If you’re like me… & most other folks, you want to make a difference… you want to leave the world better off than the way you found it. In short, you want to make your life to count for something. But how? Especially when you’re up to your ears with the many demands of life–your job or trying to find one, raising children, tending to key relationships, caring for aging parents, & on & on. Not only are you exhausted at the end of the day, but you wonder, “what can I possibly do to make a difference?” First, take a deep breath & know you don’t have to find a solution for world peace. All you have to do is express yourself in a way that works for you. Here are a simple things you can do… ask yourself:

- Who has supported me this month or this year?

- Have I called or written a note of gratitude to him or her?

- Who has said “I believe in you” to encourage you?

- Have I passed this blessing of faith on to someone else–to a child, a peer, or an elder?

- What did I do to support the environment today?

- Have I forgiven someone today who has hurt me?

- Did I pray for someone else’s spiritual, emotional, intellectual, or physical wellbeing?

- Did I dare to say Yes to myself today… to be fully me… to wear my soul on the outside?

If you said Yes to any of these small acts of compassion & kindness, you made a difference today. And by reading this post, you also made a difference… in yourself. And that’s always the best place to begin.

Learn more. Join me for my free teleclass—Legacy Living: Make Your Life Count: Tuesday, November 10, 6pm PST (Pacific Standard Time).

During this hour of power, I’ll show you how to shift your focus from “me” to “we” I’ll also discuss practical steps you can apply today to make a difference one step at a time, one person at a time, one day at a time. If you’re ready to transform your ordinary life into an extraordinary one, join me. To register, just click this link: http://www.globalteleclass.com.

Share this special opportunity with others… tell a friend!

Be one of the first five participants to call or log in to my teleclass, & I’ll send you a complimentary copy of my best-selling book-Legacy Living: The Six Covenants for Personal & Professional Excellence. You’ll also need to send me your contact information, so you can receive your free book.

Gloria’s web site: www.gloriaburgess.com

Pass It On!

If you’re like most people, you want your life to count for something. But you wonder, “what can I possibly do to make a difference?” Here are a few simple things you can do… ask yourself*:

-  What did I share or give away today—love, a wink, a warm smile?

-  Did I say thank you or appreciate someone today?

-  Did I see joy in someone else’s eyes… did I share their joy or pass them by?

-  If I saw sadness or terror, did I ease someone else’s sorrow or fear?

-  Did I hurt someone’s feelings… if so, did I say I’m sorry?

-  Did I correct any negative thoughts or actions?

-  Did I pray for someone else’s spiritual, emotional, or physical wellbeing?

-  Did I dare to say Yes to myself AND reach out to others?

-  Did I dare to be fully me… to wear my soul on the outside?

If you said Yes to any of these small acts of kindness & mercy, you made a difference today. By reading this post, you made a difference… in yourself.

Learn more. Join me for my free teleclass—Legacy Living: Make Your Life Count: Tuesday, November 10, 6pm PST (Pacific Standard Time).

During this hour of power, I’ll show you how to shift your focus from “me” to “we.” I’ll also discuss practical steps you can apply today to make a difference one step at a time, one person at a time, one day at a time. If you’re ready to transform your ordinary life into an extraordinary one, join me. To register, just click this link: http://www.globalteleclass.com. Share this special opportunity with others… tell a friend!

Be one of the first five participants to call or log in to my teleclass, & I’ll send you a complimentary copy of my best-selling book—Legacy Living: The Six Covenants for Personal & Professional Excellence. You’ll also need to send me your contact information, so you can receive your free book.

Gloria’s web site: www.gloriaburgess.com

* Big hugs & hallelujahs to my dear friend Joan, a Peace Corps volunteer serving in Kasane, Botswana. Thank you, Joan, for sharing your great big heart & these questions as we learn from one another to be the difference that makes a difference.

Pass It On!

