By: Tracy Thompson
A few months ago, I was trying to unload a massive bench on Craigslist. I titled the listing: Life-Changing Bench For Sale. I was able to justify how life changing this bench would be in two ways.
- You currently don’t own this bench. When you buy the bench it will be a new addition to your life, thus life-changing.
- Assuming we have never met, you will meet me as we conduct this transaction. You don’t know me today but you will know me when you buy the bench. Again, your life has changed.
I went on to describe the other features of this truly ridiculous bench and essentially offered someone cash to take it out of my home and change my life. The bench didn’t sell. What did happen was I received an astounding number of emails from people telling me how the ad made them laugh, making that day at least a little better.
Two years ago I was at a conference and was invited to join some friends for dinner. Candidly, it has been a long day, I was tired and considering going back to my room to catch up on email. At the last minute, I said yes. Because I had not met everyone who was there that night, it ended up being a profoundly life-changing dinner. To think I almost declined.
Trade Show season is upon us. I was in Las Vegas last week and am on my way to Orlando for another conference. I have mixed feelings about this. I spend a lot of time in both cities and wish some of these events were held in other locations. I also know I will see many of the same people throughout the year. However, I remind myself that whether I go or not, it will change my life.
How so?
If I don’t attend, I might miss meeting someone but I will be still have a productive week doing other things. If I do attend, I might get invited to dinner and meet someone amazing. You never know.
Life happens. As people we are built from the fabric of every interaction we have and every person we meet, both good and bad. Some have a more profound impact than others, whether or not we realize it. We need to learn to cherish and embrace these opportunities and value them for making us better people.