Lessons in the Silence

The Time of Your Life!

As a child, my favorite night of the year was Christmas Eve.  As a dad, my favorite night of the year is the Daddy/Daughter dance at our high school.  Everyone dresses-up for a nice sit-down dinner and a two-hour dance to follow.  It always proves to be one heck of a fun night … and this year was no exception!  As usual, over 1,000 people attend.  After a nice dinner, the DJ cranks it up with a unique blend of current songs the dads can tolerate and oldies but goodies that somehow the girls know all the words!  The dance floor fills with the first song and stays completely packed until the last song brings up the lights.

 

There is a lot of laughter on the dance floor.  And in the midst of the laughter I am sure there are a lot of dads waking-up to the fact the years are passing quickly and their little girls are growing up faster than they ever thought possible.  But for just this one night, time stands still … and they can reflect on what a blessing their daughter is in their life.

 

I put this night on my calendar months in advance.  What might be passing in your life where you just might need to stop and appreciate the blessing?  Make a date on your calendar to celebrate the blessings in your life!

 

 

GOOD service in the MORNING!

I don't know if it was rudeness or distraction that was the cause.  I'd like to think the second ... but both are destructive when it comes to delivering service.  I was checking-out of a hotel in Short Hills NJ last week.  It was a major hotel chain.  The desk clerks made a major mistake ... as minor as it may have seemed!

There were two desk clerks and they were engaged in conversation.  Not sure about what.  Must have been important!  The person in line in front of me had what appeared to be shoes in a hotel bag and was leaving them to be shined.  He finally stepped forward and handed the bag to one of the clerks.  The clerk looked up and took the bag, but never said a word.  The gentleman walked away leaving me next in line to be ignored.  I stood there thinking ... wow, they didn't even say a word to this guy.

I wasn't the only person thinking this.  The gentleman returned about 30-seconds later (I was still standing in line being ignored).  He stepped up to the desk and interrupted the two desk clerks, still in their own conversation, and simply said, "The least you could have done was say good morning. I am a guest in your hotel!"  As he turned around and our eyes connected ... I simply said, "good point."  The desk clerks didn't know what to say although it appeared they genuinely understood his complaint.  They promptly asked me how they could help.

Good morning seems so simple.  So basic.  It is ... as are most key ingredients of great service.  My good friend, speaker and author Barbara Glanz, shared with me research that says 7% of employees leave their job simply because their bosses don't say Good Morning.  Looks like to me that shining the sunshine of a little "good morning" into someone's day can have a meaningful impact on both retention and service.  Make it a point to be a "good morning" kind of person!

Twelve Days of Gratitude - Day 12

Today marks the 12th and final day of the "Twelve Days of Gratitude" Challenge.  I am more convinced than ever that gratitude is one of the most underutilized treasures that sits within us ... and that a pattern of continuous gratitude has the potential to change how we see things.

Most importantly, on this 12th day of the challenge I discovered that a series of gratitude leaves you defenseless from the urge to be generous.  They simply go hand-in-hand.  My final card today was filled with gratitude ... but included a dose of generosity.  Not because I wanted to ... but because I needed to!

So today concludes the formal "Twelve Days of Gratitude" challenge, but hopefully sparks a desire of gratitude that has no conclusion.

And with that ... let the Twelve Days of Christmas ring in!

Twelve Days of Gratitude - Day 9

Yesterday, it was easy to pick the recipient of my note of gratitude ... it was my son Ryan who celebrated his 21st birthday yesterday!  Happy Birthday, RYAN!

Today was a really long day that was extremely gratifying ... for which I am grateful!  I am at the Lodge of the Illinois' Starved Rock State Park.  Today's snowfall made it the perfect winter paradise ... for which I am grateful!

But my greatest gratitude, today, was really focused on the wonderful participants of the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association's Leadership Council Program.  This group participated in Year One of this excellent program from December 2007 - March 2008.  This morning was their reunion return to Starved Rock to begin Year Two of the program.  Ninety percent of the participants were back and engaged ... continuing their endless development of leadership.  It was simply a joy to be with them and witness their commitment that has been consistent since the first day we met ... almost a year ago to the day.

This afternoon we also began the Year One program with a whole new group.  It was great connecting with all of these new participants and I look forward to walking the journey of their leadership development between now and March 2009.

My gratitude cards #8 and #9 are now completed.  How about you?  Only 3 more days left in the "Twelve Days of Gratitude" challenge.  There is still plenty of time to get your 12-cards of gratitude written and in the mail!

