The Lucky Penny

I was on my way home earlier this afternoon after a busy day of volunteering.  I knew I needed to make a stop at the grocery store before making my final destination at home.  As I contemplated whether to make the stop as I drove around a busy parking lot, I finally found the right spot and thought it would be a quick run in then out .  As I walked in, I took a quick look at the new movies that were released on the Redbox and then was approached by an older lady who looked a bit concerned.  She asked me if I could reach in between the movie machine and the lottery ticket machine that was right next to it, to grab her lucky penny that she accidentally dropped.  I did not think twice as I attempted to reach down, however, it was pretty far back between the two machines and I even attempted to slide my leg in to see if I could reach it with my shoe.  After all of this effort I was still unable to reach it.  I began to slowly walk away as I apologized for not being able to help her and she gave me this look that made me feel that she was hoping I could come up with another solution to her problem.  I stopped again in my tracks and pointed to a newspaper stand and told her that perhaps using a paper to aid in the effort might work.  She walked behind me and again gave me that look that felt like I should try to do it for her.  Therefore, I did just that and went back to attempt to get this magical penny, which for a split second I thought I should just get her another one and we could move on from there.  However, when given the opportunity to assist an elderly person, I am always reminded of my grandmother and always feel in those situations that she is somewhere nearby watching to see if I am willing to do the right thing.  Sure enough a few moments later the extended arm in-between the machines with newspaper in hand did the trick and I managed to flick the penny forward to the lady's delight.  She picked it up and looked at me and said, "I know this may have been silly of me, however, this is my lucky penny and I could not do without it."  I told her that it was not a problem at all and I wished her good luck as she began walking out of the store.  It was at that moment that she then looked back at me as I began my track towards the fruits and vegetables and told me, "you have done your good deed for the day".  I smiled and as I walked away I could not help but think of what my grandmother would have thought about this whole incident and it made my heart feel full that this magical, hope filled and lucky penny made an elderly woman feel complete again.  What I was reminded of from this experience is that the appraisal of something does not always mean that it comes at face value.  It is the eye of the beholder who sees what the true importance or value of an object is, which can add even greater significance as a result of their esteemed price for it.  Even better is the feeling of being able to contribute to someone's desire for an object that brings them a sense of security, admiration and even hope as a result.  The next time you walk and see a penny on a sidewalk, floor or any other place that you are strolling by, pick it up as it may be the legacy of a luck that is waiting for you to extend it far beyond its face value of one cent.

Fearless And Faithful

When you think about the many people that help inspire you and the rest of the world, there are similar attributes that I am sure you can find will be a thread that weaves these individuals characteristics together.  Among them you would probably find risk taking, as a formidable item on the top of this list.  When people let go of their fears or better yet confront them, they end up overcoming many types of obstacles that may have been in their way.  Risk taking and being fearless, can be defined as uniquely as there are people on this planet.  Primarily, one can say that these individuals push their boundaries and are not satisfied with the status quo.  It behooves these folks to know that they surpass the limits of their potential by constant challenges they create on their own.  Many people gravitate to the safety end of being fearless, which most would categorize as a calculated risk.  In doing so, one measures and sets limits to the amount of loss or gain they would be comfortable with.  There is defined area that these individuals would draw the line at and at a certain point would not cross.  The fearless individuals may see the line, but they cross it anyway.  There are circumstances where they will have greater rewards as a result or perhaps they may take a loss that was a bit harder than they thought.  What I find with people like them is that their attitude defines what someone else's perceived losses would be.  For those individuals, they may say that they grew from the experience and never looked at it as a negative, simply a positive.  I also find that they are faithful to their standard of living, which means they don't live with compromising as a defined boundary either.  Most may say that what you see is what you get and for that many people could learn a lesson or two from this type of thinking.  When  you think about the type of person that you are and if risk taking does not jump to the top of your list, while it is something that you aspire to, then begin making small adjustments in order to inhabit more of these characteristics in your life.  Be a little more spontaneous about how you proceed and when the opportunity arises to exercise some fearless type of behavior, take that step forward.  Trust in yourself and your decision making capability while keep faithful toward your new higher standard that you wish to achieve.  Practice the behavior and become comfortable with your ability to do things in a different manner in order to achieve the different results that you wish.  Remember that that everyone is capable of changing anything about themselves at any point in their lives and if you wish to re-define any part of you, then all you have to do is stay true to those feelings and be passionate about how you approach your future standard for defining yourself.  Learn to live up to your own expectations, while you allow for fearless and faithful living in the process.

