To Serve well

Serving with Excellence for a Life of Excellence

Kansas City

Simple Thoughts Sunday: Acts of kindness belong at the top of our to-do list

“Outdo one another in honor.” Romans 12:10

This verse… is my life verse. This verse has the power to change the world alone. It gives us clear instruction to be devoted to one another in love and honor. It showcases that our humanity is here to help each other rise above and face both challenges and celebrations by turning our attention off of ourselves and on to the people God surrounded us with…even if we may not support their approach or their actions.

My dear friend Mindy Corporon is the most courageous and honoring person I know. Mindy’s story is known by many in our community, and now around the world. Her son and father – along with another lady in Kansas City – were brutally killed by a man whose life was infiltrated with hate. Her choice was to focus on the above – to love and to develop understanding, ultimately allowing her to get to honor. That’s a heavy story and the boldest example of what it means to love even though we flat out don’t want to. The significance of that cannot be described.

A part of this journey has resulted in the Faith Always Wins Foundation and Seven Days – Make a ripple, change the world. This week (or in a pandemic year- a couple of weeks …) is set aside each year to bring our community together to focus on how we get to love and honor by raising our awareness of our differences and embrace all who are walking this journey with us.

Acts of kindness are the ultimate example of living this out. They bring hope to the room, elevate the energy around us and even save lives.

So, what’s your act of kindness going to be? I think we need to start each day with this at the top of our to do list. There is no better time to spread love in every space we enter. Have the best week!

The alchemy of a hustler

Alchemy = chemistry… transformation …

We all transform over time. We all learn, grow and adapt. The Kansas City Chiefs have certainly done that, and there are many lessons to be filtered out of their pursuit of another winning season. As most of you know, it’s been literally decades getting us to this place, with many twists, turns and absolute disappointments along the way. There was no magical “arrival,” but a transformative process that occurred methodically and with a commitment to overcoming and achieving. Regardless of what happens tonight, we have arrived at this point and should not only revel in it, but pay attention to the story that got us here.

Since you could literally fill a bucket with story lines and pick any one out, I decided to focus on Tyrann Mathieu’s (pronounced like “Matthew”) incredible transformation. Mathieu, aka “the Honey Badger” or the “Landlord” is a team captain and his enthusiasm is so strong it pours over into our homes. His life, initially rooted in chaos, covered by an intense article highlighted in Sports Illustrated last year takes us through all of the pain and then ultimately to the epic 2020 Super Bowl win:

“Tyrann Mathieu looked up, past the red-and-gold confetti falling from the sky, and saw only stars, like the whole galaxy had been lit. He could hardly speak. He couldn’t move. The screaming fans, the euphoric teammates, the thuds of bass coming from the speakers –– it all faded into a dreamlike silence. Mathieu asked himself a question he already knew the answer to: ‘How in the world did I end up here?‘”

Transformation stopping points:

  • A family turned upside down (his father was in prison, and his mom dropped him off for his grandparents to raise –– feels like abandonment)
  • Death of friends in the neighborhood (Mathieu has the 20 names all who died prior when he left for college all tattooed on his leg)
  • Failed drug tests (at least 10)

PIVOT…

  • Finding his voice with the help of a spiritual advisor, a naturopathic doctor and a mindfulness coach… a movement partly fueled by the notion that “happiness is an inside job.”
  • A commitment to vulnerability and “Holding a magnifying glass to his battered soul.”
  • Teammates circling him in support and encouragement.

I especially liked these two excerpts from the article: “Tyrann Mathieu can hardly recognize previous iterations of himself,” and “He became vulnerable in ways teammates never could have expected, sharing his story and his path- and how he took back control. He became a walking self-help book, it’s dust jacket covered in scars.”

The story resonates.

He has taken all of these transformative elements and has become a voice for social justice and a literal guardian over the peace and energy of the Kansas City Chiefs entire team and staff. Powerful.

