Spend It All Today
Dear
Girlfriends,
Over the
past couple of months, we've examined what it means to live intentionally and
have explored seven counter-intuitive truths:
1. Fake it. And be yourself for a change. Others will most likely enjoy
the "real" you more than the faux you, anyway.
2. Scrap your priorities. You can have it all - just not every day. Reschedule your priorities.
3. Stay behind. Surround yourself with quality people. We're still only
as good as the company we keep.
4. Break a hip. Stop being a sissy. Go out on a limb and try something
new.
5. Whine. Rant, rave, and stomp your feet. Then drop it before
you really get something to cry
about.
6. Be confused. It's OK to be a flip-flopper. Dig for the "why" behind
your personal truths and have the courage to change your mind.
7. Disappoint someone. We extend service with bad grace when we serve out of
obligation. Choose those endeavors that are true to your heart's calling and
say 'no' to the rest.
This week,
we'll close out this series with the final directive: 8. Spend it all today. Because you might not get a tomorrow.
I can hear
the shrieks of financial advisors from coast to coast (especially my own...hang
with me, Carol)! This Truth Nugget is not about money. I want to explore the
more important things that we hide, hoard, and ignore - our talent, our network,
and the impact we have on others.
I am a marketing
gal. I'm not a writer, nor a motivational speaker. These are not my talents. So
how did I end up writing this weekly blog and speaking? I (finally) recognized
that my talent is giving encouragement through my ability to share my life
experiences. Coupled with my courage to examine tough topics, I began writing
Truth Nuggets and speaking to inspire women to achieve balance and live intentionally.
Never in a million years did I think these two somewhat nebulous talents would
emerge in the form of a weekly newsletter to thousands. But they did. What is
your talent? Are you sharing it?
"When I stand before God at the end
of my life,
I would hope that I would not have a
single bit of talent
left, and could say, 'I used
everything you gave me.'" - Erma Bombeck
Spend your talent today. You might not get a tomorrow.
Many of us
waste our network, hoarding contacts or preserving them in case we need a
favor. I say spend your network on your friends and colleagues. Tim Sanders, in
his book "Love is the Killer App,"
encourages us to use our network generously for the benefit of others. Some
people understand this concept intuitively - they are "connectors" by nature.
But others of us must be reminded that our success is never of our own making,
but in part due to the goodness, kindness, and generosity of others. What goes
around, comes around. Extend your network to friends and colleagues looking for
a job, a business lead, or a housekeeper. Who is in your network? Are you
sharing it?
"Be a Lovecat: amass and share
knowledge, amass and share your network
and be compassionate." - Tim Sanders
Spend your contacts on someone else
today. You might not
get a tomorrow.
Lastly, I
believe most of us underestimate the impact we have on others (from family
members to total strangers). Either positive or negative - nothing is neutral -
you made a mark on someone's life, today. Did you inspire or motivate? Did you
leave them more confident than when you found them? Did you extend generosity
or kindness or mercy? Did you make someone laugh? Did you leave someone with
hope? One thing I'm sure of: as you checked out at the grocer, as you ate at
the diner, as you instructed your child or sat in a boardroom - you leftsomething in your wake. What did you leave?
"The true measure of man is how he
treats someone who
can do him absolutely no good." - Samuel Johnson
Spend your kindness. You might not get a tomorrow.
Emptying my
pocketbook,
Ellen
Posted by Ellen on January 23, 2008 3:25 PM
| Category: Living Intentionally
|
