Forgiven

Tammy showed me an excerpt from a book she is reading. It was about the word FORGIVE, and it highlighted this point:

For Give

And it struck me that this is a promise to the Law of Human Reciprocity. That to do things for others and to give them a gift is the act of forgiving.

We all need forgiveness in our lives and it takes others to do that for us. Maybe the greatest gift we can give someone, and one that will be returned, is to forgive.

The power to FOR GIVE is controlled by me. I can choose at any moment to give that to someone, or not. What if I don't forgive, will it change their life? What if a forgive, will it change their life?

My new experiment this week will be to forgive more than not and see what happens. Can you do the same and tell me how it goes?

Another revolution around the sun

I turn 52 next week and I am excited that I have made it this far! It is a time to thank my family, friends and colleague's for a top notch journey, and to say, keep your seat belt fastened!

Several books are on my desk, all in the process of being read at one stage or another. A common theme is running throughout......courage to dream, courage to do new things, courage to live a larger life.

I'm curious, what are you being courageous about this week?

3 Compliments a Day

I learned early in my career a neat technique to get more out of people. Each day I place 3 coins in my right pocket. During the day I find someone who deserves a compliment, and when I give them one, I move a coin to my left pocket. My promise to myself is not to end the day until all the coins are in my left pocket.

The result: 15 compliments a work week, 64 on average per month, 768 per year.

You will great a positive epidemic if you do this, because people love compliments and they will in turn compliment someone and so on.

I had some coins made and have a limited supply to remind you of this technique. Contact me and tell me where to send them and I will give you a set of my coins.

It's What you and say and How you say it!

I read in Cultural Vistas, the magazine of the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities an interesting article on encouraging language and poverty.



Did you know that by age 3, children of professionals hear 500,000 encouragements and 200,000 discouragements?



Did you know that by age 3 children in poverty hear 25,000 encouragements and 200,000 discouragements?



That is amazing to me, and yet not surprising. I am a believer in giving others more encouragement than discouragement, and it has economic impact in our society.



What encouraging things have you said to others today? How has someone's encouragement of you changed the way you behave or look at things. I am interested to know.

Postponing your career for others, a great story

I heard a CNN story yesterday about Ron Russell who got laid off with 500 other Hav-a-Tampa workers in the cigar factory in Tampa, FL. This 100 year old firm had recently moved its operations to Puerto Rico.

Instead of looking for work himself, Ron chose to help his co-workers find jobs. He created a web site, posted their qualifications and to date has helped 30 of them get work. He says his own job search will come after he helps his friends find work.

Ron is the epitome of Give First.

What Ron's do you know in life.....let's share them here

What is Joy? And where does it come from?

I have been thinking this week about Joy. How do you define joy and where does it come from?


This weekend a friend of mine came over with a new book called Positive Psychology. A collection of research on the human spirit. Think of that, scientists and psychological researchers doing research on the positive aspects of our existence!


The compilers of this book say "I am more optimistic than ever that one day a group of scientists will advance our understanding of a spiritual principal that has been at the core of my own life's purpose: agape love." "Love hoarded dwindles, but love given grows." You see....this where the author finds joy!


Where does joy come from for you and how do you define it?

Just for Today

One of my favorite things to do is to share with people how little change one must make in their lives to have a big impact. I call it the One degree of change. Everyone has these great stories of how a small change made a big difference. I would like for you to share yours here.

Think of this.....at 211 degrees water is simply very hot, in fact scalding hot. But at 212 degrees it boils and with that brings steam. Steam powers things, makes things happen, changes things. One degree of difference can change the world!

Recently a friend of mine told me how he started saying the Reiki Prayer in the morning before he left for work. Reiki is a simple spiritual practice developed in 1922 by Mikao Usui. The prayer defines one degree, by doing something just for today.....

Just for today I will not worry

Just for today I will not be angry

Just for today I will give thanks for my many blessings

Just for today I will do my work honestly

Just for today I will be kind to every living thing

My friend said that by doing this one small thing it has made a big difference in his day. He finds himself happier, more content, more aware of what is around him, and more productive. He comes home energized, not drained, and he says those around him have noticed.

Do you have a story like this?

What small change have you made that rippled into something bigger?

Happy Independence Day. This is the perfect day to tell those you love and adore how grateful we all are to live in a nation like ours. Everytime I travel abroad I look forward to returning home to the freedoms we enjoy. I feel as if being born in the USA was winning the lottery. Everything else in life can be relatively easy. I don't have to hunt for food, shelter, water or get exiled because of a civil war between tribal leaders. I can speak my mind and not be jailed. I can read newspapers that print ideas I don't agree with or our contradictory to my thinking. I can sing at the top of my lungs in the street.

Let freedom ring!

The Law of Human Reciprocity

I have created this blog for people to share how the law of human reciprocity impacts their lives. This is about how to be a GO GIVER, rather than a GO GETTER. I believe that in order to get more of what I want in life, I have to give others what they want in life.

Share with me your stories of giving first, getting second. I will do the same