Genuine Curiosity

Author Dwayne Melancon is always on the lookout for new things to learn. An ecclectic collection of postings on personal productivity, travel, good books, gadgets, leadership & management, and many other things.

 

Kind words and a warm place to sleep

During a recent hotel stay, I found a laminated card on my pillow at an Embassy Suites outside Kansas City. I made a copy of it and carry it with me now, since I love the sentiment. It made me feel better about my stay at the hotel, and I'd like to share it with you.

To Our Guests
In ancient times there was a prayer for
"The Stranger Within Our Gates"

Because this hotel is a human institution to serve people, and not solely a money making organization, we hope that God will grant you peace and rest while you are under our roof.

May this suite and hotel be your "second" home. May those you love be near you in thoughts and dreams. Even though we may not get to know you, we hope that you will be conformable and happy as if you were in your own house.

May the business that brought you our way prosper. May every call you make and every message you receive add to your joy. When you leave, may your journey be safe.

We are all travelers. From "birth 'til death" we travel between eternities. May these days be pleasant for you, profitable for society, helpful for those you meet, and a joy to those who know and love you best.

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What should you do with your life?

This week, I saw a documentary on "The Happiness Manifesto" which is being tested in Slough in the UK. This is an interesting "technique" to help you become happier by engaging in activities that will help increase the joy and satisfaction in your life. It's kind of like daily affirmations, but they are actions - not just self-talk. I loved the concept, so I thought I'd share the 10-item list with you.

  1. Get physical. Engage in half an hour of exercise three times a week
  2. Count your blessings. At the end of each day, reflect on at least five things you are grateful for.
  3. Talk time. Have an hour-long - uninterrupted - conversation with your partner or closest friend each week.
  4. Plant something. Even if it's a window box or pot. And, you must keep it alive!
  5. Cut your TV viewing by half.
  6. Smile at and/or say hello to someone you don't know. At least once each day.
  7. Phone a friend. Make contact with a friend or relation you have not talked to for a while and arrange to meet up.
  8. Have a good laugh at least once a day.
  9. Every day make sure you give yourself a treat. Take time to really enjoy this.
  10. Daily kindness. Do an extra good turn for someone each day.

Phenomenal list, even more phenomenal if we all put it into practice. Enjoy - really!

Related posts: Pretend you create everything that happens to you

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Everything happens for a reason

I often say that "Everything happens for a reason," and that it's up to us to find out the reason. Recent reflection on this topic has caused me to alter this philosophy just a bit.

I am still convinced that everything happens for a reason, however, I am also convinced that it is up to us to define that reason within our own lives. Events have meaning because we assign meaning to them. Events only have significance when we choose to do significant things because of them.Events only have significance when we choose to do significant things because of them

In my recent post about feeling "stuck" in my action lists, I realize that a big factor in that "stuckness" is that I haven't been doing enough to create significance out of the opportunities before me. I'm not talking about earth-shattering things; more along the lines of less time focusing on things that don't matter in the grand scheme of things, and more time focusing on the things that make a difference.

A bunch of recent events and "nudges" came together to get me to this point. In no small part, I owe a lot of the credit to the blogging community where I've found a gold mine of ideas, great advice, and a lot of inspiration - thank you. Ironically, the final piece clicked into place as my wife and I were watching the movie "Envy," in which the main characters (played by Ben Stiller and Jack Black) each go through a period where their effectiveness ratings at their jobs were good for most of the year, but their performances went down the tubes when their "focus score" was poor..

So, now that I've seen the spark, what will I do differently? On the personal side, I spent a refreshing few days with the family doing fun family things the last couple of days (had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner, saw Nemo On Ice, saw the new Harry Potter movie, got my 12-year-old son signed up for our local health club and took him to work out a couple of times, and stuff like that). And, as Lisa suggested in her comments, I stayed off of email. I intend to do plan more stuff like this.

On Monday, I am going to take a "clean slate" look at everything I'm doing at work and decide what significant things I want to achieve there. My goal is to stop sailing on the prevailing winds of urgency, stop putting off "hard stuff," and chart a course that feeds my passions and plays to my strengths as fully as possible..

This realization is simultaneously a very liberating and frightening to me, but I think that only good can come from it. And it's up to me to make that true, isn't it?

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