The Caring Catalyst

Who Cares - What Matters

The Biggest Bully Ever

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What was the worst job you ever had?

Is it your current one? Was it the very first job you had while in school, or just out of school?

Who was the worst Boss or Supervisor you’ve ever had?

Was your worst job connected in any way to the worst Boss?

Can you for a few moments, just pull out that Mirror you look into…you know, the one that doesn’t hang in your bathroom or on the back of the door or maybe on the wall in front of the door you walk out of every day?

No, pull out the mirror that doesn’t exist anywhere else, in any place in your home, except in your mind. It’s that mirror that you see yourself in honest-to-God-full-living-vivid-color which never distorts or dims your truest self.

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Of Grave Interest

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RE-MEMBERING

It’s really my favorite way to spell R-E-M-E-M-B-E-R!

In a self-published book that I co-wrote with Cynthia Morgan back in the late 90’s, “RE-MEMBER–A MEMORY BOOK,” it’s how I spelled it and I explained in the Forward that it’s RE because it is actually putting back together the Pieces of a Person’s life as they have fit themselves into the puzzles of our lives.

Do we ever RE-MEMBER enough?

Certainly not a funeral, or around a holiday table, or out back during a family reunion picnic. It’s true isn’t it? Anytime we come together to RE-MEMEMBER, it’s never long enough, which is most likely the reason we continue to come up with little personal ways of RE-MEMBERING that will continue to unfold meaning and significance for each of us.

Stones on a Grave.

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SPLASH

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“OUR TASK MUST BE TO FREE OURSELVES BY WIDENING OUR CIRCLE OF COMPASSION TO EMBRACE ALL LIVING CREATURES AND THE WHOLE OF NATURE AND ITS BEAUTY–Albert Einstein

Can IT be measured?

“THEY” say we are made up of about 60% water.

Talk about making a SPLASH!

What percentage of us is actually made up of Compassion? 10%? 25%> 50%? 75%? Can it actually be measured?

Do you measure IT in smiles? Looks? A Touch? Gestures? A kind Word? Presents?

When’s the last time you were reduced to a puddle of Water?

When’s the last time you REDUCED another to a puddle?

No formal education is necessary, no fancy words, no pomp or circumstances–Just YOU–Willing to show another maybe what no OTHER will or actually can do at the moment you CAN.

Will YOU?

Forget about making a Ripple–it’ll take care of itself.

MAKE A SPLASH!

Soak Another in Compassion. . .and your Understanding and Imagination won’t be able to be expand enough to comprehend the Water World you’ll Create!

Come on, Einstein. . .I know you’ve got it in you. . .maybe that’s the problem–we all do–but what we have in us makes no matter until we make it a part of another and make them just a little more than what they were before our simple act of Compassion.

WOW! You’re all wet!

Getting Your Compassion OFF

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It’s all about Compassion, isn’t it?

Everyone makes a push to “Get Their Compassion ON!”

Maybe it’s really about Taking your Compassion OFF. . .and not so much just SHARING it, but actually unequivocally, unabashedly, no-strings-ever-attached-GIVING IT!

Sure, the small film was made in Oslo, Norway. That would never happen in Cleveland, Ohio or Chicago, IL, or Fargo, ND, or Nome, Alaska, would it?

The thing that ultimately haunts me about the film is that the little kid, NEVER asked for a coat or clothes, or a scarf or gloves…not once.

Would it have made a difference?

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Smudges

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W H A A A A A T?

You may be wondering why people have marked up foreheads today…some, you might be able to see as an actual sign of a cross and others are going to look like smudges that have been unnoticed and unattended.

Before you go with a, “Ummmm, there’s a big black smudge on your forehead,” card, just know that it’s Ash Wednesday, the official day of the 40 days of Lent.

Most liturgical churches celebrate the occasion, but it’s not ever found in the Bible as one of the “OTHER” Silent Commandments. There are some peculiar settings for the ritual, though.

Smudged Cross Wearers are not trying to show off today and or pronounce, “HEY LOOK AT ME, I’M A REAL CHRISTIAN!”

The Smudge is worn to remind the Wearer and the See-er of the Smudge, “FROM DUST YOU WERE CREATED AND TO DUST YOU SHALL RETURN.”

Hmmmm, a nice way of saying, “DEAD-SINNER WALKING!”

But and it’s a rather Big, B U T, sporting the Smudge is actually meaningless unless there are some inner change that shows up outwardly much greater than the Smudge itself…and of the the two, this one hopefully is more noticeable and longer-lasting than the Smudge.

