He Saved Me from a Shower

A couple of days ago, I went with a few guys from the office to the building next door for lunch. There’s a little catering business in there and they’ve accommodated us by setting up a cafeteria-style line four days a week. On this particular day, we took the 3-minute hike over and enjoyed a nice lunch. Just as we prepared to leave, the bottom fell out. Now, for you Southerners, I’m sure you know that means: it was raining outdoors. And not a little wimpy Spring shower, but raining cats and dogs! (Another popular expression which may or may not be limited by these here Southern borders.)

There we were, staring through the glass door, having conversations such as:

“I think the sky’s lightening up; maybe it’ll stop soon.”

“What the….It’s only supposed to be a 30% chance of rain!”

“I can’t believe I left my umbrella at my desk!”

“I can’t believe I’m gonna be sitting at my desk the rest of the afternoon, cold and wet.”

“Dang. The closest Uber is 15 minutes away.” (This from the guy from San Diego)

“Really? North Carolina has Uber?”

FYI- In case you haven’t heard of Uber, this company boasts rides that are “better, faster, and cheaper than a taxi.” 

There we stood, forlorn, as the rain continued to pelt the pavement before us.

Apparently, the guy at the security desk took pity on us. He handed us a brand new umbrella, saying, “Here you go. Just bring it back the next time you come in.”

Simple. Straight-forward. Saving me, and my buddies, from a mid-day shower. (And one that was none too warm.) On the way back, San Diego said, “That would never happen in California. People here are so nice.” It made me feel good that one of my North Carolinians had represented our Southern hospitality so well. By now we were heading out the door, the sky really was lightening up a bit, and the security guard had returned to his desk.

Have you ever just wanted to turn around and hug somebody? In that moment, I felt just like that. And while I didn’t hug him, I thought, what can I do to brighten up this security guard’s day? The answer came as I was preparing to return the umbrella the following day. I stopped by the store, bought some fresh chocolate chip cookies, enough for him and his coworkers. It was a small price to pay to be saved from a rain shower.

The smile on his face was all it took to know I’d made his day. It warmed my heart.

My favorite Leo Buscaglia quote sums it up best: "Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around."

You have the power to turn a life around. Every day your choices can make or break another person’s day. A simple choice to extend a smile, a helping hand, or a prayer, might just make someone’s day and save them from a cold rain shower or something more. 

And somehow, I believe, when you do that, you’ll make God smile.

Jean

Finding the Way to Your Happy Place

Today was just like any other weekday. Neither bad nor good. A bit ordinary. Then, one of my colleagues brought in cake for the entire department. It wasn’t just ANY cake; it was pound cake. And it wasn’t just ANY pound cake. It was homemade! Yum! She has shared with me that she finds baking therapeutic and does it often. She said it would be a perfect happy place if it just didn’t cost money. Several of us are Weight Watcher-ing it, too, so we’re careful in our splurging. But this was CAKE, y’all! As I was slicing a piece of heavenly goodness, a thought came to mind: “Every good thing costs money and Weight Watcher’s points.”

Do you have something in your life that takes you to your happy place? Something that helps relieve the stresses you pick up during the day? Something that will help you lay those stresses down, even if for only a moment?

If not, it’s time to go in search of your happy place. Here’s a few questions that can help steer you in the right direction:

1.       What would you love to do if money were no object?

2.       What makes you smile and lightens your heart?

It may take a moment to thoroughly answer those simple questions. No problem. I can wait.

[Insert the theme from Jeopardy here.]

Okay, admit it. Now you’re hearing the Jeopardy music. (You can thank me later.)

Now that you’re back. What did you learn? Did you identify some things that bring you happiness and peace? Now for the rest of this little exercise. Divide a piece of paper (or Word document) into two columns. On the left side, write down all the answers to those two questions. On the right side, write down any actions, hobbies, destinations, activities that match up and can take you to a happier, less stressful place. It’s optimal if you can identify what can de-stress you daily and, like an exotic destination, what can provide a little break from the every day. Categorize your list as I have.

Some of my favorites are:

·         Daily- music (listening to it, singing it and taking the Karaoke stage once in a while)

·         Weekly- play (time with the grandkids)

·         Monthly (or less)- massage (every 6-8 weeks works for me); blogging (yes, this is my therapy!)

·         Yearly- family vacation (spending time at the ocean or in the mountains recharges me)

Next time you start to feel the stress, pick from your list and use what you’ve identified to take you to that happy place. The best part is, not only will you feel better, you’ll be a better parent, friend, colleague, mentor, etc. When you take care of you, you empower yourself to better take care of your world.

So, today, when my colleague brought in the cake, not only had she found her happy place, she shared happiness with others too. Trust me on this. As I saw the smiles all around, there was definitely happiness on the rise in this place! (Denise rocks!)

Today, I’ll leave you with this. Before you log off your computer, before you power down your smart phone, find a place with no distractions, look up your favorite upbeat song, and listen in. Sing along. Dance if you're so inclined. It's Guaranteed to make you smile.

Jean

Jean Bailey Robor is that "No Buts About it" expert who simply wants you to lead happier and more successful lives. Getting past what's holding you, your team or your organization back and changing your mindset can put you on that path to better and more productive living. Click here to book Jean for your next event!