Tag Make a difference in someone’s day

Reasons to Get Out of Bed

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The alarm clock ringing might be the #1 reason people give for getting out of bed, but it’s not that ring, ring, ring that really calls us to rise. My alarm clock is working fine, but I’ve been struggling with motivation to get moving in the morning.

It’s not just that it’s winter, and I want to hibernate, but that I really haven’t felt successful or inspired as of late.

I know I’m not alone, if you are feeling like there’s not enough good reasons to get going in the morning, check out my recent telephone conversation and how it helped with my dragging drive.

I called for tech support as I was working on the cataloging system for our elementary school library. We are relatively new to using this cataloging system, and this was not my first tech call. I had already spoken to Keith, the company representative, in the past. Keith is in Canada. I am in Central Missouri. When Keith takes my call, I always ask how things are in Canada, and he kindly tells me about the weather there. As we waited for the computer system to reboot my account, I asked Keith how many tech support calls he answers on average each day. He said, no one had ever asked him before, but, ironically, it was just discussed at a recent meeting. Keith said his average daily call count was 12.

Because I know that my past calls have all lasted between 30 minutes and 90 minutes, I thanked Keith for his time and his assistance. He laughed and told me that most people probably wouldn’t think of what he does as valuable. I pointed out that his service calls help me to provide library resources to over 130 students and faculty. While my school is a small one, I know he assists large colleges, universities, churches, and high schools; all with patrons in the thousands. I happily went on telling him that his 12 calls a day help thousands of people with their writing, reading, and research. He has a tremendous ripple effect on the success of all those patrons, and that’s a great reason to get out of bed every day.

Keith didn’t speak for a few moments. Actually, I was afraid he hung up on me or lost connection. When he did speak, the sincerity in his voice was so sweet. After saying, “Thank you,” Keith told me that it had never occurred to him to value his position in such a positive way. It made my day to know that I had brightened his.

After hanging up with Keith, my library software was working, and my mojo was much improved.

Continue reading “Reasons to Get Out of Bed” →
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Don’t Close the Door on Idiosyncrasies

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What is the weirdest thing that bothers you?

What idiosyncrasy do you hold near and dear to your heart?

My friend Brian has a passion for keeping the door to his office closed when it is not in use. The door’s closure allows him focus and to maintain the energy he needs to be most effective at his job. Brian will post on Facebook hilarious rants about the need for that door to be closed. His posts make me laugh, but also remind me that the idiosyncrasies that set us apart are also what make us all human.

Open Door Idyosyncrasy

Continue reading “Don’t Close the Door on Idiosyncrasies” →

Changing Someone

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Changing Someone

When we begin to change someone,
the change is not always noticeable.
The changes rarely happen instantly
or make a huge racket.
An extra giggle in our laugh or a sweet curl at the corner of their mouth,
an higher hop in your step or a wider swing in their swag.

When we begin to change someone,
the change is not always noticeable.
An extra plate becomes a common setting next to yours.
Everyday the shoes by the door number a pair more.
Schedules shift.
Your circle of friends decreases, blends, expands.

When we begin to change someone,
the change is not always noticeable.
Lives start to melt into a schedule in sync.
Habits begin to form hand-in-hand with routine.
The dishes may start to make it to the sink;
the laundry may pile itself in the right places.

When we begin to change someone,
the change is not always noticeable.
When the changes start to make themselves known,
Those that have changed are not always happy with how they have grown.
The deviation from their norms can lead to bitterness.
They did not want to change, but they wanted to be with you. Continue reading “Changing Someone” →

What’s a “Freak”?

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About a month ago my children discovered the movie The Greatest Showman. It is a musical based on the life story of P.T. Barnum (played by Hugh Jackman). In the film Barnum invites individuals who are considered “freaks” to become part of his show. Some of Barnum’s “freaks” include the bearded lady, the world’s tallest man, the world’s fattest man, wolf boy, and acrobats. As far as musical movies go, it was an alright show.

Of course the cruelty shown to the “freaks” in the film led to questions from my kids, and they wanted to know, “What’s a freak?”

I explained to them that the term “freak” comes from “freak of nature” meaning that sometimes things occur in our world that make humans or animals freaks of nature. In their infinite innocence they understood that being different makes someone or something special but also makes the abnormality a target for cruelty and ostracism.

With true indignation all of my kids ranted about the the mean things done in the film by citizens who were afraid of or hated the “freaks” in Barnum’s show. I just reminded them that, in real life, they should be kind and accepting of others who are different. Continue reading “What’s a “Freak”?” →

Knotted Fun = Not Fun for Mom (Sometimes)

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In Knots 1

My kids have been dragging home loops of knotted yarn. They spend hours of their day trying to make patterns including: Jacob’s Ladder, teacup, spider web traps, Eiffel Tower, bow and arrow, and other geometric shapes with the yarn between their fingers.

Hours, I tell you!Hours they should be cleaning rooms, doing homework, practicing basketball, or being productive in some way.

The hours of employing imagination and making yarn shapes are really not what get me worked up. It’s the random yarn loops lying around EVERYWHERE and the knock-down-drag-out fights over who has whose “special” yarn loop.

Seriously, it’s a knotted circle of string!

In Knots 2The knotted fun for my kids has not exactly been fun for me, but I am always seeking the positive in situations so I thought I would share what I discovered after researching the knotted fun phenomena. Continue reading “Knotted Fun = Not Fun for Mom (Sometimes)” →

Feed the Machine and other Voluntary Acts

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Feed the Machine and other Voluntary Acts via Daily Prompt: Volunteer

feed the machine.jpg

Seriously, how long does it take to put paper in a copier? How hard is it to hold open a door for someone? Does picking up a piece of trash cost you anything but calories?

This may seem like a sassy start for an Intentergy post, but I was really just trying to grab your attention on this fine Tuesday morning.

The fuel, behind my intent-powered program, is energy that burns because of kindness and consideration. Voluntary acts of kindness should not always be random or rare. They should be intentional and blatant. Let others know you care enough to do nice things for them and your surroundings.

As often as possible, I make it to the workroom on my plan time and feed the copy machine. Why? Because it stinks when you are running copies right before class and the dumb machine is starving. When people see me feeding the machine, they usually join me and help unwrap the reams. We share conversation and an intentional act of kindness. It is a very fulfilling act (not just for the poor, hungry copier).

Make these intentional acts frequently. Your frequency of kindness will result in greater consideration from those around you and that leads to even more intentional kindness and before we know it, people could actually have a good day. Smiles might actually appear without provocation. Thoughtful actions might occur without having to think about them. Who knows, maybe we might get a little bit closer to that whole world peace thing and start to put an end to starvation (not just the kind that happens to copiers).

Put your energy and intent into committing acts of charity and compassion and you will never starve for kindness or consideration. You will be filled with love and gratitude and that is what having Intentergy is all about.

By: Melanie A. Peters

P.S. This post was not intended to make you hungry, but if it did, be sure to share your snack with someone. It will taste even better.