To Serve well

Serving with Excellence for a Life of Excellence

Priorities

Rules for excellence…

If you don’t know the leadership guru of all gurus, Tom Peters, look him up. He is well into his 70s and still pushing out amazing content. I love that.

He’s most famous for co-authoring ‘In Search of Excellence,’ but his credits go far beyond that classic. I have found his book ‘The little BIG things, is probably the best I’ve read in years. In it, he outlines 163 ways to pursue excellence and most of them are brilliant. (I’m sure all are to some.) The quotes in the attached image come from this read. He wisely credits other great thinkers, including the everyday types, like lessons from the local barista.

I knew for sure when I read #62 (above) on his list that I had to share it with you.

If I were Rosesblatt (author of “Rules for Aging”), I would say that these are great suggestions for all of us. Wisely seeking good counsel and, for that matter, a wide array of viewpoints, is always something that can help us improve. I believe this is true whether you’re dealing with basic home matters, finances or, of course, fulfilling your purpose in work/school/where ever God planted you. LOVE IT.

Is there an issue right now where you could use some counsel? Someone to listen and give you a perspective? We should all seek that out this week. (Make a note now to do it… that’s what I have to do!)

The second suggestion on thanking others early and often – and even profusely – was the point of Tuesday’s “Spread Joy” blog. We cannot underestimate the power of encouraging one another.

WE MUST MAKE THIS A PRIORITY if we want to SERVE WELL!

Minimalism 2.0: A resource guide to “less stuff, more joy”

Today, I thought it may be best to share some additional resources for you on the topic. I am in the same category as most of you, an “active and willing learner.” I always appreciate where I can hear from the experts.

On that note, below are a few links and books I hope you find helpful as you consider whether and how you could move toward the idea of “less stuff, more joy.”

The Joy of Less,  Francine Jay

Simplify, Joshua Becker

The Power of Less, Leo Babauta

The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, Marie Kondo (I have read this one, and LOVED IT… Super short and easy to read for those who don’t like reading so much, or simply can’t find the time.)

The Practical Minimalist: How I simplified by life, retired early and pursued my dreams, Jessica Wonderful

The Minimalists

Zen Habits

Minimal is Simple

Everyday Minimalist

I leave you this week with a quote that reminds us why this is an important conversation:

“Simplicity is about SUBTRACTING the obvious and ADDING the MEANINGFUL.” – John Maeda

It’s that time of year…What is your one word?

It’s that time of year! I introduced this concept on the blog two years ago after having done it for a few years on my own.

I love this idea so much that it has great meaning to me. The stories I’ve heard have been equally cool. Many of you shared your words with me, and even yesterday someone already shared their word for 2018. I love it! Some of the words shared in past years have been:

Curiosity

Joy

Committed

Amplify

Discipline

Enough

Trust

Fun

Accelerate

Focus

My word this year has been “significance” or “stretch.” Reaching a level of “true” significance. Digging deeper into how to best use my gifts and skills in every area of my life. Honestly, I would say in retrospect it was way more of a “stretch” year than I imagined when I wrote this. In fact, I’m quite sure I’m still in that mode, trying to unwind that stretch a bit. I believe that I am always moving toward using these gifts, and that is something to celebrate.

Many ask how I come up with the “one word.” I start with praying that God will give me the word that I should focus on. As you all know, I read a lot. I will often see themes pop up and that guide me to my word. For this year, going into the last few days I believe I have been given the word “revival.”

There is a passionate, wise teacher I like named Dharius Daniels. He gave a sermon about revival as a “season or space of reintroduction.” God introduces himself again, exposes you more to your next assignment and gives you the insights needed to conquer that level, so to speak. That resonated with me. I’d like a REINTRODUCTION please! (We just saw Jumanji as a family on Christmas, so “levels” of the game are on my mind. Go see it if you want something fun and clever that requires no thinking.)  

As I shared last year, life is an incredible journey. One thing I know for sure after nearly five decades  is that we do not know day to day where the road may take us. So we do what we can, living with intention and moving toward what we believe will create the most fulfilled and well-lived life.

So, what is your word? Please share!

