A second-grade teacher put a big box on a table in the back of the room.
She walked to her desk and started teaching math to her students, saying nothing about the box or what was inside.
After a while, one of her students raised her hand.
"Yes, Julia," said the teacher. "Do you have a question about what we're learning today?"
"No, Ms. Tanner. I want to know what's in the box?"
The teacher smiled and said, "Inside the box is a picture of my favorite student." Ms. Tanner went back to discussing math with the class.
Another student raised his hand.
"Yes, Hunter. Do you have a question about what we're learning today?"
"No, Ms. Tanner. I just want to know who your favorite student is. Is it me?"
"Hunter, if you really want to know, go look in the box. But if you look inside, you can't tell anyone who you saw."
"Yes, Ms. Tanner."
Hunter jumped out of his desk and ran to the box. He opened the box like it was a Christmas present. When Hunter looked inside, a big grin exploded on his face. He closed the box and walked back to his desk.
"Who is it," asked his classmates." Who did you see?"
"I can't tell you," said Hunter. "I promised."
The entire class raised their hands. Each student asked if they could look inside the box.
"Everyone can look in the box, but only one person at a time can go. And you cannot tell anyone who you saw."
She pointed at the student closest to the box and told him he could look first. And like Hunter, each student smiled or laughed when they looked inside the box.
Within five minutes, the entire class looked inside the box and learned who Ms. Tanner's favorite student was. Everyone except Timmy.
Ms. Tanner looked at the young man. "Timmy, don't you want to look inside the box?"
Timmy shook his head no.
"Why not Timmy?"
"I'm new, and no one likes me anyway."
Ms. Tanner smiled and walked to the boy's desk. "Let's go look inside the box together. Okay, Timmy? You'll never know what you'll find."
The teacher took Timmy by the hand and walked him to the box. "Go ahead. Look inside."
Timmy grabbed the box and opened it. Looking sad, he stuck his head inside.
"Who do you see," asked Ms. Tanner.
"I see me," Timmy exclaimed. "I see me." He turned around and hugged Ms. Tanner.
Inside the box was a mirror. Ms. Tanner loved her students and treated each one as if they were her favorite.
She understood that if her students were to grow into someone special, she had to tell them they were special and unique and deserved to be loved.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe wrote,
"Treat people as if they were what they ought to be and you help them to become what they are capable of being."
No one becomes a success or a failure by themselves. We help in both regards from someone. That includes parents, a friend, a boss, and a teacher.
How can anyone feel loved if they don't see you loving them first?
The mirror-in-the-box framework is simple and works with everyone. That includes your children, friends, the neighbor you don't like, and employees.
Treat everyone you meet as if they were your favorite person. You'll change the world.
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Love to you and yours,
Michael