Pay It Forward

 

Parents Pay it Forward with Pumpkin Spice Lattes

 

By Ellen's Good News | The Good News –

Alyssa O'Neill has inspired a national campaign for kindness. Alyssa Josephine O'Neill was a normal, outgoing teenager, a cheerleader at her Erie, Pennsylvania high school, and was preparing for her freshman year at The Behrend College. She had been diagnosed with epilepsy in January 2012, but didn't let that stop her from enjoying her life.

On September 3, Alyssa texted her mom asking if they could go to Starbucks so she could try a Pumpkin Spice Latte for the very first time, but they never got the chance. The next day, the 18-year-old passed away from an epileptic seizure.

"We tried to think of something that we could do that would be a little bit positive," her father Jason O'Neill told us in a Skype chat. He and his wife, Alyssa's mother Sarah, went to their local Starbucks and bought Pumpkin Spice Latte for themselves, as well as the next 40 customers. All they asked of the baristas was that they write #AJO on the cups, and explain to the customers why their drink was free.

What they weren't expecting was that customers who received their drinks would respond the exact same way, by paying it forward. Soon enough, the O'Neill's #AJO campaign spread throughout their community, the country, and the world.




"Next thing you know, we hear about someone donating $600 at a different location," says Sarah. "It just spread like wildfire."

The acts of kindness in Alyssa's memory aren't limited to the seasonal beverage. The O'Neills hope that people will be inspired by this movement to do other good deeds to improve the lives of others.

"Just take the five minutes out of your day to do something nice," says Sarah. "It doesn't have to cost you a dime."

Says her father, "We'd like to pay it forward and try to make everybody a little bit of a better person, because that's what Alyssa did."

If you'd like to learn more about Alyssa and the O'Neills' campaign, visit ajoforever.com.

SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE

9 Beliefs of Successful People

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I'm fortunate enough to know a number of remarkably successful people. Regardless of industry or profession, they all share the same perspectives and beliefs.

And they act on those beliefs:


1. Time doesn't fill me. I fill time.
Deadlines and time frames establish parameters, but typically not in a good way. The average person who is given two weeks to complete a task will instinctively adjust his effort so it actually takes two weeks.

Forget deadlines, at least as a way to manage your activity. Tasks should only take as long as they need to take. Do everything as quickly and effectively as you can. Then use your "free" time to get other things done just as quickly and effectively.

Average people allow time to impose its will on them; remarkable people impose their will on their time.


2. The people around me are the people I chose.
Some of your employees drive you nuts. Some of your customers are obnoxious. Some of your friends are selfish, all-about-me jerks.

You chose them. If the people around you make you unhappy it's not their fault. It's your fault. They're in your professional or personal life because you drew them to you--and you let them remain.

Think about the type of people you want to work with. Think about the types of customers you would enjoy serving. Think about the friends you want to have.
Then change what you do so you can start attracting those people. Hardworking people want to work with hardworking people. Kind people like to associate with kind people. Remarkable employees want to work for remarkable bosses.



Successful people are naturally drawn to successful people.


3. I have never paid my dues.
Dues aren't paid, past tense. Dues get paid, each and every day. The only real measure of your value is the tangible contribution you make on a daily basis.

No matter what you've done or accomplished in the past, you're never too good to roll up your sleeves, get dirty, and do the grunt work. No job is ever too menial, no task ever too unskilled or boring.

Remarkably successful people never feel entitled--except to the fruits of their labor.


4. Experience is irrelevant. Accomplishments are everything.
You have "10 years in the Web design business." Whoopee. I don't care how long you've been doing what you do. Years of service indicate nothing; you could be the worst 10-year programmer in the world.

I care about what you've done: how many sites you've created, how many back-end systems you've installed, how many customer-specific applications you've developed (and what kind)... all that matters is what you've done.
Successful people don't need to describe themselves using hyperbolic adjectives like passionate, innovative, driven, etc. They can just describe, hopefully in a humble way, what they've done.




5. Failure is something I accomplish; it doesn't just happen to me.
Ask people why they have been successful. Their answers will be filled with personal pronouns: I, me, and the sometimes too occasional we.

Ask them why they failed. Most will revert to childhood and instinctively distance themselves, like the kid who says, "My toy got broken..." instead of, "I broke my toy."

They'll say the economy tanked. They'll say the market wasn't ready. They'll say their suppliers couldn't keep up.

They'll say it was someone or something else.

And by distancing themselves, they don't learn from their failures.

Occasionally something completely outside your control will cause you to fail. Most of the time, though, it's you. And that's okay. Every successful person has failed. Numerous times. Most of them have failed a lot more often than you. That's why they're successful now.

Embrace every failure: Own it, learn from it, and take full responsibility for making sure that next time, things will turn out differently.


6. Volunteers always win.
Whenever you raise your hand you wind up being asked to do more.

That's great. Doing more is an opportunity: to learn, to impress, to gain skills, to build new relationships--to do something more than you would otherwise been able to do.
Success is based on action. The more you volunteer, the more you get to act. Successful people step forward to create opportunities.



Remarkably successful people sprint forward.


7. As long as I'm paid well, it's all good.
Specialization is good. Focus is good. Finding a niche is good.

Generating revenue is great.

Anything a customer will pay you a reasonable price to do--as long as it isn't unethical, immoral, or illegal--is something you should do. Your customers want you to deliver outside your normal territory? If they'll pay you for it, fine. They want you to add services you don't normally include? If they'll pay you for it, fine. The customer wants you to perform some relatively manual labor and you're a high-tech shop? Shut up, roll 'em up, do the work, and get paid.

