Reaching Out With The Spirit
Reaching Out With The Spirit
By
Dr. Gary S. Goodman 2005
President, Customersatisfaction.com
At first, I thought he was just cold. The casino’s air
conditioning was pumped up, and it did feel a bit brisk.
But then, he turned to the side, and instead of seeing the
outline of crossed arms beneath his tee shirt, I saw a flat
silhouette. Instinctively, I turned away.
I didn’t want to acknowledge that the gentleman standing in
front of me in the buffet line, the chap who seemed so
nonchalant, easygoing, and totally comfortable surrounded by
three family members, had no arms.
An odd mix of emotions suddenly coursed through me, making me
woozy.
I wondered how he managed everything. My two days of carefree
card playing, dancing, roller coaster and log rides, embracing
my loved one, swimming, climbing to the top of the water slide,
all of these things, things I could do flashed before me. Most
of my pleasures had involved grasping, gripping, touching,
feeling, balancing, gesturing, and thousands of effortless
manipulations, of which this gentleman was nearly incapable.
How would it feel to be him, to be in that body? I wondered.
Instantly, I was flooded with self-pity, hopelessness, and
despair. I wouldn’t want to live, I thought.
It was then that I realized what a coward I must be, compared to
this guy. He seemed the least self-conscious person standing in
line. I felt grotesque, as I considered how I shrink from
challenges, large and small.
Like a kid, I tell myself I don’t want to do this or that, and
so I don’t. If he could only have a day indulging the
opportunities I turn down, it would be nothing less than heaven.
Traffic was light, heading back to LA. I easily made it to my
Black Belt class. The Sensei had us hitting bags. His
instruction was simple: Outdo anything you’ve ever done before.
I held nothing back, as the image of that fellow glowed in my
mind.
Over and again, with renewed spirit, I struck the bag for both
of us.
Dr. Gary S. Goodman is a popular keynote speaker, consultant,
and seminar leader and the best-selling author of 12 books. He
is the author of the Nightingale-Conant audio program, The Law
Of Large Numbers: How To Make Success Inevitable. Gary teaches
Entrepreneurship and Consulting at UCLA Extension, and he is
President of Customersatisfaction.com and The Goodman
Organization, in Glendale, CA. He can be reached at
gary@customersatisfaction.com.
