“Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.”
– Rick Warren, pp. 148 of his book The Purpose Driven Life
Grab a pencil and a sheet of paper. (I know “pencil and paper” seems sorta Old School today, but just run with me on this one…)
Now, think, “Who do I know that seems to always be thinking of other people?” “Who in my circle is more focused on the rest of us than on themselves.” Write their names down on your paper. Go ahead, trust me on this one…
Once we have our list, it becomes a “to-do” list. Every day, until we get through the entire list, we write one thank you note, telling each “difference maker” why we appreciate them and their selfless approach to our lives together.
In today’s world, it’s too easy to follow the examples of the touchdown-dancing, self-promoting, power-seeking megalomaniac, especially when we all have a list of better examples to follow right here in our offices, neighborhoods, schools, churches, families and networks.
By the way, before you click over and open your e-mail, note the purpose of the idea here. “Write a thank you note.” Not an e-mail. Not a poke on a page on a social site. A thank you note. By hand. With an envelope, and stamp — the whole shmear. I know, it seems sorta Old School, but picture yourself at your mailbox, receiving and then opening one of these notes. These days, it’s too easy to Tweet, Post, Like and Forward, instead of stopping, thinking, writing and mailing. That sounds like a lot of work, until we imagine the impact of receiving, opening and reading…
Make a difference today, by acknowledging those who make a difference for us.
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