Gifts make the Season bright

Gifts make the Season bright

You’ve heard it said and sung, “Everybody knows…a turkey and some mistletoe, help to make the season bright.”

Let’s be honest…gifts are cool too.  Don’t they light up the holiday season?    

Whether we give them, or when we see the face of a friend or loved one light up when they unwrap the package we bought them…that’s usually enough to brighten up the room, the day, and definitely brightens up the season.

Some of us have heavy hearts at times like the holidays, reminiscing about the “good old days”.  Others of us become so stressed with the ‘goings on’ of the holidays that we don’t really take time to enjoy the precious moments that are passing us by, as we speak.  The pressures of high expectations and our nerves sure seem to get to us this time of year.

Then…we open our gifts.  Then…they open their gifts.  We see the smiles.  We hear the laughs.  We can almost feel the pressure, the nerves, and the tension of “holiday expectations” vaporize into thin air.  All of a sudden, the people we love the most and those for whom we’ve shopped, thought about, prayed about, and ultimately gifted our gifts…are happy.  

They love the gifts we gave them.

The holidays are certainly a wonderful season to celebrate.  The reality is that we all experience many “seasons of life”.  Some are the “seasons” that coincide with the Hallmark Calendar…however other “seasons” we experience are sometimes personal to us. In fact, most seasons consist of heavy hearts, pressure, tension, and high expectations. 

Some of us are in a “season” of celebration while others are in a “season” of sadness.  Some are really crushing it professionally and financially while others are still navigating a tough “season” financially as well as on the job front.

The OneMoreStep opportunity lies in that no matter what the season the people around us find themselves in, gifts always make their season bright.

Sometimes the gifts we give don’t have to come in a shiny, well wrapped package.  A shoulder to cry on, a helping hand in a cumbersome situation, listening when nobody else seems to care, or some encouraging words at just the right moment in time can also be just the GIFT someone needs, to brighten up their day.

We never know what they’re feeling, and who knows just what “season” of their life may be upon them…one thing is for sure, however, regardless of faith, religion, age, gender, or rank in the organization – Gifts make the Season bright.

Brighten someone’s season with your gift, however and whatever that may be, to whomever it means the most.  

Giving gifts is fun.  Being the gift for someone is a OneMoreStep worth taking. 

Merry Christmas…and enjoy the GIFTS you give and receive this holiday season.

Taylor

“Watch the way you talk. Let nothing foul or dirty come out of your mouth. Say only what helps, each word a gift.” – Ephesians 4:29

'Different' changes...

‘Different’ changes… 

 

It’s often easier to go along with everyone else’s view.  It’s less risky to just agree, conform, and to even transform our approach to align with theirs.  That way we don’t disrupt or cause a stir.

But we don’t change much either…

Being “our own person” and staying true to “who we are on the inside” sounds simple, but it isn’t very easy.  We’re often fearful that if we speak up too much; if we allow ourselves to become overly passionate about any given topic, we won’t be accepted.   

Moreover, we think if we’re too different from “them”, or if we veer too far away from their views, we certainly will never get ahead; personally nor professionally.

That may be true today…in this conversation…in this email…in this presentation… in this meeting...or in this job…when it's unpopular...but what about tomorrow?  Being different today may very well change things, paving the way for a better future. 

Different changes, introduced at inopportune times (and for most, ‘change’ of any kind almost always feels like it comes at inopportune times), are hard for the masses to accept, let alone to navigate all the implications of how the dominos will fall if/when the changes become the new norm.  Change is hard for people and it’s scary.

I contend, however, that ‘DIFFERENT’ CHANGES…the future.

Whether it’s having a different thought, approaching things differently, or just simply being different…positive change is often the result, going forward.

In 1861 when Abraham Lincoln took office as President of the United States, he was different.  His style.  His words.  His approach.  Even his views and beliefs…they were different than the masses’. Because he was so different, he eventually changed the course of history and saved the soul of America - when in 1865 the Thirteenth Amendment was finally passed and adopted, slavery was abolished for evermore in this country. 

