with all the hurting going on in the
world today how could I possibly make a
difference after all I’m only one guy
howdy how about you do you feel this way
do you believe that the world’s problems
are so big and you are so small that you
couldn’t possibly make a difference I’d
be lying to you if I said that I was
perfect
I would be lying to you if I said that I
didn’t struggle with this because I do I
see so many opportunities to make
someone’s day better but then I make
excuses talked myself out of doing
something and then walk right on by why
as I tell a few very personal stories
this morning I’m not here seeking
accolades or recognition
I’m simply here to remind us that even
the smallest act of kindness could make
a huge difference in another person’s
life and that there are an infinite
number of opportunities to make this
happen we just need to open our eyes
open our minds and open our hearts to
see the possibilities human effort can
make the world a better place let me
show you how it started as a normal
Sunday at church until after the service
the lady in front of me turned around
looked at me and said you have a
beautiful voice is she kidding me right
now there’s no way she’s talking to me
so I said who me she said yes you thank
you for sharing it with us today so I
hopped over the Pew shook her hand gave
her a big hug high-five
knuckle-touch no one had ever told me
that before now can anybody in the room
guess how that might have affected the
rest of my day mmm-hmm everywhere I went
everything I did I was singing I drove
my family nuts it was awesome
these few simple words inspired me to do
things that up until that day I had only
dreamed of I joined the music ministry
at church they even let me sing lead on
a song once but hey I did do it Mark
Twain said I can live for two months on
a good compliment folks I’ve been living
on that one for years one Friday morning
I was at home sitting at my dining room
table drinking a cup of coffee and
reading the newspaper
I remember the headlines husband and
wife
killed in motorcycle accident I read the
article
and I read their names and I didn’t
think another thing about it the rest of
the day or the rest of the weekend for
that matter Monday when I returned to my
office one of my co-workers came up to
me and he was emotional he said did you
hear what happened to our janitor
I said no tell me what happened well she
was killed in that motorcycle accident
last Thursday didn’t you see her name on
the front page of the paper this lady
had been taking out my trash keeping my
office clean smiled at me and was
friendly to me for a whole year and if
anybody in this room would have asked me
couldn’t have told you her name I was
always making excuses thinking I was too
busy to stand up walk over extend my
hand and say hello my name is Anthony
thank you for taking such good care of
my office I really appreciate all you do
for me
and she would have looked back at me and
smiled because she had a beautiful smile
and said hello Anthony my name is Diane
it’s nice to meet you so take the time
and make the time to lift people up and
get to know them every chance you get
because you may not get another I had
the privilege of being invited back here
on campus to be a speaker at one of my
old engineering seminar classes and I
was asked to share what I had learned in
my career since I had graduated and I
was going to do that by sharing my
stories of leadership and service once
the presentation started 50 minutes just
evaporated and I remember standing down
at the bottom of that big beautiful
lecture hall and I was looking up at the
students leaving and I questioned myself
I asked myself did you just say anything
that meant anything to anybody because I
don’t remember a word I said
the rest of the day went on it was a
awesome wonderful and beautiful
experience for me that was February if
you fast forward to July of the same
year
well I at the place where I work we were
getting ready for an audit yeah audits
never go away do they not in your
personal life or in your professional
life and the way we like to do it is we
make – we make a nice long receiving
line so we can cordially greet our
auditors and make them feel welcome you
know how to do it hi how you doing it’s
nice to meet you thank you for being
here gosh I hope you don’t find anything
I mean that so the process finished and
as I turned to go back around the room
and go sit back in my seat there was a
guy standing right there looking very
intently at me he said did you give a
maybe
it freaked me out he drew in closer he
said no I’m serious
did you give a presentation it takes us
a nm in February not just started
laughing I couldn’t believe it I said I
don’t even know you man I know we work
for the same company but how in the
world would you possibly know that he
said let me tell you something my son
was in that class and as soon as he got
out he picked up his phone and he called
me and he told me about you and I don’t
have a clue what you told him or you
told the class that day but I just want
you to know that you made an impact on
my son and for this I thank you you talk
about blowing away I didn’t have a clue
I influenced anybody in the room that
day so influence is like a ripple in the
water you never know how far it will go
or who it will touch my sister is a
teacher and she called me one day and
she asked if I would come and speak to
their group of eighth graders who were
going to retake the math taks
standardized test we all know that it’s
a big deal so she asked if I would come
in motivate and inspire them and lift
them up on a Friday so they would be
ready to go on the test for the test on
