I remember being taught that your reputation walks into a room before you do. It announces who you are, and underlines who you are not. I can now add to that: reputation is also what you leave behind when you are no longer in the room.
Two guests who stayed with us in my parents’ beautiful homestay, Amaryllis, at Wayanad, Kerala, last week reminded me how a person’s presence can be felt even when they are not in the room.
One wrote a letter to Dad and the other a poem about him. Neither of them had met him, and yet they felt moved to share these beautiful gestures with us.
The letter – “Dear Victor, we never met, and yet I feel compelled to write to you. Though departed from this life and your family and Amaryllis, I feel your presence here. In the beauty of Amaryllis that you created with Jini and your family. All those you left behind have such love, respect, and admiration for you, and it is tangible – as is the deep sorrow and heartache that you are no longer here….”
“Resting now at peace, but always with us still, in this home Amaryllis, surrounded by the Wayanad hills” is how the poem ended.
They (the letter writer and the poet) felt my father’s presence, through us and his beautiful home. The coffee, pepper, mangosteen, and avocado he planted still grow and remind us of him. He is everywhere, and he is nowhere. He touched the world in a way that made people feel special.
Miles Davis said, “It takes a long time to sound like yourself.” May my Dad’s song play on through all who knew him and find its way to those who did not.
Here is me, reminding myself and you to find your unique sound and let the music play. Because your reputation will play on, long before you enter a room and long after you leave.
Make the time to ask yourself, “Who am I? And “Why am I here?” Finding my core values, life purpose, and skills is the gift I received from coaching. Supporting others to find their ‘True North’, is my way of paying it forward and being true to myself.
Look within and then align your outward journey. A reputation that stands the test of time rests on honesty. The building blocks of self-awareness and courage to stay true to yourself, especially when it is most difficult, are life skills to be nurtured.
The brands and organisations we trust stay true to their purpose and act with integrity. They are not just seeking attention and visibility, they are singing a unique song, one that has taken a long time to be written and perfected. They don’t keep changing their tune, instead they find their unique offering and cater to an audience that appreciates them.
To end on another Miles Davis, note, “Play what you know and then play above that”. My dad did – he devoted his life to being a great planter, starting in tea and then moving to coffee and a host of other crops. His foray into creating a plantation homestay was like a good jazz improvisation, an expression of his individuality that created its own unique sound and left a lasting impression on tourism in Kerala. The gentleman planter has left. The gentleman is still here in the hills of Wayanad and within us.
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