Making a difference.
How many times have you heard those three words together? How many times have you thought about what that means to you, to your neighborhood, to the stranger passing by; or to your children & spouse, the world we live in? What does it MEAN to be making a difference? Dictionary.com defines this phrase as “To make a difference between the unclean and the clean.” I honestly can’t say I have ever spent a lot of time thinking about what this expression means; seems more like I just strive to make a difference.
As we head into 2015, most people are hyper focused on the ever popular New Year’s Resolutions. While I don’t officially have any resolutions I set for myself, I do have some mental goals. Sure there are the usual suspects such as lose weight, be happy, stick to a budget, ya da ya da…you get my drift. This year is a little different though as the thought of making a difference is weighing on my heart. “Making a difference” is what we do here at the Kima Real Estate Group; it’s who we are at the core. This year, I challenge myself and all of you out there to become more purposeful in your efforts to make a difference.
Making a difference in the life of someone else can be a simple act of kindness to the grandest of gestures. It may be purposeful and greatly acknowledged or completely by chance & unrecognized. I’ve compiled a list of ideas and encourage you to contribute your ideas as well. At the risk of sounding like a cliché, team work DOES make the DREAM work. We are a team, in this community, in this world. How are YOU going to make a difference in someone’s life this year?
1. Abandon the thought that “if you’re not doing something big, you’re not doing anything.”
2. Strike up a conversation with an elderly person. LISTEN to what he has to say.
3. Start paying attention to the needs of others.
4. Ask others how you can be of service to them.
5. Be generous and purposeful with your time.
6. Offer your expertise and available resources.
7. Share your experiences.
8. Smile at a stranger.
9. Hold a door open for someone.
10. Tell a friend you appreciate them.
11. Drop off a meal to an elderly friend who can’t get out much.
12. Mentor someone, an adult or child.
13. Say “Thank you” often.
14. Do pro bono work.
15. Call your family just to say “hey”.
16. Ask someone how their day was and then…LISTEN.
17. See the positives in a tough situation.
18. Donate your air line miles.
19. Sell some things online and give the proceeds to a charity.
20. Pick up that random piece of trash and throw it away. Just because.
21. Share compliments that are genuine and sincere.
22. Let someone go ahead of you in the grocery line.
23. Send someone a handwritten note.
24. Tell someone a funny story on the elevator.
25. Use the name on the clerk’s nametag.
26. Tell someone how they have inspired you.
27. Offer the mail carrier a cup of hot cocoa on a cold day.
28. Forgive a wrong.
29. Hand out a warm blanket to the woman begging for change at the stop light.
30. Always pay it forward.
I think that you all understand my main message here; of course, you can always do the grand gestures and make a difference. Just remember that the smallest gestures have a major impact as well. Let’s do all we can to make this place a better place for those around us and coming along behind us. Let go of the past; it takes your time away from the present. How are you going to make a difference, starting today?
