Our Blessings

“Blessed, but stressed.”

-  John Hafner

Our Blessings

It was Saturday and I was near my friend John’s house.  I’ve known John for the past five years and have developed a great affinity for John and his work.  In fact, I’ve watched John take his start-up company and grow it into a successful venture.  He’s an outdoor/wildlife photographer and travels all around the world taking amazing photos.  I knew he had been out on the road working for the past three weeks and I was hoping he was back in town.

I stood at his door and rang the bell.  Then I waited.

No answer.

I rang again.

When no one came to the door I turned to walk away in disappointment.

Just as I was about to turn the corner, the door opened and I saw John’s smiling face.  He invited me in and we began to talk.

“How are you?” I queried.

“Blessed, but stressed.” He replied.

“What a great answer!” I said to myself.

“You know I’ve been out on assignment.” John went on to explain.  “It gets hard to be on the road, but I’ve been able to get some great shots and I’m real busy so, you know, I’m very blessed.  Things are going well.  But, with all the work and travel comes some stress.”

I looked at his smiling face.  It has a glow of happiness that shines straight out at everyone and everything.  It entered my eyes and I felt happy just because he was happy! 

We visited some more.  I got to spend time with his dog’s head lying in my lap as we talked.  I looked around his living room and admired the beautiful home he and Holly have created.  He is indeed blessed!  I was reminded to recognize my own blessings again. 

After a few minutes of a rejuvenating reunion I was off to work again.  When I stepped into my car my phone began to ring.  I was soon in the middle of negotiating two transactions.  My stress began to build.

I paused!

John’s words rushed into my mind as if wind through aspenand pine trees.  I could hear the rustle; I could hear their rush.  “Blessed; blessed, but stressed!”  Ah and awe!  You and I can follow John’s example to lead a more fulfilling life.

The Power of Combining with Others

"It is the Puritan work ethic that has made us great as a people."

Jessi Butterfield

The Power of Combining with Others

I was driving home from my last appointment on Saturday night when I received a call from my daughter in Brooklyn. Thank goodness for wireless headsets! The call lasted long past my drive time and well into the evening. She had great news to talk with me about. Her business is continuing to grow.

"It is the Puritan work ethic that has made us great as a people." She said. "The formula is simple. You just work hard and pray a lot and things go well. Just look how far we've come since the Puritans and others came to live together in America."

Her comments caused my mind to think about the process she was describing. People have indeed come here from all across the world to succeed.

That same night this was demonstrated to me again as I watched the VISA Championships with other members of my family. The gymnastics floor of the US Championships was covered with coaches from all over the globe as they added their expertise to the best American Gymnasts who were competing for a spot on Team USA so they could contend in the World Championships. One of my other daughters commented, "It's like we've taken people from all over the globe and put them in a big blender to produce a super-charged elixir of success!"

Mother Teresa once said something like this, "You can do things I can't do. I can do things you can't do. If we work together, we can accomplish a lot." It's the combination that makes all the difference.

One of the most important things you can do for yourself, and all of us, is to surround yourself with others who can compliment your talents; people that can help be helped by the addition of your capacity. Doing so will make you, and the people you work with, greater than simply adding by ones. You may say that I don't understand the math. But, I say in this one case one plus one doesn't add up to two. The combination of knowledge, experience, love, desire and faith create infinite possibility.

Look for the opportunity to give of yourself today. If you will, you will begin to see how a "new math" will change your life along with the world.

Who is Watching?

“What are you going to do?”

Annie Butterfield

Who is Watching?

I think I live the life of a “regular” person and as such my life is something less than extraordinary.  In fact most days I don’t think I do anything that is of interest to any other person.  Perhaps that’s the way you feel as well.  Do you think that you live an unobserved life?  I almost always think I do until something happens to make me think otherwise. 

I was spending some time by myself this morning.  It was a chance for me to spend time researching an item of particular interest.  The time was flying as I looked at my computer screen.  I was comfortable and inquisitive knowing that I had plenty of time to spend and had limited obligations on my day off.

I did have one family outing planned so I was watching the digital clock on my computer every once in a while to make sure I would be ready to go when it was time; I wasn’t dressed for the occasion so I knew that I needed to stop a little early to change clothes.  As the time to leave approached, my daughter Annie walked into the room.

As Annie walked toward me I looked up, noticed her attire and said, “Are you going?”

She returned the look at my attire and simply said, “What are you going to do?”

The question seemed to run an electrical shock down my spine; there I was sitting, instead of changing for the occasion.  She was watching my every action even though I was unaware of it until that one revealing moment.

