Something I remember about my dad was the way he encouraged me. Not with long lessons or expressive stories. No, my dad said more with just the right few words. Here's a few that made a huge difference. Give them a try. You can do it!
"I love you.
Don't be afraid.
Give it a try.
You can do it.
Don't give up.
I'm here for you.
Nice job.
I love you." - My dad
Please leave a comment below to share what your dad gave you. Thanks!
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Imagine the gears turning...
When the wheels in a toddlers active mind start to turn and when the inner curiosity starts to take the shape of spontaneous questions, it can be a very magical time. These trusting little ones don't have preconceived opinions or points of view. They aren't trying to stump us or make a compelling point. They just wonder out loud and are open to learning from anyone who will share an answer to their many - some might say constant - inquiries.
Mom's and dad's who recognize these magical moments and patiently respond are some pretty special people too. Today, my daughter-in-law Maegan posted this short status update on her Facebook page. I doubt that she knew how much I would smile and think about what it must have been like at her house today.
"Do you like spiders or webs better?" "What is carpet made of?" "Where did the word mask come from?" "Can I hang a spatula on my toe?" Just some of today's gems from my inquisitive little toddler's mind...never a dull moment!
Sawyer is one of my six amazing grandchildren. There's a lot of stuff he would like to know... and his mom and dad are there to give him the answers. So... how, exactly, do you hang a spatula on a two year olds toe? Huh?
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What type of day will you make?
Every workday morning I do the same thing. I record a new voice mail greeting that announces the new day of the week, the date, and informs the caller of how and when they are likely to hear back from me. To close, I end each message with one of two phrases. The first is one that I've used for nearly 40 years - "Make it a great day." More recently, I've started sprinkling in a newer version - "Make it a kind day!"
Earlier this week, I was thinking about potential topics that I'd like to add to my blog. I realized that recognizing and understanding that my day will be what I make of it has given me an edge in my career and life. I'd decided to tell share the story about the origin of my greeting and was looking through the news feed of my Facebook account when I spotted a post that validated my thought. A good friend, Imelda Dulcich, had posted an upbeat and encouraging welcome to the new day. I responded, and the rest of this blog post seemed to write itself.
This is how our short exchange looked on Facebook.
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We have a small vacation home on Lake Chelan. If you have been Facebook friends of mine or readers of this blog for long, you have had plenty of opportunities to see and hear about "our little piece of heaven."
This spring I took the easy way out of a couple big projects.
We hired local construction and maintenance providers to build reinforcements for our rock bulkhead and to paint the full interior of the house. When we arrived for Memorial Day weekend, all the heavy work was completed. All we had to do was straighten up the interior of the house, rehang some pictures, and enjoy our improved surroundings.
Some people would say that I could have saved 60% by doing the work myself. Probably true. But I'm happy, the work got done correctly, and there are a few families in Chelan that appreciated the work and income. I love it when a plan has a win-win outcome!
Sometimes the edge is in enlisting the help of others.
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Not all edges have to be complicated, mysterious, or hard to find. Sometimes an edge in life can come from simple and even obvious places.
During the last 48 hours, while relaxing (not really celebrating) the 2013 version of Memorial Day Weekend, Cindy and I had the opportunity to host five 19 to 21 year old college students at our home on Lake Chelan. Now I know what those who are my age might be thinking... "You call that an opportunity? That's no opportunity! That's a punishment that should be avoided like the electric chair."
Well that's not the way we saw it and it's not the way it worked out.
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