Monday Moment…When we think about a simple gift we can give to another nothing is better than a little listening and Encouragement. When we encourage someone on their journey it allows them to not feel so alone in their struggle. Who will you Encourage today? #mondaymotivation #encouragement #givingiscaring
WIIFM :
What’s In It For Me? How Can I Serve Others?
In a world where it’s human nature to think more about ourselves than anyone else, what tools do you use to redirect your thinking from, “What’s in it for me?” to “How can I serve others?”
As I listened to a study the other day, one of the researcher’s questions got me thinking. She said, “Everything has changed to being all about ourselves. How do you protect yourself from becoming self-absorbed?” As the day went on, I spent a lot of time thinking about that question as well as how different things are today.
We now live in a world that’s moved from a coffee pot to a k-cup that turns out exactly how we want it; again, all about me. We’re in a time where people aren’t taking photos to preserve memories anymore. Instead, they’re taking selfies alone and once they take the selfie, by themselves, they edit it to their exact liking before posting it to see how many other people will “Like” it.
The trouble about this mindset is it’s challenging to overcome now that it’s the new societal norm – so what’s the solution? In my mind, one of the first steps to redirecting your thinking is to work on shifting your perspective and focus. I accomplish this by using a gratitude journal which is simple yet allows me to reflect on what I have in life and what’s going well rather than what’s lacking. I’m then able to appreciate others in my life and focus on how I can pour into them what they’ve poured into me.
As I got more comfortable with my gratitude journal, I started experimenting with taking it one step further. Not only do I write what I’m grateful for, I also write what I gave to others with generosity in my heart. I’ve been sharing this next step with people in my life for some time now and they’ve benefited from it, too. It’s been helping them bring awareness to how they’re giving back and the positive impact they’re making in the lives of others each day.
Through this practice, I know which days I’m serving someone else whether it’s simple or significant. To me, a giving spirit is a happy spirit and I love nothing more than being happy! When we focus less on ourselves and more on making a difference in the lives of others, the happier I believe we are.
This week, I encourage you to mindfully redirect your thinking from, “What’s in it for me?” to “How can I serve others?” through at least one generous act of service for someone else each day whether it be big or small! What does living your exceptional life look like to you?
What generous acts of service will you perform for others this week?
How do you protect yourself from becoming self-absorbed?
How often do you mindfully practice gratitude and reflecting on your service to others? How do you do it? #ServiceAboveSelf #servantleadership #BeTheException #hopehealthhappiness
Empathy brings more Hope to yourself and others
Servant Leadership: What is in it for me?
In a world where it’s human nature to think more about ourselves than anyone else, what tools do you use to redirect your thinking from, “What’s in it for me?” to “How can I serve others?”
As I listened to a study the other day, one of the researcher’s questions got me thinking. She said, “Everything has changed to being all about ourselves. How do you protect yourself from becoming self-absorbed?” As the day went on, I spent a lot of time thinking about that question as well as how different things are today.
We now live in a world that’s moved from a coffee pot to a k-cup that turns out exactly how we want it; again, all about me. We’re in a time where people aren’t taking photos to preserve memories anymore. Instead, they’re taking selfies alone and once they take the selfie, by themselves, they edit it to their exact liking before posting it to see how many other people will “Like” it.
The trouble about this mindset is it’s challenging to overcome now that it’s the new societal norm – so what’s the solution? In my mind, one of the first steps to redirecting your thinking is to work on shifting your perspective and focus. I accomplish this by using a gratitude journal which is simple yet allows me to reflect on what I have in life and what’s going well rather than what’s lacking. I’m then able to appreciate others in my life and focus on how I can pour into them what they’ve poured into me.
As I got more comfortable with my gratitude journal, I started experimenting with taking it one step further. Not only do I write what I’m grateful for, I also write what I gave to others with generosity in my heart. I’ve been sharing this next step with people in my life for some time now and they’ve benefited from it, too. It’s been helping them bring awareness to how they’re giving back and the positive impact they’re making in the lives of others each day.
Through this practice, I know which days I’m serving someone else whether it’s simple or significant. To me, a giving spirit is a happy spirit and I love nothing more than being happy! When we focus less on ourselves and more on making a difference in the lives of others, the happier I believe we are.
This week, I encourage you to mindfully redirect your thinking from, “What’s in it for me?” to “How can I serve others?” through at least one generous act of service for someone else each day whether it be big or small!
What does living your exceptional life look like to you?
What generous acts of service will you perform for others this week?
How do you protect yourself from becoming self-absorbed?
How often do you mindfully practice gratitude and reflecting on your service to others? How do you do it?
Words are Powerful
Be the Exception, 7 Keys to Transformation, Rewrite your Story, Break the Cycles that no longer serve YOU!
Being The Exception
It’s interesting to me how people respond when I talk about being the exception. Some say, “Wow, you really are the exception! You’ve overcome so much while staying positive and being generous.” Other times, people call me out and say, “You don’t always live an exceptional life or have it all perfectly together. I’ve heard your stories.”
The truth is, I believe we’re all a work in progress; the magic doesn’t just happen overnight. Being the exception, breaking cycles, and rewriting my story is daily work and some days are definitely better than others.
The 7 Steps, which to me seem more like The 7 Ways of Being, give me something to work on every day. As I navigate through the steps I have to remain mindful in order to be intentional with my thoughts, words, and actions.
Step 1, be honest, may be the biggest challenge for me. This step requires me to analyze my thoughts, judgements, and stories then ask myself, “Is this true? Does it serve me? Does it serve others?” We all carry stories in our head and those stories often become our truths.
Step 2, be open, applies to opportunities, new perspectives, mentorship, and so much more. By being open, all of us have had moments in life where we’ve learned a great deal from others. By doing so, we have the chance to apply it to our own lives and share our new knowledge with even more people.
Step 3, be healthy, can be a slippery slope for someone who loves treats. I have to actively make different choices and remind myself how it will positively impact my body, mind, and spirit.
Step 4, be flexible, is accomplished for me through the serenity prayer. It reminds me that I’m not able to be in charge of everything and that life will always be changing.
Step 5, be gentle with your story, looks like practicing an abundance of grace in my world. Each of us has a story, none worse or greater than another. We all have stories of success, failures, and challenges in our lives. It’s how we talk about our story that determines if we embrace where we came from and where we’re going next.
Step 6, be courageous, means looking fear in the eye and saying, “I can do this anyway!” It means not only overcoming my fears to help myself, but overcoming my fears to better sever others, too.
Step 7, be authentic, may be the other biggest challenge for me. It’s especially tough when there are so many others telling me I’m either too much or not enough. It takes a lot of practice and being present in the moment to be authentically myself though with each day, I know who I am more and more.
This week, I encourage you to join me in being the exception! We aren’t going to do this perfectly, but we are going to do it intentionally. Together, we’ll use these ways of being to bring awareness to our thoughts, actions, and words. I’m a work in progress and so are you! Won’t you continue alongside me as we journey toward being the exception? What does living your exceptional life look like to you?
Do you feel like you’re the exception? Why?
What does living authentically mean to you?
Which of these 7 Ways of Being is easiest for you? Which one challenges you the most?