The reveal is: While I believe I’m insignificant most of the time, there are moments of revelation telling me that you and I are more than we seem.  Our life and example have a much larger impact than we can ever imagine.  If you doubt it try the following exercise:

First, decide to make one person smile every day for the coming week.  Then, at the end of each day make mental notes as to whom you made smile and how it made you feel.

Second, notice how these people respond to you in the future.  Notice how your relationship has changed as a result of this one act of kindness.

Finally, see that what you have done has made a difference in your environment and the environment of the others in your life.  You’ll also see that the people you helped are making an effort to watch your example and will begin to follow it as well, just because you’re around.

So, what are you going to do?

Wonder Brings Amazing Possibilities

“If you would have asked me a couple of years ago where I’d be today, this would not have been one of my guesses.”

Chloe Scott

Wonder Brings Amazing Possibilities

One of the advantages of age is that it enables a different perspective of who we are and where we’ve been.  When I was talking with my friend Chloe the other day she was able to give me a perspective on this.  It’s something  I’ve always suspected, but never have been able to really get a handle on.

Chloe is a person who most people would say, “She has it all” about.  This is such an interesting thing because if you were to spend any time with her at all you would discover that she has never felt that way about herself.  In fact, during our last conversation she was excited about how she has been able to accomplish far more than she had ever dreamed she could.  But, what was most interesting to me about what she told me was she was clear that her accomplishments had come not through her own plans, but were the result of circumstances that she had resisted in most cases.  Now that she has made me aware of her point of view I have been able to take some time to reflect on my own experience.

I’m so excited about my discovery that I could hardly wait to share some thoughts about it with you.  So here goes!

I’ve spent the vast majority of my life working to do what I thought was the right thing to the exclusion of other possibilities.  Do you know what I mean?  I think that perhaps this is akin to a person who has discovered the taste of vanilla ice cream and likes it so much that they’re never willing to try another flavor.  That doesn’t mean that they aren’t really enjoying the ice cream they’re eating.  But it does mean they may be robbing themselves of additional joy that other flavors may provide them.  Allow yourself to accept the possibility that something wonderful you aren’t aware of yet may exist and stay open to possibilities.  Such awareness will lead you to something else that’s just as important.

Rather than fearing what the future could hold for you embrace it as an amazing possibility.  Spend some time contemplating the fact that if your hold your heart open to wonder the world will give it to you.  I want you to be able to say, “My life has exceeded my hopes and dreams!” Or, perhaps, “My life has been filled with wonder every day and I marvel at it constantly.”

Give it a try during the next month and see what happens.  Just remember that something wonderful is coming and embrace the amazing possibilities in your future.

Self Determination

“After my husband left I found out it was me making the mess in our house.”

Sheryl Hornock

Self Determination

My friend Sheryl’s husband was just activated by the military and is now serving overseas.  He is a good husband, father, and pastor of one of our local churches.  I really don’t know him, but I know about him because of my association with Sheryl.  I know Sheryl fairly well because she and I work in the same business and share the same business coach and our coaching sessions have  given me an opportunity to learn a great deal from Sheryl.

During one of our recent interactions, Sheryl made the comment, “After my husband left I found out it was me making the mess in our house.”

This simple statement really made an impact on me.  No! It wasn’t that I discovered that Sheryl is messy.  I know she isn’t messy.  In fact, she is one of the most well organized people I know.  Its impact was more far reaching than that.  It demonstrated individual responsibility and the empowerment that it brings.

I have found in my own life that if I spend my time looking for someone else to take accountability for my world that it leads to blame and unhappiness.  But, when I exercise the God given power of self determination then I am filled with happiness and peace.  Isn’t that what you and I want?

Is it possible for us to decide the important questions in our lives through reflection and choice or are we forever destined to have our futures depend on accident or force?  It’s a simple question to answer, but it must be answered a hundred times each day.  Here are three things that I’ve found to be helpful to rise to such occasions:

First, when things don’t seem to be going all that well and I’m feeling frustrated with my life in general I ask myself the question, “What am I trying to avoid?”  I have to ask that question to myself a lot!  The thing is, the longer I wait to ask myself this question, the more time my brain has to “create a mountain out of a mole hill.”  I’m practicing asking that question sooner and more often every day.

Second, when I am avoiding something, after I’ve let it grow to the size of the Himalayas, I force myself to put it at the top of my list of “to-dos” so I can put it behind me as soon as possible.  As I’ve been doing this I’ve learned an important thing.  My worries are always much larger than the real thing!  So, I’m becoming more confident in this process each time I follow it.

