Do you remember those things you mother always said to you? Do you also remember when you realized those things she said were meaningful to life? One of the things my mother used to always say was, "Always leave a place better than you found it". She was referring to cleanliness. She taught me when I stayed at someone's house, before leaving I should put clean sheets on the bed, empty the trash and make sure the rooms I used (including the bathroom) looked better than when I arrived. I value this lesson and still live into it.
It is a joy for many reasons to have my parents visit us, but one of those reasons is because my mom lives into this advice she gave me as I was growing up. As I have gotten older, I realize there are other meanings to the saying, "leave a place better than you found it.” As a leader, I hope each place I go, and each person I talk to feels like they are in a better place afterward. A better place can be:
- A word of encouragement or inspiration
- A challenge to think differently
- A newly-found confidence that something can be accomplished
- An understanding that was not there before
- A deeper awareness of oneself....