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Musings

The Two Things I Want For My Birthday

by Margie Clayman

If you know me even a little, you know that I am distinctly bad at asking for pretty much anything. However, there’s one day a year when I feel kind of ok about asking for something, and that’s the anniversary of my birth. Hey, that’s tomorrow! So, without much further adieu, thing 1 and thing 2.

The make-good

On September 4, 2011, a much beloved man, Trey Pennington, took his own life. Trey was a well-known person in the online world, but what got my attention was that everyone I respected and liked adored him. I don’t think I ever heard anyone say anything bad about Trey, and in these parts, that’s pretty spectacular.

Unfortunately, for all he gave to the online world, the hours and days after Trey’s death were, in many ways, a showcase of the worst facets of social media. Trey’s friends and family were trolled. People wrote blog posts, put together all sorts of things, all just to use the tragedy and Trey’s name to get attention for themselves.

For a year, I’ve been trying to figure out how this wrong could be undone – how Trey’s memory could be honored, how his friends and family might feel that the world of social media is not a bad place after all. As it happens, there is a way, and this is where favor 1 comes in.

Trey left behind 6 children. I didn’t know Trey personally (most unfortunately)  but from the posts I read, and in listening to people talk about him, I know his children were the light of his life. Well, his children need help. There is a fund to help Trey’s children, and the best birthday present I could get would be to see the number in that fund climb climb climb. Every little bit helps. It seems like the perfect way to try to add a silver lining to what otherwise is a most tragic situation. It’s quick. It’s easy. I donated tonight. Will you click here and either donate or spread the word?

The Pressure Play

The second thing I ask is a more complicated tale. It is the story of Colin Bower and his 2 sons. Colin’s sons were kidnapped by his wife and taken to Egypt, and he has not been able to get them back for three years now. Please take a second to “like” Colin’s page on Facebook and keep track of what we can do to help. Few things are more painful than seeing Colin’s messages to his sons that he can only hope they see or hear about. It’s high time those boys got home.

So, that’s it. Those are the 2 things I want for my birthday. I want to help the children of a lost father and I want to help the father of missing children. I think we can make both of those things happen, and that would be one heck of a way to start my newest year of life.

If you have any questions, let me know. And thank you!!!

Image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cityhunter12/596426024/ via Creative Commons

Filed Under: Musings

100 People Who Don’t Get Enough Credit Online

by Margie Clayman

I’ve been trying to keep my mouth shut over the last year or so as list after list comes out that just doesn’t make sense. I’ve seen lists of the most ten influential “philanthropists” that may only include one person who is truly focused on philanthropy on a regular basis, for example. This is suspicious. It’s not to say that the people who tend to make lists aren’t great. However, incorporating big names onto every list that comes around becomes more about link or comment bait and less about actually paying tribute to people.

Last week, a list of the 100 top marketing minds online came before my eyes, and while there were a lot of names I didn’t recognize on there, there were also all of the same names you see on every list, including at least one person who has pointedly said they don’t even like marketing. This was the last straw.Instead of just complaining that deserving people aren’t getting enough credit, I’ve decided to do something about it. I’ve compiled my own list of 100 people who do great things who don’t get nearly enough credit. I am proud to know every single one of these people – so much so that I’ve said 3 good things about all of them. I hope you enjoy!

