What IF
“What if today is the only day I’ve got, I don’t want to waste it if it’s my last shot?’ asks Matthew West in his new hit song WHAT IF.
Ever ask yourself & “What if?” I have. It causes me, as well as others, to pause and think about choices. If I do this - that may happen. If I do that - this may happen. If I do nothing - nothing changes. I remember when I was growing up in Illinois and wondered what it would be like to pick up and move to Florida - on my own. At age 19, I did just that. I picked up and moved to Florida. Just about everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. But of course, that’s a story for another time.
However, I don’t regret moving because I don’t play the “what if” game. I don’t wonder what would have happened if I hadn’t moved. I moved. I learned. I survived. It is has been through my greatest challenges and trials I have learned the most. If is a little word with enormous meaning and potential. I love a good acronym. So what else could IF stand for? It provides a question to help keep me focused on the person to which I aspire to be as I am a work-in-progress What could IF mean? It could mean Inspiration or Frustration. Am I an Inspiration or a Frustration. Admittedly, I am both to different people at different times. Yet what if I could be more Inspiration than Frustration? Do you want to be an inspiration or a frustration? What are you doing to inspire someone or frustrate them? What we focus on expands. If we focus on the positive, the good in people, being kind, and inspiring people, it will expand. If we focus on anger, bitterness, frustration they will expand. As a community let’s focus on inspiration and provide support and grace for those with whom we surround ourselves and encounter daily. How many times have you said something kind about someone to your friend or a peer at work? Yet, did you ever actually share that kind comment with the person? Like the duck swimming across the lake, smooth sailing on the surface and calm, cool, and collected on the outside, yet on the inside and below the surface those feet are going a million miles a minute trying to hold it together. We don’t know what’s going on in someone’s life whether it’s a friend, an acquaintance, the cashier at the store, or the customer support person on the other end of the phone.
Here is one of my favorite quotes with a few added thoughts to it: Act as if what you do, what you say, and how you say things makes a difference - it does.
I invite each of you to join me in my mission to start a new tradition. It’s a simple one which will inspire you, your family, your friends, and your peers. Sincerely thank, 1000 people this year through this T.I.P.
Thank. Inspire. Pray.
Thank three people a day; that’s over 1000 people a year. You can even take a month off if you want. But you will have so much fun doing it you’ll want to do it every day. Inspire people. They have the answer. They have the ability. They have the desire. They just need a little inspiration and support. The old saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me,” isn’t true. Words can and do hurt people. A broken bone can heal faster than a broken heart or worn down spirit. Let’s raise each other up. Pray for someone. We can all use a little extra grace. May we remember that:
May God bless you and keep. May his face shine upon you - always.
Blessings,