To Serve well

Serving with Excellence for a Life of Excellence

Adventures

Who is that one person….?

(Photo Creds: We Heart It)

Who is that one person that you meet with BUT not often enough? That person that no matter what, when you do get to share a conversation, they make you better? You leave smiling. You walk away going, “wow, I’m blessed.”

This question is a bit of a trick question, because at least for me, there is no way I could narrow this down to one person. Now, let’s make this a bit more difficult and unless there is absolutely no one else, let’s not think of dear friends or neighbors we see often, or immediate family members.

I did this little exercise a couple of weeks ago; reached out and scheduled lunch… AND, THIS IS THE WEEK. I get to meet with three of the coolest people and boy am I excited!

There is not much that should make us more “JOY CENTERED” than being with those people that most certainly God placed in our path for a reason, to change us for the better and create a life fulfilled.

Your challenge today is to at least come up with one…reach out and put it on the calendar.  A walk in the snow, a mid-day coffee break, a meal to break bread with those you love. Make it happen! I’d love to know if you joined me on this challenge.

Don’t settle down, stay hungry

(Photo Creds: We Heart It: Trialing a new app “Text on Photos”- thanks for being my test market!- Cool pic though!)

Stay Hungry!

Stay Healthy!

Stay Strong!

BELIEVE!

Go Beyond what you THINK you can do!

We all have these limits of what we think we can do. Depending on how we live and how our environments are, some of us think that at age 50 it’s time for a major slow down… get out the wool sweaters and boot covers and settle in for the winter. No use going out unless you have to, right? Others at 80-years+ are out shoveling others’ driveways, jumping out of perfectly good airplanes and embarking on their latest adventure. What is the difference? It comes down to mindset. We ultimately decide how we are going to respond and how we want to live our days. WE HAVE A CHOICE.

I know some of you may push back and say that your schedule, an illness, injury or other situation has impacted you, and that may well be true. However, there are stories for those same examples from people who have faced the most enormous physical and mental challenges and CHOSE to live a full life anyway, IMPACTING the world around them in a positive way, and inspiring us all in the process.

A friend was telling a story last week about their first visit to the gym to meet with a trainer. They showed up and told the trainer, they “didn’t do” leg exercises or ab exercises. The trainer went on to begin work on arms with a pull-up set. My friend explained, “I can’t do those either, so let’s move on.” The funny thing is that of course they could do all of these things, once they made up their mind. Slowly but surely, a small step at a time, they not only did them, but did them well. (By the way, I’m pretty sure I shared that same story line with my friend…) The bottom line is that we need to NOT SETTLE and push through our mental blocks in order to achieve our best selves.

This is a terrific time of the year to begin to audit our lives. Where are we winning and where do we need to fire up the engines? What are we afraid of and what is standing in the way of us being our best? Once we can identify them, we can begin to develop a plan to overcome and ACHIEVE the best year ever in 2017. IT IS OUR CHOICE!

(By the way, I have been doing this gym thing for a couple of years now, and I still STRONGLY DISLIKE “LEG DAY.” I do it because I want to be strong so I can achieve my life goals…  Message here: YOU DO NOT HAVE TO LIKE EVERYTHING… Just decide you will do it anyway for the benefit it provides!)

A game plan for having more energy!

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(Photo Creds: We Heart It)

Who doesn’t need more energy? I know, I know, there are some of you who drink 10 cups of coffee a day and seem to be able to move through the day like a modern day superhero.

Some joke that I have an enormous amount of energy… As I age, I am thinking “what the heck is going on?” It’s true, I’ve always felt that most times, I have more than enough energy to conquer the days, but not so much now. This is a frequent conversation point among friends and colleagues that feel the same way. It also seems that regardless of age, it’s a concern… maybe our world has just gotten so fast-paced and the constant brain drain from our phone usage has caught up with us mere humans.

At any rate, this seemed a timely topic as WE NEED EXTRA ENERGY RIGHT NOW. So, here is a laundry list of energy-boosting tactics we find in every manner of magazine or talk show:

  • Waking up at the same time every day – after getting the 7-8 hours your body needs, of course…
  • Exercising… moving… grooving…
  • Taking multi-vitamins and eating the proper nutrients….