Philanthropy/Cause Work

1. Estrella Rosenberg (@CharityEstrella) – Founder of Big Love Little Hearts, a ray of sunshine, an inspiration

2. Marc Pitman (@marcapitman) – fundraising coach, bow tie wearer, great guy

3. Angela Daffron (@angeladaffron) – founder of Jodi’s Voice, resilient, kind

4. Molly Cantrell-Kraig (@mckra1g) – founder of Women with Drive, social connector, brilliant writer

5. Ifdy Perez (@ifdyperez) – Amazing editor-in-chief, Razoo master mind, wonderful sense of humor

6. John Haydon (@johnhaydon) – author of Facebook for Dummies, Proponent of social media for NPOs, brilliant blogger

7. Joe Waters (@joewaters) – founder of Selfish Giving, Passionate Red Sox fan, smart as a whip

8. Stacey Monk (@staceymonk) – founder of Epic Change, energy burst, another inspiration

9. Mark Horvath (@hardlynormal) – founder of InvisiblePeople.TV, constant supporter of the homeless, amazing man

10. Jennifer Windrum (@wtflungcancer) – founder of WTFLungCancer (Where’s the Funding), brave woman, strong heart

11. Lauren Meling (@RefugeeDayUSA) – Works on the Blue Key Champions initiative, excellent organizer, passionate worker

Great Minds in Marketing and PR

12. Gini Dietrich (@ginidietrich) – Hardest worker I know, always smiling, admirable woman

13. Shelly Kramer (@shellykramer) – Brilliant writer, amazing sense of humor, neverending kindness

14. Karima-Catherine Goundiam (@karimacatherine) –  chat leader, good question-asker, not afraid to speak her mind!

15. Dawn Westerberg (@dwesterberg) – B2B Master, warm-hearted, strong marketing sense

16. Jeanette Baer (@myagenda) – #usguys community chief, brilliant marketer, amazing friend

17. Michele Price (@prosperitygal) – #speakchat founder, fiery passion, fast-paced thinking *always*

18. Joseph Ruiz (@smsjoe) – co-leader of #usguyschat, social networker, mobile master

19. Fred McClimans (@fredmcclimans) – one of the smartest people I know, great sense of humor, encourages new thinking

20. Alan Berkson (@berkson0) – founder of the Intelligist Group, constant chat contributor, 360 degree thinker

21. Jason Sokol (@jwsokol) – great story-teller, fitness nut, avid and perceptive reader

22. Sam Fiorella (@samfiorella) – founder of #bizforum, perfectly dry sense of humor, pretty smart dude

23. Jeff Wilson (@jeffthesensei) – founder of Sensei Marketing, warm heart, sharp as a tack

24. Geoff Livingston (@geoffliving) – co-author of Marketing in the Round, master photographer, one of my great mentors

25. Brandie McCallum (@lttlewys) – community manager at Sensei Marketing & SeeSaw, infectious personality, great connector

26. Chris Young (@chris_eh_young) – up and coming musician, brilliant man, great speaker

27. Danny Brown (@dannybrown) – speaks his mind, brilliant blogger, VP Partner Strategy at Jugnoo

28. Jayme Soulati (@soulati) – PR Maven, charismatic in the best way possible, brilliant mind

29. Judi Samuels (@chieflemonhead) – wonderful chat contributor, sharp as a tack, warm personality

30. Sherree Worrell (@Sherree_W) – On top of the latest trends, wonderful to talk to, amazing writer

31. Linday Bell (@belllindsay) – Fast wit, strong writer, always hilarious sense of humor

32. Liva Judic (@merrybubbles) – Current project: Overblog. Kind-hearted, multi-lingual genius.

33. Ric Dragon (@ricdragon) – author of Social Marketology, wearer of scarves, one of the kinder people you’ll meet online

34. Laura Click (@lauraclick) – founder of Blue Kite Marketing, marathon master, excellent writer

35. Kaarina Dillabough (@kdillabough) – supportive of everyone she knows, engaging writer, excellent photographer

36. Sean McGinnis (@seanmcginnis) – great speaker, SEO master, does everything and does it well

37. Heidi Cohen (@heidicohen) – Master of actionable marketing, knitter, energetic chat participant

38. Olivier Blanchard (@thebrandbuilder) – author of Social Media ROI, branding weapon, also a multi-lingual genius

39. Jason Konopinski (@jasonkonopinski) – focuses on the creative, fun writer, great storyteller

40. Shonali Burke (@shonali) – Fitness nut, cooking master, founder of #measurepr

41. Michael Brito (@britopian) – SVP of social planning at Edelman, outstanding blogger, brilliant mind

42. Dave Van de Walle (@area224) – founder of Area 224 consulting, the New Frugality blog, and well-versed music lover

43. David Armano (@armano) – EVP at Edelman, co-founder of #allhat, brilliant blogger

44. John Boyle (@brandflair) – Proud Dell employee, proud Texan, smarts with a healthy dose of fun

45. Jean-Paul De Clerck (@conversionation) – founder of #fusionmex & #iscoop, innovative, yet another multi-lingual genius