Monday so I said sure I would love to so
I did what I always do I started writing
and I started editing and I started
practicing and I was preparing to
deliver a championship message I was
going to knock their socks off I could
just see the headlines of the paper
local speaker motivates eighth graders
to new heights oh it’s gonna be awesome
the day finally arrived and as soon as I
started speaking as soon as I started
speaking
I could tell something just wasn’t quite
right there was a lot of commotion in
the room kids coming and going in door
slamming and right away I told myself I
just can’t wait to get finished 15
minutes later I went oh I’m so glad
that’s over with next thing you know my
sister’s coming up to me with the other
teachers high-fiving me and Pat me on
the back when all that was so good I
think they got a lot out of it I just
looked back at him and said where were
you didn’t you see that kid fall asleep
and follow off the bleachers then went
oh no no that was perfect what I didn’t
tell you was it my seventh-grade
daughter was in the room at the time she
had asked her aunt if she could listen
to dad so she sat in the back when the
bell rang I motioned over to and I said
let’s get out of here I just couldn’t
wait to get out of there fast I couldn’t
get out of there fast enough as we were
driving home I just couldn’t let it go I
was so frustrated I prepared so hard I
just man I was all worked up so finally
I just said how do you think that went
my family knows I’m a Toastmaster I want
some feedback so she gave me a great
evaluation she told me some things I did
well and some things that I could
improve on then she asked me how I
thought it went I said I was terrible
you were there couldn’t you see it
couldn’t you feel it I was out of sync
off kilter I didn’t connect with anybody
I just don’t think I made a difference
for anybody in the room today and that’s
what they asked me to do she was quiet
for a while she said dad I don’t know
what to tell you but all I can think
about is this do you remember when
you’re up at Texas A&M speaking to those
college students
that the last thing that you tell them
the last thing that you challenge them
with is that quote from Mother Teresa
if you can’t feed a thousand then feed
just one I said of course I remember
that quote that’s my all-time favorite
quote why are you thinking about that
right now she said do you remember that
one boy that came up to you after your
speech today he told you that he enjoyed
your speech so much that he wanted a
copy and you gave him the copy that you
had in your hand do you remember that
one boy dad yeah I remember him and then
she said well you made a difference for
him you talk about humbled for those of
you that don’t know I love everything
about what I’m doing here today
and every chance I get to speak I love
the practice in the prep and all that
goes in it and the opportunity to
deliver a great message and then I love
the applause and the high-fives and the
Pat’s on the back and the trophies and
the confetti fell falling from the sky I
love it all but on this day my daughter
reminded me that it’s not about me it’s
about making a difference for one person
at a time
mother Teresa also reminds us to do
small things with great love just think
of the opportunities are in front of us
every single day
a handwritten note to a family member to
a co-worker to a teammate stuck on their
locker on their car window on their
computer monitor saying you did a great
job today
I really enjoy working with you a kind
smile and an encouraging word to the
checker at Walmart when the line is a
mile long and the price won’t scan and
you’re in a hurry too all you have to do
is look up to smile and say it’s going
to be okay you’re doing a good job stop
in to help someone load something heavy
in the lowest parking lot holding the
door open for someone stopping to give
the only five bucks you have to a person
in need and then telling them you will
pray for them
an intentional smile hello with eye
contact to everyone we meet or how about
this when you ask someone how they’re
doing stop and really listen to what
they have to say instead of doing what I
do hi how are you doing thank you you
don’t even listen stop and listen to
what they have to say small things done
once upon a time there was a man he was
a good man man of faith always tried to
do the right thing kind carrying his
morning routine consisted I have a cup
of coffee in the newspaper on this
particular morning he sat down opened up
to the headlines and he started to read
and all he saw was bad stuff bad stuff
in his city bad stuff in the community
bad stuff in the surrounding counties
and the more he read the angrier he got
and
he couldn’t take it so he raised his
eyes to heaven and thought God why don’t
you do something then he flipped to the
senseless violence in our country
bickering and fighting in our government
a natural disaster every week people
living in poverty and he couldn’t take
it but this time he shook his fist at
heaven and said God why don’t you do
God just looked down smiled and said I
already did now I need you and you and
you and you to do something if not us
then who it is so easy to think that
someone else will do it if not now then
making a difference does not have to
come in a landslide victory it comes one
person at a time and all it takes is one
one person to care one commitment to act
one person with enough courage to toss
the pebble into the water and it doesn’t
matter how big the pebble is because the
pebble will start a ripple and the
ripple will start a wave and the wave
can move mountains now go be the one
feed just one thank you very much [Applause]
