My husband called his Dad later in the day to see how he was faring. We were happy to hear that one of Dad’s neighbors came over with a snowblower and cleared his sidewalk and driveway.  At the age of 79 and suffering from emphysema, clearing snow from a corner property is not what Dad should be doing on his own.

Dad’s neighborly “snow angel” reminded me that being of service doesn’t have to be through a non-profit organization,  or a community group, or any other coordinated effort.  Each of us can be of service to our fellow human being, if we open our eyes to see the need and open our hearts to fill it.

Here are simple ways we can all be snow angels.

Shovel a neigbor’s sidewalk, clear their steps, chip away any ice build-up.  If you have children, make it a family affair.  Think of the important lessons you will teach them kindness and compassion through your actions and enthusiasm.

If you are going to the grocery store, check if your neighbor needs anything. While you are talking to them, ask if their heat is working and if they have hot water, especially if your neighbor is elderly or in poor health.  Leave your phone number with them, just in case.

If you see someone struggling to push a shoppping cart through a slushy parking lot, give them a hand.  When you are done shopping, or perhaps when leaving work at the end of the day, you might have to brush or scrape your windshield before driving.  Take a moment to do the same for the car next to you.  It only takes two minutes to make someone’s day.

Imagine the possibilities if there were more snow angels, like my father-in-law’s neighbor.

Take twelve fine, full-grown months; see that these are thoroughly free from old memories of bitterness, rancor and hate, cleanse them completely from every clinging spite; pick off all specks of pettiness and littleness; in short, see that these months are freed from all the past—have them fresh and clean as when they first came from the great storehouse of Time.

Cut these months into thirty or thirty-one equal parts. Do not attempt to make up the whole batch at one time (so many persons spoil the entire lot this way) but prepare one day at a time.

Into each day put equal parts of faith, patience, courage, work (some people omit this ingredient and so spoil the flavor of the rest), hope, fidelity, liberality, kindness, rest (leaving this out is like leaving the oil out of the salad dressing— don’t do it), prayer, meditation, and one well-selected resolution.

Put in about one teaspoonful of good spirits, a dash of fun, a pinch of folly, a sprinkling of play, and a heaping cupful of good humor.

And, I would add…mix well and share generously.  Happy new year!

Time for New Beginnings - by Taylor Addison

This is a time for reflection as well as celebration.

As you look back on the past year and all that has taken place in your life,

Remember each experience for the good that has come of it and for the knowledge you have gained.

Remember the efforts you have made and the goals you have reached.

Remember the love you have shared and the happiness you have brought.

Remember the laughter, the joy, the hard work, and the tears.

And as you reflect on the past year, also be thinking of the new one to come.

Because most importantly, this is a time of new beginnings and the celebration of life.

Today, I am thankful for vacation. Especially time spent at the beach. Vacations are necessary to break free from the normal daily pressures and responsibilities that can sometimes box us in. If you haven’t recently, break free! Relax, refresh, and re-energize.

Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it. -William Arthur Ward

Will you join the gratitude movement?

If you’re looking for a humorous take on a woman’s life, with a Christian wisdom woven in along the way, this is a must-read.  Stumbling Into Grace author Lisa Harper shares ordinary stories from her life with a generous dose of humor and inspiration.  She giftedly takes life events that we all deal with, shares her experience and struggles, then shares her understanding of how the Bible would have us respond.  Readers can choose to stop and the end of each chapter for further reflection and Biblical study with a short devotional, or just move on to the next story.

Each chapter begins the exact same way: “So, today I’ve been thinking about…”  The topic is named and a real-life story is shared.  This is followed by a Bible passage, then a section tying the two stories together.  The Hope for Our Ongoing Stories section then ties it all together in a short message of Christian application.  The end of each chapter then offers a prayer, questions for personal reflection or group discussion, then an opening statement for a personal journal entry.

I will confess that I am not a Bible study group kind of girl, nor am I a journaler, so I simply read the book.  Some people will get even more from it than I if they take the time to complete the reflective portions, or have a study group to share the discussion questions with. 

However, even without the Bible study, I found this book to be not only lighthearted, but thought-provoking and inspiring, too.  Harper’s stories made me smile as I related her stories to my own life.  Reading someone else’s experiences and responses were alternately comforting and amusing. Each chapter made we want to read the next.  Isn’t that what a good book should do?

You can order the book from Amazon HERE or from Barnes & Noble HERE.  Enjoy!

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher at no cost through BookSneeze.  In no other way did they influence my opinion of Stumbling Into Grace.  The thoughts shared above are entirely my own.

