Some time ago, I went to an office of my bank, BPI. I went to file an application, the approval of which was at the discretion of the manager I wanted to meet.

I got ready to make my pitch, reviewed what I wanted to tell the manager.

And then a lady named Tiffany came to assist me.
After greeting me, she said: “Sir, parang na-meet ko na kayo.”
And then she said she was my student in one of the BPI trainings I conducted last year.

It turns out that I have been exchanging emails with Tiffany on a regular basis. Only after our training did she reconcile that it was me, her client, who had trained their class the day before.

I asked: “Ikaw pala ang ka-email ko?! Tinarayan na ba kita?” (It was you I was emailing. Was I mean to you?)
She said: “Opo. Sabi niyo pwede naman siguro ako ngumiti sa email.” (Yes, you told me I could smile in my emails)
Oh yes! I remember telling someone that she didn’t need to be robotic about her replies to me.
Hahaha! We had a good laugh together.

So Tiffany was my student, is assigned to my account and is now processing an application which her manager hasn’t approved. This puts me in a weird kind of situation. She can make or break my application. I am at the “mercy” of someone I taught in a class, and someone I told-off in an email. Hahaha!

I made my pitch to Tiffany instead of to her manager. It was shorter because I didn’t need to introduce myself and my case. I filed my application.

Tiffany steps out of the room and I wait for her manager’s decision.

I felt good about how I live my life inside and outside of the training room. Tunay akong tao. I have nothing to hide. The stories I tell in my trainings are for the benefit of my students. Some of these stories reveal a vulnerable side of me. Some stories reveal the mistakes and foul-ups I’ve made in my life, at my expense, and for my students’ “compounding interest”. 

Tiffany stepped back into our meeting room. She had a spring to her stride, so I knew we had a good result. She relayed to me the approval of her manager. 

We exchanged a few more stories about our serendipitous interactions. And then I said my thanks and walked away.

When we live a life of alignment, a life of congruence, it’s simpler. No need to hide, no need to lie. I say sorry when I’m sorry. I forgive when I need to (for my own benefit). I say thank you when it is due – and that is all the time!

Thank you Lord for a life that is (mostly) aligned.

And now, I work on aligning my life further.
A continuing journey towards more congruence.

Ka Edong

p.s. How would you like to have more fun just being yourself? Learn about your default behaviors and and discover the options you have! Sign-up for life coaching? You will be amazed with the immediate results you will have! Surely you’re interested, so click here to learn more about coaching.