Reflection: On our recent cruise vacation, Dave and I shared dinner each evening with the same three couples.
All came from different parts of the world, all were congenial and good humored, and all had interesting backstories to their lives.
Over the course of the trip, we looked forward to the nightly connection – swapping tales about our day’s excursions and life in general.
As our adventure drew to a close, I wondered how best to let them know how much we appreciated their company. In the end, I sketched a postcard for each couple. Each sketch was different and each one represented a unique aspect of that couple’s interests.
I signed them, added a personal note to the back of each card, and presented them at our last dinner together. The postcards were a colossal hit.
I was actually surprised at how deeply they were appreciated. To me, the ideas for the cards came easily, and I enjoyed making them. It felt like no big deal. I found myself curious about what prompted the strength of their reactions.
It occurred to me that one of the reasons could be that creating and sharing the cards was a direct expression of a few of my strengths: appreciation, creativity, and thoughtfulness. There seems to be an authenticity, an ease, and a deep connection that arises when we’re acting from the core of who we are.
Action: So what’s to be gleaned from this experience at sea? (more…)