Was he different?  Definitely.  And because he was different, the course of our nation’s history was changed for the better.

I’m not suggesting that we can all change the course of history, nor do I think we can all change the world by simply being different.  However, just think of the potential opportunities we all have to:

·      Change someone’s perspective with our out of the ordinary idea

·      Add a little levity to otherwise mundane situations, just by being “us”

·      Enhance someone’s experience, by treating them differently than others do

·      Inspire a coworker to never give up on their dream, by merely sharing ours

·      Turn a negative into a positive, by simply thinking about it differently

·      Roll with the flow and laugh it off, when everyone else lashes out

·      Encourage and model contentment among the discontented group

On second thought…maybe we CAN change the world, OneMoreStep at a time, just by stepping up, stepping out, and taking pride in being different.

‘Different’ changes…maybe not today…but with time, ‘different’ changes our thoughts, which changes our actions, which changes people around us, which eventually changes the world…for the better.  That’s what the OneMoreStepRevolution is all about.

Have a great day.

Taylor

Different changes…for the road

·      In the Broadway musical, ‘Wicked’, Elphie (“the Wicked Witch of the West”) was very different...she was peculiar…she was GREEN!  Yet “because Glinda knew her…” she was “changed for good”.

·      Walt’s original ideas for “Oswald the Lucky Rabbit” and “Mortimer Mouse” were met with some different thoughts and feedback…different thoughts and approaches that eventually led him to create our pal, Mickey Mouse.  What if Lillian (Walt’s wife) didn’t share her different point of view?  Can you imagine a world without Mickey?  How boring.  How sad…

·      Steve Jobs had some different thoughts about full length animated motion pictures AND personal computing.  Because he was different, we have inspirational Disney·Pixar movies that capture our hearts, minds, and emotions.  We can also do things that twenty years ago, we could only dream of doing with devices like i-phones, i-pads, Macs, etc.

Happy holiDAYS...Copy/Paste

Happy holiDAYS…Copy / Paste

This time of year we reflect, give thanks, celebrate, give gifts, and spread holiday cheer.  If nothing else, we set out, on purpose, to make each other HAPPY. 

The hustle and bustle of the season can be stressful with the shopping, decorating, cooking, and holiday-ing…but for the most part, we love that special, happy holiday feeling. 

We love a little stronger.  We open our mind a little wider.  We give a little more…of ourselves…of our time…and we give more gifts, simply because, it’s “the holidays”.  We even give to people that are in need…that we don’t even know.  ‘Tis the season to _____________.   (Fill-in-the-blank).  We do so much, during the holidays, beyond what we usually do.

Sure this particular holiday season only comes around once per year.  However, who says we have to wait until Starbucks starts brewing their Holiday Blend coffee, to set out, on purpose, to make each other HAPPY? 

What if on a routine Tuesday afternoon in January, or again in March, or again in June…what if six months from now you and I spent some time – reflecting, giving thanks, giving an unexpected gift, celebrating, and/or spreading good ol’ fashioned CHEER? 

How would we feel?  How would they feel? 

I bet we would make people HAPPY.  I bet you and I would stop, look around, and smile…and we would be HAPPY as well. 

OneMoreStep thought for the Holidays: We should take a mental inventory of the gifts and time we give, the cheer we spread, and the happiness we bring to one another during the holidays.  And COPY/PASTE those actions and emotions and love to ALL of our days.

I hope your holidays are happy, and I know that if we all go OneMoreStep for each other, even after the holidays are over, the people in our lives will have many, many HAPPY DAYS.

Have a great day.

Taylor

What if...

What if…

We have those things or those people in our lives that make us happy, give us joy, and/or serve as the very rock on which we stand in the tough, not so magical times. 

We all have goals, dreams, aspirations, and we plan for our future.  Yet day in and day out, we’re reminded that life is not, nor will it ever be perfect.  

“Stuff” gets in the way, yet we continue to strive for the perfect life, the perfect job, the perfect salary, with the perfect someone. 

