To Serve well

Serving with Excellence for a Life of Excellence

Grit

What do you need to prioritize over your phone?

We all know that social media has taken over the “world” so to speak. The stats say 7 of 10 people are daily users. I thought that was low.

Nearly 22% of the world population has access to social media. No matter your age, Facebook and other platforms have found a way to come in and consume our days. I heard this week that the average employee is on their phone for personal reasons 500 minutes a week. I certainly hope that was incorrect. Some other insights according to social media today:

  • Teens spend up to 9 hours a day on social platforms.
  • The average person will spend approx. 2 hours (116 minutes, to be exact) on social media everyday, which translates to 5 years and 4 months over a lifetime.
  • Current time on social media beats out time spent on eating, socializing and grooming.

That gets me to the point of this blog post:

I know there are a lot of stories out today pointing to all of the social/cultural challenges resulting from social media. The desire to have a life that is “Instagram-worthy,” and to have a “highlight reel” life like others… These are important issues and something we should all be aware of. My focus today is on how we forfeit our power when we get soaked in and spend our time in social media when we know that our life would be richer if we spent as much time in prayer.

Most people I know, of all religions/beliefs, find that prayer is useful and a “go to” when they need to better understand life, or seek heeling, etc. PRAYER (some call it meditation) clearly brings us to a higher level of awareness that we need so we can find peace and direction. We just need to put our energy into this important practice.

I got to thinking: “What if we all spent 30 minutes more this week praying for the guidance we need, those in our circle that could use a hand up? And at the same time, 30 minutes less focused on thumbing through Facebook, Insta, Snapchat, etc.?”

My hypotheses is that we would find 30 minutes isn’t enough to conquer all that we need and that we would begin to take notice of the value of our minutes and the power we each truly have if only we will take our time back.

Rewind: What is your pain?

(Rewind: This is a relevant post from 2016. Enjoy!)

I was on a flight back last week from Seattle and had a great conversation with my seat mate. Those of you who know me well may think I would normally “chat it up” with a passenger, but truthfully I am the one to throw on the headphones (even if I don’t have anything on) and try to relax and think and maybe even take a nap! Not really a big fan of plane conversation.

Anyway, I’d been flying all week and this was one of the last legs, and she was really great. We got to talking about how we are currently in the process of selling our home, and I was sharing with her the inspection report and subsequent negotiations. In short, the new owners want to take a bit more out off of the price to deal with some minor issues and that I didn’t really think was fair, but also didn’t want to upset the apple cart so to speak and ruin the deal. Her response was great and WORTH SHARING.

“SO, WHAT IS YOUR PAIN….?”

I didn’t get it right away, but ultimately it was PURE BRILLIANCE. We all have our own pain points. How much pain are we willing to endure…to experience?  It can be emotional or physical dollars as in this case. It can be both of course. I had to think through this with her. In this case, if the deal fell through because I didn’t concede, I would be out perhaps a couple or more months of a mortgage payment, on top of my new payments relating to the move etc. Once I thought of it that way, their ask didn’t seem too much and would quickly add up to the amount they were asking for.  Decision made. Once I realized the amount of what my pain could be, it wasn’t hard.  (Side note: Why in the world had I never thought of this process?)

Some after thoughts I had or other possible scenarios…

What if you have someone at work that is a challenge… What is your pain? What happens if you address it or not?

What if you need to make a big purchase, a new refrigerator, or something expensive… What is your pain if you do or don’t do it now? It may help you to understand if you just can’t tolerate the pain level, you may need to consider other options, perhaps a Craigslist fridge for now….?

What if you have a friend or relative that is about to make a bad decision… What is their pain? Can you help them out by using this as a problem solving mechanism to frame up the real issues they may have based on their choices?

I hope this resonates with some of you all!  I thought it was a tremendous insight and worth the time to think on for a bit… I will be using this now when confronted with a decision.

(Photo Creds:  I’m not sure…It’s been on my “reel” for awhile..)

