22 Ways To Make Someone's Day

Originally uploaded by Rodrigo De Anda

Go ahead...

1. Smile.
2. Ask them how things are going, then listen.
3. Offer to help.
4. Write them a note.
5. Tell them you love them.
6. Tell a joke (preferably funny).
7. Call them randomly for a brief chat.
8. Provide them an opportunity.
9. Share.
10. Give them a card.
11. Show your appreciation.
12. Take them to breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Just one of them. All three would probably be overkill.
13. Observe their needs and then fill them.
14. Compliment them, but mean it. Nothing is worse, or more see through, than a hollow compliment.
    
15. Give them a gift for no other reason than you wanted to.
16. Encourage them.
17. If you are proud of them, tell them.
18. Hug.
19. Help them get ahead and out of a rut.
    
20. Do some of their work for them.
    
21. If appropriate, cook for them.
22. Just be friendly and kind.

Of course, most of these work best when you set out to make someone's day without concern for payback. When you start keeping score or thinking you wasted your time helping this person or that person because they didn't give you something in return, you've missed the point. Give, share, and be kind without concern for anything in return. You'll be happy you did.

Foto Finish Friday

Strandakirkja ..., originally uploaded by asmundur.

*Each Friday an interesting photo is selected to end the week on.

Thanksgiving

Red Heart
Originally uploaded by Katarina 2353

Of all the holidays in all the world, Thanksgiving is by far my favorite. It is simple. It has very few frills. There are no gifts. There is very little commercial fanfare. It involves family and includes thankfulness. The food and football are really just a side attraction.

I just want to say thank you to all of you who take the time to read what I have to say here. Your presence and participation is always a source of great encouragement. I look forward to the next year and what it has to bring.

Now, go eat some food!

Quotables of November

Tianna
Originally uploaded by kevin russ

This month: On Being Thankful.

At this time of economic uncertainty, there is no better time than now to examine your life and discover what is truly important. What is really important in your life? What are you thankful for? Most importantly, who are you thankful for? Have your shared with them your feelings of gratitude?

"I would rather be able to appreciate things I can not have than to have things I am not able to appreciate." ~ Elbert Hubbard

"Be thankful we're not getting all the government we're paying for." ~ Will Rogers

"Let us be thankful for the fools. But for them the rest of us could not succeed." ~ Mark Twain

"A proud man is seldom a grateful man, for he never thinks he gets as much as he deserves." ~ Henry Ward Beecher

"Remember that not to be happy is not to be grateful." ~ Elizabeth Carter

"Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has plenty; not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some." ~ Charles Dickens

Foto Finish Friday

mailbox, originally uploaded by lisa scheer.

The response from my previous post has been outstanding so far! Far better than I could have expected! I've enjoyed the notes (comments) you've sent me with your e-mails too! If you should want me to send you something, read the instructions. I will start my snail mail project next week!

Thank you to everyone!

Each Friday an interesting photo is selected to end the week on.

I Want To Send YOU Something

8500 : 8400
Originally uploaded by iammikeb

I'm terrible at sending cards. Birthday, sympathy, even thank you cards (to my detriment). If it has to go snail mail I move at a snail's pace at getting it sent. Sometimes it never gets sent, despite the best of intentions. I convince myself the verbal "thank you", "happy birthday", or "I'm so sorry to hear about your loss" is enough. It isn't. I realize this and have decided I need to do something about it. The first step in any recovery is admission, right?

A verbal "thank you" is nice, but there's something special about receiving a hand written note in the mail. I understand this. So I'm resolving to do something about it today. I already have a short list of people I have been needing to send notes and cards to. In fact, I've decided you can help too!

HOW YOU CAN HELP: In order to help me get into the habit of sending notes and cards again, I have decided to ask you to be a willing participant. I want to send you a card. Over the years I have collected various cards that I have never sent (I told you I've had good intentions). I am going to put them to good use once and for all. If you would like a little note or card in your mail, I'll take the time to send you something. I can promise you these will not be ordinary cards or notes. I'm not into the ordinary Hallmark cards.

No charge. No gimmicks. No tricks. Just a hand written note or card that may just come in the mail at the right moment. At the very least, I bet it will be nice to receive something other than junk mail or bills in your mailbox. Everyone wins!

