People are either list makers or they’re not. Making a list brings peace of mind to some because when life is scattered, a list is comforting. If it’s on the list, it’s hard to forget. I always thought everyone made lists. However, I learned that some lists stress people out. To see the number of items on a list can overwhelm those who want to focus on the present moment.
Have you ever written a letter in hopes that the recipient would change some sort of behavior? Or have you written a letter in order to influence something greater than what is in your control? How about a letter to express your feelings? Maybe you’ve written a letter to clarify something that might have been misunderstood. It’s possible that you wrote a letter just to check in with someone, telling them what you’re up to and asking questions about what they’re up to.
Humans have an intrinsic desire to help others. No matter how small or large the contribution - in the form of time, energy, talent and/or financially - when we help others, it makes us feel good. Simply put: we volunteer because we hope that our help will help. Inevitably, we walk away feeling like we’re the ones who benefitted from the experience.
I am an ambassador for the company NationalDayCalendar.com and what I love about the company is that they keep us updated with every national day. The main reason why the information is important to me is because national days are opportunities to show thoughtfulness. Since National Candy Day is on November 4th, I checked out their website to see if I could relate to the theme of “candy” day. Jackpot! Nationaldaycalendar.com is loaded with great information about candy.
Last week, when we were on a trip, there was an opportunity for my daughter to choose a family member she would share a hotel room with. She chose her brother. After the initial shock, I was quite pleased that my children were getting along so well. Until I heard my daughter say, “If I stay with mom, it will be one lecture after another.” Ouch!
Dear Dad,
A little over eighteen years ago I remember feeling nervous. I asked if I could call you “Dad” when I married your son. I was under the impression that you were a tough guy so I wasn’t sure what you would say. Since I had lost my own dad three years earlier, I was hoping that you would say yes. You said, “It would be an honor if you called me Dad.” I wish you knew how much that meant to me.
If you want to give someone a thoughtful gift that means more than anything money can buy, give them your recommendation. Whether you recommend a restaurant, clothing store, book, dog groomer etc. the research you have put into the recommendation matters and so does your opinion. Also, considering the time that you spent to try a restaurant or shop at a store is precious so when you share your findings, it’s like you are giving away gold.
Oh yeah, it’s time to get funky! Today, October 5th, is National Get Funky Day. So come follow me; we are going to “get funky” by learning a few things about this national day.
My son was extremely mad at me tonight because I took him to hockey practice. Apparently the talks in the car on the way to school this morning or after football didn’t sink in. Fortunately for me, when I picked up my son and his teammate after hockey, all was good again.
There will be a thoughtful point to this post but it may take a story or two to get us to it.
I got married later in life, I was thirty-three. I once had a career in advertising and I made three times the amount my boyfriend (before he was my hub) was making during that time. But a year or two before we got married, because of total burn out, I became a pre-school teacher. It actually cost me money to be a teacher because my income was practically nothing after my expenses. {SIDE NOTE: the Thoughtful Pinch blog exists because teachers are special people}.
When I first got married I was taught early on that I would need help around the house because of the hours my hub would be putting into his career. Since I had never had to hire anyone before that, I began practicing my hospitality skills on anyone who would come into my home and help me. Whether it was a plumber, a gardener, a designer, a housekeeper, a painter, handyman, a/c repair person, etc. I practiced looking them in the eyes and remembering their names.