*For those who want to go deeper, there is actually a website where a community of people share their words, stories etc.

Time to DOWN SHIFT!

It’s that time of year when work winds down and we shift — as in “DOWN SHIFT” — our FOCUS to our friends and family. (Thank you Mic Johnson, @mictastic, for the term.) 

I know many of you are still working through this week, and I hope you are able to take some time off during these next couple of weeks. We are in a society of constant connectedness, and our brains need to be able to shut down & reboot so that we can CREATE MAGIC IN 2018!

Whether your thing is taking in the new Star Wars movie, doing absolutely nothing and sitting by the fire, binging on your latest Netflix fav, getting a pedicure with your girls or reading some great books, do whatever fulfills you! Research shows that our brains need a break!

“Push yourself through too many hours or days of work and your brain starts to push back. Ideas that once flowed easily dry up, and tasks that you should be able to perform quickly become excruciatingly difficult,” according to Scientific American.

I personally don’t need too much convincing. My mind and body begs for me to take a break! I will be taking off Sunday and Tuesday from the blog, but please know I wish you the very best and am praying for each of you to be filled with the all the peace and joy the season can offer!

Why we MUST build energy, perspective and immunity

Constant growth is what makes us who we were designed to be. Three thoughts for you today.

We must BUILD ENERGY: Be it physical energy or mental energy, we simply must be working on our health game. Even Instagram is a showcase of opinions, thrashing politics and personal agendas… (Aside: Please make it go back to a place for cool pictures and powerful messages!) Staying on top of this is a must have if you are to maintain a healthy mindset. Be thinking about BUILDING ENERGY!

We must BUILD PERSPECTIVE: Your perspective determines your ability to perceive opportunities, pursue optimism and to embrace chaos. Focusing on your perspective — what you know to be true — is a game changer. When problems arise, it’s our perspective that allows us to move to the other side and deal with it in a way that encourages and helps us and others grow. How is your perspective?

We must BUILD IMMUNITY: This one was a wild card, but it was top-of-mind so I had to include it. My point here is immunity against anything that has the ability to alter our days and our minds. Anything that can get us off track. As with sickness (those ugly winter colds going around), the world can get to us. People — even our families — may say something that can shift our mood in seconds. Build IMMUNITY against that.

At the end of the day, life is too short to get our feelings hurt easily and we can decide up front that we are not going to be distracted from joy.

Have the most amazing weekend.

Time well spent: next-level thinking

I thought since the year is closing in, it would be good to spend one of the last work weeks focused on a deeper topic. One that just might help you as you’re closing in on your goals and establishing your big, bold and amazing 2018 plan! (We’ll get to that soon, too. I have some great content to share.)

In Tim Ferriss’s new book, Tribe of Mentors, he showcases a transcript of the same few questions he asked about 200 people that have inspired him in some way. His question was: “What is one of the best or most worthwhile investments you have ever made?”

One of the stand-out answers for me was from Brené Brown who said, “PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION.”

That resonated because I like to move straight to the ACTION part of solving a problem. In fact, her comment was that “most of us are plagued with action bias and really struggle to stay in the problem identification part… ” The idea that getting clear and digging deep into what the root is would be pretty helpful, don’t you think? Here’s where my mind went:

When someone I love is struggling, it is easy to assume the problem is something obvious (their significant other, work, school, etc.). For the most part, it’s a combination.

When you can’t seem to work through a project at work easily, is it because you haven’t asked the “right” questions and haven’t been engaging your mind to next-level thinking?

When I’m even in “innovation” mode and ready to conquer the world with ideas for my clients, do I even know what their real problems are? What research can I do to dive deeper?

When I can’t seem to sleep, could it be because of something not immediately clear?

Answering what’s not so obvious seems like the perfect place to go when problem solving. Being more thoughtful, spending more time in research, asking better questions… yes please.

I’d love to know if this resonates with you!

The best gift idea

I found one of the best ideas I have heard in a while in Tyler Perry’s new book, “Higher is Waiting.” It’s a gem, and the type of read that is quick with some game changing takeaways.