Instructions:

• Decide today that you would like some snail mail you can enjoy! Bills = ordinary. Cards = enjoyable.
• Please don't leave your address on this site. E-mail it to me, along with your name. Send your address to: andrew.p.weaver@gmail.com
  
• I will not use your address for anything else. Ever.
• I realize some of you who read my blog are not in the United States. It's okay! I would love to send you (Scotland maybe? Hint, hint) some mail too.
• I will mail them out as I receive each address.
• Wait for your postman to arrive with your mail!
  

This is my challenge to myself. Let's get this thing started!

No More Waiting

Originally uploaded by kevin russ

"In delay there lies no plenty." ~ William Shakespeare

Do you have something you've been putting off until tomorrow or even later? Have you been waiting for a better opportunity? Me too.

Let's resolve to finish it today.

"Procrastination is the art of keeping up with yesterday." ~ Don Marquis

Foto Finish Friday

Lonely sail..., originally uploaded by gardawind.

*Each Friday an interesting photo is selected to end the week on.

Something Else About Normal

london cycling
Originally uploaded by lomokev

Until you are ready to think in terms that are not normal (usual, common, average, standard, and so on), you are not going to accomplish much more than normal things. Thinking in abnormal terms means you will have to leave your comfort zone. Normal is comfortable. Abnormal is uncomfortable - at first.

The trick is turning the abnormal into the normal. It requires some trial and error. It requires commitment. It requires thinking outside the box. It requires the willingness to imagine something most cannot. It requires forward thinking. It requires belief in more than what is normal. Most people who have changed life as we know it (see a few of my examples in my previous post) have done so by taking something most people believed to be impossible or foolish and turned it into the norm.

Deviate From the Average

Blue Bean
Originally uploaded by Fixed Image

Wikipedia says, "normal refers to a lack of significant deviation from the average." Very few want to be seen as abnormal. To be normal is, well, the norm.

Most of us strive to be normal. We want to lead a normal life. We want a normal job. We want normal food. We want normal relationships. We want normal this and normal that. Then when things are abnormal we feel uncomfortable. We don't like abnormal.

There's nothing wrong with normal. It's just that it is rare we excel in life (any aspect) when we focus all of our energy on being normal. We lack any significant deviation from the average.

• In 1903 it was normal to travel long distances by train, ship, or that new invention the automobile. It was abnormal for the Wright Brothers to think human flight was possible. They chose to deviate from the average.
  
• On December 1, 1955 it was normal for a black passenger on a bus in Alabama to give up their seat to a white passenger when ordered. It was abnormal when Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat when the bus driver ordered her to. She chose to deviate from the average.
  
• In 1789 it was normal for nations to be ruled by a king who would pass on the throne to their relatives. It was abnormal for the Founding Fathers of the United States to believe they could be successful without a monarchy leading the way. They chose to deviate from the average.
  

So why do we focus so hard on being normal? Why do we fear the abnormal? It's clear to me that we should be deviating from the average a little more often in our lives.

Joe vs. Norm

being boring
Originally uploaded by scottelbot

My truck broke down on the way to work this morning. I did what I could to limp it the rest of the way there and then had to figure out what to do. I had a pretty good idea that it was the alternator from the way it was behaving. I'm no grease monkey, but I've been known to take care of my own car repairs in the past. This time though, I didn't want or need the hassle. I was prepared to pay someone to make the repairs instead. So I called the shop I've usually gone to in the past.

They've never been remarkable in any particular way. I can't say I've recommended them to others very often. They had always just done the job and moved on. No frills. No free prize. Nothing spectacular. Basically, they had just never messed up or over charged me.

So I called them. The mechanic, whom we shall call Joe the Mechanic (Regular Joe's seem to be popular these days), that answered sounded pressed for time. He didn't seem to want to be on the phone talking to me.

Me: "Hello, I have an alternator that has gone out on me. I was wondering if you would have time to get me in this afternoon."
Joe the Mechanic: "Not real sure."
Me: "Well, maybe tomorrow?"
Joe the Mechanic: "Possibly, we're pretty busy."
Me: "Okay. Would you be able to give me a ballpark figure of what I'm looking at to get it replaced? It doesn't have to be real close. Just something to give me an idea."
Joe the Mechanic: "It's not going to be cheap."
Me: "Okay, what are we talking about?"
Joe the Mechanic: "It's not going to be cheap."
Me: "I understand... "
Joe the Mechanic: "It's just not going to be very cheap."
Me: "Okay, what about...
CLICK

I didn't even get to finish my next question. Joe the Mechanic had hung up on me. Joe the Mechanic did not get my business. In fact, he had convinced me I was better off just doing the job myself. So I went to the local O'Reilly's Auto Parts store to get the alternator I needed. This is where Norm the O'Reilly's Clerk comes in.

