at the end of my morning run, a car passed by and from the rear window a young girl shouted out “you can do it!”  hearing that made me feel like a million bucks.  it was like she held out a bubble wand of good karma.  then she said it to my running mate a few moments later as she passed by.

how sweet for someone to be that encouraging.  it didn’t cost her anything but gave me so much.

there are so many little uplifting expressions we can share:
“way to go !”
“looking good !”
“nice job !”
“you can do it !”
“good for you !”

small adjustment:  look for an opportunity to provide encouragement to a stranger.  say something positive.  watch their reaction.  how does it feel?

This seems to be what Steve Jobs was after. When you look at the story of his life and listen to the words that he spoke, the fact that he created a widely successful platform was almost a forgone conclusion. The phenomenal success of Apple and his personal fortune were merely by-products of his success at listening to his own heart and intuition and finding a way to share his gifts.

Steve felt that the idea of death was a great motivator. It is. We’re only here for a short time. We’re mortal.

He once said “I want to put a dent in the universe.”

His passing has me asking the question, “what kind of difference can I make today (and everyday)?”

small adjustment: through our actions today, what is the difference we’re making in the world?

How many times has someone around you sneezed or cried (especially kids) and could really use a tissue? How cool to be able say “here you go” and hand over a whole (mini) pack?

It’s not like carrying one around is going to weigh you down, right? I’ve road tested this; having a small pack nearby will come in very handy.

"No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted. " ~ Aesop

small adjustment: buy a package of (mini) tissue packs and keep one in your handbag / briefcase / backpack. a small thing you can do for others that you would appreciate if done for you.

note: inspired by a significant being in my life and brought back by a comment by Tim Johnson on Jim Connolly’s blog post – The Marketing Power of Giving.

How many times have you had that thought? I’ve had it plenty of times throughout my life. Happiness deferred. For me it was usually big things, job, home, starting a family…

I’ll finally be happy…

• when I’ve got that money in the bank.
• when I have the new house.
• when (so and so) is home.
• when I have that promotion.
• when the weekend is finally here.

Why couldn’t you have all the happiness that is possible right now? What’s stopping you? Is it possible to relax your shoulders, let go, breathe in a sense of peace, and feel what happiness feels like right now?

Can you do it? Doesn’t that feel better? What if you could feel that sense of happiness pretty much all the time? just by letting it in…

Would that be magical? What if that’s the way life is supposed to be?

small adjustment: when you think of some imaginary future thing that you think will make you happy, can you hit the pause button and feel it now? (or is that too far fetched?) If you are able to feel it, can you go back there anytime you want?

Can they hear you smiling?

Have a friend tell you how you sound over the phone. What’s the verdict?

Of course if you’re happy, it will show. People should be able to hear your smile over the phone.

Do you sound ho-hum? If you’re happy, does it show in your voice? Sharing that sound will make others feel good.

How does your answering machine greeting sound? Do you sound like a drone, a bit self conscious and eager to be done with it or are you smiling, almost laughing as you greet your callers in absentia?

I’ve tried this with friends several times and asked them to smile as they’ve left a greeting and you can definitely hear the difference. It makes me feel good to hear my friends sounding happy.

small adjustment: smile when you talk on the phone. Feel the gratitude that you can stay close with others magically over long distances. Re-record your answering machine greeting with a near laugh. What a nice way to greet your callers (and spread your good vibe!).