Daughter number one is a wonderful fundraiser, daughter number two – not so much so.
So when daughter number two came to her mother (moi) and asked her to sponsor her for a fundraising event, the mother (moi) had a brilliant idea…
“I will match whatever you raise.”
Apparently this was just the kind of incentive daughter number two needed to be an wonderful fundraiser too!
The day before the event, she asked me for my share of the money. I figured maaaaaybe she raised $40, maaaaaybe as much as $100.
I asked her how much I owed her and she said, “I’ll write it down.”
Oh-no. That was my first clue that something was off.
She went to get a paper and pen and held the note up for me to see.
Three hundred and fifty-five dollars.
Oh-no.
I was fit to be tied. $355, $355, $355! I was not prepared for this amount, seriously was she joking? How in the heck did this child raise $355?
And then I heard it. And it rang in my ears so loud and so clear. The words I had said to them a hundred times came back to me…
“If you’re not going to do it with a happy heart, don’t do it at all.”
Right.
I just needed a few minutes to process the unexpected, to sort it out in my head, to come to terms with it.
As it turns, out daughter number two and her boyfriend had a bet on whether I would pay up or not. The boyfriend doesn’t know me that well, he voted no.
The issue was never whether I would pay, I said I would and integrity is paramount in our house. I would pay, but with what attitude I would pay was more of the question at hand.
I took 5 minutes to compose myself, to think it through. To reflect and reframe.
Then I grabbed my check book and wrote a check for $355 to the abused women’s shelter.
I wrote the check with a heart full of gratitude that I (and God willing, my daughter’s) would never need to access a shelter such as this, I wrote the check with a happy heart that there are places like this in our community where women can go for help and support and I wrote the check in appreciation that there are people who have made helping these women their life’s work.
And so I ask you:
What situation do you need to self-coach yourself through?
What situation do you need to flip the attitude switch on?
What situation in your life do you need to reflect and reframe for the greater good?
What words have you preached to your people that would come ringing back in your ears?
What does integrity look like in your world?
Keep living your life, unlimited!
Steph
Stephanie Staples is the author of When Enlightening Strikes – Creating a Mindset for Uncommon Success and an internationally acclaimed motivational speaker. She empowers audiences & clients across North America to bring their ‘A’ game to work and to life. Stephanie has a special interest in working with and empowering nurses and healthcare providers. She happily calls Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada home. You can get loads of complimentary resources to help with issues such as work/life balance, wellness, stress management and happiness in general, as well as find out more information about her coaching and speaking services at http://www.YourLifeUnlimited.ca.
