Character Corner

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The Power of a Meal

  Today was a family day. Our whole family was together for a birthday bash in honor of my Nana. 

Of course, food was a big part of the celebration. 

The table was spread with yummy food and all the trimmings. 

It’s fun to sit around the table and chat about all the important things going on in our lives. 

What I find most amazing is how valuing each other’s differences only adds to the unity of a family. At least, that’s how it’s supposed to be. 

Putting all the giftings together enables the family to have a greater impact in the world. 

A great place to take notice of these things is around the dinner table. 

Food is–and always will be–the most powerful ally in the quest for unity. 

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The Worst Millennial Ever

millennials

The title of this post says it all. I am the worst millennial ever.

Hashtags, Twitter, Snapchat, and don’t even get me started on LinkedIn.

Sigh.

Can someone please explain all of these social media tools to me?

Instagram is simple enough for anyone to use. Take a picture, add a caption, and BAM! The world can see how awesome your filtered life really is.

Facebook? It’s the grandpa of all social media. I mean, it beat Myspace and took over as the Yo-Mama! of all social media. Zuckerberg’s empire is not going anywhere–even though the movie that explains it all is probably the worst….

Moving on…..

Why am I talking about this? Because I have a goal for this blog now. It’s quite simple.

Blog every day of my 25th year.

Sometimes the posts will be super serious.

Sometimes I will post a book review.

Sometimes  I will post a YouTube video with some commentary (it is a blog after all).

I don’t want to limit myself in what I choose to do. The only goal is to post something every day.

Which takes me back to being the worst millennial ever……

I need your help to improve my mad skills because right now I have none.

That’s another goal of mine for this upcoming year:

Figure out the complex world of the blogosphere and social media.

Any and all help is much appreciated.

For those of you know my birthday is in July, you might be wondering why I’m posting this now.

Thanks for asking!

It will take me that long to get into the habit.

Consistency is my kryptonite.

Now, to end the most random blog post ever…..

 

 

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Customer Service Matters

Do you remember your first job? I do. My first “real” job was as a college recruiter.

The dreams that I had of reaching out to college students, seeing them choose my college…I was so excited. Never mind that I came into the job toward the end of the recruiting season. My numbers were going to be awesome!

I remember the first student that I recruited. The feeling of accomplishment was overwhelming. I gave that student and her family the royal treatment. No request was too big or small.

The same thrill comes to me anytime I sell a product online or at my booth. “They chose me!” I think, “What can I do to help them further?”

A satisfied customer is akin to a drug high for me. Presenting a product. Closing a deal. What could be better?

I never want to lose this excitement.

Going back to my time as a college recruiter, I realize that I wasn’t the best. My colleagues were way ahead of me in their numbers. But I know that the students I recruited received the best of my time and effort.

Many businesses are too focused on the end goal: meeting their quota. Customers become another tick mark instead of being treated as an invaluable asset. Lots of my business colleagues are on straight commission. They’re often much better at grasping the importance of people to their success.

Comfy, unseasoned “professionals” are the only ones silly enough to ignore the value of great customer service. Maybe a few months of bologna sandwiches and Vienna sausages will wake them up.

The entire economy is in the people business. Clever sales techniques and fancy websites will only take you so far.

A high level of customer service–a great respect for other people–is key.

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Recalibrating Your Goals

It’s been a while since I’ve written anything. Sorry for falling off the face of the planet. I wish there was some stellar excuse that would sound better than “life happened” but I have nothing…

Along these lines, we’re halfway through 2014. Do you know what that means? Progress report time!

Are you reaching the goals that you set for yourself?

Here’s a simple way to measure progress:

Write out your goals. On a scale of 1 to 10, with one being the farthest from goal completion, how close are you to reaching those goals?

If you’re like me, you probably have several in the -1 category. That’s where my blogging goal has been until today. I’m now back at 0 because of this post. However, in other areas, I’m in the 7-8 range.

That’s the cool thing about goals. You can celebrate big victories and mourn small failures. Either way, at least you’re doing something.

This is not a natural thought progression for me. In fact, my stepmom is a major source of encouragement in this area. She reviews her goals every 6 months or so. That helps her not go insane when a bad day creeps up.

Because the bad days will come.

You won’t work on something or your schedule will change at the last minute or a deadline will be missed. And a goal gets left behind in the dust.

It’s time to dust off your goals.

