It is the season of giving but it is also the season of believing. Belief in Santa Claus (or not), belief in Jesus who was born on Christmas day (or not), and belief that next year is going to be a dynamite year (or not). We have choices in what we believe and it is not our jobs to push anyone to believe the way we believe. But if a belief is meant to bring goodness, kindness and optimism to our lives then THAT belief can’t be all that bad. Instead of pushing someone to believe like you, BE the example of goodness and compassion. I have every belief that 2021 will be an amazing year! Merry Christmas to YOU!
What is a GIFT? It is nearly Christmas and a time for giving and receiving gifts. We often think of gifts in a tangible way – things we can see, feel and touch. Think about those gifts under the tree that you just want to pick up and feel the weight, shake them and get a sense of what is just beyond the wrapping paper. But what about the person who just lost their job, can’t pay their bills or has not transportation to actually shop for a gift for someone else?
We all have other gifts that are not material in nature such as time, talent or skill that can be given to someone else. I’m not handy or crafty nor I am much of a cook but I can give someone a listening ear or support and encouragement. I can take people on a hike or an adventure too but don’t ask me to fix a leaky faucet.
The point is that we all have gifts that can bring value to others and put a twinkle in their eye. Think about the gifts that are unique to you and gift them to someone during this season.
It’s NEVER too late! I recently found out that a former college professor of mine has a terminal illness.
He was not just any ol’ professor but someone who created a program that launched me into a future I had not anticipated.
This past Saturday I searched and found 4 other former students from that program and we had a zoom call with him. We had the opportunity to say thank you and let me know how grateful we were for his leadership, character and role modeling. He was beaming with joy as we relived some of the memories from our experience in that wilderness program. It’s never too late to say you’re sorry, it’s never too late to reconnect with someone, it’s never too late to let someone know how much you appreciate them, and it is never too late to DO something you have always wanted to do. No need to wait until January or the start of the new year, now is a good time to begin. Reach out before it is too late!
NAMES…do you know how valuable it is to correctly pronounce and remember a name? If you have a name like mine, it has been mispronounced since I was 1 day old. I am not sensitive to it but when someone does pronounce it correctly (which has happened once in my life), I am giddy.
I talk about my pets in the video and how they respond to their name being called. My cats’ tails go up when I say their respective names and my dog Murphy’s tail begins to wag. Just like humans, we respond similarly to our names and it means we are noticed and paid attention to. There have been times when people have overlooked my name on a role sheet or forgotten to put me on the list. Names, names, and more names. I don’t wish to have any other name but my own but it sure would be easier if I had a name like Cathy Smith or Susan Johnson!
Pronouncing someone’s name correctly and remembering someone’s name can be just the thing that leads to a new connection, a business transaction or a job opportunity. It takes work and thought to remember someone’s name but It is a solid leadership skill that’s worth practicing and owning. Practice and work at remember someone’s name. If it is a name that you are bound to mispronounce, gently ask how someone pronounces his/her name. Then work at remembering it the next time around.
It’s easy to be grateful and thankful for those things that are positive in your life and things that bring you warmth, comfort and joy such as family, friends, a roof over your head, etc. But what about being thankful for things that are less than positive in your life and those things that you find yourself complaining about…such as COVID or the weather or a person. Hindsight can give us some answers but there is thankfulness and gratefulness in the disappointments and those things that have not gone our way. I’m challenging you to make the effort to uncover the gratefulness and thankfulness in the less than positive things. It will take more work but there IS thankfulness in disappointments and un-welcomed challenges. Try it and see what happens. Happy Thanksgiving.
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