Write Your Own Happy 2017 Story

I've been mentally working on, well, thinking about, how I'd like to write a book.  I just haven't really gotten it all straight in my head how to do it.  My friend Phil Geryshak once told me to just write something every day ....  ah, a task easier said than done. Nevertheless, I'll keep working at it.

Tonight, my daughter shared a post that I think I'll also use to up my writing ante...  it seems fun and inspiring, and hopefully, it won't fall to the wayside as old school New Year's resolutions. I thought it is so good, I should share with everyone, even though this is not my original idea. The concept is simple and easy.  Start with an empty jar and a small pad of mini note sized papers...  maybe even colored 3" x 5" cards... colored will make the end result more joyful!

The goal might be to write something "good" every week or more often if you wish...  in the end, you will see what a "good" year you actually did enjoy.

It's so very easy to get caught up in the drama, the negative or the unhappy.  I urge you to ensure you are nothing but positive and good in your mini stories.  No blah, no woe is me, only positive and good.  What fun it might be to use those notes to write your own "My Good Life" blog in 2018.  Please, please, please... share your stories with me, let's change the world for the good in 2017.

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Merry Christmas, with a Touch of Old School

This has not been the easiest of Christmas seasons for me, the Christmas spirit never seemed to break through and bring in the joy and happiness of the season.  I've tried, nothing worked.  Whatever your faith and beliefs are, I did use to go to church.  For a very long time, I have fallen off the wagon so to speak, and perhaps, that has something to do with the declining mental state and life turmoil.  I'm sure it is not the entire cause, but, I'm also sure it has played a role.  A little after 11:00 pm tonight, after all others in this household had long ago gone to bed, I was searching for a church online with a midnight Christmas service.  Don't they do that anymore?  In any case, I did not find one close enough to go to, but I did catch some semblance of what I was looking for on TV of all places.

I finished wrapping gifts I had gotten.  I won't go into the details, but I think part of my issue with Christmas, gift giving, and how we do things today, is that I don't like the way it is done... it is not personal or with feelings at all, at least in my humble opinion.  Meaning no disrespect to how you or anyone else celebrates, I'm just not a fan of how disrespectful, impatient, and the lack of love in the world today.  Maybe it is just me.

I remind myself all the time of the teaching I have received of some of the best teachers in the world on personal development.  I remember times in the past where I would wish or pray for things "as I wanted the", or thought they should be.  Maybe that was not always the same as God had things planned, or in his timeframe.  I first heard it from Jim Rohn, he said: "don't wish for life to be easier, wish that I were better".  I keep trying and that is what keeps me going.  The tension in my shoulders is getting unbearable, I need to get a lot better, soon!

So at some time this side of midnight, Christmas Day 2016, I got a little bit of Christmas spirit.  I went in and spruced up the 3 trees we have (down from 17 last year) only because my wife came home for a few weeks and wanted a tree and my son Tyler came home from his job in Florida, and he has the decorator touch, wanted one too.  They all decorated a few days ago, I had little involvement, no spirit or desire.  Tonight, I finished them to look like the amazing trees we use to have.  I'm hoping, when the Carol and the 3 boys awake and come down in the morning, they will enjoy them.  I know I like them a whole lot now and am really missing all that was wasted this year with my lack of motivation....  what a waste.

It reminds me of the stories I remember that back in the day, even before the time when I was a kid, kids would go to bed at night on Christmas Eve in anticipation of Santa coming.  Santa would bring a tree, decorate it and leave a few present for the good boys and girls.  That may have happened when I was young, I just don't remember.  I do remember waking up about 3:00 am, finding that Santa had been there and waking my sisters up (or they woke me up)...  we'd finally wake my parents about 4:00 am to open presents.  Never knew why they didn't get much sleep.

So, here I am at 3:07 am, the trees are finished, Santa has arrived, things are more or less cleaned up and it's time to catch a few winks.  Merry Christmas to each and everyone that may read this... I'm hoping your Christmas is a special day in your heart and that the New Year will bring forth your wishes, desires, and lots of happiness.

Never forget, the reason for the season is the birth of Jesus, first and foremost, however you celebrate it.

