Lots of people talk about going the extra mile, but very few people actually do this. Going the extra mile is one of things that distinguishes the go-getters in business from those who only just mark time. The go-getters go to work early and stay late. They make the extra phone call or send the extra email. They might help a customer unload or unpack a shipment. They don't just tell employees what to do; they actually show them and sometimes work right along side them.
Business is not the only area of life where people go the extra mile. We can go the extra mile in service, in attitude, and in effort in any area of life. We can go the extra mile in our careers, in our relationships, in our communities, and within ourselves. We go the extra mile when we pick ourselves up after a failure and try again, perhaps slightly differently the second time, rather than complaining that the task is impossible. We go the extra mile when we do more than the norm or more than what is expected. We go the extra mile when we check our work carefully to make sure there are no errors, when we check more than the required number of sources to write a report, and when we bother to get the facts straight in a confusing situation. We go the extra mile when we spend a little extra time talking to a person, even though we are feeling rushed. We go the extra mile when we take the time to walk a person to his or her destination, rather than just point and give directions.
Have you met anyone who went the extra mile with you? How did you feel about it? Were you aware at the time that the person did more than expected? Did you appreciate what the person did for you? If you didn't get a chance to thank the person at the time, it's not too late. You can still do this, Soul to Soul, on the Inner. Just go into contemplation. Imagine meeting the person you'd like to thank. Imagine the setting of the meeting at the the person himself or herself. If the person looks a little different than he/she did the last time you saw him/her, that's OK. That's just how the person wants to be seen now, as Soul. Remember that you will look a little different, too.
Recall what the person did for you and thank them for it, telling the person how much you appreciated the help and what it meant in your life. Trust that the person, as Soul, knows you are grateful.
Have you ever gone the extra mile for someone? If so, why not resolve to do this more often? If not, try to think of some way to go the extra mile for people by doing more than the minimum. Try to do at least one thing each month, then switch to once a week. Eventually, you will be doing it every day. :-)
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