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Scatter Day
A few weeks ago, I read in a local magazine about an upcoming Scatter Day taking place at River View Cemetery Funeral Home. There were two reasons this opportunity caught my eye. One personal and one professional.
Creative Joy
I “played hooky” yesterday to fill my heart with some creative joy. In third grade, my teacher Mr. Jones brought art and joy to all our lessons. I remember learning about colors and painting alongside math and mythology. That was my favorite year of elementary school. Let’s be honest, playing hooky has a connotation like I’ve done something “wrong” or “without permission”. I could have said I took PTO for some self-care. But in honesty, I did feel a little indulgent, a little like I was “cutting class.” But you know what? It felt incredible.
Never Stop Learning
Never stop learning! That was the theme of my weekend back in person live with some of my NSA Oregon colleagues. Our leader for the day, Jim Cathcart had so much to share with all of us. One golden nugget he shared that absolutely resonated was to ask yourself the question; “What do you want?” This question determines EVERYTHING. Articulate it.
Compliments from Strangers
Compliments from strangers are almost always unexpected, but they also tend to stick in our memories for longer. There is something about someone you don’t know going out of their way to validate, acknowledge, or admire. Giving a compliment to a stranger can sometimes feel uncomfortable. You don’t always know how your message with be received. But if we are genuinely extending kindness to another person, we can feel confident that our gesture will be well received.
Opening Day
It’s opening day for baseball and in my house that is a day to celebrate. I married into a baseball-loving family. I have learned the rules over the years and thankfully my husband answers all of my questions about the game. I started thinking about one of my FAVORITE kindness stories of baseball during COVID. It happened in August of 2020.
The Oscars
The Oscars are this weekend and I am a movie lover. So, let’s play a game! Two Truths and a Lie: 1) My husband and I have watched over 3,000 movies during our married life together. 2) I was a seat filler at the 62nd Academy Awards on March 26, 1990, while I was attending college in LA. 3) One of my all-time favorite movies is “Singing in the Rain”. One of the things about being a movie lover is that there are so many opportunities for pleasure.
The Gift of Communication
The gift of communication often gets taken for granted, but I was suddenly feeling nostalgic when I spotted this old telephone in an antique shop recently. It flooded me with a million memories.
Home is Home
Home is home, and I’m finally back! After working remotely for the past several weeks with my hubby in Southern California, I am back in my own home office and you know what? I feel a little like George Bailey in “It’s a Wonderful Life”. I’m so grateful for my home and have a new perspective for my office and all the ease I have running my business and my personal life here.
Sharing the Truth
I’m sharing the truth. I am a napper! There I said it out loud in a professional work setting. I used to feel embarrassed that I could use a nap some days of the week. It made me feel like I wasn’t being as productive as I was expected to be or that it wasn’t fair that I was taking this time for myself.
Read more about
the ROI of Kindness
Read Linda’s latest publication, The Economy of Kindness: How Kindness Can Transform Your Bottom Line, for a complete guide to implementing kindness in corporate culture and the long-term profitability of the investment.
Once you create a culture of kindness, retention and recruitment benefit, employee engagement and job satisfaction increase, and overall team productivity improve.
The long-term benefits of investing in kindness continue to pay off for years because it becomes part of your organization. To know more about Linda’s strategies for integrating kindness into workplace culture, reach out!