January 1-7

Jan 7 - Offer thoughtful conversation - Everyone who knows me knows that I am not one to talk on the phone.  I am sure it was all those years of being in corporate sales and having the phone to my ear 8 hours a day.  I hate to admit it but most of the time my friends call me and I am really bad about reciprocating - but I hope they know I'll be there when it counts.  Today one of my dearest friends left me a message and I could tell she needed to talk.  So I waited until a time later in the evening when I knew I could relax and wouldn't be interrupted and I called her back.  I thoughtfully listened and contemplated the advice I was going to give her.  By the time we were finished we'd been on the phone close to two hours and it was just about midnight.  The next day she called me in the afternoon to tell me that she had taken my advice and things were moving in the right direction.  What a nice feeling it was to know that I had taken the time to really listen to my friend and was able to offer some tidbits of advice that were helpful to her.  In a world where it seems everything is moving at the speed of light it's easy to miss those opportunities to give to others in the form of time and conversation - but sometimes that exactly what we need to do for each other.

Jan 6 - Make a birthday phone call - I called my dad for his birthday today, and Darryel called his mom as it's her birthday today too.  I think it's worth mentioning that above all the different forms of communication ... text, Facebook, emails, etc., for me there is just nothing more personal than hearing someone's voice singing a little happy birthday jingle in my ear.  There's lots of days when text messages will do - my birthday just isn't one of them.  Next time you feel the urge to send a Facebook birthday greeting consider moving away from the keyboard and grab your phone!

Jan 5 -  Encourage someone to follow their dreams - One of my artists, Armine, was in the store today and we were chatting about Paris.  It's a place she's dreamed of since she was a little girl but caring for her family has always come before pursuing her own dreams.  This summer her daughter will be traveling abroad for school and she has asked her mom to meet her in Paris.  Armine is hesitant as she believes it is selfish to leave her other two children to meet her daughter in Paris.  We spoke for a while about dreams and travel and giving yourself permission to pursue your own happiness.  At the end of the conversation she thanked me for my encouragement and promised to work on fulfilling her dream of going to Paris.  I sure hope she does! 

Jan 4 - Deliver Meals on Wheels - Meals on Wheels is a project I've been involved with for close to 5 years now.  No matter how my day has begun, at the end of each route I feel happy and fulfilled.  

Jan 3 - Group Inspiration -17 degrees, 22mph winds & 4 ladies walking 8 miles together!  Yep, we're crazy!  I had scheduled this walk with some women I met through the Susan G Komen 3-Day.  I must admit I was quite intimidated the day before as I felt the biting cold and knew it was only going to get worse.  I corresponded with the 8 ladies who had rsvp'd and offered to postpone.  A few of the ladies backed out but 3 of them were bound and determined to walk.  7 layers of clothes and 8 miles later we were all very proud to have encouraged each other to complete a task that few would even attempt.  Pats on the back everyone!  
Good Karma idea from Darryel - Do some heavy lifting for someone who can't do it themselves - The lady that lives above La Muse has had knee problems for the last year and has difficulty walking.  Hence she's not able to lift heavy items.  Darryel did a very nice thing by removing her window air conditioner for her and putting it into storage as well as hauling a living room chair and bringing it to the trash.

Jan 2 - Send a birthday card - Happy Birthday Dad!

Jan 1 - Give away a compliment.  My husband and I went to a local restaurant for dinner this evening and had a wonderful server named Pam.  She was attentive, efficient and pleasant.  She went above and beyond to make sure my husband and I were happy with our meal.  Hands down the best waitress I've had in a very long time.  Being a student of the fine art of customer service myself, at the end of the meal I felt compelled to tell her how much I appreciated her service - and did so!