Only do what you want to do and you might build an okay business. Be willing to do what customers want you to do and you can build a successful business.

Be willing to do even more and you can build a remarkable business.

And speaking of customers...


8. People who pay me always have the right to tell me what to do.
Get over your cocky, pretentious, I-must-be-free-to-express-my-individuality self. Be that way on your own time.

The people who pay you, whether customers or employers, earn the right to dictate what you do and how you do it--sometimes down to the last detail.

Instead of complaining, work to align what you like to do with what the people who pay you want you to do.

Then you turn issues like control and micro-management into non-issues.


9. The extra mile is a vast, unpopulated wasteland.
Everyone says they go the extra mile. Almost no one actually does. Most people who go there think, "Wait... no one else is here... why am I doing this?" and leave, never to return.

That's why the extra mile is such a lonely place.

That's also why the extra mile is a place filled with opportunities.

Be early. Stay late. Make the extra phone call. Send the extra email. Do the extra research. Help a customer unload or unpack a shipment. Don't wait to be asked; offer. Don't just tell employees what to do--show them what to do and work beside them.
Every time you do something, think of one extra thing you can do--especially if other people aren't doing that one thing. Sure, it's hard.




But that's what will make you different.

And over time, that's what will make you incredibly successful.

THE STORY OF BOB

The ''I Hate BOB,'' Story

---‘’I hate Bob.‘’ When we say that we hate someone…what (and who) is it that we are talking about? I would like to take a closer look at this. When we say this…I’d like to say that we are NOT accurate.

---’’I hate Bob.’’ Am I saying that I hate Bob OR, am I saying that I hate the way Bob acts. I hate the way Bob behaves. I may hate Bob’s attitude. I may hate Bob’s value system. But…when push comes to shove - I probably do NOT hate Bob.

---Actually, do I even know Bob, behind the ways he presents himself? I would say probably NOT. I would have to say that Bob is the being, the blank slate, that has these different values, attitudes and behaviors that I pin to him. I call this husk ‘’Bob’’ if you will.

---The funny thing about this is that Bob is different, dependent upon who you ask. Bob’s mother sees him different than his dad. His worst enemy sees him much different than his best friend. I asked his girl friend. I asked his preacher. Everyone I ask has a little different interpretation than each other…AND myself. Sometimes it gets so far out that I have to remind myself that it is the Bob that I know.

 

---If we look at the values, attitudes and behaviors by themselves we see that they are like coats we put on and take off. We see that ALL of us are pretty much ‘’naked’’ dressed in different values, attitudes and behaviors that make up the personality of this thing we call Bob, Jim, Mary and Karin. And sometimes - Paul.

---Any good psychologist will tell you that we are like an ONION that peels away one layer at a time. Eventually, usually after much peeling…we get to the heart of the matter.

 

---Bob is peeling, as we both are…as we ALL are. Actually, Bob has some pretty neat attitudes and behaviors that I find ‘’fun’’ and ‘’enjoyable’’ when we talk about computers. He has a way of putting the coats on and interpreting them that happens to educate and entertain me. Hanging with him all-of-the-time would be a little much. But, as a ‘’dressed husk’’ in small doses…we laugh a lot. Take Care.
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WELLNESS can be Motivation of the Value, Attitude and Behavior.  

THE EASIER YOU'RE SATISFIED...THE BETTER!

WALKING TOWARD WHAT YOU ALREADY HAVE!

The American investment banker was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellow fin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them.

The Mexican replied, "Only a little while."

The American then asked, "Why didn't you stay out longer and catch more fish?"

The Mexican said, "With this I have more than enough to support my family's needs."

The American then asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?"

The Mexican fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos, I have a full and busy life."

The American scoffed, "I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing; and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat: With the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats. Eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor; eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then Los Angeles and eventually New York where you will run your ever- expanding enterprise."

The Mexican fisherman asked, "But, how long will this all take?"

To which the American replied, "15 to 20 years."

"But what then?" asked the Mexican.

The American laughed and said that's the best part. "When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions."

"Millions?...Then what?"

The American said, "Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos."

THIEF APOLOGIZES AFTER 11 YEARS!

Thief writes apology note & returns money for robbery 11 years later



Keosavanh X., owner of the InterAsian Market & Deli in Nashville, Tennessee, has never forgotten being robbed at gunpoint more than a decade ago. Recently memories of the crime resurfaced for Keosavanh and his son, Somboon W., when the elder owner received a mysterious envelope from a man who entered the store. Somboon said, “He was really insistent that we take this, that we had to take this.” Eventually the unidentified man told them that the delivery was important because it contained money. Feeling hesitant about the odd transaction, the family considered calling their lawyer before opening the envelope marked “Owner.”

Keosavanh finally opened the envelope and inside found a handwritten letter and four $100 bills. The letter was written by a man who said he was a drug addict when he robbed the store of $300 around 11 years ago. The anonymous apology stated, “I do not use drugs anymore and I feal [sic] I must make amends to the people I have hurt in the past.” The owners were floored saying, “It’s just, it’s amazing. It’s inspirational really, for somebody to have the courage, to come back and face the person you’ve done wrong… Even though um, it’s hard sometimes, we need to give people a second chance.” Somboon added, "If he's watching, wherever life takes you, just know that we, we forgive you for what you did."

The family was so touched by the apology that they decided to post the note on their store Instagram, Twitter and Facebook pages to ensure “Anonymous” would know he was forgiven. “Obviously he has, he has a great heart, but he just got caught up in a really, some bad situations,” said Somboon. “We feel for the guy and we, we just hope that, you know, that whatever he does after this, that it’s great things for him.”
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(Great Story)

WELLNESS