August 22, 2011. This is the day I officially became a college student. Now I was both excited and scared for this new chapter in my life to begin. On that same day I got my very first college homework assignment. It was in my third class of the day, History 252 (1877-Present), and we were assigned to read a chapter before we were to meet again. Now I have always loved history however I am not the fastest reader. So I decided just to dive right into my assignment and finish up the reading. As I was reading along I stumbled upon something that completely blew my mind:
”Respect among Native Americans was earned through acts of charity. Sitting Bull of the Lakota Sioux, for example, rose to prominence and eventually chief of his tribe both through his success as a warrior and due to his many exhibitions of generosity.
‘I was a famous hunter. . . I gave the buffalo calves that I killed to the poor that had no horses. I considered a good man.’ Sitting Bull”
(Exact text exert from page 444, Chapter 15: Conflict and Conquest, Visions of America)
Here I was simply trying to get done with this “assignment” when in reality there was valuable knowledge that could be obtained by uncovering the past! In my mind I always envisioned the selection of a Native American Chief to be simple. They simply selected the biggest, tallest, strongest, smartest and the best looking as the new leader. However what a closed minded opinion that was to have. It goes so much deeper than I ever imaged. Sure they looked at the person as an individual; however they also looked at how that person treated and served others. Looking at it in this light everything makes so much more sense. Cleary that’s what everyone wanted as leader back then and it still holds true today.
When comparing this to everyday life I often forget that the little things people do for others and the way they make them feel, will greatly impact their ability to be successful where ever they go. This quote by Maya Angelou sums it up:
“People will forget what you said, people forget what you did, but people will NEVER forget how you made them feel.”
For example since I was starting college for the first time this week, it was also my first time ever buying books. I headed to the bookstore and dove right in. The store was just crammed with people and everyone seemed to be moving at hyper speed. I managed to acquire all my books and head to the check-out line with little difficulty. The store was busy enough that it required three check-out lines operating at once to help alleviate the wait time. They called the next person in line and I walk up to the counter with my armful of books. As I set down my books I am greeted with a smile from the cashier. She began scanning my books, while doing so she asked if I had a customer’s rewards card, I responded with a “no”. Now she could have just continued on checking the books and I wouldn’t have even batted an eye; however she knew it would be beneficial and help me save money in the long run, so she took it a step further and asked if I wanted one. I responded with a shrug of the shoulders and an “I don't know, do I” she gave me a nod and handled me the form to fill out.
The next thing the cashier did to go above and beyond was inform me about the difference of buying a book or simply renting one. You can save a lot more money by renting verses buying. Once again she didn't have to do this, she could have just made me buy all of them and once again I wouldn’t have known the difference, but she took the time to do so. Finally all the books where scanned in and I handed her my credit card to pay. Of course something else would have to go wrong and my card didn’t want to seem to work at the register. The cashier very patiently, with a smile, helped me figure out a solution to the problem and insure I got my books, without making me feel any worse then I already did about this whole "book buying experience".
As I walked out to my vehicle, with my books in toe, I see the same lady that helped me getting in her car and pulling away. It hit's me all of a sudden that she was at the very end of her sift!! Here I was the student that has no clue which ways up, the type of customer everyone dreads, it's the end of a hard day of work, and all you want to do is get home, but did that change her desire to help me in any way she could? No!!! This amazes me! She simply did the little things and it made the biggest impact on my entire day and my entire week. She did everything she could to help me and made me feel great while doing it. Thanks to her I was actually able to read my history book in the first place!!
I am challenging everyone reading this to do what that cashier did. GIVE BACK. Those words can be scary, however giving back doesn’t have to be a large project. It’s important to remember giving back includes the little things, in the end you will be surprised on the impact they make. Holding the door open, helping someone carry an arm full of things, leaving an up lifting message on a friends Facebook wall, striking a conversation, smiling, simply saying hello, thanking your teacher at the end of class for a great lesson, thanking a friend for being themselves, calling an old friend or relative just to reconnect or being a patient driver. It doesn’t have to be big, try doing at least one act of kindness each day. Who knows those 365 acts of kindness could one day allow you to BECOME CHIEF!
