During a moment of Web browsing as a break from other thought, I saw a reference to Fred Rogers’ (the television “Mr. Rogers”) 2002 commencement address at Dartmouth College, celebrating the graduation of Dartmouth’s Class of 2002. I found a recording of his talk. It’s about 17 minutes long, delivered in the reassuring cadence and tone that was uniquely his. I listened in silent space at my dining room table.

About 9 ½ minutes into the talk, he said:

“I have a lot of framed things in my office that people have given to me through the years and on my walls are Greek and Hebrew and Russian and Chinese. And beside my chair, is a French sentence from Saint-Exupéry’s Little Prince. It reads, ‘L’essentiel est invisible pour les yeux.’ What is essential is invisible to the eye.

Well, what is essential about you? And who are those who have helped you become the person you are? Anyone who has ever graduated from a college, anyone who has been able to sustain good work, has had a at least one person, and often many, who have believed in him or her. We just don’t get to be competent human beings without a lot of different investments from others.

I’d like to give you all an invisible gift. A gift of a silent minute to think about those who have helped you become who you are today. Some of them may be here right now. Some may be far away. Some, like my Astronomy professor, may even be in Heaven.

But, wherever they are, if they have loved you and encouraged you and wanted what was best in life for you, they’re right inside your self. And I feel that you deserve quiet time on this special occasion to devote some thought to them. So let’s just take a minute to honor those who have cared about us all along the way. One silent minute.”

Happy Thanksgiving with best wishes to you, your family, and those you’ve honored with your silent minute.

Nick Miller and Clarity train banks and bankers to attract and develop deeper relationships with small businesses. Many more Sales Thoughts like this and a host of other articles and resources at https://clarityadvantage.com/knowledge-center/ .