I have long loved to watch life move around me. I am more than a people watcher, though. I enjoy encouraging people in their various interests and watching the results. My favorite thing probably has to be seeing someone else enjoy their favorite thing.
In high school, I got known for picking election winners for club offices. It started out as a joke among a few friends. We went to a club at the end of the year to elect the next year's officers, and we realized that we could choose any office we each wanted if we simply voted in a group for each one. Because it was my idea, they made me president. I learned in that year, though, that I much preferred to pick a good president and let someone else do a good job. The next year, I chose the president of three clubs and all the officers for that same one. I felt like I did a good job picking good leaders for those groups, and I know I helped me friends accomplish some things they wanted for their resumes.
As time went on, I realized I had a talent for identifying talent. When I saw someone had a particular skill in a subject or field of work, I often encouraged them to develop it. That skill has helped me identify employees who will do well in given areas in my work life, too. I have not always been perfect in my selections, but I have a high success rate. I have hired several employees to fill roles that have done an excellent job, and my company has benefited from it.
I have another reason, a deeper reason, I love to identify and encourage the talents of others. When passion meets talent, very often new heights of ingenuity are achieved. Just as most people enjoy watching a great home run, an excellent touchdown pass, or a great shot from the top of the key in crunch time, I enjoy seeing what happens when desire blossoms into brilliance. People give off a radiance, an energy, whenever they discuss something they love to do or be a part of. I love to feel that glow and feed off of it. Most of all, I realize how competitive the world can be about anything. Whenever someone is brave enough to stand out, I know others would love to see failure, if only because it maintains the status quo and keeps anyone from getting ahead. For that reason, most of all, I love to help people identify their talents and passions and encourage them to go the distance. What a beautiful sight it is to behold when it happens, which is why it is my favorite thing to do.
--Robert
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5 comments:
This is lovely.
The first time I saw my husband in his own element--lobster fishing in the Florida Keys, for what it's worth--I felt like I saw a whole new and incredibly attractive part of him that I'd never have access to otherwise.
One of the things that first attracted me to my wife was her passion for encouraging others in anything. She loves to tell people how good they are. It goes hand in hand with my desire to identify talent. I was also impressed by her amazing love for music, which I have no talent in but a great appreciation for.
Ironically, one of my passions or talents, playing bridge, almost turned her off. She thought I was arrogant when I explained in one conversation that it was one of my greatest skills, and one of the few things I was better than most people at. Then she saw me play, and she realized I do not talk about how good I am while I play, but instead just take great joy in playing. And she saw I was being honest about my skill, not bragadocious. Now we love playing the game together.
I love watching people do well at thing. (I was going to say succeed, but I realized thatI was falling into my old trap. . . However, I love to see people light up.
Like the new look!
And I know what you mean about watching people who like to do what they are doing. I like to be with my husband when he works on his car because he enjoys it. I love watching my son play soccer because he just lights up when he does it. It's just fun to share in what people enjoy doing.
Thanks for the input. I just decided to brighten the place up a bit. I might touch it up more over time - my personal website has had several major overhauls in its eleven years - but for now I definitely like the change.
And thanks for the comments on today's post. I absolutely love watching people doing what they are passionate about and take joy in. It is, as you said, Melissa, the light in their eyes. It's infectious, to say the least.
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