What Streets Have You Swept

“If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.”
-Martin Luther King, Jr.

We each will have the opportunity to to great things with what we have in life. While we may want to have greater success, greater abilities and greater impact on the world, we have to be good at what we do now.

Being the best at what we do now creates an atmosphere, a learned characteristic, that will allow us to properly handle our accomplishments in life. Without it, we will simply waste anything that we do gain because we will not know how to handle that success.

So take what you are doing today, be the best that you can be with it. As your dreams come true, turn those accomplishments into even greater things in your life. When all is said and done, people will remark "here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well."

Stay inspired my friends.

Extend a Hand

“You can't stay in your corner of the forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes.” -A. A. Milne

How often it is that we push people away at first glance. Doing so before we even take the time to find out who they are and about their lives. Is it because we are too wrapped up in our own life to care?

So often we become trapped in the mindset of the "what's in it for me" mentality. One could suppose that it is a reflection of our biological instincts for survival. I would like to think that we have evolved and matured to a point of purpose in our lives. And if we have evolved at all, is not our own survival dependent upon others as well?

In business, those that are successful have found this to be quite true. The truth, which is quite simple also, is that my success depends upon you being successful. When the customers I assist on a daily business are able to grow, it keeps my company in growth. To lack this cooperation between two parties, if one takes advantage of the other, eventually the demise of one will lead to the demise of the other.

In relationships, you can not tear down or take advantage of the other person before the relationship breaks down. Did you truly win or grow at all by that experience? Only if you learned the lessons because to repeat the mistakes never lifts you or those around you. Being kind and supportive in a relationship builds both parties up, growing a great life for both.

Much of what I am talking about starts with kindness to one another. The Greek word for "kind" is chrestos. Applied by the Greeks as a title of respect equivalent to "the worthy." Part of its meaning is useful and if you examine biblical kindness, it involves action. "Dear children, let us stop just saying we love each other; let us really show it by our actions" (1 John 3:18).

This is where we can each make a difference, in the marketplace, our business and in the normal course of human interaction. We can choose to be kind to one another. We can choose to extend a helping hand without expectation. We can choose to make this a better life.

Stay inspired my friends!

Say Thank You

"Silent gratitude isn't much use to anyone." ~G.B. Stern

Whom have you thanked today?

We can float through our day pleased with the interactions between other people and ourselves. It could be the gas station attendant at the counter who doesn't charge you for a cup of coffee; after you have purchased gas. Maybe it is a co-worker that helps you complete a job task on time.

You may even be a manager or business owner. Have you thanked your employees lately? The hard work and innovation they bring to your company means quite a bit. Together they make the wheels of a company smoothly run.

How about your wife, kids, friends? Have you said thank you to them? What about thanking God? There are so many ways and so many things you can be thankful for. The important thing is to make sure that you say it.

Saying thank you helps others (the person receiving it) know that you know who they are and that you are aware of them as a person. It acknowledges to them that they are important and what they do is important to you. Each and every one of us want to be acknowledged in life and thanking someone is a direct and meaningful way to provide that acknowledgement.

You can certainly do more, you can exceed the simple thank you with rewards, bonuses, flowers, gifts, etc. But most times the immediate and heartfelt thank you has the greatest impact.

So, have you said thank you today?

Thank you for continuing to read my articles and spreading my words to others. Also, for staying inspired my friends.

Serving or Self-Serving

“It has always been my belief that a man should do his best, regardless of how much he receives for his services, or the number of people he may be serving or the class of people served.” -Napoleon Hill

It has been a bit spotty of late in getting my blog articles out. But there are some changes on the horizon for me and those have kept me quite busy. I'm working to get back into a more regular pattern of writing so stick with me folks.

Today I wanted to ask a couple of questions;

- Regarding the job you own or work at and customer Service – is it really at the core of your business or simply “lip” service?
- Do you live your life in service to others - or are you simply living for yourself?

In your business (or the job you work at), the time has come to realize that the ability —or inability— to serve customers in a way that is consistent with meeting and exceeding their expectations is the biggest differentiator that separates a successful business from others.

The same is true in your personal life. Serving others before self will have a dramatic impact on your life and the lives of those around you. It is the difference between living life and living your best life.

Now is the time to transform customer service from a one-dimensional, one-directional exchange into a fluid and integral part of your life. There are ten basic tenets of transforming your life and business and it all begins with serving others with the “CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE” you provide.

Remember that today is the day you felt a drop of rain splash down on your forehead. So it is time to build that ark, Noah. In other words, today is the day to start making a change. Elevate “customer service” (serving others) to a front office mission critical strategic imperative. Make it a strategic imperative in your everyday life.

Stay inspired my friends.