Interactions

Hard to believe how fast this year has come and gone. I hope that deep down you were able to make the most out of 2014. Did you accomplish the goals you had in place for the year? Where you able to invest the time in yourself to make YOU a better person? Did you overcome obstacles because you were resilient in your drive to succeed? My hope and prayer is that you can answer yes to these questions and many more like them.

Now if you are still plugging away at goals and still trying to dig deep and Make It Count then keep on truckin and don't give up. Life is more than just a day, week, month or yearly goal set in place on January 1st. Life is a constant, changing, evolving creature that requires you to always be present and to always adapt to change. Individual and family goals should require not only present time consciousness but a target of 10-20-30 and beyond years. What you build now will make who you are down the line. I can also say that with 21 days left in the month that its not to late to create new goals for 2014 if that is something you are interested in.

One goal I have for you is to make every interaction you have with someone a memorable one. Each and everyday make sure that each time you come into contact with an individual that you take whatever time needed to invest in them. The reason I bring this up and why I think it is so important is you never know what stage of life that person is in. Yeah the holidays are great at rising peoples spirits with hope and love but at the same time it can be a very stressful sad period for someone who has lost everything they own or maybe lost a loved one this year. Unfortunately these individuals don't wear a description on their sleeve saying I am having a hard time so its imperative that every time you interact with someone you make sure that they go away feeling like they are the most important person in the world.

Perfect example of this is yesterday while my little lady and I were Christmas shopping we came across an older lady who seemed confused and mumbling words under her breath. I decided it was my duty to make sure she was ok so I asked if there was anything I could do to help. She stated that her husband of 60 years passed away this fall and ever since she feels lost and almost like each day has no meaning. I proceeded to talk with her for a few minutes all the while trying to make her feel like she mattered still. Well a few minutes turned into what felt like hours and soon enough she walked away head held high with a huge smile on her face stating how happy she was to have crossed paths with me and how excited she was to be spending time with her childrens families who she feels she shut out since her husband died.

The biggest ingredient into interactions is to first listen. The people that are having a hard time and need a little extra will give it away immediately. Listening is not as easy as it sounds also. Think about your last interaction. Did you truly open yourself up and listen to every word or did you start to formulate a response in your head while they were still speaking? Most people follow this trend of only listening half way while at the same time thinking of what they are going to say next.

The second ingredient for a successful interaction I believe was ingrained in me growing up in the midwest and also living in Texas for awhile. That ingredient is to SLOW DOWN and not rush the process. Living on the east coast now I understand most people are busy and as a result are in an extreme hurry to get everywhere in record speed (or if you are sitting on the highway your not getting anywhere with our traffic). Well take this as a warning to slow down a few gears and enjoy life. You will get more out of life, you will enjoy the opportunities that come your way more and you will have the opportunity to affect more people's life in a positive manner than if you sped by them with blinders.

The photo at the top is of course me and one of my beautiful ladies. While I know exactly what she and my other daughters are going through in life at this point I still try and wake up each day and make each interaction with them incredible. I made a promise to myself a long time ago that when I had kids I would go out of my way to be an amazing father and always be there for them. I believe positive interactions with them now will help mold them into remarkable adults later in life.

As always I don't have all the answers I am just trying to take what I have learned in life and sharing it with you. Remember to Make It Count!!!

Thanks to everyone who has donated to my Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation event. No donation is to small and every penny I am grateful for as it goes to an amazing cause.