Day 21-31

Items of Service for Day 21!

1. Unfortunately I didn't post this soon enough and I cannot recall what I did on this day. 

Items of Service for Day 22!

1. I again decided to bring the Trash Can back to the neighbors house.

Items of Service for Day 23!

1. I picked up milkshake for my team at work.

Items of Service for Day 24!

1. I gave my mom a ride home from the Doctors office.
2. I donated blood.

Items of Service for Day 25 - 28!

1. I was on vacation during this time so I decided to set a vacation goal. I made an effort to be on the lookout for people trying to take photos together. For example if I saw a family trying to take a photo but the Dad had to stand out I would offer to take their photo. I was amazed by how many times I was able to take a photo for someone.  At one point the people I was with started to point out groups that I might be able to help. This wasn't a huge service but it was a fun one, hopefully their photos all turned out. 

Items of Service for Day 29!

1. Brought my Mom lunch.


Items of Service for Day 30!


1. Mowed my Mom's lawn.
2. Organized items for Relay for Life.


Items of Service for Day 31!


1. Contacted a friend.
2. Invited a friend to do something.
3. Helped someone clean up a mess.


More Service Stories to Share


1. There was a recall for my car and I knew I needed to get it checked before heading to Vegas. I was able to schedule an appointment then quickly realized I would need a ride to and from the mechanic shop. Whitney and Sheri didn't even hesitate and both offered to do more. Thank you for always being there for me.

2. My Mom needed a ride to the Doctors office, I had a lot going on that day and tried to arrange my schedule but it wasn't working. My Mom called my cousin Barbara and she didn't even pause. She asked when and showed up the next day. Thanks Barbara for being a great example to me and for helping my Mom!


3. I needed a vase for a lesson I would be teaching. I had talked to my Mom about my ideas and when I got home from work one night a vase that fit my exact description was sitting in the living room. Thanks for serving without even being asked. 


I honestly can't believe an entire month has already gone by. I started this little project on a whim and I could not be more grateful. My eyes have been opened and I stand in amazement at how many opportunities present themselves everyday. Funny thing is I think I was blessed more by this experience then anyone I even tried to help. I am so lucky to have such amazing people in my life that set an example everyday! Thank you to everyone this item was easy because of you. Lets mark another one off the list.

32. Participate in a full month of Service

Day 17, 18, 19, and 20

Items of Service for Day 17!

1. Took a friend to the Driving Range.

Items of Service for Day 18!

1. Ran to the store for a friend.

2. Delivered some nail polish that I knew another friend would want.

Items of Service for Day 19!

1. This one was a little different, while trying to serve someone else a stranger stepped in to serve me. We were waiting for a table at the Cheesecake Factory when a gentlemen, pushing his daughter in a wheelchair, approached the door.  I immediately jumped up to grab the door but another person beat me to it. I quickly ran inside and grabbed the second door.  While I was holding the door another gentlemen quickly stood up and walked over to the door and said "Let me hold that for you." It is great to see so many people willing to step in. I don't feel like I truly accomplished a service however I was so grateful for the example that those strangers set. I hope that someday we will all have a problem finishing out a service because there are so many people stepping in to help, what an amazing problem!

2. I again went on a search for another Carmel Apple for my Mother. :)

Items of Service for Day 20!

1. I gave a friend a ride home.

More Service Stories to Share

1. I was talking to my Sister when she let me know how aware she is of what she is doing to serve others. I asked her what she had done and she mentioned just a few:

1. Volunteered to clean the church.

2. Took dinner to someone in need.

3. Drove a neighbor to a Dr.'s appointment.

These were just a few things that she had decided to do. She is a busy mother of two and is truly and inspiration to me to do more. Thanks Kam for being such a great example!

Day 13, 14, 15 and 16

Items of service for day 13!

1. Made dinner for my Mom!
2. Returned a few items to the church for a friend.

Items of service for day 14!

1. Took my Mom and Whitney out to dinner.


Items of service for day 15!