46. Jillian Jackson (@onejillian) – SEO expert with Dragon Search, funny as all get-out, a great friend

47. Bobby Rettew (@bobbyretew) – storyteller, photographer, videographer

48. Jill Manty (@mantywebdesigns) – co-founder of Manty Web Designs, amazing confidante, smart about all things

49. Aaron Biebert (@biebert) – founder of Attention Era Media, videographer, 8PM Warrior!

50. Tommy Walker (@tommyismyname) – Facebook expert, video master, motivational

51. Brian Vickery (@dbvickery) – tennis champion, writer of smart sports analogies, principal at Mantis

52. Amy Tobin (@amymcctobin) – founder, Ariel Marketing, Milton Hershey School supporter, great sense of humor

53. Ken Mueller (@kmueller62) – Inkling Media, Razoo blogger, supporter of great causes

54. Douglas Rice (@douglaserice) – storyteller, fellow Buckeye, excellent speaker

55. Stacey Hood (@staceyhood) – killer sense of humor, thorn in Sam Fiorella’s side, powerful brain

56. Lisa Alexander (@lisanalexander) – The Marketing Stylist™, powerful pastor, one of my first online friends

57. Arié Moyal (@amoyal) – dark sense of humor, founder of Hug Train, smart, smart dude

58. Susie Parker (@susie_parker) – founder of Sparker Strategy, wonderful social connector, eloquent communicator

59. Amber Naslund (@ambercadabra) – co-founder of Sidera Works, brilliant writer, 2012 TedX speaker

Education Gurus

60. Mark Babbitt (@youternmark) – Founder of YouTern, founder of #internprochat, a man to look up to

61. Ellen Bremen (@chattyprof) – author of Say This Not That to Your Professor, runner, has *great* taste in TV shows

62. Kenna Griffin (@profkrg) – grammar ninja, loves her shoes, so very fun to talk to

63. Chanelle Schneider (@writerchanelle) – founder of #genychat, proponent for young people, powerful writer

People in whom I find inspiration

64. Lisa Petrilli (@lisapetrilli) – Emanates warmth, author of The Introvert’s Guide to Success in Biz & Leadership, dancer

65. Sam Parrotto (@samparrotto) – #usguys leader, spiritual mentor, wise soul

66. Anne Reuss (@annereuss) – engaging personality, brilliant mind, highlighting issues facing the deaf in the job market

67. Steve Woodruff (@swoodruff) – inspirational work in Haiti, leadership expert, sharp mind

68. Danny Garcia (@dannybuntu) – never gives up, one of the hardest workers I know, great father

69. Sumner Musolf (@sumnermusolf) – always a kind word, constant supporter, looks on the bright side

70. Libby Sweiger (@libbytalks) – founder of Living Above the Madness, uses experiences to help others, shining light

71. Angela Maiers (@angelamaiers ) – creator of the #youmatter message, powerful speaker, warm soul

72. Jure Klepic (@jkcallas) – brilliant man, literally seems to know everybody, supportive of all he knows

73. John Feskorn (@johnfeskorn) – #usguys member, looks on the bright side, caring citizen of the online world

74. Dave Reynolds (@thedavereynolds) – Music master, #usguys core member, supporter of the Campbell River Food Bank

75. David McGraw (@davidmcgraw) – #usguys member, positive thinker, great social connector

76. Bill Dorman (@bdorman264) – brilliant writer, great running coach, helps kids stay safe and protected in court cases

77. Claudia Scimeca (@socialmediadds) – inspirational lady, teaches dentists how to use social media, great friend

78. John Falchetto (@johnfalchetto) – life coach, no nonsense advice, supportive of all around him

79. Ameena Falchetto (@ameenafalchetto) – creative designer, excellent writer, mixes marketing and life wisdom

80. Susan Fox (@gagasgarden) – rose wizard, always kind, persevered through a tough injury and a big move

Customer Service Specialists

81. Roy Atkinson (@royatkinson) – master of the one line quip, #custserv greeter, loyal friend

82. Kate Nasser (@katenasser) – Customer service expert, excellent blogger, brilliant woman

83. Tristan Bishop (@knowledgebishop) – motivational mentor, mad rapper, wise man

84. Greg Ortbach (@gregortbach) – fun video-maker, #usguys member, #custserv regular contributor

85. Marsha Collier (@marshacollier) – supportive beyond measure, co-founder of #custserv, prolific author

86. Jeffrey J. Kingman (@jeffreyjkingman) – co-founder of #custserv, culinary nut, smart at everything!

Social Media Smarties

87. Jim Dougherty (@leaderswest) – Engaging community member, funny as heck, excellent, actionable blog posts

88. Tony Bennet (@sociallygenius) – Constant supporter of others, amazing photographer, wicked sense of humor

89. Sarah Arrow (@saraharrow) – savvy business woman, brilliant blogger, engaging communicator

90. Taariq Lewis (@taariqlewis) – engaging #usguys member, brilliant thinker, always ahead of the curve

91. Anne Saulovich (@solete) – original #usguys member, supportive of all around her, on top of every new online development

