One Good Thing (That Meant Everything)

You ever get caught off guard in a meeting?

I was in this virtual meeting the other day, and the facilitator kicked it off with, “Let’s go around and say one good thing that’s happened lately.” My gut reaction? Seriously? After the week I’ve had? My mind went straight to all the things that had gone sideways—because let’s be real, the bad stuff has a way of grabbing our attention.

But then I stopped. Thought for a second. And this unexpected wave of goodness hit me.

In the last three days, I had four former students from the Maine Business School reach out to me—for advice, connection, encouragement, and coffee. And that? That felt really, really good.

One student called me at 8pm on a Tuesday—apologetic but clearly buzzing with urgency. They're scaling their business fast and needed someone who’s been in the trenches. Another sent a text reminding me she’d taken my class in Spring 2023. She said, “I really enjoyed your class and looking back on it I learned a lot. I want to open my own small business after I graduate and you have a lot of experience with that.” So we’re grabbing coffee soon.

Then I bumped into another student at a networking event—she’s getting ready to graduate and launch her own thing. She wanted to find time to connect. And another messaged me out of the blue to brainstorm an idea. That’s four in three days. That’s not a coincidence. That’s a community.

One of the books I have my students read is Give and Take by Adam Grant. He says, “Ultimately, I want to argue that while givers and takers may have equally large networks, givers are able to produce far more lasting value through their networks, and in ways that might not seem obvious.”

That line sticks with me. I give my students my cell number. I tell them, over and over: Reach out. Seriously. I want to help. If I’m not the right person, I’ll point you to someone who is.

When they actually do? It tells me they heard me. That they knew I wasn’t just saying it because it sounded nice or professional. They knew I meant it.

And that—right there—is my one good thing.

Maybe next time I won’t dread that question so much.