Seeing Others Takes Sacrifice

It is January and we have welcomed a new decade- back to the roaring 20s! I like to take time at the beginning of each year to slow down before things ramp back up. It is an important time of reflection for me, to consider what I have done throughout the last year, what I learned, and what I am looking forward to now. And this year, more than any other, this is essential for me personally and professionally. I am expecting 2020 to be one of the most exciting and overwhelming years of my life as my book, Looking Up, is released on February 25th and all that a Harper Collins Leadership book release entails.

In the third chapter of my book, I discuss my experience and understanding of sight. Particularly, sight of other people, and how complex it can be to truly see another person. If we look with only our eyes, are we really seeing someone? Personally, I believe that you have to give of yourself to see an entire person. You must give time to understand them, to learn more about their lives, their struggles, their successes, their beliefs, their gifts. You should see people with your eyes, your mind, and most importantly, your heart.

My favorite example of this is Dr. Kopits, who changed the entire trajectory of my life. He is the doctor that performed a series of surgeries on my lower body after I stopped growing. But more than that, his story truly inspires me. During that time, the vast majority of the medical community treated the physical challenges of people with dwarfism in the same manner they treated those without. Dr. Kopits realized the opportunity to view the treatment of dwarfism in a way that actually considered the special concerns of the condition- a hip issue for me is very different than that of a person without dwarfism and the approach should be different in kind. A man that could have continued as the rest of the medical community decided that he would be the one to sacrifice and intimately understand and develop specialized treatments for children with dwarfism. Not only this, he designed his entire facility with little people in mind- the height of the drinking fountain was even considered. And when I met him for the first time, he sat down and asked me about school and other parts of my life. He was using more than his eyes to see me. He was making sure I understood that I wasn’t a patient to him, that I was a person to him, and he wanted to be emotionally invested in my life.

Due to the nature of my work throughout my career with Caterpillar, I was blessed with so many experiences around the world that challenged and shaped my perception of other people. So often, when I would think about an upcoming trip, I would have expectations about what I would see and who I would meet. I was never correct, because once I would arrive and openly encounter other cultures, the nuances of real people would give me a much deeper view of their worlds. Traveling, especially internationally, takes a level of sacrifice for me that others don’t experience- I get the TSA pat down, my chair requires quite a bit of leg work to travel, and much more. But making those sacrifices was always worth the knowledge and relationships I would return home with. Always.

As you move through your life, I invite you to see others the way Dr. Kopits saw each one of his patients- with sacrifice. Sacrifice not only your time, but your preconceived notions. Sacrifice what your eyes see and how your mind will inevitably formulate quick conclusions. Especially in the light of the new year- slow down, ask more questions than you answer, reflect more than you disregard, and sacrifice more than you gain.

Cheers,

Michele