Who has had an impacted on your life? Oftentimes people come into our lives and at the time it seems insignificant, just another day, just another person. But when we look back there are those special people that made a world of difference… and in some instances they didn’t even know how they contributed to our lives. And if we are fortunate we get the opportunity to tell them how much they mean to us. Dr. Maya Angelou and Alice Pavlisin were two of those people.

I once heard Angelou speak these words…

When someone shows you who they are… BELIEVE them!

These words profoundly changed my life. I, like so many, would take what others said and did… and spin my own story, assuming what they are feeling, meaning and thinking. Angelou showed me how to push away my storytelling and really see the person’s actions. Not to judge them but to BELIEVE them.

Another one of those special people in my life was Alice Pavlisin, my grade school art teacher. She made this young girl feel special, encouraged me to dream and nurtured my creativity. I am an extremely creative person today because Alice Pavlisin touched my soul. I know she was proud of the things that I have accomplished, my three creatively designed books and even this blog. How do I know? Because I’ve been in contact with her these past 15 years, and she told me so.

Alice Pavlisin passed away the same week Dr. Maya Angelou passed. How serendipitous… Alice would have loved it! Two great teachers… they will be missed.

Whose life will you touch… a client, a colleague, a friend or even a stranger? Be the powerful person that you were put here to be and there will be many lives you impact, just like Alice and Maya.