There’s still time! A simple shift in how you gauge progress can breathe new life into any project or goal. Let’s look past the day-to-day and start thinking more long term.

We have five months left in 2014. I wonder how much we can accomplish together in that time.

Question: What’s your #1 goal for this year?

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Thankful for Snow

It snowed!

And there’s still piles of it on the ground.

This is a new experience for a small town Southern girl.

Life has continued as usual. School is still in session and businesses are still open. I’ve seen the snowplow riding through our neighborhood every day. Winter is officially here. I cannot leave my house without a heavy winter coat and gloves.

The other day, I shovelled snow for the first time in my life!

It’s a lot harder than it looks in the movies. My dad told me that shovelling snow is the leading cause of heart attacks for older people in the North. I can believe it. That was a hard job.

Hopefully, you’re not too bored with this conversation. I’m just so excited about the possibility of a white Christmas. That will be a first for me. And maybe a last. Who knows? I won’t live in this region forever.

If I’ve learned anything while living in the Pacific Northwest, it’s been that life is something to be enjoyed, treasured even.

Every day is such a gift and somewhere along the way I had forgotten. I needed to be reminded.

If I can’t get excited about the weather—hot or cold—how can I appreciate my family, my job, or my hobbies? It’s likely that I won’t recognize those blessings if I can’t get excited about the little things.

A picture from my sister, a penny on the sidewalk, a compliment from a friend…these are the small things that can potentially produce thankful thoughts.

A grateful attitude, I’m convinced, is more important than a college degree, job status, or the clothes you wear.

Those who are content have more opportunities and lead more fulfilling lives.

The power of contentment requires no complex formulas to understand. It only requires a choice.

Will I be thankful or will I be unthankful for the blessings around me?

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I’m Weird, You’re Weird

A lot of people claim to be OCD.

It’s actually quite comical to hear someone say “I’m so OCD” and then take a walk through their house…yeah, you’re not OCD if there’s mold that just told me that the bathroom’s to the left…

We all have idiosyncrasies. Even the most relaxed, chill-tastic people I know have one or two things that make them…unique…for lack of a better word.

Maybe you like to arrive everywhere super early.

Maybe you like to squirt ketchup on all your food.

Maybe you have to spin around in a circle three times before entering or exiting a room.

 The idiosyncrasy scale ranges from “Wow, you need to get a life!” to “Wow, you make the ranting homeless guy look normal!”

Hopefully—this is what I believe anyway—most of us fall somewhere in the middle.

I’m at this place in life where I recognize that my idiosyncrasies are just that: Mine.

The other day it was pointed out to me that I use the phrase “I have this thing about…” a lot. That one comment made me stop and think.

 My weirdnesses are my responsibility.

It’s not fair for me to use them as a shield to get out of my obligations or as an excuse for poor behavior.

And guess what?

Your weirdnesses are not my responsibility.

I’m all for free expression and “being who you are.” Just do so in a considerate and respectful manner.

The biggest lie told today is that our differences outweigh our similarities. Here’s the truth: Our similarities outweigh our differences.

That being said, I don’t want my weirdness to morph into selfishness. And that’s really easy to do.  

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North American Problems

I believe Dave Ramsey was the first person I heard use the phrase “That’s a North American problem.” His platform is devoted to helping people get out of debt. Of course, money is the biggest resource lacking across the globe, especially in third world countries.

This leads me back to North American problems…those of us in North America rarely find ourselves lacking.

Now, I understand that there’s a lot of people who really struggle to make ends meet. However, even those citizens who fall below the poverty level are still considered to be some of the wealthiest in the world.

All of these thoughts were swirling around my head as I was faced with a frustrating dilemma: Amazon.com cancelled my book order and I had pre-ordered six weeks in advance.This is a perfect example of a North American problem.

So would Starbucks not having your favorite drink flavor or having to wait in a long line to return an ill-fitting blouse to the store.

Most of our modern day conveniences—which we perceive as our right to have—are not readily available across the globe.

This is not meant as a slam against anyone.

I love hot showers, gourmet coffee, and electricity as much as the next person.

What I am learning is that my true needs are few. Many of the items on my “needs” list are merely wants—justifiable as they may seem.

Don’t go into the holiday season feeling condemned because Audra is a meanie.

Just don’t take for granted the blessings in your life.

I’m guessing that your closets are full, your electrical outlets are overloaded, and your pantries are stocked. That’s a huge blessing in itself!