My main trees grouping, 2016

My kids 2016

Wishing you a Very Merry Christmas

In this season of celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, it is also time to reflect upon our own lives. I have never felt so alone and at such a loss for the Christmas spirit than I am this year and tonight.  With so many blessings around, it seems impossible, but I am in such a void.  I want you to never suffer the pain, life is too short for the drama, complaining, the me, me, me attitudes and not really carrying about others.

I love my kids, grandkids, and others, but feel at a loss for the ability to do anything for them that makes any difference.  Nothing seems to matter or make a difference.  I seek prayers and caring.  Give of yourself to others, that is all that matters.  Someone out there cares and is in need to be a part of something bigger than themselves, I will find them.

My children, whom I was able to spend part of Christmas Eve with

Give someone a hug, and mean it....

It's All Pretty SImple

There are two simple truths that we all could live by.  Doing so would certainly make the world around us better, especially our relationships with others.  The first was taught to me by my Dad.  Looking back I'd have to say he was a well intentioned, telephone construction business owner - he built and managed the infrastructure....  the poles, the cables, and such.  He made sure I understood that when you do a job, do it right the first time.  You don't get paid to go back and do it right the second time.

Think about that from a business owners perspective.  As a business owner, when you are paid to do a job and it is not done correctly, completely or with low quality....  what's the outcome?  A dissatisfied customer.  You need to go back and fix whatever was not done right the first time...  or finish what didn't get done...  for to fix the low-quality work (have you seen Scott and Amie Yancy on "Flipping Vegas" do a house walk through with a roll of blue tape?). The business owner doesn't get to charge more, or to get paid again, but the cost of rework are an unnecessary expense that just doesn't need to happen.  Have pride in your work and do it right the first time.

From an employees point of view, some may be thinking, what do you care?  You get more hours, you get paid for more hours (presuming it was an hourly job).  Why should you care?  The answer is simple, you are paid what you are worth, not what you need.  Just because you hand cups of coffee out a window or taking fast food orders, doesn't mean you are worth $15 per hour.  Get educated to do something that has more value.  Obviously, we have found that order taking can be automated...  learn to install or repair that equipment.  I once had a person working for me that did nothing but bitch and complain about anything and everything.  The person was capable of doing some things extremely well, but when they didn't feel like doing what I wanted, they found excuses, did horrible work and honestly, most customers did not want to have to work with the person.  Despite the fact I believe they were really being paid much more than the value added to the business, they made pretty good money nevertheless.  The problem arose when there were opportunities for advancement or special high profile task - why were they never chosen?  Why didn't they get bonuses?  Why?  They didn't fulfill the opportunity the job presented right, the first time and every time.  If you want to move up: earn it, prove it. and make your employer be your absolute best customer.

This leads me to the second truth.  A person I consider a great friend and mentor (and yes, mentors can be younger than you are) turned me on to books and reading.  Self-improvement, leadership, and management books to be exact.  I'd like to think I was a good guy to work for, perhaps too soft at times, perhaps not opened eyed enough at times, but always, caring for those that worked for me.  I always stood in front of them and protected them.  However, there is always more to learn and ways to improve.  The second truth is when you take care of others, they will take care of you.  Don't read that only on the surface, read and think deep.

One of the many books I refer to in my lifelong learning process is "The Purple Cow" by Seth Godin.  While not my favorite book, it begins right away with the second truth, in not so many words.  Please get the book and read the first chapter for the details.  It led me to the making of purple cow lapel pins to give to truly extraordinary people.  What's an extraordinary person?  A person that does their job or performs their actions in such a way that people remember how good they are.  It's easy to remember those who are a pain in the keester, but, what name comes right to mind when you think of someone extraordinary?  They just might be a member of my purple cow club.  They do what they do in such a way it makes you smile.  Just as if you had seen a purple cow grazing in the pastures of France as you drove through the countryside many years ago ...  you'd still be talking about how extraordinary that was.

I recently gave Pam Willette a purple cow pin, she is truly an amazing person and an important part of the Scentsy family.  I've got a pin with Cait's name on it from Dunkin Donuts, Ludlow, MA - she should be a customer service trainer for Dunkin to teach other that work the window how to be as extraordinary as she is.