That easy, right? I’m going to throw out a few more specific thoughts, and then I’d love for this to be interactive and have you all chime in with one or two words or thoughts about your own tactics. It indeed takes a village, so learning from one another is ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA. Here are some of mine:

  • TAKE A NAP… Yep, I’m a napper. I only do this on the weekends, and when time allows. I make every effort to make time for this. I have learned over time that giving your body this “extra” rest is rejuvenating for the soul!
  • H2O! I kick off the morning with a glass of warm water. I’m not sure where I learned this, but some speaker when I was in my 20s. It’s been a great add to my daily rituals. Give it a try. It’s hydrates you early on and seems to get the blood flowing.
  • GET OUTSIDE! I’m really grateful for my dog, because honestly she makes this SO MUCH EASIER. Getting outside a few times a day, whether heat or cold outside, is just a good thing to do… Tucking my phone away and breathing in the fresh air, looking up at the sky and watching nature evolve through the seasons, is life filling….

Okay… YOUR TURN! 

Out of the chaos….

(Photo creds: We Heart It)

(Photo creds: We Heart It)

This could be my hand, but it isn’t. I know that on Sunday, my insight was on the importance of focusing on the season – the true meaning, the richness, the depth… I do believe that by the way, and I am absolutely counting on it this year.

Today however, I want to expose the very idea that we are human. Not only that, but humans in a potentially hazardous world. A world thriving on “being busy,” capitalism, etc. We all would like, from time to time, to get in the car (preferably a fantasy car; something fast, fun and that meets our every need with a great stereo, warmth and cooled seats) and drive right out of the city… out of town… out of the chaos.

The very idea of being surrounded by family offers both a deep sense of warmth and gratitude, and a bit of a stir to get the heck out of dodge. To run from the possible side conversations and dinner table topics that could ignite a family disaster. I mean, who really did you vote for? You get the idea. Who wants to upset their favorite uncle anyway? Isn’t it better to just get the heck out before you say what you really feel.

This isn’t limited to family. This is true for work, and I love my career. That doesn’t mean however, that there aren’t more than a few days that I want to jump in a getaway car and have some extraordinarily fun accomplice drive me out of town to some getaway; one that offers a reprieve from crazy people and processes that just might bury a less-strong person.

I hope you all can identify. So, here is the insight for the day: take a drive.

Leave before the chaos reaches the front porch. (Too often, we follow the Darwinian approach and dive right in… but not today.) We have this freedom that we don’t use often enough. Pick a friend that you feel yourself with… It may be a 7-year-old niece, a college roommate or a work colleague. Get in the car and DRIVE. Even if you just drive to Fort Scott (if you are in my neck of the woods, that’s due south and only a one hour and seven minute drive. Approximately one tank of gas – who knew… It’s the county seat of Bourbon County, Kansas… Does that mean we could get a quality cocktail there?)

My point…We all need to get away.

We all need a good friend, be it family, chosen family or a great coworker who will help us reset.

We all need someone to jump into the chaos with us… but only for a little while.

The world needs us to come back to reality, but if you need to get out, get out. I personally need to do it more often. Heck, I know I’ll find a fun boutique or road-side diner that will make my day for sure. I also know, that by driving out of the chaos, that I’ll be a better person when my GPS takes me back home.

It will for sure help me to hit ‘reset’ and be able to not only live in the chaos of the season, but to thrive in it. To connect and to grow… To achieve that expectancy that I indeed truly strive for.

Thelma and Louise, anyone?

Simple Thoughts Sunday: Expectancy

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(Photo Creds: We Heart It)

What a terrific photo. I love the expectancy of children. As we grow older – and especially because I have the joy of watching my boys come of age – I am more and more aware of how we lose this feeling of excitement.

This season quickly consumes us with apps eagerly sharing the greatest new “deal,” dinners, shopping, movies, etc.  As cool as that can be, I long for deeper moments of connection and a true focus on the meaning behind this incredible season. (By the way, it may be slightly more than a longing… a bit more like a full-out sprint from the “mall,” so to speak, and into the welcoming refreshment of reveling in sheer HOPE. Hope for a world free of illness, sadness and brokenness in general.)

For Christians, the Advent season starts today, signaling the four-week countdown to celebrate the birth of the messiah, who brings us this hope. For others, the season is equally rich in meaning and I love that I am a part of a diverse community. Most of all, we all come together to unify around family and the best parts of the human spirit: giving, celebrating… enriching our world.

My great hope today is that we will all choose to make this year, 2016, the year we truly take this time and this season to become as expectant as children. To relish in what the season has to offer.

Dear God, provide us with your heart, and the joy and expectancy of a child.

How should I show up today?

(Photo Creds: We Heart It)

(Photo Creds: We Heart It)

Robin Sharma is a terrific motivational leader. His book, the “Greatness Guide” offered this idea up and I embraced it immediately. I hope you do as well.

It asks a stirring question if you allow it to sink in:

“Waking up each morning and asking yourself, how would I show up tday if this was my last, is not some cheesy motivational exercise. It’s a profound way to bring some urgency and commitment int your days.”