Third, when I find myself in “blame mode” (the mode of blaming the government, my wife, my kids, the weather, etc.)  I’ve started asking myself, “What can I do to move forward?”  This has caused me to look at options that my “closed mind” never sought out!  It’s been a wonderful revelation and I’ve done things I never dreamed were possible!

What is possible for you?  Begin to practice using these steps today and see if the impossible begins to happen in your life.  If you will, I think you’ll be able to join Sheryl and me in saying, “I found out it was me making the mess in my house!”

Goodness and Entrepreneurship

“I feel like a grain of sand on the beach”

Jeff Geer

Goodness and Entrepreneurship

“I don’t think anyone ever listens to me.” My Friend Jeff said as we stood in the hallway talking.

“I don’t know what to do to get my message out.” He continued.

I could see the pain in his eyes.  He had been telling me of his experience in California during the past three years.  He had arrived in the early part of the “Great Recession” and began to do his work.  It was nothing like he expected.

He didn’t expect to see tent cities in the middle of Sacramento, the state’s capitol city.  He never thought he would see highly educated people working to get the food they needed for their families by bartering.  He knew that foreclosures were increasing there.  That’s why the lenders had hired him to go.  But, that didn’t prepare him for that which he saw.

I saw a man who was changed standing in front of me.  As he spoke I could see something a kin to a reversible garment.  I still saw the seemingly weather-proof side presented before me.  Yet, while he talked I watched the zipper of his soul descend down to reveal the soft interior garment with all of its gentle, caressing goodness.

Jeff is a good man.  He’s been telling me of the hunger he witnessed now for quite some time.  We talk quite often so I know that he has felt his experience much more than mere words.  He’s been out taking action so he can make a difference.  Nobody asked him to.  He just does it.

His doing is in its second year.  He has taken his entire yard and has turned it into a little “farm.”  He grows all kinds of food there.  If you are lucky enough to spend some time talking with him about his garden you’ll see the passion in his eyes.

“I’m growing all kinds of peppers and lots of potatoes.”  He tells me excitedly.

He does it because he doesn’t want anyone to go hungry.  He grows more than he needs, right in the middle of the city, and then he goes out and shares the extra food with others who need it.

“Can you see what would happen if everyone would turn their yard into a little farm?” He teaches me.  “We would be able to make sure every person living here would have more than enough food!  I don’t know why my message isn’t getting out!  I feel like a grain of sand on the beach!”

I listen to him intently.  I know he’s more than a grain of sand on the beach.  He’s making a huge difference.  Just ask the bellies of those he feeds; you’d have to ask because those stomachs aren’t groaning their pain any more.

Yes.  Jeff’s message is getting out and I hope you’ll help pass it along.  We all have the ability to make a difference in the lives of those around us.  It just takes a little imagination and some dirt under the fingernails.

No Matter the Odds

“It says right here that you shouldn’t bully people!”

-          Jake White

No Matter the Odds

The playground is crowded with children of all ages.  There are parents there; standing as stick-like sentinels on the edge of the play area with their faces pointed directly to the heart of the scene.  A tall slippery slide towers in the center like a sundial draped with giggling girls and boys.  They run around chasing each other.  They climb up and swoosh toward the earth with certain glee.

My friend Jake is there having fun.  He is a small boy of about eight years.  His fudge colored hair floats across his face as he runs and climbs.  He is of a serious nature but is still a fun-loving child.  I am amazed at how his thin build and agility allow him to seemingly float to the top of the slide and back to the ground without effort.  Then everything stopped!

Some older kids gathered at the bottom of the slide.  They taunted and teased.  The play ended.  The stick-like sentinels became statues.  It was as if all movement came to a standstill. 

Then, Jake broke away from the scene and began to walk to the family car.  Everyone gazed at him as he opened its door and grabbed something off the seat.  There was some paper clutched in his hand as he sauntered back to the slide.  He had a determined face and confidence in his walk.  He had to be confident.  He was headed to confront the bullies that had ended the fun.

He walked right up to the intimidators and showed them the paper in his hand.  It was a magazine he gets it from his church.  He pointed to a specific article and said, “It says you shouldn’t be a bully right here.”   

The adults seemed to turn into Large Mouth Bass as they watched and listened, and to everyone’s surprise the play began in a moment or two. 

Jake put his magazine in the hands of his father.  He turned with a smile and ran back to climb the ladder once again.  I watched him climb and swoosh down while thinking, “This isn’t the only ladder of success I’ll watch Jake climb.”

He was successful in at least one other way.  I was encouraged to take a stand for good and the defense of others, no matter what the odds.