What Norm did:

• He remembered my name from when I had to make some repairs back in May.
• He ran a free diagnostics to make sure the problem was indeed the alternator.
• He stood with me in the freezing rain while running the test.
  
• He offered to use their jump box to jump start my truck again (I had my own though).
• He took care of me promptly, did not cut me off, and did not tell me it was going to be expensive.
  

Most importantly, Norm the O'Reilly's Clerk actually made me feel okay with the fact that I was choosing to do the manual labor myself. He convinced me I was making the right move by providing me with outstanding customer service. He gave me a free prize. He went out of his way to be spectacular. He made my visit worthwhile.

Personally, I'll take Norm over Joe any day and I think it's pretty safe to say you would too.

Foto Finish Friday

Floating, originally uploaded by e-325.

*Each Friday an interesting photo is selected to end the week on.

The Fear Excuse

miedo
Originally uploaded by miabuelanoloentiende .com

While I understand fear can be a great motivating factor at times, we allow fear to excuse inaction far too often. We should resolve today (not this coming New Year, but today) that we will no longer use the fear excuse when opportunities arise in our lives.

Fear is no excuse when it comes to...

• ... seeking a better job.
  
• ... talking to a friend or loved one about an addiction or problem in their life.
  
• ... overcoming a situation (living, job, etc.) that is painful, yet sufferable.
• ... pursuing the promotion we've always wanted.
  
• ... saying "I love you" to our loved ones (yes, some people have a hard time saying it).
• ... changing course when a change of course is needed.
  
• ... trying new food, music, or hobbies.
• ... learning something new.
  
• ... meeting new people and making true connections.
  
• ... quitting a bad habit or creating a good one.
  

"Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear - not absence of fear." ~ Mark Twain

Where Are We Being Led?

Riding into the sunset
Originally uploaded by Magic Martin

We all have a desire to be led. Some of us have the desire to lead. Either way, if you want to know a little about leaders and leadership there are countless books, blogs, and seminars all clamoring for your attention. This isn't a post about leadership, nor is it a post about leaders. It's about direction.

Leaders play a very important part in our lives whether they be leaders in the church, workplace, government, or some other aspect of our lives. Ultimately leaders can, if we permit them, direct the path of our lives.

It's important that we ask who will lead us. It's important that we know who is leading us. It's even more important that we understand the direction we are being led. It is possible to be led in a direction we never intended or wanted. It happens all of the time.

History provides for us example after example. On one extreme you have characters like Jim Jones, Adolf Hitler, and Fidel Castro. On the other extreme you have characters such as Abraham Lincoln, Steve Jobs, and Winston Churchill. All of whom are or were leaders. They have displayed charisma, an ability to lead, and a willingness to direct the masses. The difference (aside from the obvious different movements or governments they lead or have led) is the direction they provided to their followers. Jim Jones convinced his followers to move into the jungle and ultimately drink poisoned Kool-Aid. Winston Churchill convinced his country to hunker down during the air raids of Nazi Germany and to never give in. We could go on, but I think you get my point. The most important aspect of a leader is the direction they are guiding their followers toward. As history proves to us, it is possible to be led in a direction we will regret.

"Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction." ~ John F. Kennedy

We may place all of our effort and courage into following the leader or our choice. Yet without a clear understanding of that leader's purpose and direction we may find ourselves traveling down a path we did not intend.

The next time we find ourselves about to make a decision on who we want to lead us, no matter what area of our life, let's be sure to ask the most important question of all. Where are we being led?

Wall Street Doesn't Matter

jo diria
Originally uploaded by miabuelanoloentiende .com

One more thing concerning that lame excuse, the economy. What is most important to you in your life? If your answer has anything to do with the economy or your material possessions, maybe it's time to rethink some things. Just something to chew on as you start your week.

Life has some beautiful things to offer. Start noticing today and decide that Wall Street doesn't matter in the grand scheme of your life.