Caution...go slowly!



Beautiful flower against that old wooden fence!

 Hi everyone!
Well, today seems like a good day to talk about "caution" - the first day of summer and the living is easy, right? :-)

Actually, here in Florida, the living is more dangerous this time of year - partly because the sun is becoming stronger and stronger and partly because it's hurricane season. In either case, Floridians are constantly reminded to take precautions to stay safe physically.

Sometimes we need to take precautions to stay emotionally safe too, don't we? Maybe we are being treated unfairly at work and we begin to believe our worth is lessened by that. CAUTION! Your work does not equal your self-worth (although I'm a firm believer in always giving 111%).

Maybe we've gotten entangled in a relationship that we know isn't good for us - whether it's romantic, a friendship, online, at work, or whatever. CAUTION! Relationships are wonderful parts of our lives, but some can be toxic and we need to protect ourselves from those.

Sometimes we get carried away and spend money foolishly in the heat of the moment. Oh, but that antique is so beautiful! Oh, but it's only one big splurge on that cool pair of shoes. Oh, but I really need to start investing and this seems like a stock that will skyrocket. CAUTION! A stock that "seems" like a steal may well steal your peace when it plummets after some talking head in Washington tells us that grass isn't really supposed to be green! :-)  That antique will gather dust just like the piece of furniture it's replacing. Those shoes will sit in your closet most of the time. And you'll be left with a smaller bank account and a whole new set of worries over that money that just went down the drain. Not to say that treating yourself to something you love or investing in stock is bad...but caution is definitely GOOD in this area!

And of course, we need to be careful about other everyday decisions we make. You all know I've been pining away for a doggie - we've tried 3 times to adopt and none of them have been successful. Tomorrow we'll be taking a trip to Tampa to see some rescued Australian shepherds and see if one of them belongs in our family. I need to remind myself to proceed with...CAUTION! Cute does not necessarily mean compatible with the rest of our four-legged family. As much as I want another dog, I don't want to bring extra stress into our lives!

So what do YOU need to be more cautious about?  We shouldn't move through life afraid of our own shadows - but there's no need to permanently throw caution to the wind, either! Let me know where you need to proceed with caution - or where you just need to have your eyes wide open ;-)

Blessings,
Linda
www.LindasWorkshops.com
Linda@LindasWorkshops.com

Serve!

Greetings everyone! Today's word is brought to you courtesy of one of my new workshops ;-)... "Servant Leadership."

Today's picture is brought to you by a good friend who kindly helped me celebrate my graduation by hosting a dinner for me. Yes, that is a "cupcake tower" and yes, those cupcakes were as good as they look (and really cute, too, in UF's orange and blue colors!). Sandy is the epitome of a great hostess - she has such a willingness to serve others and seems to thoroughly enjoy creating an "experience" for everyone - and as you can see, she is quite successful!

As I thought about today's word, I thought about how many different ways there are to serve - and how all of us can find our "serving" niche if we look around us. Perhaps you heard about the server at a Steak 'n' Shake this week who received a $446 tip. One of her regular customers witnessed other customers giving her a hard time, so the regular customer decided to make her day by leaving a huge (make that enormous!) tip. So...who was doing the real "serving" here? I think the customer actually served in a more memorable and meaningful way - not because of the amount she left, but because of the thought behind it. The server made the statement to an interviewer that "I didn't think I was worth $400, but apparently she does."  WOW.

Just think how each of US can serve others through our words and deeds - and it doesn't have to cost a cent. Yet we can make them feel so much better about their own worth. The next time you eat out - or go to a retail store - or a bank - or just about anywhere where someone is serving YOU, take notice of their name badge, look them in the eye, use their name, and comment on the good service (or pleasant smile or...). You will see a visible difference in the way they respond to you after that brief interaction.

Please don't take this to mean we are to be manipulative to get people to respond differently. That's not my intent at all. My intent is to help YOU see how you can serve in lots of different ways.

So...how can you serve this week?

• Look at a "server" as a human being?
• Pick up someone's mail while they're out of town?
• Take someone the extra serving of lasagna you prepared?
• Stop and wait while someone crosses in front of you?
• Let someone go ahead of you in the grocery line?
• Pick up something that has fallen onto the floor at the department store?
• Drop someone an email to let them know you are thinking of them?
• Pick up that old-fashioned phone and actually CALL them?  ;-)
• Do a family member's chore for them today?
• Offer to help a co-worker finish up a project?
• Blow the leaves off of your neighbor's front porch?
• Bring the newspaper from their driveway to their front door?

I know you'll find lots of ways to serve others this week - and I know you'll find that it brings a bit of sunshine into your day, too! Drop me a note and let me know what you come up with!

Blessings,
Linda
www.LindasWorkshops.com
Linda@LindasWorkshops.com