I doubt your morning coffee/tea, drive to work, walk to class or first encounter of the day would be the same. Mine wouldn’t. I think I might jump out of bed with the anticipation of a day that I needed and wanted to fill deeply with meaning from start to finish. I hope I’d have a spring in my step and that I would put on some FUN music (probably 80s music because we all truly know that this was the best era in music…). Have a healthy and at the same time crazy good breakfast with people I love (and my dog for sure has to be there). Who knows what would be next, but I can tell you it would be FULL OF LOVE, POSITIVE ENERGY AND SHEER BEAUTY.

The thing is, this concept captured me (and I think as I’m typing this I should print it and put it on my bathroom mirror), because it’s true. An abrupt reality is that we just don’t know. So BRING IT…BRING YOUR BEST, YOUR MOST MEANINGFUL TO EACH DAY! MAKE IT PROFOUND, CURATE THE WORLD YOU HOPE TO PASS ON TO THE GENERATIONS THAT FOLLOW and LOVE EVERY DAY.

It’s LAUNCH TIME!

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(Photo Creds:Rodrock Homes)

New seasons of life are fun, exciting and also scary! My family and I just “dug dirt” on a new home last month, and today I am launching my new and improved website. I call it phase 2.0. I think maybe I should call the move something else, something clever. I’m open to ideas! I tell my friends that this is my “big girl” house, complete with a guest bedroom that is actually safe from kid toys, teenage God-knows-what and most importantly, a lovely refuge for those I adore to get a good night’s sleep. It’s definitely a time of “ground breaking” all the way around, and a season that I am really looking forward to seeing where God takes it all (but it is a bit scary… needless to say! But what’s life without a little risk taking?).

If you, or anyone you know is in a season of “ground breaking” — change in any way, shape or form — I have found the following to be helpful when thinking about change:

1. It’s an opportunity for personal growth
If you’ve read my blogs at all you probably know that I am big on this need to constantly learn. I’ve heard it from wise teachers, centurions and respected leaders… That’s enough for me. Personal growth is critical to our happiness and change provides the occasion for us to dive in and grow. The “STRETCH” that happens with change gives us what we need to move toward our potential.

2. It provides a platform for re-evaluating life’s priorities
Whenever you are starting something new, you naturally think through how this aligns with your personal values and priorities. With the blog, well, I knew I wanted to continue to grow in that area so that was fairly easy. With the house, I had to put it to prayer for quite some time before I had discernment. At the end of the day, I want a home that my boys and eventually their families and my grandchildren will find refuge and fun in. I want to entertain and bring in community, to provide a refreshing place for all. (Oh, and I also want my guest room!)

3. Change adds EXCITEMENT
Without a season of planting we wouldn’t have the harvest. I can only imagine how boring the farmer’s market would be without HARVEST. Without change, we’d have a bunch of ugly caterpillars and no beautiful butterflies — you get the picture. One brings the other, and the other is often MORE EXCITING!

As I embark on this new “season” you can rest assured I’ll be focused on both the growth and the “STRETCH” that surely will come. I hope to share words of inspiration and insights along the way that I hope will also expand your personal growth.

I WOULD BE HONORED IF YOU WOULD ENTER YOUR EMAIL ON THE RIGHTHAND SIDE OF THIS POST AND SIGN UP TO RECEIVE THE BLOG ALSO BY EMAIL.  

Some notes about the blog…

I kicked off the website and blog in June of 2015 with the goal of just taking the step to get started. I have known for quite some time that I am meant to write, and blogging gives me an opportunity to do that on a consistent basis. I am also about 70 percent through my first book, To Serve Well.  (I have no specific time that I want to release that but I feel like it will be before my big 50, so I have one year and five months, but who’s counting!)

I hope that the fresh look on this site will not only be more visually appealing, but allow those that land there to find posts and other resources or materials that will enrich their lives. SERVING WELL in this world is so important, and what we are all called to do. Having others come alongside and help us so that we can achieve that is a key of this site. I love it when folks take time to comment and share their thoughts on whatever the topic is so that others can learn and grow from each other.  

I will still be posting three times a week, with Simple Thoughts Sunday being posted on Sunday early evening with the goal of inspiring your week. This posting generally has spiritual content. I also post on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, and those are intended to focus on serving well in the community, home and workplace. If you have any ideas for me, I’d love to hear them! If you want to write a guest post, I’d also love that!  

I’d love to give a shout out to my design team, Ruthie Stark, photographer and Andrea Corless, MO Design & Illustration — Both of these ladies are beyond amazing and have made me better through this process. THANK YOU SO MUCH!

