The Caring Catalyst

Who Cares - What Matters

YOUR GARBAGE TRUCK

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We all drive one, you know.       .       .

A     G A R B A G E     T R U C K

looking for a place to

D     U     M     P.         .        .

The Problem.          .          .

It’s usually not some abandoned landfill

but a lonely,

unsuspecting

p e r s o n.             .             .

Have you ever been

G A R B A G E D     T R U C K ‘ E D.     .     .

in a word

no pun intended.        .        .

I T     S T I N K S.          .          .

but  what  is  profoundly  more

r e p u g n a n t l y     s t a n k y

is when you take

YOUR

discarded

no good

foul smelling

disregarded

diseased

haz-met grade

G    A    R    B    A    G    E

to   the   curb.       .       .

p              a              u              s              e.                 .                   .  

and   then   promptly   bring   it   all   back

I          N          S          I          D          E

again

and then again

never really to

be rid of it

and settling for

T        H       A       T

being okie-dokey

n o r m a l.         .          .

Merriam-Webster 

more than clearly defines

G      A       R       B       A       G        E

:  Things that are no longer useful or wanted and that have been thrown out

:  A container where people put things that are being thrown out

:  Something that is worthless, unimportant, or of poor quality

                    or      maybe      even
more      defined

 :  Food Waste

:  A discarded or useless material 

:  T R A S H

:  Inaccurate or useless data

So just what is your 10%

.         .         .what is your 90%.          .          .

Not  W H E R E

W H O

is your dumping ground.          .          .

Let’s make this real easy:

When you take your garbage out–

L E A V E     I T

A  DUMP

is not a PERSON

but a PLACE.          .           .

(repeat as often as needed)

 

PURPOSE’d

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l

We’ve all heard

A     B     O     U     T          I     T

Before.     .     .

THE   LAW   OF   ATTRACTION

We may all have heard  about it

.        .        .maybe even believe it to be

.        .        .Maybe even have experienced it

like I did recently

with what some would call a

c o i n c i d e n c e

others,

an  a c c i d e n t

others, still:

On PURPOSE

A fulfilled-never-doubt-it’s existence-ever-again

LAW   OF   ATTRACTION.        .        .

I was to meet someone to discuss plans for an upcoming Memorial Service for his mother and he canceled at the last moment when I was already at ‘the meeting place.’   Instead of just heading home, I decided on the fly to just go across the street to get dinner since no one was at home.

A table for one

I was sat at

beside another occupied

table of one.     .     .

She was talking on her phone, sipping from her martini glass and eating from her salad plate all at the same time.        .         .

From the

E         A         S         E         D         R         O         P         P         E         D

sound  of  it–

She was making funeral arrangements as well for her father.     .     .

When she hung up the phone she looked over a my table less than two feet away and remarked,

“WOW, we’re eating and drinking the same thing,”

I smiled over at her and said,

“I hope your’s taste as good as mine,”

.         .          .now this is where it gets eerily interesting:

I began,

“Listen, I don’t mean to be rude, but I couldn’t help but hearing what sounded like you making funeral arrangements for your father.  I’m really sorry.”

“Yes.  It’s been a mess trying to get everything together and planned.  I have two sisters but we don’t get along that well; they’re both from out of town and I’ve been hear taking care of him.  I’m just trying to make everything as nice as he deserves.”

“I do well over 20 funerals a month and I can tell you that it’s really normal for people not to get along at a time like this.  It’s true–It brings out our best and sometimes, mostly, our worst.”

“Where do you do the funerals?”

“Well mostly in this general area, but I also do some in Lorain County, too.  There are a lot of people who may not have a Church home, but deserve a true celebration of their lives and that’s where I’m able to come in and help.”

She named the funeral home and day they were planning to do the Memorial Service for her father.       .        .Wednesday.        .        .

“Wednesday night, at 7:00?  I finished her sentence.        .        .

“Oh my God!  You’re the guy who’s doing my dad’s service!  I can’t believe this!”

“Yes.        .        .I’m sorry”

“Are you kidding me?  This is the greatest thing that could have ever happened to me tonight.  Ever since my dad died in the hospital a couple of days ago I’ve carried this deep pain and grief and now.       .       .”

t        e        a        r        s

“And now for the first time, I feel peace, I mean peace I’ve never felt before–ever!  It’s like he just sat down beside me right here, right now to let me know that everything’s going to be alright.”

“Everything is alright.       .       .”

