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giveI  know lately I’ve talked a lot about this time of change we’re in. Not just the change in government or the personal change that I’ve been undertaking, but the global change that is happening as well. In some instances its not about the change for something new or different but a revisiting of something old or seemingly lost.

Three years ago, I wanted to broaden my professional experience so I took a job in a telephone sales environment. I never thought I could sell anything by phone. I’ve paid  my dues in retail both in commission and non-commission positions but never saw myself as a telephone sales personality.

I attempted the task, because I knew as a writer I was going to need to understand how to sell in any environment. It’s not about hocking your wares to the buyer because you need the sale or the revenue. I was taught it was about finding what need your product or service could fulfill for the buyer. Essentially the proverbial “What’s In It For Me” idea.

In the last five to ten years we’ve had a lot of little catch phrases like that…Consider these:

- What’s in it for me

- What you see is what you get

- What would so&so do? (Fill in ’so &so’ with the name of your mentor or guide etc)

What I have found has been lost and is now coming back is the idea of looking out for your fellow man. As the economy continues its roller coaster ride I am finding that people are becoming more kind to strangers.

I was sitting in a restaurant and a lady I had not noticed when I entered, came up to  my table and handed me a coupon for a free meal. She wasn’t an employee of the restaurant, just another diner who saw an opportunity to share the savings.

She handed me the coupon for the restaurant we were both dining in, and said “This is good for a free meal, it ends today.”

I was so surprised; one because I never saw the lady until she was standing by my side and two because I have been experiencing an increase of similar gestures for the last 6-12 months or so. I thanked her repeatedly, but it also made me realize that this was happening far less when we as a nation felt far more prosperous. It’s that sense that we are all in this together and if we can help a stranger, why not?

There’s some irony in the fact that many of us tend to give more when we have less than when we are in abundance. It also made me consider who is watching out for you when you aren’t looking.

Sometimes what is the most difficult or uncomfortable is what brings out the best in us.

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