The Friendship Connection

It is an interesting experience if you get to live long enough to be able to make friends that span several decades which transcend the many versions of you were through out your lifetime.  What always amazes me is that although time can move along and we get busy with all of life's activities, in a few moments of catching up with these special people, we can fall right back in sync with them as if we were picking up a conversation that occurred a few hours ago.  This is an example of what an endearing friendship can feel like.  I have heard many similar instances where individuals have spoken about these types of relationships and how certain key individuals have made a difference and added value to their lives.  Having examples of how people can add value to you and showing the world that there are folks who are not just takers but contributors can be a great experience.  In one's life there should be some key individuals that can also help lift you up or enable you to stand, when you falter or have life stumbles.  There was a great quote that exemplified this that I read the other day and it simply stated, "Remember, you don't need a certain number of friends, just a number of friends you can be certain of - author unknown."  What is truly captivating about this statement is that it alludes to the quality of people that should be among your inner circle versus the quantity of people that you think you might need.  I think we can all agree that things that come in large masses are not necessarily the best things for us.  Specifically when it comes to people that you feel are the ones that will be there for you in good times or in bad, the number at the end of the day is usually finite.  We can all appreciate the ability to spend some time with those key individuals, especially as time goes on.  I also admire greatly the friends that stay connected where there are many miles in between where they live.  One of the great aspects of technology is the value of social media and other technology where you can now visually speak to people by phone or computer.  I think everyone can appreciate these new mechanisms for communicating and staying connected, no matter how much distance lies in between.  The next time you get the opportunity to have a moment with that special friend, let them know how much you appreciate them.  As time goes on those moments will continue to be treasured and you want to add more to your catalog of great conversations that you can inventory for future fun and laughter.  The connection to lasting friendships can be life long relationships that continue to make you a better person.  My wish is that everyone has the opportunity to experience these and that they realize how special some people are that make you a better version of yourself.        

Good Words Always Echo

I was listening to a radio show earlier this week and the host of the broadcast was speaking about the power of words.  In particular, she made a point to say that when you say good words about yourself or others, they tend to have an echo as they get repeated by others and it comes back to you in a positive way.  Conversely the same thing happens if you speak negatively about someone else or yourself.  If you are given a choice I think anyone would prefer to hear the good words come back to them rather than any bad ones.  Here is where one can make a conscience decision about what they speak and to whom they speak it to.  I have been a long proponent since my days long ago when I trained a module on excellence.  In that module there was a section dedicated to words and how powerful they are when you utilize them.  These days with technology all around us, the issue transcends into emailing, tweeting, instant messaging or other vehicles of communication of choice.  The tough part about this is that sometimes you feel that you want to say something that is in fact truthful about someone, yet it would be a negative statement if chosen to verbalize it.  One has to rise above that situation and lean towards the side of not wanting to fulfill the effect of bad words echoing later.  I have seen how quickly a downward spiral conversation can go from bad to worse when multiple people add their two cents of input into putting someone down.  With technology these days that input can be instantaneous and we have all seen what cyber bullying looks like by the sad stories that we see in the news when those instances have gone terribly wrong.  We can make a concerted effort to releasing words that have good intention and power behind them, while we combat the menacing world around us that may have a substantial preference to getting a reaction from people when the bad words are used instead.  The next time you think about saying something negative, I challenge you to find the one small nugget that may exist in that moment that could provide you with a more positive word to use instead.  Remember that we are the ones with the power to attract things to us and if we want our lives to be filled with a more peaceful existence, we can make those changes to get to that goal. Think about your words as if you were in a canyon where you release words into the air and the surrounding canyon brings them back to you via a powerful echo.  Take a proactive stance in what you attract to yourself and if you had not thought about it before, let the words that are emitted from your mouth be the beginning of that positive change when you choose to release good words instead.

Efficiency

I was re-reading some passages from a book by the famous coach and author John Wooden.  In it he mentions that one needs to be quick, however, not necessarily in a hurry.  I liked the deeper meaning of this, as it brought to mind that we can sometimes miss the great details about something if we are not looking because we may be in a hurry.  I was quickly reminded about the commercial from a few years ago where a whale watcher is out on an excursion boat and when she reaches into her bag for some gum, is precisely the time when a whale jumps out of the water and she misses the ability to capture that moment on her camera.  In life we all have those moments that we wish would have lasted longer in order for us to savor the feeling and exhilaration.  Many of us are very good about being task oriented and work very well with a set schedule or agenda at hand.   While there are others that get lost in the excessive planning or over-calculating of something, that may allow for a missed deadline or less than optimal result.  In a connected manner, one can look at the definition of efficiency which could mean that you are utilizing your resources to the best of your ability with the time that you have.  The question then turns into how to strike the right balance between the two.  In the coaching world of Mr. Wooden, he made his players realize the difference, which also translated into good advice for living a well balanced life.  As simple as the the suggestion is to pick the right time and place to choose being efficient versus being in a hurry, it can cause consternation among many if they feel they selected the wrong one.  I find that when you do things in a hurry, you tend to miss things and sometimes the quality can be less than what was desired.  Whether it is the details, nuances or other intangibles that could make your experience a more well rounded one, it is imperative to know the difference.  If you were to be more focused on being efficient, then this changes your perspective.  This does not necessarily mean that speed can cause a deficiency, it simply means that you will be able to arrive at your desired goal in the best way possible.  The next time you find yourself filled with the dilemma of being in a hurry because time may be getting away from you, think about how you can plan to be more efficient, so that you can be in the moment.  Time is of utmost value to all of us and I heard a line in a song not too long ago that stated this in the most eloquent way. The recording artist is Kacey Musgraves and she states, "Say what you think, love who you love, 'cause you just get so many trips 'round the sun, yeah, you only live once".