Twelve Days of Gratitude - Day 7

OK, I got a bit behind on my daily blogging of gratitude ... but my 7th card of gratitude went out today!!  It is amazing when you get intentional about sharing a word of gratitude day after day ... you get into a rythmn of gratitude.  You begin to see so much more minute-by-minute for which you can be grateful.

Today I was grateful for a great Advent message of being a peaceMAKER rather than a peaceKEEPER.  There is a difference.  Keeping something means to maintain.  To MAKE something means to create something where is doesn't already exist.

It is easy to have gratitude for those who are kind to us and go out of their way to be there for us.  As we continue the journey of the "Twelve Days of Gratitude" it might make sense to raise the bar and think of a relationship that is particularly challenging. Look into that relationship long enough until you can find something meaningful in the relationship for which you can be truly grateful.

Go out and MAKE this a great week!

Twelve Days of Gratitude - DAY 3

It's late again ... and I am finally getting around to my moment of gratitude.  I have actually been thankful for many things that happened today.  But it is no wonder we slip into seasons that lack gratitude.  Busy-ness blurs many things and often erases our sense of appreciation.  It would have been easy to just call it quits tonight.  But I had one more important thing to do ... appreciate someone.

As I walk through the "Twelve Days of Gratitude" Challenge, I decided not to create a master list of the 12 people to thank.  I decided I would let each day bring the dawning of whom I should thank. 

Today, I thought of my friend Al.  I have long respected Al, but this last year has taken my respect to a whole new level.  One of Al's 10-year-old twins was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor.  The road in many ways has been horrific, but Al's response has been nothing short of heroic.  Al has been faithful in journaling on his CarePage for all who care ... and there are hundreds and more likely thousands who have followed his entries.  Through his entries, Al has allowed us to walk along-side him giving us vulnerable peeks inside what may be a parent's worst nightmare.  And in the midst of the darkness, he has allowed us to see the bright moments of miracles that are inevitable along the journey.

It just so happens I am having breakfast with Al tomorrow morning.  I will mail the majority of my twelve cards of gratitude.  I look forward to hand-delivering the card I wrote tonight.

For whom are you grateful today?

Twelve Days of Gratitude - DAY 2

The Twelve Days of Gratitude Challenge continues.  It's Day Two ... and it's late.  It is 11:15pm to be exact.  The day started with a presentation in Dallas and ends back home in Chicago ... with a focus on gratitude.  I have just written my second card of gratitude and will mail it first thing in the morning.

I am grateful to so many of the readers of my "Front Porch" newsletter who have taken the time to reach out to me to let me know they have taken-up the Twelve Days of Gratitude Challenge!

In the end, the hard part has been trying to decide which twelve people to select to send my daily cards.  It's funny, once you get in a rhythm of gratitude, so much surfaces for you.

Think back over the landscape of this very day.  How many people made this a better day ... at work, at home or in your community?  Did you say thank-you ... and truly mean it?

Twelve Days of Gratitude - DAY 1

It makes no logical sense!  At 12:01am on the Friday following Thanksgiving, there was a 2.5 hour wait to get off at the exit to the nearby Outlet Mall.  That's right, 2.5 hours!  The mall was kicking-off the 2008 Holiday Shopping Season at the stroke of midnight.  Other stores would celebrate the start of the Holiday Shopping with their doors opening at 4:00am, 5:00am, or 6:00am.  It just seems crazy.  OK, so there are a few doorbuster deals, but is it really worth all the time and effort?  If it was just about shopping the answer would have to be no!  But it is not about shopping.  It was about tradition!  And traditions can be a powerful thread that weaves the experiences of our life together.

In my November 2008 issue of my e-newsletter, The Front Porch, I challenged everyone to a new tradition ... "The Twelve Days of Gratitude."  The challenge is simple.  Send a note of gratitude to a different person each day, for twelve days straight, starting today ... December 1st.  I promised to do the same.

The "Twelve Days of Gratitude" isn't about thinking of the 12 most important people in your life and thanking them (although, if you wanted to take that approach ... that would be just fine!).  It is really about randomly thinking of someone, each day, that you just want to thank.  But when I pulled out my first card to write, I couldn't help but deciding to send my first note of gratitude to my mom. They say when you become a parent, you will really appreciate what your parents did for you.  I do appreciate it, but at her age of 90, I'm not sure I have told her often enough.  The "first day of gratitude" was a great excuse to do thank her again.  Everyone needs a mom who is your biggest cheerleader ... and I am grateful for Etna Blumberg!

Who should you thank today?  I hope you will join in on the "Twelve Days of Gratitude Challenge" between now and December 12th.  Come December 13th, you will see the "Twelve Days of Christmas" in a whole new light!