 A few observations and much reasoning lead to error; many observations and a little reasoning to truth. – Alexis Carrel

All ideas come about through some sort of observation. – Graham Chapman

If you make listening and observation your occupation you will gain much more than you can by talk. – Robert Baden-Powell

Thinking is more interesting than knowing, but less interesting than looking. –Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

You can observe a lot just by watching. – Yogi Berra

Have an excellent week.  Pay attention to what you are observing!

Tuesday Tidbits are weekly messages I have been sending to my leadership team for about five years.  They are generally short & sweet, often focused on leadership or teamwork, always positive and hopefully, motivational.  A co-worker recently suggested the Tuesday Tidbit was blog-worthy.  I hope you find some meaning in them.

I am honored to be published once again on Geoff Talbot‘s creative expression blog, Seven Sentences.  I invite you to read my post, “What Possibilities Are Being Created In You?” and comment on Geoff’s site. 

I hope that you are always being fully present to positive possibilities!

Geoff and his guest writers always make me think.  I hope you’ll check out my post, Setting the World On Fire,  and then take time to read some of the other great seven sentence posts.  Add a comment and tell us what you think!

Why am I here?  What is my purpose? Is this what my life is supposed to be?

Great questions!  Jon Gordon’s new book, The Seed, helps readers discover the answer.  Through a wonderful story about a man given a two week leave of absence by his employer to, essentially, contemplate and renew his commitment to his job, we learn a method to explore our own satisfaction and find our purpose.  The keys are, first, being open to discovery and, second, being open to the possibility that we may already be living our purpose but are missing the realization of, and passion for, that.

The story is a simple and engaging read.  If you have previously read Gordon’s The Energy Bus, you will recognize the appearance of George, and the positive lessons he brings to a discussion about purpose.  As with other Gordon books, there are quotable quotes about life, work, and attitude and a simple to understand process to take away and implement.

The four stages of finding one’s purpose are taught through the main character’s life experiences, his dog, and a mysterious farmer.  As Gordon repeatedly does so well in all of his writing, he takes a significant life challenge and presents it in an easy to relate to story, with important lessons presented in such a manner that the reader doesn’t realize the reflection and learning that is inspired.  As with his other books, there will also be a discussion guide and action plan available on the website soon.

I must admit, I am a Jon Gordon fan.  I own all of the books he has written, I have led a transformative, positively energizing book club at work for The Energy Bus, and I rank him among my favorite authors.  I love the fable style story, especially when the story applies to live in general, not just work life.  When I heard that Gordon was writing a new book, I immediately advance-ordered twelve copies for my next book club.  I applied to be one of Gordon’s “seed planters” and was honored to be accepted.

Whether you are a fan like I am and have read all of Gordon’s books, or if you’ve never read a Gordon book, order The Seed and read it.  You won’t regret a moment. And, you just might learn something about your purpose.

Note: As a seed planter, I was given advance access to an online copy of the book. In no other way, however, was this review influenced by the author, publisher, or any other party associated with The Seed.

John Maxwell and Seth Godin started off the day.  John Maxwell!  Seth Godin!  The morning rounded out with Coach Mack Brown and Sir Ken Robinson and then we were moved to tears by Erin Gruwell (of Freedom Writers fame).  The afternoon session kicked off with Frans Johannson, followed by Suzy Welch, Alison Levine, Dan Cathy and Muhtar Kent. Dave Ramsey wrapped up the day and left us home wanting more!

It’s remarkable how vision is clarified, energy increases, mood elevates, power generates, and lost momentum is found when you are among people who share your passion, believe in your dreams, and encourage you to be your very best self.

I had no idea who most of the other attendees were.  But as our facilitator helped us debrief a bit during speaker breaks, it was clear that many of us shared a passion for personal growth, developing leaders, inspiring teamwork and leadership as service.

As I continue to process what I heard, I am sure some upcoming posts will delve deeper into today’s concepts.   In the meantime, though, here are some quotes and ideas that stood out:

Relationships are the foundation of leadership. You can’t influence someone you antagonize. -John Maxwell

Your role is to be indispensable to people who want to go where they’ve never been and do remarkable things. -Seth Godin

If you’re complaining about your job, quit. As long as you have the job, you owe your employer your best, because that’s what he’s paying you for. -Mack Brown

Everyone has a story to tell. -Erin Gruwell

We are not who we used to be, but we are not yet who we are going to become. -Suzy Welch

Sometimes, you have to go backwards to make progress. -Allison Levine

The children of your employees pay the price for your bad decisions. You serve those kids.  -Dave Ramsey

Looking ahead to next year, my heart is already aflutter.  Three of my favorite authors are booked: John Maxwell, Mark Sanborn and Patrick Lencioni.  Mark your calendar for May 4, 2012! 

When was the last time you were really inspired?  How did you act on it?