I’m not one to go looking for accolades, so it sure means something if they arrive when I least expect it.

Earlier this week, I was helping a friend tally votes for a Toastmasters club we’re involved with. Going through all the handwritten slips, I was pleasantly surprised to see that I got two votes – one for Toastmaster of the Year, and one for the Sunflower (Sunshine) Award.

Now, two votes out of a whole bunch doesn’t add up to much in the overall scheme of things, but the very fact that two people thought I’d made enough of a difference in the last year to warrant them putting my name forward, well, that sure felt good.

We don’t always know when we’ve made a difference in someone’s club, life or world, so it’s kind of wonderful when we find out quite by accident. And while some like to go looking for accolades, I think it means a whole lot more if those accolades come to us when we least expect it.