Friday Fun: Dancing with the Star Wars

If this doesn't make you laugh then check your pulse!

Who Knew Vadar could truly busta move!




Have a great weekend and as always....

Ripple On!!!

Never Underestimate The Power of the Smile

There's a young lady that works for a company in the same building where I have my office that has one of the most engaging smiles I have ever seen. She's a young, enthusiastic personality that truly lights up when she greets anyone. She obviously enjoys her job and her infectious approach to representing the company obviously benefits their organization in numerous ways.

Recently she stopped me in the hall to ask me where my next speaking appearance was going to be. Apparently she had picked up a copy of my book and had fallen in love with the concept of Rippling and wanted to come see me present on it in person. She chatted a bit about how she was applying the strategies to her own personal and professional relationship building and how the Ripple of a smile had actually landed her her current job.

It seems that her mother had always told her that a young lady, if she wants to be noticed, always wears a big smile, maintains eye contact and always has something relevant to say. She said after college she tried to follow her mother's advice but seriously doubted the applicability of the smile part. That was until she met her current boss.

It seems she was attending a function on behalf of the company she worked for at the time. She said this man approached her from out of no where and told her that she had a smile that was hard to miss and he needed people working for him like that. She initially worried that he was actually hitting on her but the more they spoke and the more she got to know him she knew his approach wasn't some veiled come on line. He was serious!

They continued chatting throughout the night. Because she was well read about the local Austin economy they ended up chatting about a number of relevant topics related to his business and her own professional interest. That was nearly two years ago and she has continued to advance right up the career ladder with this company. She told me that her mother's advice coupled with what she was learning by Rippling was a secret weapon that many young women (and men) should learn. I was of course humbled by her story and extremely appreciative of her sharing it with me.

Never underestimate the value of a smile, eye contact and a relevant way to keep someone engaged in a conversation. You just never know where the Ripples may lead!

A Message Worth Sharing

I received this message yesterday from an inspirational newsletter my friend signed me up for. The message caught my attention and I just wanted to share it with you.

You've made a lot of friends throughout your life, Steve, and you'll be making a lot more. You can be very proud of this.

But you can safely multiply that number by 7 to reveal the minimum number of secret admirers who've loved you from afar; by 100 to approximate the minimum number of people you've inspired; and by 10,000 to uncover the least number of lives yours has improved. And this I'm very proud of.

Kind of puts things into perspective...which of course is the intent.

The same math applies to you you know?

Ripple On!!!

Ripple Your Way To A Better Week

Happy Monday! I trust each of you had a relaxing, safe weekend. Mine was fantastic and though I had committed to do some work this weekend, I goofed off instead. Now only as I look at all of the things I should have done over the past few days do I begin to feel a bit guilty. Okay....not really.

Mondays present each of us with a unique opportunity. As I talked about a few weeks ago in my post titled Launch Pad Monday, Mondays, and how you approach them, can decidedly play a role in what kind of week you are going to have. I believe it's all in your attitude and how you approach them that truly makes the difference. So if that's the case why not tip the scales in your favor?

I truly believe that the more positive actions or Ripples that you create on someone else's behalf will return to you in ways you can never imagine. Call it karma, call law of reciprocity or call it life's way of adding a little extra interest to your life's luck account....good things tend to come back to those who are creating good things for others.

Of course with one caveat -

Real Ripplers don't do things for other people with some lofty expectation of reward; they do it because the Ripples need to be done. They focus on the impact their actions can have and make on others and let the karma of their actions and any residual reward they receive come in its own way and time.

Mondays prove to be a great way to get yourself thinking in the Ripple mindset. Think about the people that will cross your path today, both people you undoubtedly know and complete strangers. What can you do for them? What action can you take on their part to make an impact on their day? Is it opening a door for a stranger and offering a bright smile and a hearty good morning? Is it buying a cup of coffee for the person behind you in line at Starbucks or taking one back to that overworked receptionist at the office? Perhaps it's buying the lunch for the military folks who are lunching across the restaurant from you. There are literally countless Ripples you can create to make an impact or help someone if you just take the time to think about it.

The greatest feeling in the world is to do something for someone when they least expect it. Ripples come in all sizes and no matter how small or insignificant they may seem at the time to you, you have absolutely no idea who big they are for the person you just Rippled for. Why not use this Monday as your starting point? Why not stop for a few minutes and think about who in your life needs a Ripple and decide just how you are going to help create it for them. And while your at it why not be a little more conscious of the strangers you encounter and how, in your own special little way, you could surprise them and make their day as well

The point is to do something....anything! The world awaits you and desperately needs the impact you and only you can make. Why not give it a try and just see how different your week ends up looking.

Ripple On!!!