If we all stopped complaining (especially when others do things differently than you would have) and starting giving more than they take...  and became extraordinary in all we do, I think we'd all feel a whole lot better about ourselves.  If you have people in your life that can't do that, maybe we should start seeking out those we should be connecting with.

My best

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Never, ever, forget how amazing you are and can be!

Doing the Little Things

Something must be sinking in. 

As I walked to the far ends of the WalMart parking lot and unloaded the few things I purchased, I found myself looking for a place to leave the cart ... then I was immediately reminded of listening to a Joel Osteen Podcast when he was telling the story of how Joyce Meyer for the longest time fought with the notion of returning shopping carts back to a cart corral rather than leaving them stranded in parking lots. It's all about doing even the little things that seem to have little significance, every time.  It does that work.

Change does not happen until change happens ... I walked half way back to the store to return the cart to where it should be left. I will get back to being a better me, the me that people liked, the me that I liked.  as I was.

Go and start doing the little things.

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Check out my Scentsy Web store at http://DanGreeley.Scentsy.us

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Never, ever, forget how amazing you are and can be!

A Renewal

the look of how I feel

In the past, I have always been a guy that has tried to do the right thing, to help others and to move forward and upward in whatever I do.  For the past several years, I have not even felt close to that feeling.  I feel overwhelmed, unhappy, living in a changing world that is not changing for the better, in my humble opinion.  I have not been able to do anything about it.

Was I always successful?  No.  Did I make mistakes? Yes.  Was I fooled by many people?  Yes.  Was I being judged?  Yes.  Did I take it personally?   Yes.   Do I need to change?   Yes.

Back in about 1991, the first time I walked into BLM's Carlsbad Resource Area in Carlsbad, NM, an office I was about to start working at, the first person I met was Yolanda Leon.  At that time, she was sitting at the reception desk and we struck up a conversation while I was waiting.  After a long conversation, she suddenly stopped, looked at me and said, with this inquisitive look, "You're Christian, aren't you?"  From that moment on, I knew I was doing something right.  That was a moment I'll never forget.

I worked, I tried, I did all I could to provide it all for my family, the best that I knew how.  I worked harder and did things at work to make it better.  I always did what I thought was the right thing to do.  Obviously, not all those decisions worked out.  Today, some 25 plus years later, I feel broken, overwhelmed and as if I have lost it all.  I have only a couple of what I consider true friends.  I feel many who said they were my friends have gone by the wayside because I am no longer a conduit for them...  they were fake and I was taken in.  I have friends that have taken total advantage of me, as I apparently let them because I am not into controversy and fighting back.  

Nothing feels good now, alone and unhappy.  The best thing I do is listen to Joel Osteen on Sirius XM.

Many people say that happiness in within us, we are in control of it.  I've tried, I still don't get how to say I am responsible for being happy on the inside when nothing on the outside seems to be working.  My outside appearance is fake.  Fake for who, so others won't know?  Fake so I didn't have to answer questions or explain why.  That has gotten to the point I can't take it anymore.  All negative doesn't work, living for someone else's benefit doesn't work.

Who knew that this little device in my tool kit would light the light.  Some may know that I maintain my technology skills by repairing Apple iPhones and iPads (see my PhoneFixer Facebook page).  The tiny screwdrivers I use are magnetic to make it easier to grasp the tiny screws used in these devices.  Occasionally, the magnetic properties seem to fade and I use this little $3.00 part to renew the magnetism level in the screwdriver.  During a repair last week, it struck me.  

I like the look much better

All I need to do is to do the same to my mental and physical state.  Perhaps that is exactly what I am doing by listening to Joel Osteen.  His podcast is renewing me.  I can't change those people of things around me, only they can.  If the people choose not to have me a part of their life as they once did, their loss, but it is not going to bother me anymore.  The things that are messed up will take the time to correct.  It took a lot of time to get messed up, it will take a while to get it cleaned up.  However, I refuse to be in doom and gloom until it is all fixed...  I will celebrate along the way, with or without my past friends.  I am finding there are non-judgemental people that understand what I mean and they will be the people I enjoy time with.  Those are the special people.  Those encouraging my renewal, so I begin to feel as I once looked and felt.

Please welcome back the Dan I use to be, it is a work in progress, don't expect miracles overnight, but do expect celebrations as we take baby steps forward.

The renewal has begun.