“Go up to the plate and get mad”

“One of the great oddities of baseball: success is relative. A hitter who fails 70 percent of the time at the plate is a potential member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, and many World Championship teams lost more than 70 games during their title winning seasons.” – Don Yaeger (American Sports Journalist, Author and Motivational speaker)

Before I decided to write a blog post on the value of base hits, I hadn’t really done the research. My idea was to chat about the importance of “getting up to the plate.”

Although I knew that a good batting percentage was in the “300s” I didn’t really think about it as the insight above illustrates. (The actual 2015 average of the top batters was .322. That said, a 32% rate is VERY GOOD!) True, we do need to get up to the plate, but I think perhaps more importantly is framing our success.

Who ever came up with these unwritten rules about the need to win all of the time, and even to have more victories than failures? Perhaps it’s innate, or perhaps it’s driven into the culture through the grading system in childhood and via little league titles, dancing recital titles, music “chairs,” etc. All said, a 68% failure rate (I prefer “miss rate”) may be just what we need to reframe our success.

Let me be clear, I am not one of the parents who feels every kid should get a trophy or a blue ribbon. In fact, I think we do a huge disservice to our children and ourselves when we do so.  I do however believe that succeeding in life is better defined by baseball percentages than being the top of the class/team (insert your favorite blue ribbon goal).

Here’s why:

As the world accelerates (as we talked about last week), we need to be prepared to test and learn quickly. While our parents and grandparents generally worked at a company for their entire career, today’s world will almost certainly mean multiple jobs and multiple required skill sets. In order to find out where you excel, getting up to bat is important.   It really doesn’t matter your age, there is so much that life has to offer if you are willing to step up to the plate and give it a try and realize success can be measured in many ways.

“There’s only one way to become a hitter. Go up to the plate and get mad. Get mad at yourself and mad at the pitcher.” (Ted Williams, Boston Red Sox “The Greatest Hitter who Ever Lived” self-proclaimed, but one of the best for sure!)

While I don’t love Mr. Williams’ “get mad” comments, I totally can feel that vibe. We do need to instill a BIT OF PASSION behind our work and personal goals and desires. Today, I hope you’ll give some thought to where you need to GET UP TO BAT…

Try a new restaurant or a food you’ve never liked before

Explore a new city, near or far… Fort Scott anyone?

Try a new hobby… grab the ingredients for that recipe you’ve been wanting to try …

Schedule that lunch you’ve been avoiding…

Sign up for that class…

Ask that person you admire to mentor you…

Go be a MENTOR to someone in your community you know could use your inspiration…

Heck, change your whole career… (after prayer and discernment of course…)

Rewind: We need your voice

(Rewind: This is a relevant post circa June 2016)

I found this sign on my drive back from an appointment last week. I immediately did a U-TURN and turned around to go snap a picture. I know I have seen business owners/ churches, etc use their sign for humorous or inspirational messages before but this one is REALLY GOOD. It’s SIMPLE and YES, I do need to call my grandmother more often, and probably my dad for that matter. GREAT REMINDER, THANKS SONIC, I’LL DO THAT RIGHT NOW! IT’S IMPORTANT!

In addition to that thought, I am constantly thinking about how we should all use our voice. Whether you are America’s Drive-In, a 5 year old, or a 105 year old, God gave you a voice. Your voice is your point of view, your story, your contribution. The world needs it. Perhaps more than ever.

Our world is relying on it as a matter of fact. What insights do you need to offer your team at work? Your child? Your city? Raise your hand, write a letter, post a blog, tweet, Instagram or Snapchat. USE YOUR VOICE!

Rewind: Lessons from the Farm

(Photo Credit: Pinterest)

(This is a partial throw back post to one from May 2016. Enjoy, friends!)

If you have any experience in farming, you know that while this image looks AMAZING, it didn’t get that way without a ton of hard work and investment.

Our theme this time last year started with the idea of “bold faith,” so much so that you would “bet the farm,” so to speak. That got me thinking about a life of excellence and how farmers really are pretty much the best of the best in demonstrating the value of hard work – among other things.

