Friday, March 2, 2012

I’m important…



Seriously, let me tell you how important I am…


They call me “Mr. Stumpf” when I stay at Marriott hotels. Do they do that at Red Roof?
This year I travelled to several places, but when I went to Dallas, NYC and Denver, the President came in just after me. I think he’s following me…I know he keeps a copy of my schedule handy.
The limo pictured pulled up to the building I was in...I was the only one there...coincidence - I think not!
When I order food at a nice restaurant, they take my menu from me - I don’t have to lay it down.
I once walked into a Subway and they gave me a free sub (of course they thought I was a police officer, but I’m still important though).
Twice, I drove through 9 straight green lights in my city - this couldn't have been an accident. They have those little cameras - they knew where I was.
Do you ever get to the point in life, where you think a little too highly of yourself? I struggle with pride all the time, especially when I’ve completed a project, or been moderately successful at something. It just creeps in and takes over. We begin to think we are something, when we are just like everyone else. Other people have successes too - they may not be the same successes you are having, but their’s are just as important as yours.
Why do we get so hung up on ourselves and focused on how successful we are? Why can’t we look to others and their needs, instead of our own? Why do our accomplishments seem so much better than others?
It’s part of the humanness of us. We like to talk about ourselves. We like to look at ourselves. We like to hear about ourselves. We like to focus on us.
It takes incredible focus to be able to put others ahead of us. We tend to think of ourselves first automatically.  
How can we start the process of others first?
Here are some thoughts:

1. Pray for them. Make a list of others to pray for and spend some time praying for their needs and, even wants. When you do, you begin to see that all people have needs, not just you.

2. Spend time with them. Make an opportunity to be involved in other’s lives. When you are in a ministry or group, you see more than just you.

3. Communicate with them. Talk to them. Send an email. Make a call. Shoot a text or message to someone. Do it with the thought of making them feel important.

4. Smile at them. When you smile, you impact. When they smile in return, you are encouraged and blessed in the same way you just encouraged and blessed them. You stop thinking of you when you purposefully smile at someone else.

5. Give them a high five, knuckle bump or handshake. You draw people in by making them feel a part of your life, especially children. You impact them by taking a moment of your time to give to them. (keep some hand sanitizer around though)

6. Make a list with ideas on it. You will not keep putting others first, if you don’t intentionally keep up with the thoughts of what you can do. When you think of a way to help, write it down and help someone.
It takes effort to impact, but if you do it, you will also be encouraged and impacted too.
Lessons Learned: We are still important, but we are important because we impact other’s lives and not just our own.
Thoughts: What other ways can we impact people? 

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