A few weeks ago, a friend & fellow poet asked me… how I was doing, especially given my devotion to lifting up others. “Gloria,” she asked, “How do you turn your FEEL GOOD vibe around for yourself?” Lovely question. Here’s how I do it:

• I count my blessings—every single day… many times a day! My health, my family, treasured friends, moments of solitude, a glorious soak at the end of a long day.
• I count my blessings for sun or rain. Each day is extravagantly wonderful.
• I acknowledge the blessings all around me. When I do, I get the added reward of increasing my awareness so  I can see & experience even more blessings. A blade of grass pushing up through a crack in the sidewalk. A blazing sunset. A child’s laughter.
• I count the blessings of gratitude & faith… water & bread, super-rich nourishment for body & soul.
• I know that blessings, like love, multiply when you give them away—when you pass them on to someone else.
• And because I know each day I’ll meet someone who loves the way I do… & someone who doesn’t.

You never know who needs your touch. And in the grand scheme of things, it’s not really your business to know. It’s simply your business to be kind, generous, & reach out to others.

How can YOU feel good every day? It’s simple. Count your blessings & pass them on. When you do, you’ll make a difference that makes all the difference to someone else.

Mighty blessings–to you & yours.

Pass it on!

The other day, a friend sent me an e-mail called, “Lest We Ever Forget.” Attached to the e-mail were a dozen or so photos of a woman I’d never heard of before—Mrs. Irena Sendlerowa. Who was this smiling, gentle-faced woman?

As I read my friend’s e-mail I learned that Irena was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for her role in saving hundreds of children from almost certain death in the Nazi concentration camps—2500 children in all. Throughout her long life, Irena insisted that she did nothing special. In fact, she said she’d been brought up to believe that a drowning person must be rescued, regardless of religion and nationality. Mrs. Sendlerowa declared, “The term ‘hero’ irritates me greatly…. I continue to have pangs of conscience that I did so little.” Truly amazing!

Though I wouldn’t dare compare myself to Mrs. Sendlerowa, I was also brought up to help others, to reach out to those who had even less than we did, to give back with our heart & hands. I was taught that true wealth had nothing to do with how much money you had. True wealth was about investing in others not because it was the right thing to do… but like Irena, it was the only thing to do.

You never know whose life you will touch. And in the grand scheme of things, it’s not really your business to know. It’s simply your business to be kind, generous, & reach out to others.

Ask yourself, whose life is different today because of your touch?

The truly wealthy are those who give until it feels good.

Pass It On!

Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/gloriaburgess.

A picture is worth 1000 words. An exquisite picture simply defies words. So many of you enjoyed this picture, so here it is again.

We all know that saying thank you is more than good manners… expressing thanks is a way of being, a lifestyle. Does that mean no more random acts of kindness? Well, yes… if your acts are really random.

An attitude of gratitude can change your life. Here are just a few of the many arms of gratitude:

-  Being receptive to and acknowledging others. Give somebody a high-5 today. They’ll glow & so will you.

-  Seeing the inherent good in others. Expect the best & you’ll get that & more.

-  Respecting your kinship with the natural world. Treat all of nature as you expect to be treated.

-  Learning from all experiences. When you hit a snag, try this: raise your eyebrows, instead of the roof.

-  Living your life with an attitude of gratitude. Don’t worry, be happy… it will change your hormones, which will change your life.

-  Slowing down to recognize & honor what’s important in your life. When you stop, look, listen, & enjoy, you usher in grace, courtesy, & intention–qualities that are often missing in our lives.

-  Giving thanks for the blessings all around & within. When you count your blessings, you provide food for your soul.

The truly wealthy are those who give until it feels good.

Pass It On!

Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/gloriaburgess.

All you need is love… & a heart of service. That’s what Quinn has in spades. Like so many other young people these days, she’s often strapped for cash. Even so, Quinn wanted to do something to contribute to breast cancer research & lend her support in finding a cure. How do I know? Because she’s my daughter.

As a theater arts grad student, she’s got her hands full… when she’s not in class, keeping up with her own studies, or getting ready for a theater production, Quinn teaches the fundamentals of costume production to undergrads & works at a nearby bookstore to make ends meet. In her spare time (“Yeah, right, mom!”), she’s a competitive ballroom dancer & creative artist who enjoys making things. Quinn pours her heart & soul into designing & making ballroom costumes, curating antique clothing, & designing & making quilts—from scratch. Take a peek at Quinn’s Portfolio.