I had the opportunity to grow up around a farm thanks to my grandparents, and I can tell you two things:

  1. It is HARD WORK. PERIOD.
  2. Riding on the back of a truck while they are baling hay is not for the faint of heart. Snakes literally jump up while the ground gets pulled up and out! That part wasn’t a ton of fun, but I do recall summer “pool time” in the cow feeding trough! Hey, you gotta do what you can to have fun in Jasper, Mo.!

The lessons on the farm are too many to count, but here are a few that I feel really inspired by (with the help of Jeremie Kubicek. Maybe they’ll help you, too.

  • Lesson 1: BUILD A STRONG FOUNDATION – Healthy crops come from healthy topsoil. This is true in business and life. YOU MUST HAVE A CLEAR DIRECTION and GROWTH PLAN. If you don’t have one, today’s the day!
  • Lesson 2: POUR INTO THE FIELD – Farmers fertilize their fields and invest in the best products to ensure a healthy outcome. In life, we must “pour” into our children, our calling (work), our friends, etc. We can’t expect friendships to develop, careers to grow and children and grandchildren to excel without fertilization! Are there any key areas you need to “pour into” in your life?
  • Lesson 3: ELIMINATE THE WEEDS! – I love this one. For farmers, weeds choke the life out of the crops and damage the potential harvest. WOW – isn’t this one so true for all of us? We must weed out the negative thoughts, habits and sometimes even people from our lives that are holding us back! What do you need to “weed out” today?

Make it a great one!

Onward: We must take what we need and move on to serve others

(Photo Creds: We Heart It)

I’ve seen a similar image before. I love it. What do you need right now? For every friend I know well, I could tell you that they need one of these. I personally could use some healing and some patience. Heck, I think I may need a bit of strength, inspiration and peace as well.

The final day of the annual Seven Days events sponsored by Faith Always Wins, concluded last night with a unity walk. The final day is also claimed as “ONWARD.” My friend, the founder, and a great inspiration to many, Mindy Corporon, explained why they chose ONWARD for the final day in her Facebook post yesterday:

“Because, as we live our journey on earth together we need to find a way to move onward… past and THROUGH our CHALLENGES. WE ALL HAVE THEM.”  

She is spot on – of course.

I want to take a moment to remind you that there is quite literally an army of people ready to help you with whatever it is you need to help you not only survive, but TAKE A VICTORY LAP AROUND THIS JOURNEY! We need each other. If you question that, I’d be happy to prove that to you! You see, I have seen incredible acts of humanity in my short time on earth and I know personally that with a simple phone call I could engage some of these beautiful people to help, cheer, pull or even push someone across their finish line!

Have an amazing week. ONWARD.

Simple Thoughts Sunday: A simple step of faith = power

(Photo Creds: My own from Heritage Dog Park, April, 2017)

I hope you will appreciate this sweet photo. I took my new puppy and her big sister to the dog park this week and let’s just say that “Waffles,” AKA the new second in command at the house, HAS A LOT OF FAITH.

We could all learn a bit from her BOLD STEPS OF FAITH. She thought nothing of stumbling down a three-foot ledge to get in some mucky water on a spring day… It was clear by her face, that she fell in the same camp as me in not knowing if she would sink or swim. Thankfully she clawed herself out and hit the path again, ready for the next adventure. WHEW! (The idea of a life-saving swim on this chilly spring day was not what I had in mind!)

Her FAITH, like the pure curiosity of a child allows her to experience all that life has to offer in her little world right now. (Matthew 8:3 tells us this importance of having this “child-like” faith, right?) Oh how fun that is to watch in puppies and children.

This weekend I attended Carver Bible’s Women’s Conference and Chrystal Evans Hurst, spoke about the importance of taking ONE SMALL STEP OF OBEDIENCE. When we are able to do this, God will show us the next step, and the next step, and slowly but surely we WILL FIND OUR PATH BLESSED because we are following his guidance and direction for our lives. Sounds simple, but most of us know that listening for this “still, small voice” can be challenging in a world of distractions. Her encouragement was to make getting “quiet” and in a place where we can hear these a top priority.

