In our lives we make and receive thousands of recommendations. From books to read and places to visit to foods to try and people to meet, and so on and so on. But perhaps the most important recommendations are those that help someone else move up in life — an idea worth pursuing, a job recommendation, a letter of reference for school.
Is there a recommendation you’ve received that came at the perfect time, that changed the trajectory of your life? And does the person who made that recommendation know the impact it had on you?
Like most, I’ve been on both ends of recommendations. I’m happy that some of my recommendations have helped others land that job they were after, get into graduate school, or enjoy that restaurant, book, or movie they checked out after I suggested it would be worth their while.
I have also been blessed by recommendations given to me. I have been exposed to places, ideas, meals, experiences and work projects I would have otherwise missed out on.
Not every recommendation pans out, but this doesn’t diminish the act of recommending. Someone was simply sharing something they thought we would value, which in and of itself is its own reward.
In this spirit, I hope you can find time this week to make at least one recommendation that you think might help someone in his or her journey. And please, feel free to send a recommendation my way.
On my end, here’s one for you to check out. I recommend Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging by Sebastian Junger. It is the best book I have read in a while and it can change the way you think about community, connectedness and the “tribe” you belong to. I hope you get a chance to check it out and if you have any veterans in your life, it will be especially relevant to them.
Enjoy,
Bob