"In the best interest of people"

Yesterday, I met with a very good customer of mine, to discuss some issues they were experiencing. I was so focused on squeezing this meeting in-between other appointments that I didn't take time to go through one of my "focus routines". I normally take a moment to clear my head prior to entering an appointment and concentrate on what is in the best interest of this client, regardless of whether it results in a sale or just some practical advice.

As I was finishing up some pricing, I over heard my customers talking about their recent return from

Tanzania, Africa.  They welcomed me into their discussion. They went to Tanzania on a project through their daughter’s school, to help a small struggling tribe of young women. In this culture, the women are treated much like slaves. They do all work, care-taking and farming. They walk 6 miles to school every day and are not allowed to eat anything until school is over. They cannot continue their education past the age of 15, when they are forced to marry.

My customers organized a project that would give these women more opportunity to receive better education while at school.  They experienced the lack of food, running water and electricity while they were in Tanzania.  It's amazing to me that this family chose to go and help this group of people on the other side of the world, merely because they felt they could make a difference.   

I left my customers’ home with a new understanding of what doing something, “in the best interest of people” really means.