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         Do you comprehend the impact you make on the lives of your students?

Sometimes I need to be reminded why I took on a career in education. A few weeks ago, maybe longer I received a messenger that took me by surprise. I have been in education now for almost 25 years. There were many highs and lows. The recent message I received was from a former student who was in my classroom 20 years ago. Long story short, he told me I was his favorite teacher. His reason, I bought him a simple little notebook. You see, his family could only afford to purchase one yearbook, so he let his twin sister get it and he would do without. I allowed students to go around and have friends sign their yearbooks on the last few days of school, and knowing he did not get one, I bought him and others a simple notebook.

We never know our impact on the lives of our students. What we see as an insignificant act can become meaningful through the eyes of our kids. I was reminded of this recently as I listened to the presenters at a conference I attended. The one constant was that these reminders come long after the actual experience. We all strive to be great human beings for our family, friends, and co-workers. We interact with so many individuals each day that we are completely clueless how we make them feel. Are we the light in their day, or are we the reason they go home mad and frustrated? My hope is that I am the reason they smiled today. I also wish I can somehow keep track of these positive experiences for my own sense of completeness. I was on cloud nine after hearing from the former student, and I completely forgot that I even did anything. It was a great reminder of the good I do.

How can we remind ourselves of these acts of kindness and those that others do for us? We do not keep score of all our good deeds. That seems ridiculous, or is it? I know of people who use a gratitude journal. As I thought of how one could track these moments, a gratitude journal seemed like a logical process. We could share when someone is kind to us and share how grateful we are to have opportunities to be kind to others. Capturing moments such as these are important for our emotional well-being. It does our heart good when someone is kind to us. Our lives are even more enriched when we do kind things for others. The world will be a great place if everyone went out of their way to show kindness and compassion towards people we interact with. Start with the people we know best, but then extend those acts to the people you do not know.

Believe in yourself and be the reason someone smiles today. If you are not that person, choose some intentional act you can perform each day to show kindness towards others. A simple act can eventually grow into a lifetime of positive acts. When we choose to act with kindness and compassion, we are not helping just the people we encounter, we are also helping ourselves become healthier individuals, mentally and emotionally.

         Who has shown kindness towards you? Tell that person you appreciate their kindness.

         Consider keeping a gratitude journal.

         What simple acts can you do each day that demonstrate kindness?

         How will you choose to make someone smile today?

I share this post not to share how kind I am. I know, I am not the reason everyone smiles. I am not so caught up in myself to say that I do everything right. I surely do not! I wanted to share this post because it made me feel whole and showed that I can make a positive impact on the world. I hope you have a moment like mine, where someone shares how you brought positivity and light to their life. Please leave a comment below. Have a great week and thanks for checking out this week’s post.

Steven C. Bucks-Leading Conversations