In the left hand corner of my desk sits a stack of newspaper and magazine articles that I have been meaning to read. I count on interesting articles like these to generate ideas for future blog posts; ideas I find interesting or that I think will inspire our inner shine.
And, I count on pockets of free time to sift through those articles so that I may decide how, when, and if I will use them. But it is far too easy to let the articles mount, convincing myself that tomorrow will be a better day and that then I will have plenty of time to read all of them.
Until yesterday when I reached my hand into the stack of articles and randomly selected one dating back to Tuesday, November 9. Eight months old.
Maybe you can relate. Not to a stack of articles, since that might be my thing and not yours, but maybe there is something else:
Closets you have been meaning to clean.
A stack of thank you cards and other items you have been meaning to mail.
A project you've been meaning to finish.
Papers that need filing.
Items you've been meaning to put away.
Photographs you have been meaning to order.
Recipes you've been meaning to try
and who knows what else.
At some point the stack of articles that are intended to foster my shine and yours, has become a permanent fixture in my home and a looming reminder of my short comings - not my inner shine.
And the same is probably true of you and your closets, projects, and recipes.
Until now.
Now - today - this week - I am committed to working my way through the stack of articles and to writing blog posts that share the most important information I have been accumulating for the past eight months.
The first lesson I learned came from the November 9 article titled, The Science Behind Why We Love Ice Cream. The lesson was this:
Do not put things off, letting them become a far bigger deal than they are in reality. A four-minute glance at this article immediately revealed that it was not what I thought it was and that I would have little to no use for it. After eight months of hanging on to it and four minutes of reading it, I can toss this article and check something off my to-do list.
Join me the rest of this week as I sift through the other articles on my desk and reclaim my inner shine. Maybe you will even tackle something of your own. Join us in the Comment Section and let us know - or just tune in the rest of the week and see what you learn.
Shining off until tomorrow...
Gathering for the Yellow Envelope Project is actually not so inappropriate on this last Monday in May - otherwise known as Memorial Day.
Memorial Day, after all, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service. And while honoring the deserving men and women for their sacrifice is at the forefront of our minds, we might also consider using a portion of this day to remember service to our nation by someone who is still alive. Most of us agree that, if we could trade an American flag placed at the grave of a fallen soldier for a heartfelt, in-person "thank you", we would do it in a minute.
The Yellow Envelope Project brings us one step closer. It is a simple program designed to recognize everyday citizens whose service to their community makes the world a better, brighter place to live. But, instead of waiting until the person dies, we show our gratitude when he or she is alive, so they can fully appreciate the importance of their contribution.
And just like those men and women honored on Memorial Day, we don't rank our reverence based on what kind of service they performed for our country when they died. We celebrate everyone. The same is true of Yellow Envelope recipients. We appreciate any citizen who shines and who, in doing so, makes her corner of the world a better place to live. Take a look at what the nominator said about today's recipient.
"Mary Jo is an amazing woman. For years she's run a teen youth center focusing on the needs of teens. Here teens and their families learn about things that effect their daily lives but also she has helped them create plays and productions, write grants and gotten funding to help educate them about wellness. She co-wrote the teen pregnancy curriculum for Lamaze International and is simply there every day for the teens in her center - sometimes in subsequent generations. She just finished her EdD at the age of 60!"
To remind American of the importance of Memorial Day, a resolution was passed in December 2000. The resolution asked, at 3 p.m. local time, that all Americans "voluntarily and informally observe in their own way a Moment of remembrance and respect.
Do that.
And then spend five more minutes honoring Mary Jo by writing her a short letter of gratitude. Thank her for devoting her life to teens and being so relentlessly passionate about her work that she actually earned an Ed.D. at 60 years old. It says to me that Mary Jo plans to continue shining for many more years to come.
Once written, seal your letter in a yellow envelope (or white envelope decorated with yellow stickers and markers) and mail it to the address below. Remember to place the words "Yellow Envelope Project" in the return address.
Won't it be nice to show your gratitude on this Memorial Day, knowing that Mary Jo will receive it and revel in it?
Mary Jo Podgurski
410 North Main Street
Washington, PA 15301
Shining off until tomorrow....
Learn where Cheryl is, what we think of the new format, our frustrations with celcius and military time, then round it out with what we are looking forward to in the summer months and you've got today's video.
Hopefully you have as much fun watching as we had filming!
Shining off until Monday when we bring you another Yellow Envelope recipient...