My husband takes the number one spot of most influential teacher. He has taught me the power of positivity, the importance of acknowledging every person that steps into. your presence, the joy of music, the importance of understanding the people who hurt you, but most of all, the importance of being a listener.
Showing me the power of positivity was his first step of revealing himself to be the man I would eventually fall in love with. It was so simple. He asked me what I wanted in my career and after listening to everything I put forward, he asked me what would be the first step toward accomplishing everything I just shared. As I spoke, he turned my paragraph into a three word sentence and told me to write it on a post it note, and put it in the area of my office that I would look at first thing in the morning. He told me that the moment that it came true, I had to reevaluate my next step, and rewrite a new note, with my next objective. When I began writing these notes to myself I was the lowest secretary in the office. I rose to be a Regional Vice President, the number 2 person in the region of the company. I had a great salary, bonuses, expense accounts, etc. All owing to post-it notes that reaffirmed my objective every single day.
I have a dozen or so stories to tell about my husband, the man who makes my life a storybook adventure. Our family, our travels, etc. As lovely as all of that sounds, his best gift to me was to teach me how to be a listener.
Being a listener was the hardest. I didn’t have a lot of self esteem when we first met, so my listening skills were not at the top of my thoughts or objectives. Did I look okay? Was I smart enough? I was organizing conversations in my head striving to sound impressive, there was no room in my brain to listen.
Always my cheerleader, he chipped away at my low self esteem until I learned self acceptance, which quietly took care of my other insecurities. The listening part took somewhat longer. While I am not at his level, I have improved ten-fold. It was part of the post it note progress too.
He is my most influential teacher, and he teaches me still today…when I let him. I still have a stubborn streak, but I am glad I was smart enough to love him and accept his love in return.
Laboccadellaverita 