1. Made dinner for someone recovering from surgery. (Cross your fingers it tasted good)


Items of service for day 16!

1. Pretended to work for a floral shop to deliver flowers and a card to someone that just lost a baby. Thanks for letting me help Sheri, I enjoyed every minute of it!


More Service Stories to Share

1. Sheri was on her way home from Utah when she decided to stop at the gas station in Kaysville to grab a soda. She walked in got her drink and walked up to the line. There were a few people in line waiting and she noticed the clerk was on the phone talking to somebody. She listened for awhile and realized that the girl at the front of the line was trying to pay for her gas that she had already pumped and her card was not working. She was from out of town, had no one she could call and no other form of payment. Once the clerk finished his lengthy conversation he hung up the phone and informed the girl that he would have to call the cops because the gas had been pumped but payment could not be made. He continued to talk to the girl. A couple minutes had passed and Sheri noticed a line forming behind her. People started to voice their irritation for having to wait. Once gentlemen (while on the phone) made it clear that he had the stuff for his mother but didn't think he would ever make it there because the girl in the front was holding everyone up. The clerk then told the girl to step aside so he could ring everyone up and then he would try to help her again. It was obvious she was embarrassed and so worried about what was going to happen, nobody seemed to care. After another minute passed it was Sheri's turn to pay for her soda, she stepped up to the counter and asked the clerk what was going on. He explained the situation and Sheri asked how much was owed for the gas the clerk told her $23, she didn't even pause and stated that she would pay for the gas. The clerk was shocked and explained that he was on the phone with his boss asking if they could just write it off, his boss said no and that the cops needed to be called. The clerk added up her total and it came to...$23, Sheri quickly reminded him that she also had a soda. The clerk said the soda was on him and thanked her for helping out. As she walked out of the store she made eye contact with the others and apologized for making them wait as the clerk ran outside to tell the girl she could leave. They immediately tried to cover their feelings (now that they knew the story) and thanked Sheri for doing something so nice. Thanks for the example Sheri and thanks to the Clerk at that gas station that served in return, and thanks to the others in line for reminding me to be a little more patient you never know the whole story.

Day 10,11, and 12

Items of Service for Day 10!

1. Put together a goodie basket for some family in the hospital.


Items of Service for Day 11!

1. Today was a tricky day when it came to service, I was shot down 3 times after offering to help. I didn't let this stop me though and I continued to look for opportunities to serve.  I currently work at Idaho Central and on Friday we had a cleanup day. I was able to take some time and help pick up trash around our building.  It is great to see a company work together to keep their area clean. Thanks Idaho Central for letting me serve!


Items of Service for Day 12!

This post is going to be a little different because I want to focus on items of service that I observed today and throughout this month. I have received several text messages, emails and phone calls from people that have wanted to share their service story with me.  I also regularly hear people jokingly say "I better go do my one nice thing for the day." I love this! This is what it is all about so I thought I would pass along some of these messages:


1. "This old lady at Walmart couldn't reach the bread in the top shelf so I got it for her" - Something so easy but it probably meant the world to the lady needing the bread. Danielle you are awesome!


2. After watching a lady try to get into her locker at lava, Lacey immediately stepped in and pointed the lady to the correct locker and opened it for her.  Lacey you didn't even hesitate, thanks for being such a great example!


3. We were pulling into Costco today and my Mom went to park but as she pulled in there was a cart in the parking spot.  My Mom didn't even have time to put the car in park so I could jump out and get it, a guy from across the parking lot handed his cart to his wife and ran over to move the cart that was in our way. He didn't even think twice.  I want to be like that and serve without hesitation! 


4. I attended a Relay for Life meeting and I just wanted to give a shout out to all of the Relay for Life volunteers. This is a huge event that take a lot of time and I know most of them have families and work full time yet they still find time to volunteer. Makes me realize that maybe I can do a little more. 


There are a million more examples I could include on here but I wanted to just mention a few.  Do you guys have any service stories?

Day 8 and 9

Items of Service for Day 8!

