Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I received this today and felt compelled to pass it along! We can all learn something here!
"Who I Am Makes A Difference"
A teacher in New York decided to honor each of her seniors in High
School by telling them the difference each of them had made. She
called each student to the front of the class, one at a time.
First, she told each of them how they had made a difference to her, and
the class. Then she presented each of them with a blue ribbon, imprinted
with gold letters, which read, "Who I Am Makes a Difference."
Afterwards, the teacher decided to do a class project, to see what kind
of impact recognition would have on a community. She gave each of the
students three more blue ribbons, and instructed them to go out and
spread this acknowledgment ceremony. Then they were to follow up on the
results, see who honored whom, and report to the class in about a week.
One of the boys in the class went to a junior executive in a nearby
company, and honored him for helping him with his career planning. He
gave him a blue ribbon, and put it on his shirt. Then he gave him two
extra ribbons and said, "We*re doing a class project on recognition, and
we*d like for you to go out, find somebody to honor, give them a blue
ribbon, then give them the extra blue ribbon so they can acknowledge a
third person, to keep this acknowledgment ceremony going. Then please
report back to me and tell me what happened."
Later that day, the junior executive went in to see his boss, who had
been noted, by the way, as being kind of a grouchy fellow. He sat his
boss down, and he told him that he deeply admired him for being a
creative genius. The boss seemed very surprised. The junior executive
asked him if he would accept the gift of the blue ribbon, and would he
give him permission to put it on him.
His surprised boss said, "Well, sure." The junior executive took the
blue ribbon and placed it right on his boss*s jacket, above his heart.
As he gave him the last extra ribbon, he said, "Would you take this
extra ribbon, and pass it on by honoring somebody else. The young boy
who first gave me the ribbons is doing a project in school, and we want
to keep this recognition ceremony going and find out how it affects
people."
That night, the boss came home to his 14-year-old son, and sat him down.
He said, "The most incredible thing happened to me today. I was in my
office, and one of the junior executives came in and told me he
admired me, and gave me a blue ribbon for being a creative
genius. Imagine! He thinks I am a creative genius! Then he put a blue
ribbon that says, "Who I Am Makes a Difference", on my jacket above
my heart. He gave me an extra ribbon and asked me to find somebody else
to honor.
As I was driving home tonight, I started thinking about whom I would
honor with this ribbon, and I thought about you. I want to honor you.
My days are hectic and when I come home, I do not pay a lot of
attention to you. Sometimes I scream at you for not getting good
enough grades in school, and for your bedroom being a mess. Somehow,
tonight, I just wanted to sit here and, well, just let you know that
you do make a difference to me. Besides your mother, you are the
most important person in my life. You*re a great kid, and I love
you!"
The startled boy started to sob and sob, and he could not stop
crying. His whole body shook. He looked up at his father and said
through his tears, "Dad, earlier tonight I sat in my room and wrote a
letter to you and Mom, explaining why I had taken my own life, and I
asked you to forgive me. I was going to commit suicide tonight after
you were asleep. I just did not think that you cared at all. The letter
is upstairs. I don*t think I need it after all."
His father walked upstairs and found a heartfelt letter full of anguish
and pain.
The boss went back to work a changed man. He was no longer a grouch,
but made sure to let all of his employees know that they made a
difference.
The junior executive helped other young people with career planning,
and never forgot to let them know that they made a difference in his
life...one being the boss* son. In addition, the young boy and his
classmates learned a valuable lesson, "Who you are DOES make a
difference".
You are under no obligation to pass this on to anyone.... not to two
people, or to two hundred. As far as I am concerned, you can forget it
and move on. On the other hand, if you want, you could send it to all of
the people who mean something to you, or send it to the one, two, or
three people who mean the most.
On the other hand, just smile and know that I think that you are
important, or you would not have received this in the first place.
Who you are does make a difference, and I wanted you to know that.
Isn*t this a wonderful story? I*m passing the blue ribbon to you, for
who YOU are does make a difference, too. May GOD BLESS YOU. Have an
awesome day, and know that someone has thought about you today
I don't even know if that 's a real story but if it's not it, it definitely could be.
Wow, the power of affirmation of those we love and admire is not to be underestimated. We all need it from time to time. Don't take those you love in your life for granted, and don't take it for granted that they know how you feel.
Earlier tonight, well this afternoon actually, this subject came up in our house. It is truly amazing how one person cannot know the impact he/she has on another unless the other person explains it.
What if the greatest impact on your life or career was overcoming someone who was an obstacle? It could be a bad boss, an abusive parent, an ignorant teacher, who knows. You could argue that overcoming them made you stronger and a better person today. Should they get a ribbon, too?
What if the greatest impact on your life or career was overcoming someone who was an obstacle? It could be a bad boss, an abusive parent, an ignorant teacher, who knows. You could argue that overcoming them made you stronger and a better person today. Should they get a ribbon, too?
While I understand what you're saying here, this isn't about "Me" or "myself" or "I". This is about how we interact with others. This is about just saying that one small thing or giving that one sincere smile to make a difference in someone else's life...not ours!
While what you're saying could be very important, and very well COULD be the greatest impact on one's life, that shouldn't be enough to define who you are. These things make us stronger as a person, but in no way should define us IMO. How we treat others and show appreciation and love to others is far more defining than obstacles we have overcome. I am in no way minimizing being abused or anything of the sort...I am merely pointing out that if we use overcoming abuse to define our lives, we are still being entrapped by the abuser! The abuser has still won by still being a part of our life!
Instead, we need to let it go! We need to let go of "what happened to me" and move beyond that and see "what we can do for others".
Now, you could totally reverse your statement around and think of it this way:
I think it would be ribbon worthy of someone else giving you the ribbon for being a positive influence by overcoming such an obstacle!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
