Keeping up with the Joneses…

We’ve all heard the saying and everyone puts a negative connotation on it. But is it ALWAYS a bad thing?

See…I don’t think so, but only if we change how the saying is applied and interpreted.

They way that I interpret this saying is not in keeping up with the newest, slickest, most outrageous STUFF, but rather in finding those people that I can learn from and model after and keeping up with them.

I believe that EVERYONE at some point in their life needs a mentor, guide, and teacher. While we can learn a whole lot about ourselves and our place in this world, we still need someone to show us the path. That’s all a mentor is for. To teach you enough and help you understand enough so that when they show you the path, you are ready to walk it.

Life isn’t about how much stuff you have…or how pretty you are…or how young you look…or what job you have…or how much you make…it’s about how you live and what you do with your life to make the world a better place.

So, how DO you make a difference in the world? That sound like a pretty big assignment. :-)

It’s really not that difficult, really. You just need to start with your own life and your own small circle of influence. And make it important to yourself to make that small space better.

But WHAT do you do to make the world better?

“One
Act of
Random
Kindness.
ARK.” – Evan Almighty

See, we make the world a better place by living our lives from our heart and loving every single person that comes into our circle of influence.

Here are a few ideas for you to think about adopting:

• Make everyone that you meet feel welcome and accepted.
• Refuse to speak or be a part of someone else speaking negatively and badly about someone else.
• If you offer to help someone, do more than they ask for.
• Take the time to visit someone that you know isn’t feeling well.
• Smile at everyone you meet.
• LISTEN when someone is speaking to you. No more thinking about dinner during the conversation. :-)
• Take the time to learn something new about everyone you meet.

Even if you don’t “Save the Cheerleader and save the World!” you will still make an enormous impact in your own life and the lives of any others that are brought into contact with you. You WILL make a difference, no matter how small.

“The best way to make a difference in the world is to start by making a difference in your own life.” - Julia Louis-Dreyfus

One of my favorite shows on TV is “Inside the Actor’s Studio”. At the very end they always have a brief Q&A. One of the questions is always, “If God exists, what would you want Him to say to you when you got to Heaven?”

I’m hoping for Him to say, “Good job son. You made the World a better place.”