When I was about 10, I was walking down the street with my mother. She stopped to speak to Mr Lee. I knew I could see Mr Lee anytime around the neighborhood, so I just stood there. After we passed him, my mother stopped and said something unforgettable. "You let that be the last time you ever walk by somebody you know without opening your mouth to speak,because even a dog can wag its tail when it passes you on the street. "That sentence sounded simple but it made me become who I am.
At work, I used to say hello to the president of the company and ask him how our business was doing. But I also spoke to the people in the cafe and people who cleaned the buildings, and asked them how their children were doing, for every single person deserves to be accepted, no matter how humble(卑微的) they are. I remember that after a few years of passing by the president, I had the courage to ask him for a chat. We had a great talk. At some point, when I asked him how far he thought I could go in his company, he said that if I wanted to, I could get all the way to his seat.
I've become vice-president, but that hasn't changed how I treat people. I speak to people wherever I am. Speaking to people creates a pathway into their world, and it lets them come into mine, too. The day you speak to someone who has his head down and then see him lift it up and smile, you will realize how powerful it is just to open your mouth and say hello.