Smart Women Make a Difference

I struggled a bit this week on what I wanted to share with you. I place a high value on making sure I give you timely information that you can use right away to take your life and your business to the next level of fulfillment, happiness and success. On the one hand, I wanted to write about June being the halfway mark in your business and now is the perfect time to take a mid-year inventory of what’s working and what’s not working so you can make the shifts necessary to meet your goals by the end of the year. Instead, I’ve decided to share something that happened yesterday. Something that moved me very deeply and it feels like I need to put a magnifying glass on it so you can see and feel it too. Yesterday, when I walked my children to school, I had a few extra minutes so I accompanied my daughter to her second grade class. (There’s been some excitement in her class this week as the children are dressing up in character of someone they’ve written a biography report on and it’s been fun to see all the creative costumes.) I noticed my daughter’s teacher outside the classroom in deep conversation with a boy who was not in costume for his presentation of Davy Crockett. I couldn’t help but overhear their conversation and I learned that this boy had no costume. This child lives in an area of Los Angeles that is economically challenged. Tears sprang to my eyes. I was overcome with emotion. Every child in my daughter’s class proudly marched into school this week with creative costumes ranging from Jackie Robinson, Eleanor Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, etc. This boy made a long bus trip to school knowing that he would be different from the others. He would be the only one to have no costume as he stood in front of the room. I raced back to my home tears stinging my eyes and blurring my vision. I remembered a costume I had worn in previous years during the Thanksgiving Feast at the school. It wasn’t a perfect rendition of what Davy Crockett would wear but it was a lot closer than the t-shirt and jeans the boy had on. I delivered the costume in a bag and explained to the teacher what was inside. Why do I share this story? Not because I want you to say or think, “Way to go, Joy!” “What a thoughtful act Joy!” That doesn’t interest me at all. I share this with you because if we as women want to truly make a difference in the world, we have to do it every single day in any single way we can. If you aren’t happy about the way things are, then I invite you to begin walking a path to make a difference. Sometimes you wonder if change is even possible in this enormous world we live in. It is possible. It must begin with You. Notice What’s in Front of You – Yesterday, I took a small step on a situation that was in front of me. In that moment, I had an awareness that I could help someone and make an impact on his day. We get confused on what charity we should make donations to or where we should place our valuable time to make a difference. Notice what’s in front of you and begin there. Pass It On – Teach children by embracing small acts of kindness. Let them experience first-hand from you on how to make a difference in the world. Yesterday’s experience was a teachable moment for my children. After school, we sat down and discussed what happened and why I felt called to rush home, find the costume and deliver it to the teacher. I could see the wheels of wonder turning in their mind. Women must be the change they wish to see in the world…one person at a time. Anything is possible. Everything is waiting for you. *****