“Passion is our fuel.”
There is one thing for sure that we believe here at TLC: Passionate people can change the world! We are very passionate about what we do and the impact that we can make in the world with our community and our products.
But it’s not just here that you will find passionate people. There are passionate people all around us. We are reminded throughout life as we meet people that some are working a job every day to earn money, and some are doing it simply because they love it!
I wanted to share this week a quick story about my kindergarten teacher Mrs. Churn. She was great and one of the first people who helped me build self-esteem, which is crucial at a young age. English was not my first language, and when I started school, although I had been speaking English with my brother and watching TV, I was still not great at it. I was embarrassed that I did not speak English and the other kids, but she made me feel OK about it, and she was always nice when she corrected me and never made me feel inferior.
She always seemed happy, and she always seemed like she had just as much fun as us in class every day. I remember that she was always smiling, and she never seemed like she was upset. I did not realize till later how passionate she was about teaching because I was so young.
Once I felt more comfortable and had a few months of school, I started opening up more and Mrs. Churn realized that I had above average math skills. She reminded me every day that I was smart, and she wanted to make sure that I was proud of myself because she said that she was proud of me. It helped me feel better, and I never forgot that.
Several years went by, and eventually, even though I remembered Mrs. Churn from time to time, I often thought about her less and less often as years passed. I doubt that I thought about her more than once or twice during my four years of high school until I graduated. What happened next is really what made me realize the passion Mrs. Churn had about not only teaching but making an impact in people’s lives.
A few weeks after I graduated high school, a card addressed to me came in the mail. My mom had put the letter aside, and she was also curious as to who would be sending me a letter since 18-year-old kids rarely get a note in the mail addressed personally to them.
I sat down and opened the letter, and it was a congratulations card from Mrs. Churn. It was handwritten, and it was cool. She wanted me to know that she was proud of me and that she had occasionally looked at my grades and some of my accomplishments throughout the years, and she listed a few of them and told me she was proud of me.
She went on to tell me that she thought I would be a successful adult after school, and she wished me well. She said it had been her pleasure to be my first teacher, and she was proud of me and excited for my future.
I was blown away. I could not believe that she not only sent me a congratulations card, but she remembered me. The fact that she pulled my file and knew my grades and some of my accomplishments was terrific. I always remember that Mrs. Churn was happy all the time, but I didn’t realize how much passion she had for teaching.
That was also the day that I realized that there are two types of people in the world. The first type is working a certain job for the money, and the second type is doing it because it’s their passion. Mrs. Churn, without a doubt, was a teacher because she was passionate about teaching kids and making an impact in their life. I think she would have thought even for free. She probably doesn’t know it, but she inspired me to find my passion later in life as well.
This week I would like you to take some time to reflect on what you do every day for a living. Ask yourself, do I do this for the money, or do I do this because I love it? Mrs. Churn taught for 40 years, and I’m pretty sure she loved every single day of it. This is what I wish and hope for everyone, and if you have not found your passion yet, please keep looking!
Thank you for reading this week, and thank you for allowing me into your life for a few minutes each week because it’s my passion, and you will enable me to do it! For that, I am grateful.
Have a fantastic week!
