Archive for the ‘People’ Category

The Parable of the Seen and Unseen Post-it Notes

Sunday, August 1st, 2010

This afternoon I read Way to Be! by President Gordon B. Hinckley. As I pulled it off the bookshelf, I noticed numerous Post-it Notes sticking out the side and remembered a month I had forgotten about.
Around 2003, I read this book in preparation for a talk I had been asked to give in church on the subject—the “nine Be’s” that help you “be happy and make something of your life.” Since I was preparing for the talk, I realized I may mark the book different from what I would have if just reading for myself, so I opted to use sticky notes to mark potential passages I could quote for my talk.
Shortly after my talk, I told a friend how good the book was, and she asked to borrow it. I explained about the Post-it Notes. She ended up marking the book with sticky notes as well, and mentioned that it was like having a piece of her left with the book. I loved that idea, and I never removed either set of sticky notes.
Years later, I love having those notes. They not only remind me of a great friend, but they also capture a piece of our lives—of what was important to us at that time and what words of advice, knowledge, and comfort spoke to our souls.
Just as my friend Jessica left stick notes in my book with lessons important to her, I think we constantly leave unseen sticky notes in one another’s lives. I can immediately think of several lessons people have given me throughout life. And just like the notes in this book, I can continue to call upon those sticky-note lessons and the impact they left on me.
This parable has left me with two homework assignments today:
(1) Reflect on the wonderful lessons I have learned from good examples in my life, and apply them to my life today to become more and more like the person I want to be. (On a future day, I need to remember to send notes of gratitude to the people who taught me those lessons.)
(2). Meditate on the unseen sticky notes I’m leaving in the lives of others, and make sure the notes I’m leaving are positive ones left with care and love.
And with that, I’m off to ponder.

Posted in Books, People, Relationships | 226 Comments »

The Parable of the People Who Followed Their Dreams

Sunday, November 8th, 2009

A few years ago, I visited the Big Apple. Seeing the amazing art in the museums, experiencing the hubbub of the big city, and strolling around the area was a blast. A highlight was seeing a Chihuly exhibit in The New York Botanical Garden—I love Chihuly’s work. One of my most memorable moments, though, came while seeing Wicked on Broadway. The musical itself was absolutely incredible, but there was a lesson that struck me even more.

I remember looking at the actors about twenty minutes into the production and thinking, “These people made it to Broadway. They achieved their dreams. They must be thrilled.” They were living a dream—a dream that had been many years and hours upon hours of hard work in the making. They overcame doubt and fear and pursued one of their talents with a depth that allowed them to share their work with the world. It made me completely ecstatic to see them fulfilling a dream.

This week, Creating Keepsakes made an announcement I can’t help but compare to the experience I had watching Wicked. We announced the 2010 Dream Team—a group of 10 amazingly talented women whose work will grace our magazine and website for the next year. I want to add my sincere congratulations to

1. Wendy Sue Anderson
2. Maggie Holmes
3. Jen Jockisch
4. Suzy Plantamura
5. Cindy Tobey
6. Laura Vegas
7. Kim Watson
8. Susan Weinroth
9. Sara Winnick
10. Deena Wuest

The Creating Keepsakes 2010 Dream Team

Plus, Mou Saha was announced as a new contributing writer for 2010. She is a creative genius.

I’ve had the chance to work with each of these incredible women, and they never cease to inspire me. They’re fantastic scrappers and fantastic people who I am grateful to know. A huge thanks to each of them for being so wonderful and for sharing their talents and their lives. I know many of them had dreamed of achieving this honor, and I congratulate them for their hard work and thank them for their example in pursuing their dreams.

So, what goal have you been dreaming about? Let’s let the passion of these women and the people on Broadway inspire us to pursue a dream we’re each passionate about. I have a goal I’ve wanted to pursue for years, but I’ve always been too afraid to make the plunge. (It seems like the first step is always the most daunting, doesn’t it?) Today I was motivated by these women to make one of my dreams a reality. I won’t put it off any longer. I’m setting a goal to work on it at least once a week (that sounds doable, doesn’t it?). I’ll check back in with you every once in a while to let you know how it’s going. If you’ve had a goal you’ve wanted to pursue for a while, today feels like a good day to start, doesn’t it?

Posted in Goals and Dreams, People, Scrapbooking | 238 Comments »

The Parable of the $1.25 Box of Cheerios

Tuesday, August 4th, 2009

Cheerios-CashA box of Cheerios for the low price of only $1.25? You don’t have to ask me twice. Granted, it was the small box size, but I’d been wanting Cheerios anyway, and a box found its home in my pantry. When I went to pour a bowl of the whole-grain oats on a lovely morning earlier this week, I noticed the marketing material on the front of the box: 1 in 10 boxes wins a cash card.

I opened the box pondering how blissful it would be to find a cash card inside, but I wasn’t holding my breath. Then I noticed a shiny silver wrapper glistening in the sun (or at least that’s how I like to picture it). The song “(I’ve Got a) Golden Ticket” came to mind, and I was humored to feel a little like Charlie Bucket when he opened the Wonka Bar and found the golden ticket. It was a glorious morning indeed. The $1.25 box of Cheerios not only paid for itself but also left an extra $8.75 to use on the next set of groceries.

As I reveled in the prize winnings, my thoughts turned to this scripture (see verses 20–24). I couldn’t help but think about how often we do our part to pay $1.25, metaphorically speaking, to do a good deed, and immediately God blesses us with $10 in return. Sometimes we may not see that $10, but we can trust it’s there—likely deposited into a bank account of blessings we’ll need during a hard road coming in the future. Other times, we get to witness the blessings immediately when a $10 cash card greets us unexpectedly. It seems all too unfair to receive $10 when we only paid $1.25, but I’m appreciative for that beauty of God’s love and mercy. I’m grateful for the $10 cash cards I receive from Him and from the incredible people who bless my life and have made me a billionaire $10 at a time.

Posted in Individual Worth, People, Perspective, Relationships | 132 Comments »