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The value of a man should be seen in what he gives and not in what he is able to receive.

- Albert Einstein

You've done it. You've reached unspeakable heights. You've soared higher than your most insurmountable feats,  and you've accomplished your goals.

You've done everything you've sought out to do and just a little bit more. 

You've played your cards right and made all the right moves. You've gone by the book and made your parents proud. 

You've peaked in your field. You've excelled past your peers and now you're on top of the world.

But somewhere along the line, you stopped hearing that thing that once made you buzz. In the crazy midst of it all, you lost your bearings.

Shonda Rhimes, the powerhouse behind Grey's Anatomy, Scandal and How to Get Away With Murder describes it as the 'hum':

At some point in your life, there comes a time when you have to really pinpoint what it is that gives you peace of mind.

What is that thing that gives you joy?

For some, it might mean picking up an old habit you dropped back in high school. If you're like Shonda, it's spending time with your kids.

For others, it's giving back.

Whenever I go to the airport, I take the opportunity to get my shoes shined. If you've ever had this done before, you know that it means sitting back on a high chair (which feels more like a throne, actually) on top of a platform. You put your feet up. You're given a newspaper to read. For those brief moments when the shoe shiner cleans your shoes, you feel like royalty. You have his full attention and you're given all of his resources.

During this time, you've become his top priority.

Usually, a shoe shiner will ask me about my day. He'll talk to me about all the people he's met who pass through the airport. He'll inquire where I'm from and where I'm going. He'll make it easy for me to open up to him because he's created an environment of openness.

In this moment, I've found a safe space in a strange place.

But what really gets me is that he puts his everything into each swipe of my shoe. He makes my shoes shine so much that I can see my reflection in them. 

It's incredible to see how much effort one can put into such a simple task. It's an act of service that I rarely come across. 

It made me wonder about the different ways in which we can create safe spaces for those around us. It also made me think about how we can show our gratitude to others through acts of service. 

Has someone ever done something so nice for you that you had no idea how to repay them? 

Depending on the relationships, the task, and who that person is to us, we can show gratitude in a multitude of ways. Like the shoe shiner, this would mean giving those around me my full attention. I would listen to their stories and try to understand their point of view. I would make them feel like they were on top of the world. I would create a safe environment for them to let me in.

I would make sure they were happy. 

It goes without saying that getting down on your knees to shine someone else's shoes is a humbling experience. You're cleaning someone else's dirt. You're not responsible for the mess they've built or the paths they've taken to get where they were before they came to you. 

And yet, you still clean because you get that everyone needs to be put on a pedestal sometimes. Everyone needs to be heard. Everyone needs someone who will make them at ease. Everyone needs someone to help them see their reflection - their greatness - inside of them. 

I spoke at a volunteer event the other day. I brought my shoe polishing kit and I shined someone’s shoes on stage. I used what I'd learned while sitting on top of my figurative throne that, even just for a moment, I'd give all my effort, resources, and energy to show someone else just how important they are. 

I encourage you to do the same. You might be surprised at the benefits you'll reap. 

#GETAFTERIT

- JH

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