“I can’t believe this.     .     .no one will ever believe this.     .     .what are the chances out of all the places either of us can be, WE ARE HERE, sitting right next to each other planning the celebration of my dad’s life especially since you were suppose to meet someone else about their mother’s service across the street?”

“I don’t believe in accidents or coincidences.  Everything’s on purpose; you believe that don’t you?”

“How can’t I?”

Well.        .        .

Do  You?

I don’t know the real definition of

THE  LAW  OF  ATTRACTION

but I do know there’s an unnamed

an unnoticed

Caring    Catalyst    Concept:

When you truly Care

When you’re truly Compassionate

You’ll need no GPS

You’ll need no gyroscope

You’ll need no compass

You’ll need no road map

You’ll need no AAA Trip-Tick

You’ll  SHOW  UP

not where you planned

not where you’re directed

but  where  you’re  needed.         .        .

such is the Caring Catalyst Concept.         .         .

a guarantee

more sure than a heart beat

and closer than your next breath.       .       .

Caring

Compassion

assures it.          .         .

See you at a table for one

 

RSVP’d

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DO  UNTO  OTHERS.        .        .

Classic one, huh?

Every major religion espouses its simplepurity

and its essence

B            U            T.       .        .

I don’t know if

it’ll inspire me to stay at the Marriott

when given a choice

more than who gives a better coupon/discount

B               U              T.           .           .

it has already made me think

and better still

A             C            T

not  just  about  victims  of  Hurricanes  Harvey, Irma

and possibly Jose

Charlottesville, Virginia

Mexico

but the countless people

on the periphery of my life

going through their own personal

d       e       v       a       s       t       i       n       g

hurricanes

earthquakes

tsunamis

tornadoes

hate crimes

floods

that I might not be able to change

or eliminate

but being a

Caring Catalyst

enough

to even at the minimal

i m p a c t

IF  I

B   U   T

w i l l.            .          .

Y            O            U ?

Now  that’s  a reservation

we  could  all  benefit

and honor.          .          .

Turn down   that  bedspread

puff up that   pillow

                           put out    that          piece of chocolate

and be the respite

be the refuge

be the fortress

be   the   l i g h t h o u s e

that’s desperately needed

not across the world

or to parts unknown

but right beside you.        .        .

YOUR PROFILE

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Quite a bio, huh.       .       .

P      R      O      F      I      L      E

it’s really important

especially when we’re talking about

Y  O  U  R        P  R  O  F  I  L  E

.      .       .that’s what Social Media

is all about, isn’t it

defining

recognizing

noticing

advertising

selling

who  you  are

if in fact,

we ever really know the answer to that

ever elusive question.         .        .

because it’s as momentary

and as transitory

as the very next minute

and can change even faster than the next second

or your next breath.        .       .

So Facebook

as it often does

came out with a

S E L F – D E F I N I N G

W H O   A R E  Y O U  R E A L L Y

kind of an app:

EN.NAMETESTS.COM

that quickly analyzes

your personal data and posts and comes up with

well.      .      .

Y          O          U

or- maybe -a -really -good,

hey- look- at -me

bet- you- didn’t -know

but- now- glad- you- do

kind- of-

M  E

.        .        .So I gave it a

lets-do-this-for-the-heck-of-it-kind-of-a-try

and Wallllll-laaaaaaaa.       .        .

there’s my profile.        .        .

Aside from it showing a likeness of me

that looks as if I was the finalist for the

UNCLE   FESTER  LOOK-A-LIKE CONTEST

from the Adams Family television series of the 60’s

it gave me a snapshot of what I’d be proud to be

and SHOW YOU

who I am

but.       .       .

W     O     W.        .       .

is this where we finally have arrived.       .      .

to    be    defined

not by people

not by work

not by success

not by achievements

not by advancements

not by evaluations

not by one-on-one conversations

not by relationships

but by an app

a program

a ‘hey-look-who-I-am’

peek into what I’d love others

TO THINK

I am

but.        .        .

Do I really need such an app to define me.      .     .

It’s kind of fun

It’s kind of amusing

It’s kind of scary

that a FaceBook app would tell me who I am

and to make it  M A T T E R.      .      .

Do we need such an app

to define

to label

to identify

who we are.     .      .

FOR   ME

It doesn’t matter if it’s a Congregation

an audience

a small group

a person

who you think I am

but.         .         . how

I’m    serving   you.       .     .

that’s the real

DEFINER, isn’t it?

not

H O W  AM  I  

but

H O W       AM       I       SERVING

Y       O       U

So let me have it.          .          .