92. Nick Kellet (@nickkellet) – co-founder of Listly, caring friend, tremendously smart

93. Deep Soni (@xDeepS) – founder of Essence Labs, amazing web designer, excellent social media observer

94. Lisa Gerber (@lisagerber) – chief content officer at SpinSucks, deals with the general public, is always accessible!

95. Allen Mireles (@allenmireles) – fellow Buckeye, gentle soul, succinctly communicates all that she knows

96. Stanford Smith (@pushingsocial) – Master of blogging, newly minted official runner, motivational writer

97. Judy Dunn (@judyleedunn) – Blogging expert, upcoming author, knows how to engage online effectively

98. Raúl Colon (@rj_c) – founder of CIMAPR and #papasheroes, wonderful friend, shining the light on Puerto Rico

99. Tom Webster (webby2001) – VP of strategy at Edison Research, co-founder of The Social Habit, amazing speaker

100. Kat Caverly (@katcaverly) – passionate supporter of copyright laws, actress, fearless online

Now…who did I miss?

1st image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ivanlian/3284988776 via Creative Commons

2nd image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/intersectionconsulting/3542116767/ via Creative Commons

3rd image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jaydubyasee/2771719958/ via Creative Commons

4th image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/stephee/133745413/ via Creative Commons

Filed Under: Musings

I’ve Been Doing It Wrong

by Margie Clayman

Back in late 2010, I decided I’d dip my little pinky toe into social media. I’d been reading about Twitter and blogging for about two years at that point and our clients were starting to ask questions. I wanted to be able to answer any questions regarding social media with experience rather than conjecture, so I jumped in. I started with a Twitter account called Clayad and a blog called Ladybug Notes.

From the start, I was clear in my head that I was doing all of this for our company – Clayman Advertising, but my actions got ahead of my head. I didn’t come to Twitter with a clear follow strategy, for example. I participated in chats that were great and I met a lot of people – many of them other marketers. My blog posts have ranged from politics to marketing to personal and everything in between.

And I’ll admit, I fell into the social media trap. The sparkle of being on lists caught me pretty early on, for example. As my number of Twitter followers climbed past 100, then further, I started to think, “Hmm, well this is kind of unexpected and nice.” I started to do things that were much more about building me up versus learning on behalf of our clients or building our own company up. It’s an easy mistake to make, I think. It’s also, I hope, somewhat easy to remedy.

This is not to say I have any regrets. Had I not done things the way I did, I’d be short many great friends I have met over the last few years – and I intend to cling to you like jelly clings to peanut butter. But my social media presence must shift away from me and back to where it should have been all along.

To that end, I’m going to be putting this blog on hiatus for now. I don’t intend on destroying it, even if I don’t write here for a year. I have put too much work into this baby to just delete it! And I may come back from time to time. But for now, it doesn’t fit with what I need to do and where I need to spend my time.

If you are interested in keeping in touch, I’ll be writing at our agency blog – here – three times a week. I’ll be writing three times a month for Razoo about social good. I’ll be writing once a month over at Carol Roth’s blog. I’m also going to be trying to beef up my Linkedin presence here and of course you can find me on Twitter here. We also have an agency Facebook page where we can chat about various and sundry things – you can find that here.

If you’re not interested in following me to any of those places, then I wish you well. I’m sure we’ll meet again. For all of its appearances, the world, offline and online, is actually quite small.

Thanks for stopping by – I’ll see ya on the flip side.

Image Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/peterkaminski/5122382/ via Creative Commons

Filed Under: Musings

My 100-Item Bucket List

by Margie Clayman

So I’ve been thinking about this ever since Geoff Livingston published his list of 101 things he wants to do before he dies. Then Jayme Soulati published a list of 20 things and Gini Dietrich published a list of 10. Well, I’m somewhere in the middle – sort of. I thought I’d come up with a list of 100. So here we go.