world today how could I possibly make a
difference after all I’m only one guy
howdy how about you do you feel this way
do you believe that the world’s problems
are so big and you are so small that you
couldn’t possibly make a difference I’d
be lying to you if I said that I was
perfect
I would be lying to you if I said that I
didn’t struggle with this because I do I
see so many opportunities to make
someone’s day better but then I make
excuses talked myself out of doing
something and then walk right on by why
as I tell a few very personal stories
this morning I’m not here seeking
accolades or recognition
I’m simply here to remind us that even
the smallest act of kindness could make
a huge difference in another person’s
life and that there are an infinite
number of opportunities to make this
happen we just need to open our eyes
open our minds and open our hearts to
see the possibilities human effort can
make the world a better place let me
show you how it started as a normal
Sunday at church until after the service
the lady in front of me turned around
looked at me and said you have a
beautiful voice is she kidding me right
now there’s no way she’s talking to me
so I said who me she said yes you thank
you for sharing it with us today so I
hopped over the Pew shook her hand gave
her a big hug high-five
knuckle-touch no one had ever told me
that before now can anybody in the room
guess how that might have affected the
rest of my day mmm-hmm everywhere I went
everything I did I was singing I drove
my family nuts it was awesome
these few simple words inspired me to do
things that up until that day I had only
dreamed of I joined the music ministry
at church they even let me sing lead on
a song once but hey I did do it Mark
Twain said I can live for two months on
a good compliment folks I’ve been living
on that one for years one Friday morning
I was at home sitting at my dining room
table drinking a cup of coffee and
reading the newspaper
I remember the headlines husband and
wife
killed in motorcycle accident I read the
article
and I read their names and I didn’t
think another thing about it the rest of
the day or the rest of the weekend for
that matter Monday when I returned to my
office one of my co-workers came up to
me and he was emotional he said did you
hear what happened to our janitor
I said no tell me what happened well she
was killed in that motorcycle accident
last Thursday didn’t you see her name on
the front page of the paper this lady
had been taking out my trash keeping my
office clean smiled at me and was
friendly to me for a whole year and if
anybody in this room would have asked me
couldn’t have told you her name I was
always making excuses thinking I was too
busy to stand up walk over extend my
hand and say hello my name is Anthony
thank you for taking such good care of
my office I really appreciate all you do
for me
and she would have looked back at me and
smiled because she had a beautiful smile
and said hello Anthony my name is Diane
it’s nice to meet you so take the time
and make the time to lift people up and
get to know them every chance you get
because you may not get another I had
the privilege of being invited back here
on campus to be a speaker at one of my
old engineering seminar classes and I
was asked to share what I had learned in
my career since I had graduated and I
was going to do that by sharing my
stories of leadership and service once
the presentation started 50 minutes just
evaporated and I remember standing down
at the bottom of that big beautiful
lecture hall and I was looking up at the
students leaving and I questioned myself
I asked myself did you just say anything
that meant anything to anybody because I
don’t remember a word I said
the rest of the day went on it was a
awesome wonderful and beautiful
experience for me that was February if
you fast forward to July of the same
year
well I at the place where I work we were
getting ready for an audit yeah audits
never go away do they not in your
personal life or in your professional
life and the way we like to do it is we
make – we make a nice long receiving
line so we can cordially greet our
auditors and make them feel welcome you
know how to do it hi how you doing it’s
nice to meet you thank you for being
here gosh I hope you don’t find anything
I mean that so the process finished and
as I turned to go back around the room
and go sit back in my seat there was a
guy standing right there looking very
intently at me he said did you give a
maybe
it freaked me out he drew in closer he
said no I’m serious
did you give a presentation it takes us
a nm in February not just started
laughing I couldn’t believe it I said I
don’t even know you man I know we work
for the same company but how in the
world would you possibly know that he
said let me tell you something my son
was in that class and as soon as he got
out he picked up his phone and he called
me and he told me about you and I don’t
have a clue what you told him or you
told the class that day but I just want
you to know that you made an impact on
my son and for this I thank you you talk
about blowing away I didn’t have a clue
I influenced anybody in the room that
day so influence is like a ripple in the
water you never know how far it will go
or who it will touch my sister is a
teacher and she called me one day and
she asked if I would come and speak to
their group of eighth graders who were
going to retake the math taks
standardized test we all know that it’s
a big deal so she asked if I would come
in motivate and inspire them and lift
them up on a Friday so they would be
ready to go on the test for the test on
Monday so I said sure I would love to so
