Wrinkled Shirt Hero

I am traveling this week and speaking at a conference. When I got to my hotel room, I noticed there was no iron or ironing board in the room.

Now I always need an iron and ironing board when traveling. I haven't mastered the art of packing my clothes so that they don't need to be ironed when you take them out of the suitcase. Or maybe I should start buying some "no iron" clothes to take on trips.

Either way, it is unusual for a hotel to not have an iron and ironing room provided for you in the room.

I pulled my wrinkled shirt out of the suitcase and almost had a panic attack at the thought of walking in to teach the next day with a badly wrinkled shirt.

My only hope was that the front desk might keep an iron and ironing board for situations like mine. So I went to the front desk and told them there was no iron or ironing board in the room. The lady at the desk informed me that they didn't provide either of those for guests.

"Is there something you can do, I asked? It's looking like I will be trying to teach tomorrow with a wrinkled, sloppy shirt and that is not a good thing."

She paused and then she said this. "I have an idea. I think in the housekeeping area where we wash and dry the towels, sheets, etc. there might be an iron and ironing board. Let me go check and if there is one there I will bring it to your room.

I thanked her and went back to the room...not expecting her to be able to find an iron and ironing board. But, a few minutes later, there was a knock at my door. It was the lady from the front desk. She had an iron and ironing board for me. Yeah! She saved the day for me. What a hero! She could have just said "no" and not worried about going the second mile for me. But that would have been an average response.

Super Heroes don't settle for that. They see an opportunity to make a difference and they go for it. That's what heroes do.

Few thoughts about this...

Each day look for opportunities to be someone's hero.

It's often the little things you do that make you a hero in someone' eyes.

Always be ready to go the second mile. FYI - there's not much traffic on the second mile.

Being a hero is meeting people's needs.

Heroes are few and far between. Why? Because they see the importance of the need a person has. Small needs or big needs...they are all important to the person who has them. Show empathy and compassion for people. Put yourself in their shoes. Let their need become your need.

So there you have it. The story of the wrinkled shirt hero.

Go be a hero for someone.