance shone crystal clear. As we looked through a telescope, we were awestruck by the countless stars and swirls of the Milky Way. In that moment, we felt connected to something bigger than ourselves. Today, we all need this same cosmic shift in perspective. We need to look for the glimmers of hope around us that, together, converge into a beacon of possibilities.

There is a greeting in all of us, waiting to be sent. And if we’re willing to look, we can find recipients everywhere—our families and friends, colleagues and clients. Indeed, it’s our greeting of grace—conveying joy, hope, love, and gratitude.