Posted by Grant on May 29, 2009 – 5:21 am
I had a situation come up the other day that was really eating at me. It was one of those deals in which someone had wronged me, and I felt the need to make sure they knew they had wronged me.
I wanted to send a nasty email or just pick up the phone and rip into them. Of course I would be diplomatic about it, but they needed to know they screwed up.
But like you should always do, I took some time to cool down before firing off an email or making a phone call I’d later regret.
I called a friend who was familiar with the situation and had a similar problem with the same people, and he gave me some great advice. The nutshell of what he said was this…
Are you doing it for justice or for ego?
Wow.
Truth be told, I wanted it to be about justice, but realistically, it was more about my ego. It was more about proving them wrong, so that I could be proved right.
And in the end…it wasn’t worth it.
I didn’t send an email. I didn’t make a phone call. I just let it die.
Don’t get me wrong…I’m all for justice and not letting people walk all over you, but at some point, you have to draw the line in the sand.
Your reputation and integrity are more important than sending that email you’ll later regret.
Posted by Grant on May 28, 2009 – 12:00 pm
We’ve all heard the phrase “it’s the thought that counts.” Sometimes it’s a cliche phrase used by the boyfriend who made a last minute effort to get his girlfriend a birthday present and ended up buying her a partially wilted rose at the gas station.
And then half-heartedly mutters, “hey, it’s the thought that counts.” I’m sure that relationship is going places.
But more accurately, the statement is true when it comes to small gestures that make big impacts.
Yesterday when I arrived at my hotel, I checked in and found a card and two chocolate chip cookies. This isn’t entirely unusual as I’ve received snacks and generic letters from hotel management before. But here’s what caught my attention.
The card was hand written. From the General Manager of the hotel.
That just doesn’t happen. My guess is I wasn’t the only guest checking in to receive a card.
Something so small and seemingly insignificant made a big impact in my mind.
So when was the last time you took 5 minutes to do something for someone else that required little effort on your part but left a huge impression on the other person?
Posted by Grant on May 27, 2009 – 6:55 am
Filed under Family, Travels
Tonight I will be doing the opening keynote at the Kansas State FFA Convention to nearly 1,800 students! I love kicking off events and am excited to be a part of this one.
Then this weekend I’m speaking at an event in St. Louis for the public library system. It’s to kick off a summer teen reading program, which is cool. What I’m really stoked about though is my family is going to tag along for that trip, so we’ll go up early Friday and hang out at the Zoo!
I’ve been fortunate enough to be home for a few weeks with a few local speaking engagements here and there, but now I’m looking forward to getting back to some good events hanging with students.
Posted by Grant on May 26, 2009 – 5:50 am
How many times have we all said that before?
We say it when it comes to exercise, taking care of our finances, reading more, working less, spending time with our families, or taking time off.
I know I should do those things but…
What excuses are you coming up with for why you’re not doing what you know you should?
For a lot of us, it comes down to one of two things: time or money.
We never seem to have enough of either, but both will be spent on what matters most to us. Show me your bank statement or your day planner, and I can tell you what’s important to you.
The question though is are you spending some of your time or money on things that really don’t matter? I guarantee that you are.
Don’t worry, I know I am too. We all are.
So what are you going to cut out of your life in order eliminate the excuses for those things that…you know you should do but…
Posted by Grant on May 20, 2009 – 6:14 am
I spoke last weekend at North Point and talked about the importance of “Pausing” in life.
For most people, you have a 3-day holiday weekend coming up, and it’s a great opportunity to pause in life. Memorial Day weekend is kind of the natural transition time into the summer, which I’m sure we’re all excited about.
We talked about the idea of scheduling times of “nothing” into your life. Schedule your personal time like you would any other appointment on your calendar. And then guard it religiously.
Take time to do something fun this weekend. Go for a walk. Fly a kite. Come admire the fence I built.
We all live busy, hectic lives, so we need time to recharge the batteries. This is the perfect weekend to do that.
Get your work done by Friday. It’ll still be there on Tuesday when you come back. Pause and enjoy the weekend.
Posted by Grant on May 19, 2009 – 6:09 am
Yesterday was a long and tiring day building a fence in our backyard.
Thankfully there is already a fence on each side of us, so we just had to work on the back and connecting the sides back to the house. We got about 80% of it done yesterday after screwing in tons of pickets and boards.
As I woke up this morning and felt the soreness of my body, I was reminded how thankful I am not to have to do manual labor for a living. That’s exhausting work.
But there were some lessons I was reminded of throughout the process…
- Anything Worth Doing Is Worth Doing Right - We’ve all seen fences and home improvement projects that look like they were completed by a class of first-graders. If you’re going to do something in life, and it’s worth your effort and energy, do it right. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but give it your best and make it quality.
- Measure Twice, Cut Once – This is an old construction adage, but it applies to many things in life. Count the cost of anything before venturing out. Because once you start, it’s a lot tougher to turn around or change course.
- A Sense Of Accomplishment Is A Great Feeling – When we finished the 80 feet across the back, I gotta say I was pretty proud of it. What was the last thing you created, produced, or made that brought that sense of accomplishment to your life?
