The Power of Connection (aka The Moxie Adventure)

We grow up, we move, we buy houses and dogs we get jobs and yet somehow we are all still never that far away from those people we knew when we were kids....new connections lead to an old friend and sometimes and old connection helps us out when we least expect it.

Yesterday I was early to a meeting so while checking Facebook mobile I noticed a post from one of my closest friends that his German Sheppard, Moxie, has been lost since the early AM hours. So I send a text to see how they (him and his wife) were doing. Since I no longer live in the same town I can only offer moral support, and I figured they (as typical "animal parents") were freaking out.

They had already been searching for several hours and were pretty worried at this point. In fact they had started canvasing with fliers and posting wherever people would let them. Facebook posts, fliers, driving around the neighborhood....I could almost feel the strain and yet I can't imagine the worry. Losing something you love is painful.

So running low on fliers my friends wife posts one lone flier on one side of a gas station pump (stay with me, here is the fun part)...a woman running low on gas happens to use that ONE pump an hour or so later....it just HAPPENS to be an old grade school classmate of my friend...it just HAPPENS that she had seen a German Sheppard a few hours before....she recognizes my friends name and calls the number....Gives them a general area to look.

It just HAPPENS that this woman lives close to my friend (neither of them knew that), and now that they have an area to search in they have a new hope.....so the search continues... A group of men are working on a house there and HAPPEN to have seen the dog, another sighting....more hope and now as I am hearing the story I can almost taste the anticipation.

Whistling and walking my friend and his wife hit a dirt road with an open field and in what I can only imaging is a movie like reunion.....Moxie, the lost German Sheppard, comes racing out of the field to meet her grateful parents!

When we grow up we move, we get jobs and dogs and tend to forget those we left in our past, when you think that you may never see someone you went to grade school again and you dismiss them...remember Moxie. You really never know when or how your connections will come to your aid or when a simple phone call you make could help someone out in such a big way. You just never know what will HAPPEN!!

Walk a Mile in THESE Shoes.

A good friend of mine introduced me to a very cool company doing a fairly unique thing....giving back as PART of their business! Lots of organizations have become altruistic in some sense and nearly all want to look like they are doing something for the betterment of the world but its unique to see one that is simply incorporating that into how they do business.

Toms Shoes is doing exactly that. When you buy anything from them they give a pair of shoes to a child in need. Think about how simple that is, buy a pair...and they give a pair! Even though they have only been in business since May of 2006 they gave away 200,000 pairs of shoes to kids in need in 2008!

I love to see companies like Toms Shoes, doing so much for so many by making it part of their everyday business.

This organization is not one of those trying to look like its doing something, it really is creating real change for kids all around the globe, my hats off to Tom!

What Can You Change?

Take 6 minutes out of your life, take a look at this video and ask yourself one simple question...

What can you do to make an impact (its always easier than you may think)?



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The Right Foot

Not too long ago I felt like the first one to the office was going to be the most respected. So the morning routine would be fairly rushed; get up as early as possible (as a night owl that means not much sleep), get ready as quickly as possible and get to work (usually by 7am)....yes as quickly as possible. I have heard it said that starting your day off on the "right foot" was critical to being happy, never gave it much thought though. But I was already happy....wasn't I?!

If you noticed there was a pretty large void in my routine , there was no conversation, no breakfast of any kind, no devotion time, no newspaper or book, no news ingested by any method, nothing really of any significance or more importantly no thought of mental or physical health. But I was climbing the corporate ladder....wasn't I?!

Fast forward.... new routine; a small workout (push ups, leg lifts, crunches) as soon as the covers are off, prayer time or devotion (most mornings) followed shortly by healthy breakfast and some news (web or mobile mostly). Still a little shy on morning conversation but I assume that will be cured when someone is around for me to converse with. I still manage to be working in whatever capacity most days before many people have even grabbed their morning Starbucks!

All I can offer is the old adage of starting your day off on the "right foot" could not be more true! The morning is where the tempo is set, your energy and focus have a hard time catching up if you aren't getting them stretched out in the AM.

So tomorrow....get on your good foot!