The “hush” before the holidays

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(Photo Creds:  We Heart It)

We ARE going to have a GREAT MONTH! We are going to “SET” our minds and just do it! November is….

“The hush” before the holiday rush.
The month of GRATITUDE
The month of FAMILY
The month of FOOD (healthy food of course)
The month of FIRES and FOOTBALL
The month of FULL HEARTS….

And for our family, a month of BIRTHDAYS! My boys turn into the next decade, my dad turns 75, and my grandmother turns 95. How cool is that?

I try to spend time on the blog reminding everyone to take time to CELEBRATE and this is another good time to do that. What can you do to make this month, this Thanksgiving extra special? If you get started now, you can still…

…Sign up to help feed the hungry this month
….Plan a few surprises for the Thanksgiving table!  (Perhaps a special toast to everyone in attendance)
…Surprise a neighbor (at work, school or in your neighborhood) a “harvest basket,” (I’m not sure what that might be, but perhaps a few of these cool gourds, winter squash… And maybe a thank you card…)

What else? There is so much opportunity surrounding us. To “SERVE WELL” we have to fill our HEARTS and one sure way is through GRATITUDE and the CREATION OF MEMORIES! Let’s have the BEST NOVEMBER OF OUR LIVES!

Create some FUN this weekend!

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I try not to forget some of the best parenting advice I was ever given at our family summer camp in Pine Cove, but I always seemed to get “sucked” into our daily routines.  (As you know, these turn into the story of our lives.)

So, what was the advice? SIMPLE: CREATE FUN! Stop the daily routine, the stress, SURPRISE everyone (including yourself) and call a time out for FUN. Their simple question was this: “When is the last time you jumped on the bed with your family?” Good question. Not sure I had since they were toddlers. We did it when we got home that summer, and I’m not sure they would remember. More than likely because it was a “one-and-done” activity and frankly that is NOT ACCEPTABLE. Now, don’t get me wrong, we have always had a lot of fun but I honestly don’t think I did enough to create fun “along the way.” For those of you with younger kids, I wish I would have made a calendar notification to do just this… I think it’s worth it… Kids remember these moments.

When I was looking for the right photo, I found several of retired couples jumping on the bed. I thought that was super cool as well. It was a reminder that this advice is true for all of us. Whether it’s a pillow fight, jumping on the bed or between beds in a hotel room, it’s important that WE CREATE SOME FUN!

The fourth quarter is always one of the busiest and the most stressful. New school year, year-end push to achieve goals at work, the holidays, and oh good god, the comfort food that sends us to the gym to ward off the weight gain. All of that can catch up, so call a TIME OUT this weekend, or better yet TONIGHT. Turn up the music and CREATE SOME FUN!

I’d love to hear how it went!

Thanks “WORLD” for the reminder…

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(Photo Creds: We Heart It)

If you follow this closely, TODAY WAS THE DAY for the unveiling of my new website. I have had a terrific design team assisting me in orchestrating a new version that is a huge improvement and I know you’ll love it!

As best laid plans sometimes don’t go that way, we have had a few technology/process issues that is putting it on a bit of a delay. I have ONCE AGAIN learned my lesson not to give a hard date when it has to do with technology dependent scenarios… Don’t you just love it when you learn lessons, OVER AND OVER AND OVER again! Haha!

At any rate, this made me have a brief insight. Just what if these “glitches” so to speak are a way the world is saying to us: “HEY, HOLD UP, I HAVE SOMETHING BETTER FOR YOU!” OR, “HEY, SLOW DOWN, YOU DON’T WANT TO FORGET THIS OR THAT.” Some of the leading motivational speakers say JUMP IN, DON’T BE AFRAID TO FAIL, ETC., and I also believe in that is true. I DO BELIEVE that it depends on your personality, and I’m always READY TO JUMP, so that’s not a stretch. Maybe it is for you. If so, then by all means JUMP, SET THE DATE, MAKE IT HAPPEN! If you are like me and a bit impatient, then perhaps, you need the “GLITCH” to help you TAKE PAUSE, RETHINK and REGROUP. (Thanks “world” for speaking to me so clearly!  I can’t always count on you!)

We’ll keep working to get the new site up and running. (The new site provides a fresher looking landing page, offers some great resources and a full blog archive. The writing will stay the same and continue, and with a little FAVOR, I will have my book “TO SERVE WELL” done soon!).

HAVE A CRAZY GOOD WEEKEND. FALL DESERVES YOUR FULL ATTENTION! ALSO… I LOVE TO SERVE ALL OF YOU!