- Surround Yourself With People Smarter Than You – If you know me, you know I’m not a handy-man in any way. Thankfully my dad and brother-in-law are. If you can’t do something quality yourself, find people who can and ask for help.
If you want to come see the fence, we’ll be giving tours throughout the week. It should be one of the great wonders of world.
Posted by Grant on May 15, 2009 – 6:56 am
Each day we make a lot of inconsequential decisions. (Did he just use the word ‘inconsequential’? That’s a big money word.)
Decisions about what to eat, what to wear, which route to take to school or work, etc, etc, etc.
For the most part, our days are filled with decisions that really don’t matter. But we also have those days when we make single decisions that may have a huge impact on the rest of our lives.
The day you decide what college you’re going to. The day you accept or reject that job offer. The day he/she dumped you (sorry to bring that back up).
The bottom line is most of those decisions aren’t made until we have to. But I want to live my life in such a way that instead allowing life to happen to me, I happen to life.
I want to be proactive with my actions, my words, and my attitudes.
So just something to think about…what decision could you make today that would impact the rest of your life?
Better yet…what decision could you make today that would impact the rest of someone else’s life?
Posted by Grant on May 13, 2009 – 6:04 am
I’ve noticed lately (and you may have noticed as well) that I haven’t been writing as many blog posts each week. Part of it is the difference between having to say something and having something to say. Subtle difference, but very distinct.
I don’t want to come up with new posts each day just for the sake of having new posts. While I have been busy lately with various projects with the business and at my house, I’ve also noticed another correlation to a lack of posts.
I noticed I haven’t been reading as much lately. I have about 100+ blogs that I would follow on a daily basis on top of always having a book to read, but for whatever reason, lately I haven’t done much reading of either. To me, it’s a reminder of the importance of regularly feeding your mind and taking the time to think and process the world around you.
You almost always will find that the individuals who are coming up with the best insights, are the most creative, and are just tuned into the world around them, also are some of the most well-read individuals. They are able to make observations and connections from the world around them, because they are paying attention.
What is feeding you right now?
Posted by Grant on May 8, 2009 – 8:29 am
Filed under Family, Personal
Just FYI…Mother’s Day is Sunday, and since most of us came from mother’s, we should probably find the one that claims us and show a little appreciation. She did push you out into the world you know? And your head was the size of a cantaloupe, so that couldn’t have been pleasant.
So in case you haven’t picked up a cheesy card, a new bathrobe, or made a Macaroni necklace to show mom what she means to you, let me offer some ideas…
1. Write a song. Bonus points if you include the phrase “Remember the time when…” followed by a story about one time you got in a ridiculous amount of trouble and she threatened your life. Hopefully the awesomeness of the song will take away the sting of your stupidity.
2. Paint a picture. With finger paint. On the wall.
3. Hug her. It must be at a completely random time when she’s not expecting it. Try to create some tears for this moment and between the sniffles whisper, “I love you mommy. Can I have $20?”
4. Make a card. Hallmark is overrated. A handmade card with glitter and sequins that smells like cologne from her 17 year-old son is something she’ll treasure.
5. Cook her a meal. It’s got to be more than a bowl of Fruity Pebbles with a glass of chocolate milk.
6. Rub her feet. Point out mystery green fungus. Capture her reaction on video. Post to YouTube.
7. Act out a play. Get some friends together and recreate your birth into the world. Especially moving if you can be covered in greasy Crisco when you emerge.
8. Tell her you love her. She’ll wonder one of a few things: 1) what did you break? 2) did you sell one of your siblings? 3) how much money do you need? or 4) did you drink too much Red Bull?
What other creative ideas do you have to show mom your loving affection?
Posted by Grant on May 4, 2009 – 3:45 pm
Here’s my update of progress for the various CHANGES in my life I’m trying to create. You can read more about the original concept in the post, “Introducing Small Changes To Your Life,” and also updates from February, March, and April.
CHANGES for April:
- Get My Passport – Got it! Well, I technically haven’t got the passport back yet, but I’ve submitted all the paperwork and done everything I need to do. Now, apparently it is a 16 year wait to get it back. The efficiency of our government never ceases to amaze me. (Grade: A)
- Learn To Solve A Rubik’s Cube – I’ve made some progress here. I bought a cube and have spent a few hours in hotel rooms memorizing how to solve it. As of today, I can solve one full side and 2/3 of four of the other sides. It’s just finishing those four sides and the top side that is taking some time. I have solved it following the instructions (which is much more difficult than it sounds!). I’m getting close though. (Grade: B)
CHANGES for May:
- Complete A Puzzle – Originally I was thinking a 1,000 piece puzzle, but that might take too long. I actually did a 300 piece puzzle with my daughter a few weeks ago, and it was a lot of fun. I found a 700 piece puzzle sitting in a closet, so that will be the task for this month.
- Cook A Fancy 3 Course Meal For My Wife – I think deep down we all wish we could cook, so this is my attempt at learning more about it. And fortunately or unfortunately (depending on how you look at it), my wife gets to be my guinea pig.
- Build A Fence – I am by no means a handy man, but we need a fence and the prices for most fence companies are too outrageous for me. I’ve got some people willing to help, so I’m going to take them up on it and build a fence.