That gets old, and life gets tedious…why…because there’s no such thing as “The Perfect” anything.  It’s a myth in which we wrap our very hopes, dreams, and often times our every thought.

Life, here on Earth, isn’t perfect.  It never will be perfect.  However, the higher power to which we look for hope, love, salvation, and peace…is perfect. Therefore 'looking up' should be our focus.

Rather than striving for the perfect, instead we should reflect on the absolute best things or people in our lives.  We should reflect this week on whom or what makes us smile, at the very moment the thought of them enters our mind.  Whom or what allows us to be…not merely to do…but to really be who we want to be…

What if those things or those people were taken away from us tomorrow?

Let’s give thanks this week, for those things and those people in our lives that are the absolute BEST part of our day and the absolute BEST part of our lives. 

Perfect will never happen, but those things and those people (you know the ones), they will always be the best…be thankful for them.

Looking up, this Thanksgiving…and wishing the OneMoreStepRevolution Community  a very safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday.

Taylor

Thanks, for the road…

Thanks to my family: My Mom, Dad, Sister, Brother-In-Law, Aunts, Uncles, Grandmother, and Cousins – you’ve not only shaped my mind, heart, and character, but you’ve also been the very source of joy, inspiration, and love that always makes me feel better about life, no matter how imperfect it is, you’re the best.  It is for that very joy, inspiration, and love that I am extremely thankful.

People Help

People Help

Left to Right: Stephanie, Andy, Me

People help.  People not only make the place, they make any place or situation or day or month or year…better.

This week I’ve been feeling tense, nervous, uncertain, scared, and a bit uninspired…for probably silly reasons, but we’re all human.  We have our days.  We’re allowed. 

Perhaps it’s because I usually start my mornings with at least thirty to forty five minutes of jogging, running, sprinting, or something active.  A couple of weeks ago I injured my knee (most likely from overdoing it on my morning routine) so lately I haven’t been able to run.

Not only am I a bit off because of it, I’m nervous because I’m uncertain as to how serious (if at all) the injury is…and I’m uneasy about navigating the whole insurance company/copay/doctor visit/referral to a specialist journey. 

This morning my friend and colleague, Stephanie, put my mind at ease.  She has the fortunate and unfortunate desk location directly in front of the door in/out of our office.  We must pass by her every time we come and go.  I usually say hello and/or speak to her and/or get on her nerves (but we make each other laugh either way, so it’s cool) as I pass by her desk multiple times a day.
    

Today I told her about my knee injury and that I’m a bit annoyed by it, mainly because I can’t run and workout to the extent that I would like.  And I told her that I needed to figure out our insurance, how it works, where to go to the doctor, etc.

She stopped what she was doing and proceeded to give me a quick, 90 second tutorial on how our insurance works, and she suggested a place for me to go that would be convenient, quick, and efficient.  She said with a smile, laughing, tongue-in-cheek, to “please get it fixed for ALL of our sanity, get it fixed so you can run again.  We know how you get.”  All I could do was laugh...

Not only did she put my mind at ease, giving me one fewer worry as to where/how I would seek medical attention, she did so in such a way that made me smile…laugh…and I walked away thinking to myself, “wow, she really helped…” She may not have known it, but she truly helped my day get better than it was five minutes prior to our conversation.  Steph…thanks for just doing what you do.  It helps!

People help.

Today we also had the pleasure of spending two hours with author, speaker, and truly inspirational Chief Curator and Provocateur, AndyStefanovich, from Prohet (Prophet is a strategic brand and marketing consultancy).  

Andy taught a bit.  He coached a bit more.  He told stories with passion, creativity, and emotion.  In doing so, he dropped inspirational pearl after inspirational pearl of wisdom…I mean he had some absolute dimes.  From ‘focusing on the ‘beauty’, to ‘asking people about their story’ to my absolute favorite, ‘purposeful disruption’…I mean the content was extraordinary.  So awesome.

However, the most helpful, most profound, and most important thing he did was inspire our team to focus on people…starting with each other. 