We all transform. We all have stories. Please note the key themes, that align with often discussed topics on this blog:

  • Share your story to both continue learning and to heal (yourself and others)
  • Allow a “community” or a “tribe” to surround you and help you grow and achieve your purpose and best self.
  • Commit to using your story to serve and elevate others.

As we go into the game tonight, and the week ahead, I hope that we are all able to truly venture past the highlights and into the “grit” that brings us to this point in our lives. As we look at our own “alchemy” … what is our next step in “EPIC?”

Sending BIG LOVE and ENERGY to you all today. #SuperBowlSunday21 #THISISCHIEFSKINGDOM

You gotta fight…

Throwing it back to a post from this time last year that felt right as we head into the Super Bowl!

You gotta fight… for your right… to PARTY!

Who knew the Beastie Boys would come alive strong on Sunday night! A blast from the past, and a timely and on-point reminder brought to us by the Kansas City Chiefs post game celebration and Travis Kelce. Incredible! 

We all know this is true if you stop and think about it. We don’t just get to celebrate big – to toast to small or great wins – without first serving up some time, sweat and often massive effort (AKA, fight!). 

Winning during 2021 starts with a certain rigor, and the decision to not settle for anything less than excellence.

Excellence in our routine…
Excellence in our personal wellness…
Excellence on both large and small platforms…

It is indeed first a decision, and then a commitment to doing whatever it takes each day to bring us to our highest levels.

Where do you need to fight? Where do you need to go deep and build a strategy to ensure excellence? 

As you hopefully saw in Sunday’s historic and epic celebration… the ability to celebrate (or as Travis Kelce said this weekend, paaaaartty) makes all of our efforts absolutely worth every ounce of hard work.

Have the most incredible wrap to your week and let’s keep our health, energy and spirits high as we move thru winter!

What stories call you to action?

(Photo courtesy of every other media outlet in America… Thank you, Google.)

This blog title has been on my phone and ready to use for quite some time. It turns out the time is now.

So, what stories call you? I mean, what stories, keep you thinking… they aren’t fleeting, and have staying power. The stories from the past that you share with mentees, children, colleagues, friends? The stories that light a fire and capture your imagination? Both types create life and those stories are what bring us together. In telling our stories, we are able to share what we’ve learned, bring laughter, healing and meaning to others. In hearing a story that ignites a flood of hope and makes us want to jump in, we are compelled to act.

If you haven’t yet heard Amanda Gorman’s poem, “The Hill We Climb,” that she read at the inauguration last week, stop what you are doing and watch. After that, spend some time researching her story. I didn’t see any other part of the events on Inauguration Day yet, but a clip on Twitter left me wanting more. I found myself sending it to my tribe and running to Amazon to order her upcoming books. It left me with such hope for this coming generation, that I felt a wave of relief wash over me. Amanda Gorman represents what is good and what is the America that I know and love. I know I’m only one of many new fans* of Ms. Gorman. I hope the message she shared sits with our country for eternity. The multiple messages speak to life in general and to a nation’s opportunity ahead. (*She went from a few thousand followers on Twitter to 1.4 million this week –– and 2M new instagram followers, according to Buzzfeed.)

No matter what stories call you to action, it is helpful to identify them. Are there themes? Your dad’s classics? A story of how someone helped you grow? A story of a prayer warrior that inspired you to know the value of praying for others? Themes perhaps of humor, purpose, inspiration? Tell those stories. Share them early and often. Take time to honor new ones in the mix. Stories are how we learn. Every worthy book, ancient and new, brings us to the table through story. Stories call us to action and, like Gorman’s beautiful reciting of meaningful words, give us hope and meaning. What could be better?

Here’s to a wonderful week ahead! So thankful for the Kansas City Chiefs and their AMAZING game Sunday and the spirit of our great city.

Rewind: 3 ideas to get your thoughts rolling

(Photo Creds – Pinterest: The Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts)

Throwing it back to a post from 2016 that feels a little extra relevant as we toss around this idea of “ideas” this week. Enjoy, my friends!