It’s my goal this holiday season to get my mind off the need to buy everything. Sure, stuff can be useful, but I’d much rather focus on the people who are most important to me.

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My Latest Endeavor

The big news is that my baby brother, Samuel Courage Holliman, has arrived! He’s a month old and cute as a button.

His arrival has meant a shift in household chores and responsibilities. Normal life was paused in order to give mama and baby time to settle in and rest up. We’re now trying to get everyone back on track with homeschool and work.

The biggest change for me during this time has been my new assignment: Cooking.

That’s right. I’m learning how to cook.

For those of you who know me well this might come as a shock. And I’m sure you can imagine how comical it might be when I, who knows next to nothing about cooking, gets to following a recipe.

 As part of my culinary education, breakfast and dinner during the week are my responsibility.

Not to mention that this new job involves menu planning and inventory (shopping lists for grocery runs).

I want to take this moment to salute all mothers and grandmothers. The task of making and planning meals is a big one! After I sat down and wrote out my first menu and shopping list, I was mentally exhausted. Anyone who says being a mom is a no-brainer job has never written out a shopping list.

In all seriousness, I’m learning the importance of wives and mothers who work hard every day to make their homes a safe, hospitable environment.

 All of that said, my cooking lessons are starting to pay off. Sure, there’s been a few mishaps along the way, but my family is very gracious. My wariness of the kitchen is starting to fade.

Cookbooks are my new best friends and I’m even thinking of getting a Pinterest account for recipe ideas.

Also, this time in the kitchen will improve the chances that my future husband will not starve when we get married.  

Question: What’s your latest endeavor? And how is it challenging your thinking?

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Good Soil Matters

Dirt is the most important part of gardening.

It doesn’t matter how good your seed is if the soil quality is poor. I know of gardeners and farmers who pay big bucks to up the quality of their soil.

What makes good dirt? Nice, loamy soil is always desired over soil with an overabundance of clay.

Loamy is a fancy word for light and fluffy. A more technical way to describe “loamy” is soil that is nutrient rich and not too hard so that it can easily receive moisture.

Are you wondering why I am describing good soil? There is a point, I promise! I’ve seen many people, families, and other organizations described using gardening terms. It’s really the best example because you see the results of good and bad gardening conditions all around you—even if you don’t garden yourself.

How often have you heard someone refer to the importance of good foundations? Probably a lot. Goodness knows I have!

The soil in a garden matters.The “why” behind our decisions matters. Making poor decisions is the same as planting seeds in poor soil. The results will always be less than desirable.

Mediocrity can be defined as careless, ill-planned, and poorly executed plans that lead to a careless, ill-planned, and poorly executed life.

I know of people who spend more time picking out their clothes than they do on major decisions such as work, family, and money.

Mediocre gardens and people are everywhere. Both can be easily spotted out because poor quality is always noticeable.

That’s not the kind of life I want to have.

Pay attention to your soil, the “why” behind what you do. Fruitfulness is the reward of the diligent.  

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Manners Matter

Yes ma’am, no ma’am, yes sir, no sir—These phrases have always been a part of my daily vocabulary as have the usual pleasantries of please and thank you. I was also taught that you put Ms. or Mr. In front of an adult’s name.

As a child, I cannot remember calling any adult by their first name only.

No one asked me if I wanted to be polite and respectful. It was demanded of me.

My me-maw taught me that adults, especially older adults, were to be treated with the highest level of respect. Not answering properly was an offence equal to interrupting a conversation. (And my family didn’t view corporal punishment as wrong either, so being rude meant some discomfort was coming my way.)

 Over the years, my use of yes ma’am and the like have made quite a few people uncomfortable.

“I’m not that old,” some would say, or “You don’t have to call me Mr. Bob. Just call me Bob.”

That’s where it got a little awkward. Who do I obey? That person? My parents? No wonder kids have been so confused over the years.

Adults demand to be treated as adults, for their commands to be instantly obeyed without question. Then they reprimand children for assigning honor to their role.

 Consequently, you have children who show no respect for authority and who believe they can call all the shots.

Who needs to listen and yield to those who are older when many parents are busy trying to wear skinny jeans and borrowing blouses from their teenaged daughter’s closet? (No one wants to admit they’re getting older.)

Once again, I’ve gone to the extreme in my use of examples. But I cannot understand how anyone who claims to be “all grown up” would take offence to being shown respect.