He facilitated discussion and conversations among a group of individuals in such a way that by the time our two-hour session was over, we all felt a little more connected than we were an hour prior.  We felt inspired to go connect even more with one another.  (Maybe I’m the only one…but probably not.)  I found myself transforming from uninspired to INSPIRED.  It was all because I took the focus off of “me, me, me” and redirected it toward other people on our team.

Actively pursuing opportunities to learn about their story was fun, entertaining, and enlightening.  Focusing on them, how they have truly been an inspiration to me…and proclaiming my appreciation for them publicly…turned an otherwise routine Thursday into a game-changing, attitude 180-ing day. 

And finally, spending good old fashioned quality time with the people on our team, purposely disrupting our everyday routines, helped my outlook, my mental state, and my ability to inspire and be inspired.  It was all because of the people in the room, and most importantly how we made each other feel. 

People help.

If people help so much…if people not only make the place, but also make places better…and if people help any situation…there’s only one thing you and I should do, and that’s HELP PEOPLE every chance we get! 

Go OneMoreStep…today…HELP SOMEBODY.  They need it.

Have a great day.

Taylor

Ownership Leads to Membership

Ownership Leads to Membership

We all want to belong to something.  From the time we were young, it’s always been cool to belong…I’d classify belonging as a timeless feeling.  

It never gets old, nor do we ever hear many people saying they’re just so “bored or tired of belonging” to anything at all.

Individuals enjoy the sense of belonging to a team.  Guests, Customers, & Clients enjoy belonging to their favorite restaurants, bars, hotels, and/or vacation destinations. 

Family members experience the true joy and love of family when they feel like they truly belong. Members of a community feel safe, content, and happy when they experience belonging...they experience true membership.

Until anyone anywhere can experience the feeling of Membership…someone somewhere, must first take ownership.  Unless the people that work in the restaurants, bars, or hotels take ownership…unless the individual members of a family or a team or an organization take it upon themselves to own the responsibility and opportunity to make people feel welcome, comfortable, and important or to feel a sense of belonging, true feelings of Membership will be few and far between.

You and I can be catalysts and sources of inspiration for fellow members of our teams or for our family members – be it a family at home, a church family, or a work family which includes our Guests, customers, and clients.  Our challenge is for the buck to stop with us…we’ll own it.  Others will pass on the opportunity to make a positive impact.  Others will have more important things on their plate.  However, you and I will take full ownership of making magic for everyone around us…at home and at work.

Perhaps not right away, but eventually our ownership will be contagious among our peers, our teams, and our organizations.  The feeling of belonging we create in others will be one worth returning to for everyone.  And the more they come back to our homes or our places of business, the more positive feelings we’ll create.  Because we’ll continue to own it…we’ll continue to own the opportunity to make it about them, making people happy in the process.

Pretty soon…people – Guests, Customers, Clients, CoWorkers, Friends, and Family – will feel a part of something, like they fit in…like they truly belong.  That’s the membership experience that makes for a more meaningful experience, no matter where we are in our lives, personally or professionally. 

The feeling of 'Membership' can be the difference between happy and sad, productive and nonproductive, profitability and lost revenue, and it can also be the difference between “meaningful work” and “just a job”. 

Do the people on your team, in your peer group, in your community, or in your family feel like they belong?  We should OWN it.  You and I can be the difference…when we take ownership of the opportunity to create that feeling for them.

Ownership Leads to Membership…and membership leads to happiness, contentment, and fulfillment, for everyone.

Have a great day.

Taylor

One for the road...

Americans have the opportunity on November 6th to exercise our most important right...our right to vote.  Own it...take ownership.  Go vote.  After tomorrow we'll see all the red states and blue states fall back into the UNITED States of America.  At least I hope so...I hope we all own it.

3 Good Ones...

Three OneMoreSteps that are so difficult to carry out, but when practiced consistently reveal themselves as not only great concepts...but The Answer.

Be...

Quick to listen...

Slow to speak...

Slow to become angry...

The OneMoreStepRevolution Team didn't come up with these...someone else did...and we're following His lead.  The above are concepts...and He's the Answer.

#James_1:19