You may never know the positive impact you may have on another person. Or you may some day you may be fortunate enough to hear how you made lasting impression on someone else. When someone tells you the impact you made on them, they may tell you in a thank you card or write it in the forward of their book.
“Life is Improv”
I recently release my new book, “Life is Improv…”
In it I talk about how I found improv and how a co-worker of mine from way back in the 1990’s when I was working on Michigan Avenue and she looked me square in the face and said, ‘Julie, you have the perfect wit and sense of humour of improv. You need to take improv classes at The Second City!’
I replied, “Great. Thanks! I appreciate that….what’s improv…and what is The Second City?”
Because it was so long ago and long before cell phones were plopped onto the planet, I called the ticket office at The Second City to find out about these improv classes that my co-worker was talking about. Yikes! $150 was a lot of money for administrative assistant just making $18,000 a year.
My next conversation with Jennifer went like this…
Me: “Thanks for letting me know about the class, Jennifer. But, I can’t afford that. Thanks, anyway.”
Jennifer: “Here’s what we’re going to do: You’re going to sign up for the class and I’m going to put it on my credit card. You pay me back whenever you can.” I began to tear up with gratitude.
Where in your life have you experienced support? It can come from an encouraging word from a friend, an acknowledgement of a job well done at work, or “I love you” from your spouse.
Practice support
You don’t have to take an improv class to practice, show, or experience support.
I have taught swim lessons and coached swim team for quite a while. I got tears in my eyes when I saw the kids walk onto the pool deck with smiles on their faces and flowers and cards in their hands. (I know…you’re probably thinking, “Again with the tears, Julie?” That’s one way I express gratitude.) What’s more is that when the parents saw me get a little choked up, they told me, “Oh, they are going to miss you. Like really like you. You’ve made swim practices fun and they’ve gotten better.”
And, to express my gratitude to my co-worker who instilled that improv bug in my year 20+ years ago, I wrote a little blurb to Jennifer Bullock in the intro of my book and I was sure to mention the story on my latest TV interview on The Morning Blend in Milwaukee. When Jennifer heard that I had mentioned her in my book and on the air, she said, “Thank you, Julie, for reminding me of the positive influences I’ve made along the way…I call you my “Wonderful Life” story when days just don’t seem to go my way!
You don’t have to take an improv class to practice, show, or experience support.
You can be a beacon of joy, light, and kindness to everyone you meet.
You never know who you are encouraging or guiding.
About the author: To find out more about Julie Ostrow, please click here.