Education & Opportunity

My newspaper column for Dec. 28 is one that I've been meaning to write for quite a while now. It describes the day I met a remarkable 60-something woman who happened to work as a housekeeper. The way she approached her job--with a true passion and real purpose--taught me a little bit about the potential all of us have within.

For this "Greatest Housekeeper in the World," cleaning a dirty apartment was actually an incredible opportunity. Even while performing an activity that many view as mundane, there was an underlying potential for greatness.

This woman understood that her actions, even small ones, had the potential for a tremendous "ripple effect." To her, housekeeping wasn't just about picking up some trash and putting things in order: Rather, it was the opportunity to impact a person's life. That person could, in turn, impact other lives, too.

Whenever I'm tired or frustrated, I sometimes think back to this remarkable woman. I never even got her name, but her example is something I strive to emulate.

In the end, it's all about attitude: Her story reminds us that we can all achieve greatness by doing our very best in each and every project we take on or task we complete. And more often than not, a great attitude leads to great results.