Saturday, February 15, 2014

The little things.... DO make a difference.....


This week is RAK week.  What does that mean?  It is Random Acts of Kindness week.  My challenge to you today is to practice random acts of kindness everyday, not just one week or one day of the year.

I started this blog based on the idea of making a difference in the lives of others.  I shared "The Starfish" theory which is my life motto.  So this week I felt compelled to post about this again as a reminder that "the little things..... DO make a difference." 

Earlier this year I became a Ractivist (aka: a random act of kindness activist).  Being a Ractivist is eye opening and a blessing.  It is all about paying attention and being present in the moment.  It is seeing life through a different perspective.  When we think about making a difference on an ongoing basis it doesn't take long to make it part of our life mission statement and becomes minimal effort.   Even a simple smile or a hello is a random act of kindness.   Are you paying attention and making a difference?  We never know who needed that smile.  It takes doing the little things.  Those little things add up to the big things.  "A journey is started with one single step."  Every step forward in making a difference is a step in the right direction.

Think about a random act of kindness that has meant something to you.  Was it words of encouragement during a time of need, was it someone baking you a cake or was  it someone providing a helping hand in your time of need?  Often times the little things that we do for others are the BIG things for them.  

Bob Kerrey once said "Unexpected kindness is the most powerful, least costly, and most underrated agent of human change."  What a powerful statement!

Here are some ideas to get you started.  More ideas and information can be found on the random acts of kindness website.

1.  Go ahead and donate the dollar.  When we see a campaign for heart disease, cancer awareness etc. Donating one dollar can make a difference when many people donate.

2.  Give someone a positive comment on a blog or social media site.  If you think someone looks nice in their photo, tell them.

3.  Thank you notes matter.  A hand written thank you note has a BIG impact.  Take five minutes right now and write someone a note.

4.  Donate the gift of your time.  Many times if we would commit to one hour a month we can effect change and make a difference.  I was volunteering for our local Hope Clinic (free medical clinic) and during an orientation they were dividing the volunteers up in to areas where they thought their talent could be utilized.  One lady said "I am good at hugging people."  Now that is a gift.  "No act is too small."  

5.  Pay for a stranger’s cup of coffee.  Not only will it make a difference in their day, it will make a difference in yours.

6.  Place sticky notes with positive affirmations on grocery store shelves, public mirrors or on car windows.  

7.  Eat a healthy snack.  This can make a difference for you.  

8.  Surprise someone and make dinner for them.  I know this can be a big help to someone who is recovering from an illness or after the loss of a loved one.

9.  Leave a coupon behind at the store.  If you see an item that you do not want to buy, leave the coupon and let someone else use it.

10.  Clear an elderly neighbors sidewalk, rake their leaves or mow their lawn.  Sometimes we take for granted what doesn't take much effort for us.  To that elderly neighbor it could make a huge impact in their life.

One of my favorite quotes is "No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care."  Take time to care today.  Listen to someone and I am sure you will learn along the way.

I encourage you to make a difference no matter how small.   One of my favorite songs is "Care" by Kid Rock. If you have never heard it, listen to it.  Make a point to listen to someone's story but most importantly.....CARE.



Sunday, February 2, 2014

My "P" words.....

When 2013 came to a close, I was preparing myself for a new year.  I was ready for 2013 to go.  It was the hardest year of my life and I needed a fresh perspective on life's purpose and present moment living. 

What I learned in 2013 was that we are not promised life.  It is only a gift and we need to remember to live in the present moment.  My sister told me something that stuck with me.  She said that "everything is temporary."  In 100 years someone else will be living in your house, someone else will be working at your job and you will only be a memory. 

I started 2013 with one word for the new year and it was TRUST.  It was unbelievable how much I would need that word.  This year I decided on P words.  Those words are Pray, Persevere, Plan, Prioritize and most importantly find Peace.

PRAY-  I decided that I need more of a prayerful life to reach God.  Praying was more of a routine, a "now a lay me down to sleep" or "God is good, God is great" kind of prayer.  I needed to get more personal with prayer and to meditate more on what I was saying and to listen to what I was hearing.  In my nights of desperation instead of letting my thoughts of 2013 consume me; I started to continually say "Let Go and Let God."  This would be my mantra over and over until I fell asleep. 

PERSEVERE in the PRESENT-  If someone would have told me that I was going to endure what I did in 2013 I would have said "I cannot survive it."  But one thing is for sure, time goes on.  It goes on whether we are miserable or we are happy.  We make the choice.  It is not the events in our lives that make a difference, it is how we respond to those events.  I decided that I needed to stop feeling sorry for myself and find a way to persevere.  It is not easy and some days I just want to stay in bed.  However I have a son, a daughter, a husband, a mother, a sister, a brother, nieces, nephews and amazing friends that I want and need to find joy in.

PLAN-  A lot of my life is spontaneous, unplanned and unprepared.   I find if I start planning ahead I can get control of my life in ways that will make me happier.  By working towards finding joy I need to plan.  I need to plan clothing for the next day, lunch, dinner and the flow of the day.  This starts things out in a less stressful way and I am making strides in my planning.  I admit that I work under pressure a lot.  Sometimes with my job I cannot plan because I am always reacting.  However if I can find areas in my life that I can plan, the other parts of my life will not seem as difficult and overwhelming.

PRIORITIZE-  I am a yes person and a people pleaser.  I don't want to let people down and I think I can tackle any project or problem.  After the words YES come out of my mouth I start realizing that I should have thought about saying yes before saying it.  One thing I am remembering is that "when you say no to something you are saying yes to something more important."  In 2013 my job nor my commitments to my job were much of a priority.  I started realizing that unconditional love, kindness, friends and taking care of family is important.  I decided that I need to prioritize people in my life.  I have so many friends and family members that I want to spend more time with.  I want them to be my priority.  I have realized that Lucas has been relying mostly on his dad to get his needs met.  I am now prioritizing time with him.  We play together.  Play is important.  "If you are enjoying time wasted, it is not wasted time."

PEACE-  In order to have peace in my life I need to work on the other P words above.  I am working on finding peace and fighting my fears.  Fear is not of God and peace is something that God desires for us.  I am a worrier and a fearful person.  I do worst case situations in my head.  I am working on surrendering to fear.  If something happens, there is nothing I can do about it.  I can't try to continue controlling my loved ones lives because of my fears.  Through 2014 I am going to surrender my fears and let go of trying to control the uncontrollable. 

My challenge for you today is to think about what your five "new year" words would  be?  Somewhat of a mission statement for 2014.  I challenge you to write them down and work on them.  I challenge you to live in the present moment.

Present moment living is all we have.  This is where we can find joy.  I am going to work on this, will you?