No holding back;

even if you have to go

a      n      o      n      y      m      o      u      s

tell   me   what   you   think

how   you   feel   I’m   doing

or   not   doing

even if

‘I suck like a straw’

go  to

www.thecaringcatalyst.com

and share.      .       .

purely

so I can share,

be better,

congregation

audience

small group

and person by person

because in end

and at any beginning.       .       .

I   aspire   to   be

 your image of me

is what I hope to be

a truer

more authentic

Caring   Catalyst

H  E  L  P      M  E

to be seen as I am

with no special effects

or enhancements

Join me.    .    .

in updating my profile

and in the meantime–

and for not just taking a real

honest to you

honest to God

look at yourself

but   for  doing   a   little   updating

as well.       .       .

Profile me that, Batman

HOUSTON, We have a SOLUTION

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CARING  IS  DARING

EVERY TIME, FOR EVERY NEED, Get’s The STAR

Anyone Can be a Caring Catalyst even though it’s much easier just to say you are ONE

Sometimes, I DO. . .Most of the Time, I DON’T

S T O P:    COMPASSION  is  a  V E R B

If COMPASSION isn’t a Verb.     .     .it’s Nothing else.     .     .A useless Word!

SYMPATHY Shouts:  H E L P !
COMPASSION Answers:  HERE   I  AM

COMPASSION is always Blind and Deaf to:
IF, AND, BUT, UNLESS, UNTIL, EXCEPT, 
so that WE can be that Sightless and Un-Hearing.     .     .

SYMPATHY Whispers, “I’M  SORRY,”
COMPASSION SHOUTS, “LET ME GIVE YOU A HAND”

We don’t have to be a KNOWN Caring Catalyst
to be an EFFECTIVE Caring Catalyst.     .     .

We should all

CHUCK IT
STEVE IT
HARRY IT
SARA IT
JULIA IT
BARB IT
JOE IT
ANNE IT
SAM IT
SHELBY IT
KIRK IT
(i n s e r t     name)_____________________________IT

DO
Always Champions
D O N ‘ T

It’s  NEVER  how  much  you  Give  so  much  as  THAT  you  Give

When it’s time to RISE
don’t sit
don’t kneel
don’t sink
don’t shrink
don’t evaporate 
R     I     S     E

www.redcross.org/Disaster-Relief/Hurricane

www.unitedwayhouston.org

www.houstonfooodbank.org

www.houstonhumane.org

PAY  ATTENTION, CLASS

it  is no longer appropriate
to just be in Class.        .        .

Class is  NOT IN SESSION

HELPING
ASSISTING
GIVING
CARING

I S.         .         .

It’s YOUR  TURN

I’d   rather   have   1000   people   give   a   Penny
than   a   Million   not   give   a   damn.          .          .

BE THE CARING CATALYST

YOU’RE NEEDED TO BE.          .          .

Psssssssssssst  of  the  Day:

It’s time to stop asking questions

and start   L I V I N G     A N S W E R S.          .          .

BE   KIND   WHENEVER   POSSIBLE,
IT’S    ALWAYS    POSSIBLE.
                  Dalai  Lama

When Your World WOBBLES

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Today is the

D A Y

T H E     T O T A L     S O L A R     E C L I P S E

.          .          .mind you all of North America

will be treated to an eclipse of the sun;

Anyone within the path of totality can see

one of nature’s most awe inspiring sights–

A Total  Solar  Eclipse.      .      .

Observers outside this path will still see

a partial solar eclipse

where the moon covers part of the sun’s disk.       .       .

H          O          W          E          V          E           R

maybe the biggest news

is that your

WORLD HAS WOBBLED

and you might not have even noticed it.          .          .

The Inuit Elders of the Canadian Arctic Circle

as in this video clip are talking about how

their world has changed.           .            .

how it was t h e n

and how it is  n o w.        .        .

in fact,

The Elders are saying that Global Warming

is not the whole story.        .        .

The Inuit Elders are claiming

The Sun doesn’t rise where it use to.    .    .

They have longer day light to hunt

and the Sun is higher than it used to be

and warms up quicker than before.       .       .

The Elders believe that the

W O R L D

has shifted

t i l t e d

W    O     B     B     L     E     D

to the North.       .       .

Hmmmmmmmmmmm:

Has your World

S H I F T E D

T I L T E D

W     O     B     B    L     E     D.        .        .

The Total Solar Eclipse of June 8, 1918

crossed the United States from Washington State

to Florida.      .      .

