Step Right in and Step Ahead

I commute daily by train from Brampton GO Station to Union Station. To ease the stress of commuting I use my commute time to read the Metro News and do the Sudoku. I also observe the people around me. One morning at Brampton GO, I met a lady because I parked very closely to her car and she had to squeeze to get out. Since then every morning we sit in the same coach on the train and we always smile and say hello to each other. I also met the young male train conductor who walked through the train to validate passengers’ Presto passes. He always smile and compliment me on my tie.

In the crowd at Union Station I get disoriented by the rapid movement of the large number of people. However, I amazed that in all the seemingly confusion of thousands of people milling through Union Station there are people who still take the time to hold the door for others behind them. For these people I think the journey itself is their goal. While they are in a hurry to get to work getting there is not as important as the path they take commuting from home and milling through the crowd at Union Station.

Why do they hold the door for others behind them? There may be a number of different reasons such as personality trait. Some people are conscientious. Men for example, are socialized to hold the door for women and young people are taught to hold doors for older people. Holding the door open is a polite and thoughtful act. It is easy to do for your family, friends and even strangers, every day. People appreciate respect and good manners even when they are moving hastily to get to and from work.

How does holding the door relates to success? An important component for success in my mind is the ability to allow others to step right in and step ahead. Success is about extending kindness to others. Success is about recognising the importance of having a supportive team during the pursuit of your goals. It is also about not being selfish. It is the ability to put the interest of others ahead of your interest because an important hallmark of success is effective leadership. I am truly impressed by the people at Union Station who are not obsessively focused on their own destinations or goals. Although they in a hurry they take the time to allow others behind to step in and step ahead.

How focused are you on the completion of your next project? How focused are you on finding a solution to problem? Being focus and goal-oriented are key components for success. On the path to success we should take others with us on the journey.

When your adrenalin is high do you become fixated to the point that you see others just being in the way? How do you feel when others shut the door in your face?

Today I want to encourage you take some time to enjoy the journey. Life is not purely about looking ahead for the end result or where you are going. Life is also about how you get to your destination. It is about the people you meet, the obstacles and challenges you face along the way to achieving your goals. It is important that you don’t will miss the journey of how you arrived at your destination or goals. Pause even just a few seconds to hold the door open for the person behind you. Enjoy the moment when that person, a strange turn and say thank you. Even if he or she don’t say thank you, don’t sweat it remember you held the door open because it is the right thing to do. Take the time to enjoy the magical things that happen along the way such as the random interactions with others when you pause to hold the door open.

Holding the door is about you. How you treat others can also say a lot about you as a person. Holding the door tells others that you are polite and everyone appreciates a polite act. If you flash a smile, it conveys friendliness. We should treat others the way we want to be treated. Most importantly small gesture on your part, like holding the door open for someone, will certainly brighten their day and may even turn around a bad mood.

When we hold the door for others behind us we are in effect increasing the pace of the entire group. This should in effect help you to get to your destination faster. Remember a key component for success is that we need the help of others to achieve our goals.

I am determined to achieve my goals in life but I am not walking through this doorway alone. What are some of the ways in which I allow others to step in and step ahead? I coach and mentor young people like Daniel Chin and Marc Samodee. I am active in my community through my involvement in Toastmasters. As Co-chair of the Terry Fox Public School Council I also have an opportunity to collaborate with the school administrators and other parents to make a positive contribution to the future of our children and our wider society. For example, on Wednesday the March 26^th we hosting a Pasta Dinner Night at the school to help raise funds to build a play structure for the children. I am also involved in the Calabar Old Boys’ Association – Canada Chapter (COBA) and on Saturday I had the pleasure of participating in a planning committee meeting hosted by Noel Davidson to planning a benefit dinner for Calabar High School in Kingston, Jamaica.

On our path to success and in our haste to get to destination or achieve our goals let us take the time to allow others to step right in and step ahead. I know that there are so many people who have gone before me and so many will go after me but I want to enjoy this moment. I know I am m not the only one in this space. If I hold the door for you, will you hold it for someone else?

Remember life is a journey. Enjoy the moment. Holding the door for someone is about manners. It is about time. It is about face-to-face interactions. It is making a split-second decision whether to connect with another person and acknowledge their existence.

Today I invite you to step right in and step ahead!

Mark McKenzie is a leading Subject Matter Expert in financial services regulation and supervision as well as a professional motivational speaker, corporate trainer and youth mentor.  He can be contacted by email mastbmckenzie@gmail.com or by telephone 647-406-4622. Read my blog  http://mastbmckenzie.blogspot.ca/ and always write me a comment and share. Follow me on Twitter @mackynacky. Connect with me on www.youtube.com, Google+, Facebook and Linkedin.