Everyone has a story . . . and each one of us, at some point in life, experiences something so unique, so personal that it changes us forever. This experience can be positive or negative . . . it’s all in how you perceive it. The question is – does it keep you in the past or does it move you forward?”
I thought I knew and understood my warm, soft-spoken, peace-filled Mother. What I discovered while making a short documentary for a film class (a few years before her 2007 passing), is that she embodied incredible qualities that went undetected until she spoke and shared a life defining story that took us to Poland and World War II.
In this short film, you’ll hear my mother, Gladys (Deptula) Dabrowski — referred to as “Babci” (Polish for Grandmother) by her grandson, Jeff — tell her moving story.
While making the documentary, I gained tremendous insight into my Mom. Her bold and courageous initiative to escape twice from a German work camp stunned me. And as you might guess, there’s more to the story after escaping and returning to her war-torn village.
What continues to amaze me, is that in spite of her past, my Mom never spoke ill of the Germans or Russians (who forcibly made her family leave their home in the dead of winter). She simply saw the light in people and treated everyone with dignity and respect.
Take a look around you. We all have individuals in our lives that we’ve known for years and years – perhaps even our entire lives. We think and feel we know them through and through.
Yet, I’ve got a hunch . . . when you take time to listen and are fully present with another human being, you’ll discover profound fresh insights that transform the way you perceive the person, their life, your life and the world around you. Now – that makes for richer, deeper connections and priceless relationships that live on and on!
Choose to leave a legacy!
Imagine who you could be if . . . you had the courage to leap without limits?
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MaryAnn D’Ambrosio, MBA, PhD is a speaker, author, coach and creator of Flashcards for the Soul™. MaryAnn’s passion is to work with individuals, groups and companies who are ready to “leap” and accelerate results by transforming ideas, vision, and projects into inspired action to experience a more vibrant, dynamic on-purpose business and life. If you’ve been merely surviving instead of thriving, be sure to pick-up your F*R*E*E Overcome Overwhelm Toolkit at: LeapWithoutLimits.com
On April 1st of 2010 (yes, April's Fools Day), I left corporate America (after 30 plus years in the electric utility industry) to venture out on my own. Initially, a very scary thought. Now that I've made the leap, all kinds of interesting things are happening . . . 
