Taking time to say hello

One of the little things that always has an impact on me is when one of my favorite people calls out of the blue to say hi. Maybe its one of my long time friends living in the US or overseas. Maybe its an old colleague from a past job that I really connected with. Perhaps its a family member that I just never get enough time with. It can be a 5 minute call and somehow it just lifts my day.

Years ago I started to send thank you cards to people after meetings. I thought it was good business, was sincere and set me apart. I took that another step further in the last 18 months as I have started to send thank you cards to people randomly. Again, it started as a business function but soon became thank you cards to personal contacts, friends and people that influenced me. Just a great way to show gratitude and make things personal in our continuing non-personal society.

Today I make a point each week to touch base with people. I take time out to say thanks and also hello to all sorts of people. Sometimes its a message of "you looked great", or "thank you so much for your advice" or sometime "I was thinking of you and miss hanging out with you". Little messages that express my thoughts. I usually leave voicemail or send a card because I believe that each demonstrates more personal-ness than email. Overall I never like to get an email as much as an envelope or a voice message where I can hear someone's tone and expression.

The feedback and impact ON ME has been great. I have gotten so many people that have said thanks and that it lifted their day. Well it did for me too! So what could be better?

If you want to make more of your relationships, more of your network and, from a work perspective, provide better service, try sending a card or making a call to say, thanks. Say hello. Tell someone they are doing great. Make it your initiative each week to connect with someone who matters to you or needs your attention.

Avoiding the Media - The easiest way to see the silver lining

My girlfriend said yesterday, listening to the news make her feel uneasy because it feels like there is an increase in crime and murders and violence in our city. Unfortunately, that is the exact opposite of things statistically. The probability and likelihood of being in a violent crime in my city has dropped.

So how much media do you need to take in before you start to recognize you feel bad about the state of the world, the state of your city, your health, your car, your community, etc?

There is a great movie line describing the media that says, if it bleeds, it leads. Unfortunately that has never been more accurate. The focus of the media on crime , dispair, accidents and travesty is incredibly manipulative. In a city of 1,042,000 people someone dies from a car accident and we have to talk about it for days. (I am not being cold here, I get that someone died but post-accident I can't affect the outcome or turn back the clock). Your chances of having an accident hasn’t increased. In fact, with the increase in population in the city each year, your odds of being in that accident decrease. Crime is down but yet the media suggest it is up.

I have said be careful of your inputs before. Be careful what you listen to, what you read and what you absorb. The media is often the absolute worst source of information. The news is now made up of opinion as much as it is fact today. So why do these opinions matter so much to me? They don’t.

Another natural disaster half a world away is a tragedy but I don’t need to focus on it for days or weeks on end. It usually has no direct impact on me and there is little I can do (beyond sending money or going over there to help directly). So why would I allow the media to bombard me with images, words and sound bytes that do nothing to improve my life or lift my spirit.

People argue with me saying I will miss something if I don't follow the newspapers or the news on TV. I have found it to be quite the opposite. When something really important or impacting happens, I hear about it from people all over - in meetings, online, on calls. People talking is the way I hear about anything important. So I don't get the negative bombardment each day but I still get the news that might impact my life.

You want to get more out of your life in terms of energy, enthusiasm and joy ... avoid the news for a few weeks and watch your outlook on life bloom!