#happyhighperformancehabits #passionateperformance #jencoaching
An Act of kindness and more importantly, HOW TO ACCEPT an act of KINDNESS.
What do you feel thankful for today? I felt thankful for an act of kindness from a stranger...to my very great surprise!
Yesterday I went to get my bike fixed after leaving the office. Both tyres required repairing. At the recommendation of the security lady in the office's building, I went to a shop in the street next to the place where I play badminton and it was the nearest place I could find that late in the day. And also it was raining!
I approached the mechanic and asked, "Could you help to fix both tyres and I can come back in 30 minutes after playing badminton?"
He greeted me with a smile and replied, "Sure!"
Thirty minutes later, I came back to get the bike so that I would be ready for a meeting later on. I found that he had finished fixing one tyre but I was in a hurry, so I asked him to let me pay for the work he had done so that I could take the bike.
He didn’t have change for my note of 200K VND (about $10 - the cost of fixing the bike was 50K VND).
He asked me to find somewhere near by to change the note but I saw that most shops were closed. (and I didn't feel like doing it anyway. Delete Ed.?) Suddenly, a young guy, about 20 years old, walked by as if he was returning from his shopping - he had a bag of snacks and fruit. I thought maybe he would have some small notes.
So I asked him, "Do you have any change for this 200K VND, I would really appreciate it? This man doesn’t have any change."
He smiled and opened his wallet to check the smaller notes but he couldn’t find enough to change my 200K. He then asked me how much I had to pay.
I said "50K VND."
But before I could do anything, the young guy had already given the mechanic 50K and then he left rapidly. I was surprised and tried to call him back.
"Hi, can you give me your number so I can pay you via bank transfer?"
And at that moment, I realized that I had almost ruined the meaning of his act of kindness!
I can hear the voice of my mentor now; that sometimes being able to accept the kindness of others is a great way to appreciate their kindness...otherwise you may ruin it.
I tried to slow myself down to say thanks to the guy as he left, but by then he was already far away.
I went home smiling, thinking that there are so many acts of kindness out there...the guy didn’t know that his small note could be with me for ever - making my night special because of his kindness. And he was a total stranger.
I told the story to my mentor afterwards and he laughed so much at how I almost killed the kindness of the guy by not being able to acknowledge it with my heart. Sometimes a simple, “Thank you” is a great way to acknowledge the kindness of others!
It is beautiful, isn't it? Being kind to others and being treated kindly and also being able to accept the kindness of others!
P/S: The following picture was taken at a grateful moment when I was in TEDx event. Grateful moments are around us if we take sometimes to observe and feel them!
