Friday 12th March 12:34

"Earning Your Trainer's Wings"

Hi everyone,

We've just run our first film festival here in Berwick-upon-Tweed. It's not Cannes. And it's not Venice. But it is us.

Throughout the festival fortnight, the organisers ran a poll in which filmgoers had the chance to vote on their all-time favourite film.

And guess what won? Not the latest Hollywood blockbuster. Or one of the classics like Citizen Kane, or Casablanca or Gone With the Wind. But a 60-year-old black-and-white flop that was so unremarkable when its copyright came up in 1974 that its owners forgot to renew it.

I refer, of course, to "It's A Wonderful Life".

Now, because of that overlooked copyright renewal which allowed TV companies to show it without having to pay any royalties, you may have seen the film on TV but, if not, here's a quick synopsis.

The film tells the story of George Bailey, played by the incomparable James Stewart. George grows up in a small mid-American town, Bedford Falls, where he inherits his father's mortgage lending business. George's real dream, though, is to travel the world, like his older brother Harry. But every time he gets near to fulfilling his dream, something forces him to stay where he is. Finally, when faced with ruin by the trickery of local miser, Potter, George contemplates suicide. It is only the intervention of his guardian angel, Clarence, that saves him. Clarence, on a mission to earn his angel's wings, shows George what life would have been like if he hadn't lived. Instead of the unfulfilled and ruined man he supposes himself to be, George comes to realise the positive effect he has had on the lives of so many others. George is a hero of the first order.

So why should I be telling you this story?

Simply this. Nearly all the people who come on your training courses are like George Bailey. They invariably have no idea of the effect they have on others. They rarely see what happens when they go out of their way to help that frustrated customer, or when they take time out to help that new start, or when they stay late to finish off a vital order.

The fact of the matter is, that out of all the trainees you have on your courses, only a handful will be high-flyers who will take what you give them and succeed in the conventional sense.

The rest will be George Baileys, full of what Ralph Emerson calls "quiet desperation", full of dashed dreams, and a haunting fear that life doesn't deliver on its promises.

But you know what?

These people make your business. They are the quiet heroes. They are the difference that makes the difference.

So, do a Clarence and earn your trainer's wings. Make their day by letting them know the difference they make. You might just be saving a life!

Happy training and happy film-going!

Best wishes,

Eric

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