“Unless your heart, your soul, and your whole being are behind every decision you make, the words from your mouth will be empty, and each action will be meaningless. Truth and confidence are the roots of happiness.” – Unknown
I had an experience while attending a business networking event where I found myself in conversation with a gentleman. He was well-spoken and presented a gentleness I found comforting. He was asking me questions and appearing to be very interested in who I was and what had brought me to this event.
A couple of minutes into our chat he interrupted me, as if something I said triggered extreme interest in him, and he said, “let me show you something.” His reaction caused me excitement because we obviously found some commonality. I followed him to a table that had been set up for participants to share their business cards/flyers, etc. He scanned the table and quickly located a flyer he believed I would find interesting.
Upon taking hold of the flyer I quickly realized it had nothing to do with our conversation. I stood there for a moment and when I looked up at him, he thought that was his “go ahead.” He started to pitch me on his product (yes, the flyer was his)! I politely listened to him and when he was done, I thanked him for the information and walked away. He made a decision to pretend to be interested in what I had to say, just to get the opportunity to pitch his product.
His words were empty and his decision to engage me with false intentions proved meaningless. My true place of happiness is when I am engaged in heartfelt interactions. When two or more people gather for the purpose of exchanging ideas and truthful conversation I am inspired to be of service.