Accountants have a sharp eye. They can look through a book of accounts, add up a few numbers, and find the problem with unerring accuracy. ! How do they do that? And they proudly proclaim the source of the problem to one and all. Wonder how the source feels about that?
Q: When was the last time you remember seeing a smiling/laughing accountant?
A: Sadistic IRS staffers telling jokes about sticking it to lying taxpayers in Stranger Than Fiction, an award winning Hollywood film.
Complaints, criticisms and finding faults. Yeah.
I had a bad week at the office last week. One too many complaints. It shook me up. Went into a local coffee shop, and Sarah (all coffee tenders are named Sarah, aren’t they?) asked what was wrong? I had no smile.
I’ll share with you now a lesson learned from years of life experience, it’s better to give than to take. Last week at the office my smile was taken, and it wasn’t even used by the taker. Invariably ta-kees become ta-kers (I resemble that). How much better it would have been for the other to give me a reason to smile. I would have returned it 100-fold. Receivers become givers.
My older son Tom wore out his texting thumb trying to cheer me up. He finally succeeded with a link to the following video. I am now reminded of advice that I once gave to other professors: The last thing you should do before entering any classroom is to put a smile on your face. One professor was so taken that he printed and taped the advice to his inside office door in such a way that he would always be reminded before class.
I follow a few tweeters, and they’ve been theorizing about the positive career effect of getting 8 hours of sleep each and every night. I’m absolutely sure that even more accountant careers would take off and go way way up if the accountant was a smile giver. Remember, a spoon full of sugar helps the medicine go down.
The following film short will take 16 minutes to be viewed. You will be a better person if you watch it all the way until the end.
Validation (2007), written by Kurt Kuenne, starring T.J. Thyne and Vicki Davis.
I’ll keep watching this video, lest I forget again. Thanks Tom.
Debit and credit – - David Albrecht
I wish you made your own iPhone/iTouch Application, that gives Accredited (AACSB) Accounting Education!! I would be willing to help.
Inspirational post! I’m going to share this with my colleagues.
Bob Jensen links to a presentation by an invisible woman (Nicole Johnson). Her message is inspiring. She encourages all to continue on, even if the absence of recognition or appreciation. This invisibility is the antidote to pride. She says that we may never live to see the fruits of our labors, nor may we ever get recognized. That doesn’t matter, for God sees. And we see.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Darla Sycamore and David Albrecht, David Albrecht. David Albrecht said: My latest post: validation. This is a must see! http://bit.ly/6JRgxb [...]
Glad to help Dad. I had a friend pass the video on to me.