It’s been tougher than I ever imagined.
My darling 9 month old daughter is a bear. Without going into the gory details, I’ll just sum it up this way – I love her dearly, but if she were our first, she’d be an only child.
This is what made what happened the other night all the more extraordinary.
As usual she wasn’t too thrilled with the prospect of going to bed. We went through our usual routine – reading books, putting on the fan for white noise, and turning off the lights. Before placing her in her crib, I took a minute to pat her back and sing to her to try to get her to relax a bit.
She was very tired so she put her head down on my shoulder, head facing away from me and settled down. All of a sudden she picked her head up, turned to me and planted a big, wet, sloppy kiss on my cheek. Then she turned right back around and plopped her head back on my shoulder.
I was stunned.
After 9 LONG months of seemingly endless crying, fussing, and screaming (and that’s just been me!) – it’s indescribable how this small gesture made me feel.
What her intentions were, I have no idea. But I took it as a sign of appreciation. A sign that although I’ve been having a tough time with her, clearly I’m doing something right. A sign that things will get better.
It gave me hope.
It’s tough starting and growing a business even in the best of economic times. And when it feels like you’re struggling on daily basis just to get by, it’s hard to notice and appreciate the small victories that you do achieve. It’s hard to realize that you are making a difference in people’s lives.
Then someone or something comes along and unexpectedly gives you a big ol’ wet, sloppy kiss.
Maybe it’s a big referral from someone you thought didn’t think much of your business.
Maybe it’s a glowing review on the Internet from a popular blogger or reporter in your niche.
Maybe it’s a private message of appreciation from a satisfied customer.
These unexpected gestures can make all the difference in the world.
They can reaffirm that your are headed in the right direction. They can give you the strength and determination to keep on going. They can reignite that feeling of hopefulness that can easily get lost in the day to day grind of running a business.
The Bigger Lesson – It is Better To Give Than Receive
My point, however, is not just to keep an eye out for, enjoy, and celebrate those big, wet, sloppy kisses when they come your way. Rather, it’s to think about how you can give them to customers, partners, associates, and others (and remember I’m talking metaphorically here when it comes to business – I don’t want to get blamed for any harassment lawsuits!).
When my daughter planted that big, wet, sloppy kiss on my cheek, I would have given her pretty much anything she wanted – a trip to Disney, a new car when she gets her driver’s license, ice sculptures at her wedding.
Because when you give people a special gift like that, it’ll make you feel good and the people you give to will want to pay it back many times over.
And if you can make enough people you touch feel that way – your success in business and life – is guaranteed.
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