1. Get a puppy (hypo-allergenic please)

2. Get a house (hypo-allergenic please)

3. See London

4. See Paris

5. See Rome

6. Tour Italy in general – I’d love to see Florence, Venice..all of those ancient cities

7. See Eddie Izzard live – before he gets too old or senile

8. See Louis CK live – my brother has done this 4 times now I think. I should get one roll, right?

9. See Neil Young live

10. See Elvis Costello live

11. Run a marathon (even still)

12. Adopt a kid or 3

13. Learn French

14. Brush up on my Spanish

15. Learn some new language – Chinese maybe

16. Attend a rally of great magnitude for a cause in which I believe

17. Start an NPO

18. Learn how to quilt

19. Write a book about something historical

20. Travel the Lewis & Clark trail

21. Visit the Shiloh Battlefield

22. Meet you in person if I haven’t already

23. See a Broadway show

24. Start my stand-up comedian career (I have the name already – Yes I’m Really Standing)

25. Tour Scandinavia

26. Take a cruise – just so I can say I did. A trip around the Bahamas would be ok.

27. Visit New Zealand and take a hobbit tour

28. Visit Australia – as much of it as possible

29. Tour Scotland

30. Try to find my ancestral home in Ireland

31. Try to find my ancestors in Russia

32. Buy a whole new wardrobe

33. Knit a sweater (so scary)

34. Speak at a conference that is big and illustrious

35. Meet Johnny Depp

36. Meet Paul Rudd

37. Go to California, specifically San Francisco

38. See the Grand Canyon

39. Visit the Black Hills

40. Try to track down my Cherokee ancestors

41. Visit Savannah, Georgia

42. Get a seaside condo – somewhere. And post as many pictures as I can

43. Learn how to cook lamb chops – really. This intimidates the heck out of me

44. Learn how to make sushi (see above)

45. Achieve my goal weight of 80 pounds (hopefully this happens long before I cease to exist. I’d like to enjoy it.

46. Swim in the Mediterranean

47. Swim in the Caribbean

48. Learn how to use a sewing machine without breaking it (major hurdle)

49. Visit the Alamo

50. Visit New York City – the outskirts mainly

51. Visit Montreal (so close and yet so far)

52. Visit Kauai

53. Hike part of the Appalachian Trail

54. Camp on a Civil War battlefield

55. Watch a Civil War reenactment (hi – dork)

56. Get an article published based on my Master’s thesis – I still believe in Phillis Wheatley

57. Earn my doctorate in history

58. Earn an MBA

59. Boost our company into worldwide reknown

60. Get a tattoo – not sure of what or where

61. Become an efficient bicyclist

62. Watch Wimbledon live and in person

63. Find my second grade love and reconnect

64. Go on an African safari (Before the animals all are gone)

65. Visit the rainforest

66. See the remains of the Incas in Peru

67. Do a Yoga handstand thingy – (one could add – learn the name of it)

68. Visit Mozart in Austria

69. Tour the Vatican

70. Tour Israel (if things ever calm down there)

71. See Mozart’s Requiem performed live

72. Sing in a choir that does gospel music

73. Go to the Rhinebeck Yarn & Fiber festival

74. Learn how to spin yarn properly

75. Grow my own food (Plant matter – not sure I could kill and prep an animal. I know my limits)

76. Learn how to make bread

77. Make a great big Thanksgiving turkey dinner rivaling my mom & grandma

78. Learn how to make pies

79. See a concert at Carnegie Hall

80. Visit the Holocaust Museum in DC – it will be difficult but it must be done

81. See Ground Zero in NYC – see above

82. See the Jon Stewart & Steve Colbert shows live

83. Have a giant party where I get to enjoy as many of my friends and family as possible

84. Find that super special dude who wants to put up with me for the rest of his life

85. Visit Spain – Barcelona, Madrid, Salamanca

86. Visit Anne Frank’s House and the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam

87. See Hamburg and Berlin

88. Go on a huge canoe trip (hopefully someone else wants to do most of the rowing)

89. Visit Seattle

90. Make a life-changing impact for the better on a person

91. Travel with Doctors Without Borders to help in a catastrophe

92. Encourage other women to join the business world

93. Travel cross-country on a train

94. See the Laura Ingalls Wilder museum in Missouri (I think)

95. Visit Monticello

96. See Oxford and Cambridge for myself

97. Tour Athens

98. Read all of Shelby Foote’s books

99. Guest teach a class or five

100. Help someone else’s big wish come true

Now it’s your turn 🙂

Image Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/davekentuk/3467892348/ via Creative Commons

Filed Under: Musings

I wonder what your basis for comparison is

by Margie Clayman

Have you ever watched Jim Henson’s The Labyrinth before? It’s the one starring David Bowie wearing pants that are distractingly too tight. And white. Ehem. Anyway…throughout the movie, a very young, very whiny Jennifer Connelly repeats the phrase, “It’s not fair!” Towards the end of the movie, David Bowie, the goblin king Jareth, retorts, “You say that so often. I wonder what your basis for comparison is.”