1. Moved the neighbors garbage can back to their house.


Items of Service for Day 9!

1. Took some time off work to help my mom with some financial planning.

Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance - Guest Post

How Can I Get Started With Journaling For Wellness?

Are you someone who has recently undergone some kind of bump in your life? Whether you are going through a daunting mesothelioma prognosis to being diagnosed with arthritis, or even dealing with family problems or even professional problems, it is very easy to feel as though you are adrift. Journaling allows us to get to know ourselves better, and when it comes to goals, this is just what you need to do. How can you use a simple journal to help you figure out what kind of goals you

have?

Pick Up a Journal

Head to the bookstore and find a journal that calls to you. Some people prefer to blog online, while other people will be happy with a drugstore notebook. Having a pretty journal can help you set the scene and it allows you to feel as though you are making a start. Choose a small journal, one that you can easily carry on your person, and make sure that you are comfortable with it in your hand. Having a journal that makes you happy can get you off on the right foot.

Start With Immediate Goals

There is no time like the present to get started with your goals, so sit down with your journal. To get in the mood for writing down what you want, you can easily start by writing down the things that you want to accomplish this week. Start with mundane things like paying bills and getting to work on time, and then continue on to things like spending time with your family or taking care of neglected chores. While this feels simple enough, it creates a sense of accountability and it also gives you the satisfaction of crossing things off of your list.

Choose Long Term Goals

Look forward to the next five or ten years of your life. There are plenty of people out there who never look further than the weekend, and then they look around and see that they’ve wasted a lot of time and a lot of money. If you pick your goals carefully, and if you are willing to make sure that you are always moving towards them, you can make things a lot easier on yourself. Take a moment to consider where you want to be with regards to the next few years.

Plotting a Path

Sometimes, the distance between where you are now and the goals that you want to reach can seem vast. How do you get from where you are to where you want to be? The truth of the matter is that you can start at any time by taking a few baby steps. Say that you want to spend a year in Greece If you want to get started with it, sign up for a language class today. Even if you are not planning your itinerary or your lodgings, you are making it more possible than it was a little while ago. Remember that some of the steps that you take are not going to be very large. As a matter of fact, in many cases, they are going to be downright tiny. However, what is important to remember is that they are cumulative.

Consider where your life is going and make sure that you choose the journaling options that are best suited for you. Not everyone wants to write in a notebook, and not everyone has goals planned out for the next ten years. People are very different, so they need different paths. Choose your goals and see the path unspool before you.

Check out a lot more information on illness and wellness at the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance.

Cancer Awareness

For those of you that know me you know that I am all about Cancer Awareness. I absolutely love to support any cause that raises money to find a cure for cancer and I truly hope that one day we will be able to stop this horrible disease. About a month ago I received and email from a representative of the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance Group, she had happened upon my blog and asked if I would be willing to help bring awareness to Mesothelioma Cancer. I was honored that she would even approach me and I would love to help in any way I can. She asked if I would be willing to post an article she wrote.  I just received the article and I can't believe how much it ties into the whole purpose behind this blog. I ask that everyone read it and encourage those that have recently been faced with a "bump" in the road to set goals and really work on accomplishing them.

Day 7

Items of Service for Day 7!

1. Came home to find my Mom trying to mow the lawn, immediately saw an opportunity to serve.  Finished mowing the lawn. Thanks Mom for letting me help!

Day 5 and 6

Items of Service for Day 5!

1. Went on a wild goose chase for a chocolate covered caramel apple for my Mother! One of her favorite things. Nobody panic Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory has not left the mall they have just relocated.

Items of Service for Day 6!

1. Listened to a friend that was going through a hard time. 

Day 4

Items of service for Day 4!

1. Called a friend that was recovering from Surgery.

Day 3

Items of Service for Day 3!

1. Helped a lady find her car in the Fred Meyer parking lot.

Day 2

Items of Service for Day 2!