This Path

is roughly similar to the

T     O     D     A     Y

August 21, 2017

Total Solar Eclipse

that’ll cross the nation from Pacific to the Atlantic

somewhere around 2:30 p.m. EDT

.          .          .With      all      of      the

Sunrises

Sunsets

Winters

Springs

Falls

Summers

Years

Months

Days

Hours

Minutes

Seconds

it’s not hard to imagine

the countless

S H I F T S

T I L T S

W O B B L E S

in your World

e        v         e        n

the

u  n  n  o  t  i  c  e  d

s h i f t s

t i l t s

w o b b l e s

since you’ve been awake this very day.       .       .

and  I T

spins on,

doesn’t it.      .      .

it continues to turn

to rotate

no     matter    what.       .       .

Has your  S U N

begun rising

and setting

in different places

or have you just not ever noticed.        .        .

P    A    Y         A    T    T    E    N    T   I    O    N,       C    L    A    S    S

you   haven’t   seen   anything, yet.       .       .

no   special   lenses   necessary.       .       .

no   threat   of   blindness   by   looking.       .       .

The   Solar   Eclipse

of   your   Soul

doesn’t   cast   a   shadow

I  T         R   E   V   E   A   L   S          I  T

.          .          .d o n ‘ t     b l i n k.          .          .

it’s   not   to   be   missed

S                       H                       I                       N                       E

The Compliment Department

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Unknown-1

Are you?

Are you the Supervising Manager of your own Personal Complaint Department?

According to the authors of the book,

SIGNIFICA

The World’s Champion Complainer was a man named

R A L P H     C H A R R E L L

Charrell received over $100,000.00 as a result of his systematic complaining.  His smallest refund was of $6.95 and his largest was $25,000.00.  Charrell spent time every day making phone calls and writing letters of complaint.  He even wrote two different books:

HOW   TO   GET   THE   UPPER   HAND

and

HOW   I   TURNED   ORDINARY   COMPLAINTS   INTO   THOUSANDS   OF   DOLLARS

Question of the Day:

What would it like to be known as the

World’s  Champion  Complainer ?

It doesn’t stop with Mr. Charrell.   .   .

According to a White House study titled, “Consumer Complaint Handling in America,”  there are some fairly handsome profits for companies that actively seek disgruntled customers and then satisfy them.

Here’s the Facts:

  • Companies spend five times as much to attract a new customer as to keep a dissatisfied one
  • About 65% of an average company’s income comes from repeat customer business.
  • 91% of dissatisfied customers will never again buy from the offending company and they will tell at least 10 other people about their bad experiences.

Here’s  EVEN  more Facts:

Well over 70% don’t actually complain because

IT    ISN’T   WORTH    THEIR    TIME

THEY   DON’T   KNOW   WHERE   TO   COMPLAIN

THEY   DON’T   BELIEVE   COMPLAINING   WILL   DO   ANY   GOOD

Maybe instead of a regular-not-always-effective

COMPLAINT    DEPARTMENT

We’d all do well to be

C O M P L I M E N T      D I S P E N S E R S

Seriously. . .

Giving a sincere compliment can have a huge impact on a person’s outlook.  A simple, sincere Compliment communicates the message:

I          V A L U E         Y O U

The studies don’t lie.         .         .

even when we wish they would.         .         .

C O M P L A I N T S     GET     R E S U L T S

Pssssssssst  of  the  DAY:

So   do

C         O         M         P         L         I         M         E         N         T         S

Mark   Twain   was   right:

“I   can   live   two   months   on   one   good   compliment.”

Test   it.        .        .

You want to be a true Caring Catalyst–

give a sincere,

a  simple,

SPECIFIC

 C  o  m  p  l  i  m  e  n  t.          .          .

The Compliment you give Some One today

will be the  Kudos  

you’ll receive all the rest of your days

without   one   word   ever   spoken.    .     .

Take   the   Compliment   Challenge:

10   Compliments   a   Day   to   10   Different   People   for   10   consecutive  

D  a  y  s

.      .      .it may not pay as well as Complaints

but   it’ll   definitely   pay   in   dividends

for   others

for   you

for   always

for  A L L — W A Y S

Death by LONELINESS

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Have you ever been lonely?

Do you know someone

who you believe is

L        O        N        E        L        Y.          .          .

Who would think

that  it  could  ever  be  deadly:

L          O          N          E          L          I          N          E          S          S

The latest studies

T  E  L  L

that in the United States,

about a quarter of the population lives  a l o n e;

.        .        .In fact,  RESEARCH  presented

at the 125th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association

brings out the connection between

Loneliness and a Premature Death.       .       .

