Practice Finding Happiness

Are you happy right now? I mean really happy?

Are you happy with your spouse or significant other and the life you live together?

Are you happy with your career?

Are you happy with your personal relationships?

Are you happy with the way you treat your kids or your parents?

Are you happy doing what it is you do with your "free" time?

Are you happy with the direction your life is headed right now in the foreseeable future?

Wow...lot of questions for a Tuesday morning eh? Some seriously heavy questions at that! Heavy but important questions I would submit.

Our own individual happiness is not something I think a lot of us spend time thinking about. I mean seriously, when was the last time you actually had a conscious thought about how happy you were at a particular moment. I suspect if you are like me, I have had those moments but they are few and far between.

Happiness is something in order to recognize it as it happens you have to dedicate conscious purposeful thought to recognizing it. It isn't hard but it is something you have to practice.

Last night my boys wanted to go fishing at the little pond by our house. I arrived home after a stressful day to see my littlest, Josh, already wearing his fishing vest and holding his tackle box. It was one of those moments that I let all of my stresses from my day simply wash away and I smiled.

As we prepared dinner you could see his excitement building. He had been thinking of going fishing all day - something I had promised him I would do. As I sat there and watched him consume his hot dog with urgent veracity, I could see how excited and happy he was that I was taking him to to go catch some fish. It was at that moment that I consciously realized I was happy. I was happy to let all the rest of the garbage of the day go and focus squarely on him and his brother.

He was happy and in seeing that, I recognized I was happy.

He caught 3 fish - his brother and I caught none.

Happiness isn't hard to find. It's in those moments that you stop and look that you will most find it. We all have countless opportunities throughout the day to find our happiness. It just takes effort, focus and the ability to warm the heart a bit to allow in those welcomed and needed moments.

At at the very minimum, answer the above questions. If you can't answer yes to any of them then ask yourself what changes you need to make in your life in order to get a different answer?

Try practicing today. Find what makes you happy.

Ripple On!!!

Goal Pride

It was just a few minutes into his first game and the field opened up in front of him. The ball had popped out of the swarm of little players and suddenly his little legs switched to charging pistons as he raced for it. The opponents entire half of the field was open before him. But Josh being Josh didn't take the ball all the way down and score the goal. No, he simply power kicked the ball as hard as he could and with perfect accuracy he had blasted a kick from midfield that wasn't going to stop until it was nestled in the back of the net.

Wow! What a way to start his soccer career!

There was no doubt I knew he could do it. He, like his big brother, has dribbled a soccer ball since he was knee-high to a grasshopper. But I was still unprepared for the amount of pride and joy I had swell up in my heart. I know that the big sappy smile planted on my face showed him just how proud of him I was. His sheepish little thumbs up when he got back to the middle and waited for the other team to kick off was one of those moments that will forever be with me.

I was wondering how I might react when Josh scored his first goal. In my wildest dreams I never expected he would be the first on his team to do it. Okay, well that's actually a bit of a lie. I knew how the kid can match up and playing with an unforgiving big brother gives him an edge that many kids don't have. Never-the-less I knew I would be proud when it happened but the euphoric buzz it gave me and still lingers today was not something I anticipated.

The older we get in life the more important it is to pay attention to those special moments. Sure it would be easy to say the kid scored a goal - big deal. But it really is a big deal. It was seeing a little person find his own mojo and for one of the first times in his life, play on a stage that was once and only occupied by his big brother. It was amazing to see how excited, thrilled and proud of himself that he was. Gosh isn't that what we all want for our kids whether it be in sports, at school and of course ultimately in life?

Hope everyone is having an incredible weekend!

Ripple On!!!

Soaking Up The Now

His little hands grasped my cheeks as he pulled me closer. "Thank you Daddy! You are the best Daddy in the whole wide world." His lips puckered up signaling it was time for a smooch and I gave him one. With his eyes sparkling and a smile that simply melts my heart every time he uses it, he gave me one of his Super Man hugs, jumped down and he was off in a flash. That was Josh's way of saying thank you for a weekend of birthday fun that was more thanks to his Mom than me (she made the amazing cake pictured).

Josh turn five this past Friday. My little man is growing up too fast. It seems like just yesterday I was trying to get my head around having another child and wondering if it would be possible to love another as much as I loved Zachary. Of course what I found is the heart has an amazing ability to grow big enough to accommodate any amount of love you wish to store in it. So making room for him in there wasn't a problem!

Man where have five years gone? I find myself watching both boys with such wonder and amazement me these days. I look at them and wonder how Kathy and I ever managed to create such incredible creatures. I thank God every day (well I sometimes forget but I have a standing order in with the big guy so He knows) for bringing these boys into my life. They are my greatest teachers as well as my biggest fans and I know that with them, I am the luckiest man in the world. And I am grateful for that.

We spent this past weekend celebrating Josh's birthday in what seemed like a drawn out party that lasted for three days. I found myself enjoying the time with the family more than I ever have as we ate out, went bowling (twice!), played some video games, went biking and just hung out. It was a perfect weekend and one that words can't adequately express but was no doubt chalked full of great memories. Especially the one that I mentioned at the beginning of this post.