Building starts with a a great plan. A blueprint for something new, that the world hasn’t experienced before. Whether a home or the life of your child, it’s a strong plan that makes the finished product beautiful. True, sometimes, things “just happen” and it works out pretty good, like a new recipe, but good cooks (and even semi-okay ones like me… on a good day) will tell you that following a good recipe almost ensures success.

We all want to build something significant. Usually that is a significant life to start with. How do we do that? Here are three simple thoughts to get you started today!

  1. Wise counselors – In the first place, we need solid mentors, teachers and advisers to help build the plan. If you are building a house, seeking out an experienced architect and a reputable builder, is critical. It helps to find folks who have been around the block a few times and can speak with wisdom. It also helps to find those that care about you and want your success. Sometimes this can be harder than you think for some reason, but definitely seek people out. We need each other desperately.
  2. Invest your time and your mind – This one I think is huge. We all say we want to do something meaningful- make our communities better, etc, but don’t take the time to read, study, understand and truly make decisions and plans that helps us to do that. This pre-election period has been a great reminder of what happens when we don’t invest our time and become educated on critical topics…
  3. Take action – Don’t wait until tomorrow. Tomorrow is never promised, at least our on earth tomorrow. We can accomplish so much if we take the full span of time we are given and ACTIVATE those IDEAS that are rolling around in our minds. Today is THE PERFECT DAY TO START!

Never doubt the impact of the crowd

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(Photo Creds: We Heart It)

Fall is filled with games… soccer, football, volleyball, etc.  Whether little league or professional sports, I have always loved being a sports spectator, and my boys brought that side of me to life even more. To be a part of a crowd, unified in support of a team and the energy that environment produces is life-filling to me. I can only imagine what it must be like for a top athlete or performer to feel that influence and channel it to bring out their best.

One of my boys and I were at a recent NFL game in another city, and to be honest, the crowd was just not that into it. Despite the attempts by the team to engage the fans via the cheerleaders and digital video boards, they just didn’t seem to want to get out of their seat and be active participants. As an avid Kansas City Chiefs fan, my son noticed as well and said, “Mom, I don’t think they realize the impact of the crowd.” He is so right. Good or bad, the crowd we surround ourselves with has a major influence on our performance.

I love that, because whether you are a musician, an athlete, a student, a mom or an office dweller, most of us need the “CROWD” to be positive and energized to achieve our best.

I wasn’t surprised to find out that for sports, there are experts in crowd psychology and how to impact the players in this category. Clearly, if you are a professional performer it is critical that you are able to play beyond the noise and stay focused. Perhaps it’s important for all of us to consider this as well. (We might just have to address that in another post.)

For today, the focus is on the impact of the crowd, and specifically, the POSITIVE POWER THE CROWD can have on us in the game of life. Is your crowd distracting you or cheering you on?  Be mindful that just like fans can influence the outcome of the game, they can impact the outcome of our days and potentially success. Also be mindful that they cannot change your skill or ability, but only your emotional ability to perform despite or in spite of their noise.

My thought is that the crowd will always have some naysayers, haters or whatever your term is, and only we have the power to ensure we are in a crowd that CHEERS US ON so that we can MAKE the IMPACT we were designed for.

Find a GREAT CROWD OF FANS and if you happen to be from KC, there are no great GREATER FANS THAN IN CHIEFS KINGDOM! Stop by and we can show you what real fans look like.

Why we must be on the look out to STEAL GREAT IDEAS

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(Photo Creds: The Robinhood Foundation, NYC)

Just 2 years after I graduated from high school, successful business man Paul Tudor Jones founded the Robin Hood foundation in NYC with a goal to improve the lives of those who live in poverty.

For 28 years now, the organization has been at it in a unique way, combining investment principles and philanthropy to find, fund and create programs that support their goal. Over time they have expanded to also support relief efforts, such as those needed with Hurricane Sandy. According to last year’s estimates, giving to this foundation provides a 15:1 return on investment, which is significant and a place that donors can feel good about. The key statement in all of that to me, is that they CREATE…solutions, ideas, programs that move toward their mission.