The Shocking Scoop:

Julianne Holt-Lundstad, A Professor of Psychology

at Brigham Young University

presented evidence from two meta-analyses

on the effects of social connection and  H E A L T H

The first study looked at over 148 studies

involving more than 300,000 people

and found that people with  SOCIAL CONNECTIONS

had a 50% lower risk of dying early

compared to people who did not have 

strong social circles.       .       .

The other analysis of 70 studies

found that loneliness, isolation and living alone

all had a significant effect on a person’s

risk for early death.       .       .

Holt-Lundstad said, “There  is  robust  evidence  that  social  isolation  and loneliness  significantly  increase  risk  for  premature  mortality,  and  the magnitude  of  the  risk  exceeds  that  of  many  leading  health  indicators.”

In a 2016 interview with FORTUNE,

John Cacioppo, author of

LONELINESS: HUMAN NATURE AND THE NEED FOR SOCIAL CONNECTION, 

believes that loneliness has a physical and psychological effect on people’s health:

“Loneliness  is  bad  for  your  mental  health:  Well-being  goes  down, depressive  symptoms  go  up, your  likelihood  of  developing  mental  health and  affective  disorders  increases,” Cacioppo said.       .      .

Holt-Lundstad even went further to comment,

“Indeed,  many  nations  around  the  world  now  suggest  we  are  facing  a ‘loneliness  epidemic.’   The  challenge  we  face  now  is  what  can  be  done about  it?”

Can it be this simple:

As  a  Caring  Catalyst

c  a  n

Merely   BE-FRIENDING   Some O N E

 actually   save   their   lives?

Maybe    the    deeper

more    significant    question:

ARE      YOU      WILLING      TO

L I T E R A L L Y

B  E  T      Y  O  U  R      L  I  F  E      O  N      I  T ?

.        .        .Maybe   by   erasing

L        O        N        E        L        I        N        E        S        S

from   any   O N E’ S    Life

erases   it   from   your’s.        .        .

Hmmmmmmmmmmm.              .             .

two   lives   saved

in   one   simple

c    a    r    i    n    g

a    c    t

M O R A L:

You    don’t    have    to    do    the    Study

.       .       .j u s t

B E     T H E     S T U D Y

and

p   r   o   s   p   e   r

as        you        prosper

P E R S P E C T I V E

By Leave a Comment

https://youtu.be/D9IDoco2UB4

It’s   really   not   about   perspective.        .        .

It’s   all   merely   about

Y     O     U     R

P         E         R         S         P         E         C         T         I         V         E

.       .       .and then again it’s not about your

p  e  r  s  p  e  c  t  i  v  e

it’s all about your

s          h          a          r          e           d

p  e  r  s  p  e  c  t  i  v  e

and then again,

it’s not about your shared

p  e  r  s  p  e  c  t  i  v  e,

it’s about your received

p  e  r  s  p  e  c  t  i  v  e,

and then again

it’s not about your received

p  e  r  c  e  p  t  i  o  n,

it’s about your perceived

p  e  r  s  p  e  c  t  i  v  e,

and then again

 it’s not about your perceived

 p  e  r  c  e  p  t  i  o  n 

it’s just about.       .       .

well.            .            .

p        e        r        c        e        p        t        i        o         n —

(y     o     u     r     s)

and.       .        .

just  what  is

i   t ?

 

Adding UP

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T       R       U       T       H ?

Math   has   never   been   my   strong   suit.       .       .

And   even   when

I’ve managed to

Get    most   of   T H E M

R             I             G             H             T

It’s the

W             R             O             N             G

That  always  gets

R E D  –  M A R K E D

Pointed – Out

Observed

Recognized

Noticed

Shaking-the-finger-pointed-at-Y O U

S  E  E  N

Which has always

had me asking

In the most honorable

Caring-Catalytstic-Ways

W  H  A  T ‘ S

W R O N G

W I T H

R            I            G            H            T.            .            .

God might be a great Mathematician

And the Universe

A  glorious  Blackboard.         .         .

But some of the Pupils

and Teachers

just   can’t   be  F I G U R E D   out.          .          .

Pssssssssssst   of   the   Day:

You   are   not   a   part

of    their    equation

so    quit    trying    to    make    it    all

A   D   D       U   P.        .        .

Dry   Erase   me   for   a   Ba – Zillion,  Batman!

Professional Speaker, Author, Assurance Man