Giving to Make a Difference

Gifts of one who loved me, 'Twas high time they came; When he ceased to love me, Time they stopped for shame.

Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote that back in 1844 and also wrote, "It is said that the world is in a state of bankruptcy, that the world owes the world more than the world can pay, and ought to go into chancery, and be sold. I do not think this general insolvency, which involves in some sort all the population, to be the reason of the difficulty experienced at Christmas and New Year, and other times, in bestowing gifts; since it is always so pleasant to be generous, though very vexatious to pay debts."

Mr. Emerson is writing about being generous in your giving to others.

He also laments in his writings just how difficult it is to choose the right ones to give to. I like to think that the act of being generous to another person is more important then the gift itself. Just don't think that it means you are to be cheap and meaningless in the gift.

The act of trying to find the right gift means that you do care.

The same can be said of your dealing with people you do not know. The grocery clerk, the waitress or one of the many people you come in contact with on a daily basis becomes a chance to bestow a gift of something. It could be a kind word or a smile, saying thank you and simply being pleasant to them.

In hard economic times, people are struggling to make ends meet. Those on the lower end of the pay scales are finding it even more difficult. In example the waitress or waiter scrambling to get your meal to you and trying to keep your drink cup filled, has bills, concerns and dreams of making a life for themselves.

A decent monetary tip is good to give, especially if you have the means to do so.

An extra dollar or two may not seem like a lot, but it can brighten the day of someone.

Having a generous heart is not all that difficult. Helping others through kindness and generosity is an expression of your heart for others.

Allow it to shine upon others. Stay inspired my friends.

2015 - Lets Do This

"New Year's Day. A fresh start. A new chapter in life waiting to be written. New questions to be asked, embraced, and loved. Answers to be discovered and then lived in this transformative year of delight and self-discovery. Today carve out a quiet interlude for yourself in which to dream, pen in hand. Only dreams give birth to change." - Sarah Ban Breathnach

It is here, like it or not, the new year of 2015. We can fret that we were not ready but jump on board folks and lets do this thing.

Step boldly into this new year by making a difference in life, both large and small.. Write a great story for yourself and those around you.

And stay inspired my friends!

Riley's Walk

"One person can make a difference. In fact, it's not only possible for one person to make a difference, it's essential that one person makes a difference. And believe it or not, that person is you." -Bob Riley

My wife Laura and I are lucky enough to be friends with the well known and talented singer/songwriter Mara. Mara is better known to her friends as Marjorie Whitley and all of us love her music, her talent and really her passion for music. She also has a deep compassion for others and that comes through in her music and in her actions.

Since I like to write about each of us making a difference in the lives of others, today is certainly no exception. Mara is one of those people who makes a difference in the lives of others. And as you may notice, she is not a large organization with hundreds of people. She is one person, doing what one person can do and that is making a difference in another persons life.

One of those people happens to be Riley, the son of a good friend she grew up with. Her friend now lives in northern Virginia along with her family and of course a wonderful young boy named Riley.

Riley is an active, playful and very much the little boy any of us would expect. The only difference is that he has Down Syndrome. And on Saturday, October 20th, Riley and some 2000 of his friends will be participating in the 2012 Northern Virginia Buddy Walk at George Mason University. Rain or shine, it is going to be a fun festival with live entertainment including Chris Burke, moon bounce inflatables, pony rides, cartoon characters, a petting zoo, face painters, an exhibitor tent, food vendors, police cars, fire trucks and much more.

Now you might be thinking Fairfax, Virginia is a long distance away and what could you possibly do? The thing you can do is easy, it is small, but it can make a huge difference in the lives of people you will never meet. And that is to donate a few dollars to the Down Syndrome Association which will help provide important services that enhance the quality of life for individuals with Down Syndrome and their families.

It does not take hundreds, thousands or millions of dollars from you, although very large checks are accepted and very nice to get. What it does take are a few dollars from individuals wanting to make a difference in the life of another. There is no payback, no neat gift for participating or even a framed certificate of appreciation.

What you do get is a tax deduction for the donation, the warm feeling of having made that difference and the biggest gift of all, that picture above of Riley's smiling face etched into your mind.

Do something for someone else today and smile knowing you had an impact.