I chose this topic today, because the idea of being innovative is always top of mind for me. One of my personal philosophies has always been to be “ON ALERT FOR GREAT IDEAS.” If you take time to look around – especially outside of your own industry, family or environment – you can count on being INSPIRED and even yes, STEAL THOSE IDEAS and CREATE YOUR OWN from that seed that was planted.

Our communities need all of the INNOVATION that we can create in order to solve the problems and issues of today. I encourage you to embrace this idea, keep your eyes and ears open and MAKE AN IMPACT. If you get some extra time, explore Robin Hood’s website, it’s a cool story.

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!

Never Be The Last Person To Leave A Party

blog_715800_2772572_1441075586Living a LIFE OF EXCELLENCE starts out with simple advice sometimes!  On Friday, the Kansas CIty Business Journal hosted their annual Women Who Mean Business luncheon which honors the latest group of Kansas City’s female business executives, named as the top 25 women in business (for profit businesses only) in Kansas City.

During the event, each honoree offers the audience their best advice.  This one was a UNIVERSAL FAVORITE!  Unfortunately, I didn’t capture her name, but trust me, I’ll track her down, because there’s not much better than a smart, well accomplished leader, with a sense of humor!!

No matter if you are talking to a 13 year old going to their first birthday party sans mom and dad, or you are a corporate executive, this stands as SOLID ADVICE.

Here’s why:

  1. As “mom” always said, “Nothing good ever happens after dark….” (Or past midnight…. you get the point.)  As I always remind my friends and colleagues, “I go to bed after Lawrence Welk.”
  2. It’s always a good idea to HAVE FUN but not TOO MUCH FUN!
  3. If you are the last person to leave the party, you may end up with a bad tattoo!  Think dolphins swimming in different directions, an ‘ode to how much you love Kale, or a photo replica of your favorite president.

Two take aways:

  1. Seriously, a life of excellence is forged by creating GOOD HABITS that mirror your values and bring honor to your life goals.
  2. By all means, HAVE A SENSE OF HUMOR!  Life is simply too crazy not to stop and laugh!  This gal knew how to bring a laugh to the entire room! I loved that and so did everyone else!

Have a blessed day and thanks again so much for reading!

A STORY that LASTS!

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Who doesn’t love Ferris Bueller?   I always wished I was that “gal” that could just take life in stride and break all of the rules and EXPERIENCE IT ALL OUT!  Okay, to be fair, some of my college friends may think I did just that, and actually I did, but only for a few months my freshman year… After all, mud wrestling is something all freshman girls should try…  It was a blast, but a little too risky for my SOUL!

This week, let’s think about this quote-

  • Today let’s chat briefly about it “moving fast”
  • Thursday, “looking around” and
  • Sunday, “you could miss it.”

Three great thoughts…

IT’S MOVING FAST….

Like really fast!  Like it’s already August and I feel like summer should just be getting started.  I mean, I haven’t even had a picnic yet!  Yeah, I may blog about that soon because I’m fascinated by the intrigue and fun picnics typically bring… playing frisbee, experiencing fantastic wine and cheese (minus the bugs), and of course, the Kansas City humidity!

We all want to have A LIFE THAT EQUALS A GREAT STORY. One that can be told for generations.  What did we offer?  What did we make better?  How are others better because of us?

So, today, my charge to you, my fantastic readers, who are hanging in with me as I start this writing adventure…  is this…

DEFINE WHAT YOU ARE DOING TODAY THAT MAKES YOUR STORY EXACTLY HOW YOU HOPE IT TO BE.

Once defined, WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO TODAY TO ADD VALUE TO THAT STORY?  and of course… SCHEDULE THAT THING or better yet, DO IT TODAY!

My prayer is that you are living the life of your greatest hopes!  It is such a pleasure to “do life” with each of you!