I was in the ladies room when I ran into a good-friend-of-a-good-friend. We were thrilled to see each other. “I didn’t know you’d be here!” I said as we hugged.
“Well how often do you come to this city to speak?! I wouldn’t miss it!” she replied.
We caught up quickly on our kids and careers. It was slightly rushed because I was about to go on stage to speak.
That last time I’d seen her, she and her husband were handing me a large check as an investment into my old company. Like everyone who invested in the business — from family to Venture Capitalists — they had high hopes for success that we’d all profit from. The business went sideways. When I sent out an email to my circle of friends/investors that it was game over — the company was failing fast — I guarded myself for critical responses. My business savvy friends consoled me: People don’t invest unless they can afford to lose. Everyone here is a grown up. You can move on. Still, I had to wipe the tears off of my keyboard when I pressed send on that email.
Back to the ladies rooms in a snowy city five minutes before curtain call…
“You know I just want to tell you how happy I am for all of your success,” she said. The air got quiet, I knew something else was coming and for a nanosecond I wondered if this would be the time she rightfully gave me a verbal plow for that um, old business ordeal. Instead, this: “Your success now affirms that we were right to invest. It feels so good to know that.”
“I…I…You’re incredible. Thank you. My God…I mean…sorry it didn’t work out…wow…thank you. You’re…wow.” I was so moved. And impressed.
“Oh it’s not about the money,” she said. “It’s just a great affirmation that our instincts were good. The timing wasn’t right, but our hearts were.”
Thankfully I had a crowd waiting, because I could have wept then and there. I bit my lip to distract myself from crying. We hugged. I went off to do my thing and on the plane ride home, I surmised that that was one of the most beautiful acts of grace I’d ever been on the receiving end of.
Loss brings out our truest self. @DanielleLaPorte (Click to Tweet!)
And while natural grace doesn’t come naturally to all of us —
especially when we lose — it can be cultivated…
if you go out of your way to be grateful.
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Danielle LaPorte is the outspoken creator of The Desire Map, author of The Fire Starter Sessions (Random House/Crown), and co-creator of Your Big Beautiful Book Plan. An inspirational speaker, former think tank exec and business strategist, she writes weekly at DanielleLaPorte.com, where over a million visitors have gone for her straight-up advice — a site that’s been deemed “the best place on-line for kick-ass spirituality”, and was named one of the “Top 100 Websites for Women” by Forbes.
You can also find her on Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter @daniellelaporte.
Image courtesy of TheGuyCalledDennis.