Those little hands won't always be little forever. That adoring smile won't always be pointed at me. The Super Hero cape and status that I wear in the little guy's eyes won't always be as cool as it is today. And of course those precious little hugs and belly laughs won't always be there....

But I don't live for the always - I live for the now.

And for now, I want to soak it all up while I can.

Ripple On!!!

Wordless Wednesday

Okay....maybe just a few words.

My son the pirate! Hey Josh....I don't think pirates wear pajamas!

Enjoy the day my friends.

Ripple On!!!

Fortune Cookie Says....Customers and Friends For Life

One of my favorite sayings when I give a talk, do a corporate training or coach a client goes something like this.....

"People seldom remember what you said. People rarely remember what you did. But people will always remember how you made them feel."

I guess it was about a year ago that this little Chinese food restaurant called Hunan Ranch opened up near our house. My entire family became instant fans because the food was so good. We easily went there for lunch or dinner a few times a month. That was...until we discovered FREE DELIVERY. I am quite positive we will have to take a second mortgage out on the house to pay for all these Chinese food cravings that now seem to strike without warning and come with complete disregard for our household eating budget.

To be perfectly honest we started ordering more regularly for another reason than it was easy, we were lazy and the delivery was free. No...we ordered for the delivery guy. Perhaps the greatest delivery guy ever!

The first time the delivery guy showed up to our house with our order he struck a cord with my youngest son Josh. He showered him with atttention as my wife paid for our order. His playful way of connecting with Josh who is four mind you, was hard to ignore. He affectionately called Josh his "little buddy" and Josh swelled with pride at the sound his new nickname.

Every delivery since has only gotten better. Josh and the delivery guy have become very good friends! The delivery guy, whom I am ashamed to admit we don't know his name (yet), always inquires about where "his buddy Josh is" and it has become sort of a game for Josh to hide out and jump out to give "his" buddy a big strapping hug. The delivery guy eats it up and really seems to enjoy it too.

I am convinced we get our orders faster than anyone else and I won't swear to it but I think our portions some how get super sized! Plus he always seems to have a few extra fortune cookies for both of my boys that just so happen to come with each hug. My oldest son Zachary even has gotten into the act of hugging and high fiving the guy when he comes with our delivery. It's quite a sight to see them blast down the stars when they hear the doorbell and see who gets to give a hug first.

Each delivery is fun to watch and by and large would be enough to keep us loyal customers forever. But it was something that happened the other day that just blew me away and made me want to share this with you.

Kathy and Zach were about to go pick up Josh from daycare when there was knock on the door. Kathy answered the door and there stood our favorite delivery driver complete with a big old smile on his face. He said he hoped he wasn't disturbing her but that he just wants to stop and say hello to his favorite customers. He asked Zachary where his "other buddy" was and Zach explained Josh was still at school. Zach said he seemed a little bit sad to have missed Josh because out from behind his back came a handful of fortune cookies that he had hoped to give to them both.

He had just stopped by to give them to Josh and Zach.

No order had been placed.

No reason to make a stop other than an intentional act of kindness that was guaranteed to make two little boy's day!

An act that has since become legendary in the old Harper household.

Talk about customer service! We were already guaranteed customers but now Hunan Ranch has evangelistic customers that will hopefully bring many, many more customers to this great little restaurant. Though I must admit I suspect our days of ever eating there are over....the kids won't hear of it. They only want delivery!

Customer service over an above the call of duty and an act that I bet leaves even Confucius speechless.

So if you are running a business, working with customers or simply have a chance to impact someone's day, what kind of Fortune Cookie act might you conjure up?

Psst....here's a secret....your customers will swell with adoring pride, just like Zach and Josh do, simply because you did something unique and memorable.

Talk about a Ripple.

Ripple On!!!


Steve

It's All In The Marketing

Being an entrepreneur myself from the ripe old age of seven or eight when I washed cars, pulled weeds or did just about anything to make a buck, it does my heart good to see my boys following in my footsteps.

Yesterday morning Zachary, my eight year old, came bounding downstairs to breakfast and said, "There's a garage sale a few doors down. What a perfect opportunity to do a lemonade stand because there will be so many cars! Can I please...please?"

I have to admit, I was impressed that the young lad could make the connection between an increase in traffic and his opportunity to make a few bucks. So before you knew it he was piling out the door and situating himself perfectly on the corner. With handmade sign, a big smile and a lot of enthusiasm he went to work.

Before long....Joshua his four year old brother wanted in on some of the action and Zach quickly deduced that little kids like Josh stop traffic. Ahhhh a perfect partnership was born and a proud papa couldn't resist sharing.

I think the boys made more money with Joshua holding the sign for some odd reason.....

Good idea..That Mom had to make.

Two hours work....$ 17.50 earned.

Cute little brother to help bring 'em in.... 65 Cents in wages earned (Come on Zach pay the kid something!)

Helpful supervisor in Dad....No wages earned. Where's the love?

Two kids being kids....Priceless!!!