I just wanted to share with you a message that one of out speaker gave us. The speaker was actually our Senior Vice President of Human Resources. He is one of the best speakers that I have ever heard. After hearing any of his presentations; you feel like you can go out and change the world. His message this time was "It starts with me"
Everyone has heard that if you want to make a change you have to look at yourself first. This is very true in both personal and business. He talked about if you want to change the way you act you have to first change the way that you think. You can't expect to keep speaking negative self-talk to yourself and improved. He also talked about ways to help to implement the change.
He then read a poem called "The Dash" by Linda Ellis. I had never heard this poem before but there are a few things that really stood out for me:
The Dash Poem, by Linda Ellis
I read of a man who stood to speak
At the funeral of a friend
He referred to the dates on her tombstone
From the beginning to the end
He noted that first came the date of her birth
And spoke the following date with tears,
But he said what mattered most of all
Was the dash between those years
For that dash represents all the time
That she spent alive on earth.
And now only those who loved her
Know what that little line is worth.
For it matters not how much we own;
The cars, the house, the cash,
What matters is how we live and love
And how we spend our dash.
So think about this long and hard.
Are there things you’d like to change?
For you never know how much time is left,
That can still be rearranged.
If we could just slow down enough
To consider what’s true and real
And always try to understand
The way other people feel.
And be less quick to anger,
And show appreciation more
And love the people in our lives
Like we’ve never loved before.
If we treat each other with respect,
And more often wear a smile
Remembering that this special dash
Might only last a little while.
So, when your eulogy is being read
With your life’s actions to rehash
Would you be proud of the things they say
About how you spent your dash?
I really wish that you all could have heard his whole presentation. Even though it was 45 minutes; he had me completely engaged. I also stopped to look at myself and see what I needed to change within myself in order to live the best "dash" that I can.
How will you spend your dash and what will it say about you?
