What do you think our world would be like if we all decided to get along? Can you imagine a future where we would no longer hate or discriminate against others because they were different, but instead we would realize that it’s those differences that make the world such a great place? It’s actually hard to imagine isn’t it?
I came across an interesting passage while reading How to See Yourself As You Really Are
I haven’t posted anything since last Friday. This absolutely kills me because I made a personal goal to post something new at least once a day. I took off of work and enjoyed a four day weekend, but I somehow have a mountain of excuses why I haven’t put anything new up. What did I do with all of that time?
Am I just making excuses?
Here are a few of them:
How long does it take to put up a new post? About 30-45 minutes, depending on a lot of factors. Did I really not have 45 minutes at any point during all of this to stop and put a post up?
You guys know how I love to advocate Chris Brogan of chrisbrogan.com. I do this because I believe in his message and if I can help him extend it in any way, I’m going to. Chris recently put up a video about making excuses. I thought I’d share it with you guys, but I also encourage you to subscribe to his blog. The guy is an energizer and he will get you thinking.
Here’s the video:
My goal is to be a successful writer but I won’t succeed if I continue to let excuses get between me and my goals. I’ll pose the same question to you that Chris posed to his audience…
How are you dealing with excuses in your own pursuit of success?
We decided to go out for breakfast at Cracker Barrel this morning. As I’m sitting there talking to Holly and waiting on our food, a man walked straight up to me. He had a Blackberry to his ear and said, “Your name wouldn’t happen to be Will would it?” I said yes and realized it was my Blackberry he was holding. I was jolted further into confusion when he handed it to me and said that my boss was on the other end and to ignore the note on my car. I think I might have said thanks but I’m not sure. A million thoughts were racing through my mind.
My boss, John, helped answer some of those questions. Apparently this guy had my phone in his hand when John just happened to call and he answered it hoping to determine who the owner was. He had explained to John that my phone was found in the parking lot and John gave him my description (tall, boyishly handsome, with a whimsical smile) so that’s how he found me.
Then it dawned on me.
Before we went to Cracker Barrel we had stopped by the gas station for a fill up. I had put my Blackberry on the bumper of the car as I went through the motions and then totally forgot it. I hopped in the drivers seat and drove nearly a mile down the road and it never budged! It stayed there the whole way. Let me just go ahead and fully endorse those gel skin silicone cases
After I got off the phone with John, I got up from the table to find this mystery man. I needed some details and the opportunity to thank him properly. It turns out he was a manager and that another customer had parked beside us, noticed the phone and brought it inside. The manager then placed a note on my window so that when I came out I would come back inside and ask about it. That’s about the time when John called. I told him about the phone’s little journey and thanked him for all of his help.
As we were paying the bill, I placed my phone on the counter to get my wallet. The cashier said, “So you’re the Blackberry guy.” The other cashier leaned over and made a similar remark. Who all knew about this? I need a less recognizable Blackberry. Just a couple of months ago I had switched to a white housing with a blue trackball so it’s definitely out of the ordinary.
We left and as we were loading the kids up the woman from the car beside us was also coming out. She said, “Oh, you’re the Blackberry guy!” Is this my new nickname? I thanked her as well and explained how it had happened. She laughed and offered me some great advice: “You probably shouldn’t do that again.”
So there it is, folks – the best advice for those times when you do something really stupid. You probably shouldn’t do that again.
A very peculiar morning but I have to admit it was a little fun. I really love moments like these so I thought I’d share the anecdote just in case you do too. I’m also really thankful for good, kind, and honest people. They aren’t a dime a dozen anymore so you really have to appreciate them when they come along.
I heard a blurb on NPR this morning about a thief who broke into a house near Rome and stole some small valuables from a 52 year-old man. At some point while plundering this man’s home he decided to update his status and message a few friends on Facebook. When police came onto the scene they noticed that the Facebook homepage was still up, which was odd considering the victim was not a member of Facebook. Investigators were able to track down the culprit’s digital footprint and bring him to justice.
That’s just one way Facebook can save the day. Here’s another…
Facebook Causes is an incredible way for nonprofits to raise awareness and funding for their organization. These nonprofits need donations to operate and Facebook has 300+ million users with big hearts. Every dollar counts and so does every voice. Awareness is just as important as money to nonprofit organizations in terms of staying relevant and active. They need help getting the word out and we can help.
Here’s a few you may be interested in:
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Stop Animal Cruelty – Donations go to the American Humane Society. To date, this Cause has raised over $45,000 dollars for the Humane Society and has more than 4.3 million members.
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Campaign for Cancer Prevention – Donations go to Brigham & Women’s Hospital. To date, this Cause has raised over $109,000 and has more than 5 million members.
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St. Jude’s Children’s Research Center - Donations go to St. Jude. To date, this Cause has raised over $93,000 and has over 524,000 members.
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With over 180,000 registered nonprofits to choose from I doubt you’ll have a problem finding the one that you’re passionate about. Personally, I’m a huge supporter of Not For Sale. This organization brings awareness to and makes every effort to fight human trafficking and slavery. You can check out their Facebook cause page here and also learn more about their organization on their homepage. www.notforsalecampaign.org
So, what’s your Cause?
Tell me a little about the organization(s) that you support and feel strongly about.
I went by the drive-thru of an undisclosed fast food restaurant (my dirty little secret) before heading home for lunch today. I placed my order and the voice on the other end was friendly and courteous. This was a little shocking only because I’ve consumed quite a few calories over time at this place and the voices on the other end are usually a little impatient, unclear, and slightly rude.
I pulled around to pay and came face to face to a woman with a big smile. She seemed genuinely happy about her work and was easily the friendliest drive-thru employee I’ve ever encountered. She even got the entire order perfect!
Look, I get it. Fast food employees take home a dismal paycheck, work in greasy conditions, deal with rude customers, and have every right to be cranky. Right?
This employee didn’t seem to think so. She may not have been fulfilling her passion, but she was most certainly earning her money with a winning attitude.
I went home and told my wife about this diamond in the rough. It occurred to me that I should call the manager of this establishment and pay the employee a compliment. So that’s exactly what I did. After all, how often do people call to give a compliment? I bet fast food managers get several customer complaints a day. I mean just check out complaintsboard.com and see how many people are griping about their fast food experiences. Or better yet, listen to this hilarious 911 call from a woman who got fed up with bad fast food service. Do NOT mess with this woman’s BBQ burger!
When the manager came on the line I said something along the lines of, “I figured people only call you to complain, but I’m calling to pay a compliment.” He seemed a little taken aback. I went on to describe my experience and how appreciative I was of her attitude and work ethic.
Awkward silence…
After a couple of beats the manager responded, “Wow. Okay, well, thank you sir. You’re right, we don’t get these kinds of calls and I’ll be sure to let her know. “
What did I get out of it? I took home a great experience and a meal lacking any frustration or disappointment. What more could I want?
The real question is what might the drive-thru employee get out of it? Perhaps a pay raise or some sort of special recognition. I’m sure she earned a few brownie points with her manager, and she deserves at least that much.
The fact is that paying a compliment doesn’t actually cost you anything. We’re always quick to complain when something doesn’t go our way, but how often do hand out a compliment when something does goes our way or even surpasses our expectation?
Do you have any personal examples of this sort of thing? Let’s hear them!
Photo source: strangelv
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