This was one of those game changers — I hope you agree. In fact, I liked it so much that I told my boys, sister, brother and parents that this is exactly what I want and nothing else. (I did ask for it to be gift-wrapped since there’s such a thrill in opening presents!)

I’m as guilty as almost everyone else in that the days seem to suck me in and spending thoughtful time writing out my thoughts to a loved one is not something I do well. Sure, I send text messages, birthday cards and Facebook posts, but sitting down and giving thought only to that person who means so much… not my strong suit. In fact, I get a pretty low score on this… or maybe no score at all. So, I’m stealing this idea from Mr. Perry this Christmas and plan to write a few myself.

Have the best weekend yet this year!

Check your complaints at the door

Have you ever stopped to listen to people around you, and even the conversations and comments that happen in your own home?

“The weather is awful. I can’t believe I have to go out this early in this cold.”

“We have nothing to eat.”

“Everyone else has their holiday stuff out already. I have no idea when I am going to do that.”

“The traffic was so bad this morning.”

“He/she is so rude.”

“I weigh 1,000 pounds right now.”

“I am so tired.”

“The line is so long.”

“Parking is disastrous.”

“I can’t believe we have to wait.”  And even: “What, they don’t have a Starbucks?”

All of this seems harmless, right? Except it’s not.

Too often I am struck by the ease by which we simply fill the world (as in the one we live in… in our cars, homes, workplace and yes, even when we are out actually doing something fun). The feeling I get from the barrage of these types of comments can be draining and honestly, I think it can make us physically sick.

I thought it was timely to point this out so we can redirect. It goes along well with the conversations we have had on joy, wonder and living positive lives so that we can serve our purpose here in the best way possible. I heard a message not too long ago where they suggested you pray for a spirit of conviction when you complain. Let me tell you, it’s dangerous… but good. You may feel like you are generally always positive, and this could surprise you. You for sure will notice the conversations around you need to be infused with something different.

Our words impact the ability for us to be AWESOME. Let’s do better!

Have a great week!

Simple Thoughts Sunday: A week of serving well

I am so THANKFUL it’s THANKSGIVING WEEK!

I have to admit, it feels too early this year. But nevertheless, I’m ready to hug some folks!

I don’t know about you but Thanksgiving has to be one of the best creations ever. If you give it some thought, it’s not only about being thankful and spending time with those we love, but it is rooted in SERVICE. Service and honor to those we love. Generations have been built on those gatherings where true service and love were the main ingredients, strengthening our families and communities. What could be better?

As I read Rick Warren’s quote above, I think about how we can use a season like this to truly serve well. To not only serve our families and friends but to look out and consider those who may not have been served in anyway this year. I think of patients that I have met who looked forward to their doctor appointments because it was the only time during the year they felt cared for.

We must remember that for some, we are their only smile, their only human interaction with kindness. What a great opportunity we have. Service is as simple as a smile and the great news is that whatever our situation, we have all been given the gift of service.

Have such an amazing week.

 

 

 

Yikes, I don’t know what to say… (reach out anyway)

(Photo Creds: Canva)

Have you ever been in a position where you really didn’t know what to say? Someone is sick? Someone lost someone they love? Maybe they went through a divorce or a break up? Perhaps someone you know is going to be alone this holiday season…

These situations create awkwardness as we contemplate possible uncomfortable circumstances where we really don’t know what to say. Sometimes it’s easier to just live your life and not make the call or drop in, and instead pray that God will comfort them. I wanted to share what I’ve learned about this topic, but I also want to tell you I’m not necessarily good at it — it’s a work in progress for sure.

Here’s the deal: The answer to those prayers is likely you. We are the “feet on the street,”  the ones that God intended to use to comfort others, to lift them up, and this may just mean a simple conversation to let someone know you care and are listening. I have read some decent research and heard from friends — the answer is the same: WE NEED TO STEP INTO THE DISCOMFORT and just be there. Just being there is all you need to do. You don’t need to have the “right” thing to say, or to really say much. An encouraging word… a listening ear, a hug…

As you go into the weekend, who do you need to reach out to? I hope you’ll make that call or drop in with a small bouquet and let someone who needs it know that you care.