My prayer for you as we go into this last week of April, is that you will make the time to listen, and follow the steps that you are destined to take and achieve ALL THAT GOD has prepared for your ONE LIFE.

Safety or adventure? You choose.

(Photo Creds: We Heart it; Grand Gunderson)

Sunnier days! We are all ready for that! You might be looking at the coming summer months ahead and planning a road trip, a “bucket list” trip or something else like hanging out by the pool.

One of our local magazines featured several road trip ideas within a “tank of gas” from Kansas City. It was a fun read, and I truly believe there are so many little towns across the country that would have a lot to offer for a someone out on an adventure, even if that’s an antique hunt!

Here’s the idea to contemplate today: Will you choose SAFETY OR ADVENTURE as you plan out the free moments in your life? Will you be afraid to launch out and do something you’ve never done? (Blaming it on lack of energy, funds or something else.) Or, will you set forth on an adventure and go out and LIVE?

I truly believe I spent too many weekends at home when I was younger thinking for some reason that I was saving money, or choosing the better path. Today, I believe and KNOW that you can go on an adventure, whether it’s close to home (think sailing/kayaking on Shawnee Mission Lake) or not, and that ADVENTURE OFFERS PERSPECTIVE. It can cost little to nothing and still deliver an experience that allows you to get OUT of the everyday patterns of life.

As the warmer days show up, I hope that you will put some time into thinking about what ADVENTURES you can dream up over the next few months. Grab a family member or a long lost friend and enjoy ALL THAT LIFE OFFERS. You’ll be REFRESHED and add MEMORIES that will enrich you with HAPPINESS!

You are a badass

(Photo Creds: Ashley Jost)

First off, apologies for the strong terminology in the post, but honestly it was needed. You see, I have some friends, as I’m sure you do to, that have been through nothing short of what most can’t imagine. (I have other choice words for that…)

This post is for them, to remind them – and you – that we were MADE FOR GREATNESS. It’s true however that sometimes we have to pull ourselves up and out, and be a BADASS in order to endure with grace.

For my friend who lost her husband and has demonstrated that through great pain that you can STILL be bold and brave despite being introverted.

For my friend who lost a daughter and is literally fighting tooth and nail to come out with grace.

The journey isn’t always as calm as it seems for others, but FIGHTING IS WORTH IT! Showing up EVERY DAY and knowing that you were MADE TO BE GREAT and that you can OVERCOME… They are proving that, day by day…

There are so many stories caused by death, divorce, loss of health, loss of careers and confusing relationships… We all have our own battles.

TODAY, REMIND YOURSELF THAT YOU ARE A BAD ASS and the STORY IS YOURS TO MAKE GREAT… OWN THAT, and SHOW UP STRONG. We are ALL CHEERING FOR EACH OTHER!

Simple Thoughts Sunday – God Ideas!

(Photo creds: Pinterest)

This week we are going to talk about IDEAS!

We did the same at the end of last March. I don’t know about you, but I have an “itch” for spring (just not spring allergies!), and am ready to rev up the engines for a terrific second quarter of the year.

I feel like we are all always holding GREAT HOPE that we will have IDEAS that create something special, something fun, meaningful and perhaps even INCREDIBLE. An idea that brings our family closer, elevates our career, fills our financial needs, or brings meaning to those things we care about passionately.

I fully BELIEVE that “GOD IDEAS” (A God idea is one that you can’t stop thinking about; one that has grabbed your heart; one that surely must have come from God) are quite possible for us to attract if we simply give our lives to God in prayer and faith. As the picture captures so perfectly: Make Him your first priority and He promises a fulfilled life.

My prayers for you this week are for you to be inspired by GOD IDEAS and that HOPE continues to RISE in your heart as Easter draws near!