A friend of mine has really been through the wringer. She has surmounted much adversity and rattled many chains getting there. I told her she needs to tell her story to inspire others. Her response: “It’s just so ordinary, I get up, I go to work…” Her reaction to my suggestion made me wonder: Is anything all that extraordinary? All life is ordinary after all, isn’t it? I mean, if you have overcome a real emotional barrier, if you have made it through a very tough challenge, isn’t that worth sharing? Let’s face it, ordinary life is super tough for most people, and they can use all the inspiration they can get.

Affliction is a great teacher after all. Nothing cuts us down to size as accurately as affliction. Affliction highlights the triviality of money, the fleeting nature of success, and the desperate cry of our human hearts.

I get up every day, I dress, and I go to work. That is the rough summary. But there is so much packed into that little sentence that remains unspoken in its generalization. I meet people:  I get a chance every day to leave imprints. I can help, I can hinder, I make money, I lose money, I speak healing or I injure.

What do I want to accomplish for real; what ordinary little task will be my imprint? I want a legacy. It doesn’t have to be fancy. I want someone to say, “Kathy always made time to listen,” or “I can’t ever remember hearing her gossip.” I really don’t care if they remember how much money I made or what year my car was. I care if they remember how I treated them. I want to be an ordinary little girl who lived in an extraordinary way. So far – I have got a long way to go and not much time to get there.

Remodeling companies have a legacy too. Your organization is an entity living in your ordinary community. When it is gone, what will people remember? When all is said and done your company will be a reflection of who you are. That is what you will pass down to your children. It is not a financial statement filled with black or red numbers. Your company will summarize you. What is your imprint going to be? --Kathy Shertzer