I did what I always do I started writing
and I started editing and I started
practicing and I was preparing to
deliver a championship message I was
going to knock their socks off I could
just see the headlines of the paper
local speaker motivates eighth graders
to new heights oh it’s gonna be awesome
the day finally arrived and as soon as I
started speaking as soon as I started
speaking
I could tell something just wasn’t quite
right there was a lot of commotion in
the room kids coming and going in door
slamming and right away I told myself I
just can’t wait to get finished 15
minutes later I went oh I’m so glad
that’s over with next thing you know my
sister’s coming up to me with the other
teachers high-fiving me and Pat me on
the back when all that was so good I
think they got a lot out of it I just
looked back at him and said where were
you didn’t you see that kid fall asleep
and follow off the bleachers then went
oh no no that was perfect what I didn’t
tell you was it my seventh-grade
daughter was in the room at the time she
had asked her aunt if she could listen
to dad so she sat in the back when the
bell rang I motioned over to and I said
let’s get out of here I just couldn’t
wait to get out of there fast I couldn’t
get out of there fast enough as we were
driving home I just couldn’t let it go I
was so frustrated I prepared so hard I
just man I was all worked up so finally
I just said how do you think that went
my family knows I’m a Toastmaster I want
some feedback so she gave me a great
evaluation she told me some things I did
well and some things that I could
improve on then she asked me how I
thought it went I said I was terrible
you were there couldn’t you see it
couldn’t you feel it I was out of sync
off kilter I didn’t connect with anybody
I just don’t think I made a difference
for anybody in the room today and that’s
what they asked me to do she was quiet
for a while she said dad I don’t know
what to tell you but all I can think
about is this do you remember when
you’re up at Texas A&M speaking to those
college students
that the last thing that you tell them
the last thing that you challenge them
with is that quote from Mother Teresa
if you can’t feed a thousand then feed
just one I said of course I remember
that quote that’s my all-time favorite
quote why are you thinking about that
right now she said do you remember that
one boy that came up to you after your
speech today he told you that he enjoyed
your speech so much that he wanted a
copy and you gave him the copy that you
had in your hand do you remember that
one boy dad yeah I remember him and then
she said well you made a difference for
him you talk about humbled for those of
you that don’t know I love everything
about what I’m doing here today
and every chance I get to speak I love
the practice in the prep and all that
goes in it and the opportunity to
deliver a great message and then I love
the applause and the high-fives and the
Pat’s on the back and the trophies and
the confetti fell falling from the sky I
love it all but on this day my daughter
reminded me that it’s not about me it’s
about making a difference for one person
at a time
mother Teresa also reminds us to do
small things with great love just think
of the opportunities are in front of us
every single day
a handwritten note to a family member to
a co-worker to a teammate stuck on their
locker on their car window on their
computer monitor saying you did a great
job today
I really enjoy working with you a kind
smile and an encouraging word to the
checker at Walmart when the line is a
mile long and the price won’t scan and
you’re in a hurry too all you have to do
is look up to smile and say it’s going
to be okay you’re doing a good job stop
in to help someone load something heavy
in the lowest parking lot holding the
door open for someone stopping to give
the only five bucks you have to a person
in need and then telling them you will
pray for them
an intentional smile hello with eye
contact to everyone we meet or how about
this when you ask someone how they’re
doing stop and really listen to what
they have to say instead of doing what I
do hi how are you doing thank you you
don’t even listen stop and listen to
what they have to say small things done
once upon a time there was a man he was
a good man man of faith always tried to
do the right thing kind carrying his
morning routine consisted I have a cup
of coffee in the newspaper on this
particular morning he sat down opened up
to the headlines and he started to read
and all he saw was bad stuff bad stuff
in his city bad stuff in the community
bad stuff in the surrounding counties
and the more he read the angrier he got
and
he couldn’t take it so he raised his
eyes to heaven and thought God why don’t
you do something then he flipped to the
senseless violence in our country
bickering and fighting in our government
a natural disaster every week people
living in poverty and he couldn’t take
it but this time he shook his fist at
heaven and said God why don’t you do
God just looked down smiled and said I
already did now I need you and you and
you and you to do something if not us
then who it is so easy to think that
someone else will do it if not now then
making a difference does not have to
come in a landslide victory it comes one
person at a time and all it takes is one
one person to care one commitment to act
one person with enough courage to toss
the pebble into the water and it doesn’t
matter how big the pebble is because the
pebble will start a ripple and the
ripple will start a wave and the wave
can move mountains now go be the one
feed just one thank you very much [Applause]
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