1. Today was easy, Whitney needed to get her tires changed on her car so I followed her to Commercial Tire and picked her up so she could return to work. When her car was done I was able to drive her back to pick it up. Whitney has done things like this for me numerous times and I am so grateful I was finally able to begin to pay her back. Thanks for letting me help you today Whitney! 

Day 1

As soon as I decide to work on improving one area in my life I immediately notice that I am given ample opportunities to become better. I consistently find a million examples of people around me that already excel in this area and I am inspired to press forward. This was the first day of my full month of Service and I have again been humbled as so many opportunities were placed in my path within the past 24 hours. Again please don't think that I am in any way bragging or asking for praise, I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve and I truly love doing it with all my heart.

Yesterday it was brought to my attention that a friend was in need of some help. She needed to move and only had a few hours to do so. I immediately made a few calls and within one hour we had a house full of people willing to sacrifice their night to help a person that some of them didn't even know. There wasn't any hesitation or complaining but instead there was laughter and great conversations and memories I hope I will always remember. These people inspired me to be better, to be more willing to reach out, to have a better attitude! (Thank-you everyone!)

Items of Service for Day 1!

1. Today for the first day I decided that I would again reach out to this friend and make sure she was settling into her new place. After a few phone calls, a little re-organization and a great visit she was finally getting everything together and the chaos from the previous night had settled down. I went to help her today because I wanted to not because I wanted something. Her concern..."What can I ever do to re-pay you guys for helping?" I again realized that this is what it really is all about. Thanks for the opportunity to Serve!

 2. After finding out a friend was sick I checked up on her and asked if there was anything she needed and do you know what she said?.... She said "Yes!" I was so excited. I was so happy that she was willing to allow me to help her (sometimes allowing others to help us is the hardest part.) This task was as simple as picking up some soup and dropping it off but I am so grateful for the experience. Thanks for the opportunity to Serve!

I think it is also important to focus on the millions of things people have done for me and give them some recognition...

1. Today I needed to pick up a few items at the store for work, I wasn't sure when I would have the time and before I could even think about it again I returned to my desk to find the items already purchased and ready to go. Such a simple thing that meant the world to me. Thank-you Sheri, Corey and Trent for serving me today!

2. After Whitney realized she had a flat tire she tried to contact her husband to come help but he wasn't available at the time.  She came in to grab the keys to my car so she could make it to her appointment, Jeff overheard the conversation and didn't even hesitate to jump in and help. He had the tire changed before she returned. Thanks for being such a great example Jeff!

3. After another long day I finally made it home when my phone rang. "Jenny, have you had dinner? I am on my way to get you, we are going to get some dinner." This was exactly what I needed to wrap up the day and I am so grateful.  Brad thanks for dinner, great conversation, and a ride in your car. You're pretty legit!

An Act of Helpful Activity!

I have had the opportunity to really reflect on my life the last two days and realize just how lucky I am. I think it is really easy to feel sorry for ourselves, to tear ourselves down, to think "if only I had what they had."We wish we could just change something, or we wish that we could be done with school, that we could be married, that we could have kids, that we could own the big home...etc. With all of these thoughts it is easy to become so focused on ourselves that we become sad or depressed, I truly believe the best thing we can do to combat these thoughts is to look outside of ourselves and serve others.  This is the inspiration for the first addition to my bucket list...

32. Participate in a full month of Service

Now you may be thinking...what does this mean exactly? Well to me it means that everyday for one full month I have to focus on serving others. These items can be big or small whether it be helping someone move, or leaving a nice thank-you note for someone, or simply reaching out to someone in need. I want to focus on thinking of others and forgetting about myself. I am so blessed for everything I have been given and I want to give back to others. For this goal I will need to record one act of service each day and blog about that act, my feelings and any outcomes I might witness; I am in no way looking for praise or do I want to appear that I am this "amazing" person but I do want to be able to reflect on this month because I have a feeling great things can come from it. There is no better time to start then the present, so the month of May has officially been declared the Month of Service! I have always loved the thought of service and I have this amazing image in my head of a world that is filled with people that want to serve others, a world where selfishness doesn't exist...what a wonderful world it would be.