We are often admonished not to compare ourselves to other people. We’re all on our own journey, etc etc. But sometimes I think comparisons can be helpful and even healthy, at least in terms of keeping things in perspective. You might not feel it’s fair that you have a job that you don’t like, but then there are folks who would gladly do any job just to get some security for their families. In turn, there are people who look at what those people have and they might think, “It’s not fair I live in a place where I’m not allowed to work.” Someone who is facing a terrible illness may look at all of you and say, “Gee, at least you all have your health.”

Everything is relative.

This is not to say that we shouldn’t feel mad or sad on occasion. Sometimes things happen that really do seem unfair. Whether they are fair or unfair from the perspective of other people hardly matters. And anyway, we have only the cards we’re dealt. We can’t worry about every other person on the planet every day. I get that.

However, I would posit that some of us, like Sarah from The Labyrinth, call “unfair” more often than perhaps we should. If you hear those words coming out of your mouth or coming into your head on a regular basis, infuse a little Jareth into your sub-conscience. Er, in a healthy way, of course. Ask yourself what your basis for comparison is. Is your situation unfair compared to someone you don’t really know? Well, you might not know the whole story there. Is your story unfair compared to that person you just passed on the street? Maybe not.

Truthfully, I don’t really believe in “fair” and “unfair” unless a person acts as the murderer did in Colorado. When your life is impacted by the random and cruel behavior of others, that’s not fair. But generally speaking, fair and unfair is about perspective. I think “fair” comes form a feeling of entitlement. Sarah felt entitled to make it through the labyrinth quickly and easily and when obstacles stood in her way, she cried foul. When we don’t get what we want, we similarly pout. That doesn’t really do much though. Whether it’s fair or not, it is what it is. Giving it a name will not change it. A rose by any other name…

So don’t worry about fair or unfair. Worry about what you can do to improve things you don’t like. Work hard. I think that’s fair. Don’t you?

Image Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sylvrilyn/2559737916/ via Creative Commons

Filed Under: Musings

Just say it already

by Margie Clayman

This past Saturday night, my family and I watched the American Classics special on Johnny Carson. It was a pretty riveting tale. As it turns out, Carson was the ultimate clown with sadness to hide. For most of the documentary, Carson’s mother, Ruth, was pitted as the core of all of his problems. When he was a child, Ruth showed a visible preference for her daughter. As Carson achieved one amazing thing after another, his mother remained unmoved. In an interview with a magazine, after watching one of Johnny’s monologues, Ruth said, “That wasn’t funny,” then got up and left. When he won a major award for all of his achievements in television he called her and all she said was, “Well, I guess they know what they’re doing.” Biographers interviewed for the documentary said Johnny may have womanized because he was looking for some kind of female approval in the absence of his mother’s support.

Then, towards the end of the documentary, Ruth’s death was discussed. As her possessions were being sorted, a box was found that contained newspaper and magazine clippings dating all the way to the beginning of Johnny’s career. It was noted that Johnny kept that box for the rest of his life.

This story infuriated me. All that time, Ruth Carson couldn’t bring herself to offer any positive word to her son. She must have known how much he craved it. Forget about saying she was proud of him – she couldn’t even say congratulations. All that time, when a kind word from her would have meant so much, she held back.

Would Johnny Carson’s life have been totally different if he had gotten positive reinforcement from his mom? I kind of doubt it, but I bet he would have been at least a bit more content.

I think we often assume that people just know stuff. People KNOW we love them. People KNOW we think they did a great job. People KNOW that if we offer criticism it’s only for their own good. Right? I mean, you’ve gotta know I care. It’s obvious, isn’t it?

Here’s a challenge for you for today, and I want to hear how it goes. I want you to tell one person something you THINK they know but that you’ve never actually said to them. Have you admired the way they dress for a long time? Do you admire their smarts? Do you think they did a great job leading a project? Do you love them? Just go ahead and say it. If you’re so certain they know already, it can’t do any harm, right? On the other hand, if they might not know, you could make a huge difference in their day. Heck – you could make a huge difference in their life.

That’s worth a small verbalized statement, don’t you think?

Image Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lovelornpoets/6214449310/ via Creative Commons

Filed Under: Musings

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