Stay inspired my friends!

Be the Difference

"Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does." -William James

My message to you today is what William James says so succinctly. You do make a difference. You can get up, go out into the world and change people's lives for the better. There is no one stopping you from doing this. It starts with you making the decision that all possibility exists. You then start movement in your world to do it.

Very few people have that one huge idea that comes to life and immediately impacts huge numbers of people. What happens is that it starts small, like a seed beginning to germinate. A rose bush can be grown from seed, but it takes time. It takes roughly two years for a rose seed to germinate into a seedling that can be replanted for growth. It takes time to nurture and grow what will be a great thing.

For you, it means starting with the simple gestures of kindness to those you come in contact with. It means being a better person to your family, your friends and to those you do not even know. This develops your character such that it becomes a natural thing that you do. It becomes a part of your everyday behavior.

Your idea starts small, you begin serving meals at the homeless shelter and over time it grows into a community outreach that impacts thousands of lives. Your small thought starts by teaching computer skills to single Moms or single Dads. Teaching them skills that will better their lives and give them the ability to succeed. This idea grows into an organization backed by large corporations wanting to help you change lives.

It starts by writing a blog that inspires people to do great things in life. As you notice, it all begins with one and multiplies to many. Your impact may seem small, but it becomes huge over time.

Be a person of impact, whether it be on one person or a million. You can make all the difference.

The Iceberg

"Success or failure depends more upon attitude than upon capacity. Successful men act as though they have accomplished or are enjoying something. Soon it becomes a reality. Act, look, feel successful, conduct yourself accordingly, and you will be amazed at the positive results." -William James

In the movie, A Bronx Tale, the kid, Calogero 'C' Anello, makes a statement near the end in which he says, "The saddest thing in life is wasted talent, and the choices that you make will shape your life forever." The ability to do or be any thing you want in life is a lesson sometimes learned much later then early.

Do not fool yourself into believing you have no abilities to achieve great things. There is quite a bit inside each of us, inside of you, that given the right frame of mind can propel you to greater heights. It all happens with a huge positive attitude inside.

Think of the iceberg floating out in the large open sea. The area above the water may appear small with only enough capacity to carry a few seals. Aimlessly it drifts with the ocean currents, ships avoiding contact where possible. But underneath the iceberg is an immense structure of ice that goes mostly undetected.

That huge area underneath is your attitude. It can be a negative one or a positive one. Its your choice on what its going to be. A negative attitude will keep you floating aimlessly, never achieving much of anything in life. A positive attitude will propel your abilities to greatness.

We always tend to under estimate the power of our attitude. It can be the difference between languishing in an unsatisfying job position and having a very fullfilling work life. It can be the difference between being lonely forever after a divorce to finding a new life filled with love and happiness.

It can be the difference in everything.

Operation Make A Difference

This is a heart warming story that I hope will move you to make a small contribution. The story comes from 11Alive here in the greater Atlanta area. So read the story, watch the video and then go to Operation Gracyn and make a difference.

LOGANVILLE, Ga. -- In the town of Loganville, so many in the community have reached out to help a four-year-old girl with cerebral palsy.

The girl is Gracyn Rhodes, and she was born at just 2 lbs., 6 oz. eleven weeks ahead of schedule. Her mother, Brandi, says doctors told her that night Gracyn would be "lucky to make it through the night."

Gracyn made it through the night, but she was developmentally slow and two years later diagnosed with cerebral palsy. The two years since have been filled with therapy, injections, and braces -- even though Gracyn has learned to walk relatively well without them.

But she still struggles and falls frequently. Her family believes they have found the answer in a rare surgery called SDR; it helps with the spasticity and only applies a few CP patients.

But Gracyn falls into that group.

The surgery costs $40,000 and is best done in St. Louis; insurance won't cover out-of-state surgery, so the family has turned to the community in Loganville.

And the community has responded.

In less than a month, the people of Loganville have contributed roughly $14,000 to Gracyn. But, of course, that's not nearly enough, and Gracyn's parents are hoping to have raised the full $40,000 before their daughter's surgery in October.

Please go to www.operationgracyn.com to find out more and donate to the cause.

(Click to play the add...then click play again to see the news story)