To do her part to contribute to the cure, Quinn took to heart C Arts Gallery’s invitation to create a work of art using only shades of pink. She designed & made a beautiful quilted wall hanging, which is now on view & for sale at the gallery. All or a portion of the proceeds of Quinn’s & other artists’ work will support breast cancer research.

The show is called: Passion for the Cure: Art Expressing Hope, Awareness, & Celebration of Life. C Arts Gallery is owned & managed by Cheryl Shaw, Executive Director of the Puget Sound affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

Big hugs & mighty blessings to the courageous women & men & their families who face breast cancer day after day, month after month, year after year… & to Cheryl for her heart & vision… & to all the artists for their imagination & beautiful works of art for the cure.

The truly wealthy are those who give until it feels good.

Pass It On!

Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/gloriaburgess.

CELEBRATE THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE A DIFFERENCE – ONE DOLLAR AT A TIME

for Courage, Chutzpah, Community, & Carol sChillios… a woman determined & bound to raise $1,000,000 to support our sisters & brothers in AfriCa, Cambodia, & beyond. Founder & Executive Director of the Fabric of Life Foundation, Carol needs just $1 from you… that’s just one buCk in Cold Cash or a Check from you… please help Carol reaCh her goal!

The truly wealthy are those who give until it feels good.

Pass It On!

Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/gloriaburgess.

CELEBRATE WHAT’S GLORIOUS IN THE WORLD!

Today we celebrate the letter B… for Brothers, babies, bells, bubbles, ballroom dancing, & beauty

Let’s celebrate the amazing Beauty of the season—autumn, which reminds me of brilliantly-colored leaves, barns, and bales of hay… & frosty mornings when you can see the brush of your breath as it lingers in the air.

The truly wealthy are those who give until it feels good.

Pass It On!

Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/gloriaburgess.

CELEBRATE WHAT’S GLORIOUS IN THE WORLD!

Today we celebrate the letter A. YES!!

A is for… Apples, Apple cider, Apple strudel, Awesome Autumn Afternoons, & Artists.

Let’s celebrate Amazing vocal Artist & Awesome, beautiful creatrix & cancer  survivor… Barbara Padilla. Experience her Angelic presence & voice as she sings Ave Maria:

The truly wealthy are those who give until it feels good.

Pass It On!

Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/gloriaburgess.

As summer fades into fall, I reflect on the Book of Ecclesiastes**, which reminds us: To everything there is a season… a time to sow, a time to reap… a time for all things under the heavens.

As Summer Fades Into Fall

A retired teacher: “I started walking 4-5 times a week. I carry a couple cans of peas as “weights.” On my way back, I drop them off at my local food bank.”

A home-school mom: “Twice a month I sort & fold clothes at my church & take them to an agency that provides clothes for those who are homeless. I take my 7-year old daughter with me so she knows what community is all about.”

A florist: “My business has been hit really hard by the recession. Though I’ve moved to a much smaller space to cut costs, I still donate flowers once a week to a local all-volunteer charity.”

A hairdresser: “It’s been about 10 years since I last spoke to my dad. Back then, I said some pretty hateful things to him. A few days ago, I called. I told him how sorry I was. He told me to forget about it… that he loved me. It was so good to hear his voice.”

A teenager: “I cut my neighbor’s grass & trim her hedges since she can’t get around as easily as she used to. She always tries to pay me a little something, but I always say, No thank you, ma’am… I’ll see you again next week.”

Tell me, what wonderful seeds have you sown, & how will you share your harvest of blessings with others?

To everything there is a season,
a time for every purpose under the sun.
A time to be born and a time to die;
a time to plant and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
a time to kill and a time to heal …
a time to weep and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn and a time to dance …
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to lose and a time to seek;
a time to rend and a time to sew;
a time to keep silent and a time to speak;
a time to love and a time to hate;
a time for war and a time for peace.

** Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

The truly wealthy are those who give until it feels good.

Pass It On!

Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/gloriaburgess.