Contact Us     |     Customer Support     |     Login

AMPT
  • PLATFORM
    • The Leadership Journey
  • CUSTOMERS
  • COMPANY
  • RESOURCES
    • Ebook Guide To Building Recognition
  • DEMO
  • PLATFORM
    • The Leadership Journey
  • CUSTOMERS
  • COMPANY
  • RESOURCES
    • Ebook Guide To Building Recognition
  • DEMO

How my hatred of feet helped me connect with anyone.

January 12, 2017  |  By amptnow

Connecting With Anyone.png

I Hate Feet (but I can’t stop looking at them).

My disdain for feet is well known.  As far back as I can remember, I could not stand feet.  I don’t care to see them, especially up close. I can’t tolerate a “foot” smell, and under no circumstances could I stomach anybody’s foot touching me.  I’m going to assume I’m not alone in this. Most people don’t list “feet” as the favorite body part of their significant others. 

But what if I told you that my hatred of feet led me directly to the passion of others?  

I am not a selective hater.  It’s not just an old person’s feet, men’s feet, dirty or strange looking feet that offend me. I would rather not see mine either.  I don’t own a pair of sandals, shower shoes, or flip-flops.  My summer wardrobe has to fit tennis shoes.  I could have a wart the size of a watermelon and wouldn’t know it.  I have found a peace with swimming pools by going to a calm place in my mind.  A short-lived stint with diver’s shoes was more than my wife could handle.  

LEARN MORE FROM COLBY WITH OUR UPCOMMING WEBINAR

I learned early on as an adolescent not to share this problem with others.  

A teenager’s role is to find which grosses out, freaks out, or terrifies his peers and exploit it to its maximum value.  I wish I could pinpoint the event that led me to this lonely place, but as far as I can deduce it’s as much a part of me as my love for bacon.  It’s just who I am.  

I take it back.

There is one type of foot that has defied my ability to shut out feet.   I never did have a problem with my baby’s feet.  My infant son’s feet were small, clean, and pink.   Something happened when he turned seven, however, and a line was crossed.  His cute, well-made feet became the cartoon feet you only see in foot fungus commercials.  He plays outside, inside, with or without shoes and the result is an odor and level of hygiene that defies logic.  Truth be told, I am probably overreacting.  

My wife has confirmed that several times.  

 

Here’s the [Not Foot]rub.  

You would think that someone with this type of problem would avoid feet at all costs.  Wrong.  I can’t stop looking at them.  

When I meet you, one of the first things I do is assess your footwear.  If you should be so lucky as to have a missing toenail, a really long toenail, or the granddaddy of all foot problems, a disfigured toe, I’ll have your literal footprint on my mind forever.  It’s a curse to be sure.  Perhaps I am looking for the perfect foot.  One that other’s could be compared to.  While I can’t describe its shape now, I know in my heart that when I finally see the perfect foot, I’ll know it.

Imagine if I (or you) could take my automatic assessment skill and reapply it.  What if, instead of obsessive evaluation of your feet, I just as obsessively looked at something outside the physical?  

What if it was your passion that I sought out first?  

What if I listened intently for your “why” as well?  A “why” is a person’s passion.  It’s their motivating force, their reason, and their purpose.  When you listen for it, remain open to it, a person’s why is revealed.  

Once you know that about a person, you bond.  

 

Keeping feet out of the picture (your welcome)

I used to spend a lot of my energy trying to be ‘interesting’.  Now I spend my time trying to be ‘interested’.  The change in focus has made all the difference in my relationships.  They are deeper, more fulfilling.  I selfishly get more from them.  Knowing a person’s why has benefited me when our ‘why’s’ are aligned.  I live to help others and knowing their why helps me achieve that goal.  

I’m obsessive about assessing who someone really is.  More than their footwear. 

Some people live their “why” outwardly.  It’s easy to tell and they might as well get T-shirts printed.  Other’s require selective questioning.  It’s not hard to fish out.  Most of us are proud of our why and love to share it.  Sometimes we need help in discovering it and that’s fun as well.  

I can’t remember the last time I didn’t see a person through his/her feet.  I gave up trying.  If I’ve met you, and you were wearing shoes that revealed your feet, I remember you.  If you were wearing shoes, I banked that memory as well.  

With practice, I am now looking for your why as well (just don’t wear sandals, please).

Previous StorySix Steps to Motivating your Millennial workforce by a Millennial
Next Story5 Great ways to energize your team this week

Related Articles

  • [VIDEO] Creating a Culture of Recognition
  • How to Hire the Right Person

Leave your comment Cancel Reply

(will not be shared)

ABOUT US

Our AMPT resources page will provide you with the latest in employee engagement, recognition and organizational effectiveness.

  • Articles on industry trends
  • Latest hacks, tools and tricks
  • Employee engagement in the 21st century
  • Best practices and more!

CATEGORIES

  • BLOG (16)
  • BUSINESS (18)
  • Core Values (15)
  • Culture (36)
  • DESIGN (2)
  • DEVELOPMENT (7)
  • Engagement (20)
  • General (23)
  • Hiring (1)
  • HR (7)
  • Leadership (30)
  • Management (15)
  • Updates (2)

TAGS

AMPT Appreciation Attitude business care Communication Company Culture Core values Creative Cultural Change Culture employee Employee Recognition employees employe recognition Engagement Features Feedback focus Halloween healthcare Holiday Parties HR Ideas infographic Leadership Managemment Millennial Motivate Netflix Culture Document Office Opportunity Party Platform podcast Potluck Purpose Recognition Site Tour social recognition platform Solutions Updates Value work Workplace Culture

MORE ABOUT US

AMPT believe that every last individual should be recognized in their moment of greatness. That's our belief...and we are sticking to it.

PRIVACY POLICY

END USER LICENSE AGREEEMENT

TERMS OF SERVICE

LATEST RESOURCES

  • [VIDEO] Creating a Culture of Recognition
  • How to Hire the Right Person
  • Snapchat Biases
    I learned about my own leadership biases from my daughters’ Snapchat shenanigans [again]

COME VISIT US

We open our office to anyone who wants to stop by and talk about anything under the sun. So if you have time and ideas…stop by!

432 South 11th Street,
Lincoln Nebraska,68508

AMPT
  • PLATFORM
  • CUSTOMERS
  • COMPANY
  • RESOURCES
  • DEMO
Copyright © 2024 AMPT. All Rights Reserved.