. . .For this, there is a Biblical Mandate from the book of Isaiah 58:5-7 and truly it transcends all Religions and becomes Universal because each Religion actually embraces:

“IS THIS THE KIND OF FAST I’VE CHOSEN FOR YOU, ONLY A DAY TO HUMBLE YOURSELF? IS IT ONLY THE BOWING OF ONE’S HEAD LIKE A REED AND FOR LYING ON SACKCLOTH AND ASHES? IS THAT WHAT YOU CALL A FAST, A DAY ACCEPTABLE TO THE LORD? IS THIS REALLY NOT THE KIND OF FASTING I HAVE CHOSEN FOR ALL: TO LOOSE THE CHAINS OF INJUSTICE AND UNTIE THE CORDS OF YOKE, TO SET THE OPPRESSED FREE AND BREAK EVERY YOKE? IS IT NOT TO SHARE YOUR FOOD WITH THE HUNGRY AND TO PROVIDE THE POOR WANDERER WITH SHELTER–WHEN YOU SEE THE NAKED, TO CLOTHE HIM AND NOT TO TURN AWAY FROM YOUR OWN FLESH AND BLOOD?”

. . .So, getting Smudged may not be of utmost importance, wearing the smudge for a day, even less, but literally S M U D G I N G others with your kindness, compassion, care, UN-CONDITIONAL LOVE, acceptance, and assistance (FOR MORE THAN A DAY OR A SEASON OR A MERE OBSERVANCE). . .well now. . .

May I be the first in line to not so much offer my broad forehead, but my Open Heart!

Join me!

GET SMUDGED and SMUDGE UNCEASINGLY!

Change That Doesn’t Jingle

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The only thing constant is Change, isn’t it?

8:54 isn’t a very long time to change is it?

Neither is a Second or a Trillion years…

If the Change is really a Change that doesn’t jingle, in your pocket, a tin can or, or even your Soul!

No matter how long Change takes, the Eight plus minutes to watch Sharon Wright’s amazing film, Change For A Dollar, or a lifetime or a Million Years, it really means nothing, if Change doesn’t happen in you.

When I contacted Sharon last week to ask her if I could use/promote her film, she was gracious in permitting the honor of possibly sharing SOMEthing that could not only cause Change, but ripple it out so that it could do it many times over–if you too would SHARE!

I knew after seeing this over a couple of years ago that I would not only be changed by it, but also have the responsibility of sharing it so that YOU may be changed, so that others, too might be
changed. . . .

I just didn’t want you to receive it–see it–experience it–I wanted you to S H A R E it as I have with you.

The only thing constant is change. . .when it doesn’t jingle in your pocket or in a tin can.

You’ll know it’s real, authentic, long lasting…uhh, yeah, even the Life-CHANGing Kind when it rattles around in your Soul like it can’t in any other way, in any other place.

Let that Jangle around in your Soul until it becomes the most glorious symphony the World begs to hear, Maestro.

Tap that Baton.

Start Directing.

Bring IT.

The Music of CHANGE never really Ends…we just stop Hearing IT!

Being THAT GUY

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Maybe it’s not so much about being Remembered as it is simply not getting FORGOTTEN. . . .

I’ve NOT been remembered LOTS as a minister, a Life-Celebrant, a Spiritual Care Coordinator with hospice, a Wedding Liturgist, a Speaker for Leadership, Communication, Spirituality, End-Of-Life Issues. Maybe too many times. But I have literally, powerfully, emphatically NOT been Forgotten.

Most of the phone calls I get to fulfill any of the roles above is merely been because I’ve NOT been forgotten.

I’m sincerely, intimately, “THAT GUY!”

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SMILE–You’re on Camera (ALWAYS)

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“SMILE, YOU’RE ON CANDID CAMERA!”

Sounds simple enough doesn’t it?

If you’re old enough, it was great entertainment, this show, Candid Camera with Alan Funt which ran from 1960-1967. It always caught unsuspecting people who were usually placed in confusing, impossible, embarrassing, ridiculous and hilarious situations, while their reactions were caught on a hidden camera.

Funny, what made for great entertaining, not-to-hurt-anyone-TV that ran for some seven years, once a week, is now a 24 hour, 7 day a week, 365 days a year event.

With Social Media and everyone having a Smart Phone, and NSA being accused of the modern day nightmare come to reality, Big Brother…we’re all movie stars…willing or unwilling and unsuspecting, aren’t we?

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A Gift

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Dare I take up the next 6:19 minutes of your Life?

Dare you squander it?

Dare you Miss It?

Michael Pollack. You certainly know the name, right?

I didn’t know of him…never heard of him before 10 minutes ago.

Billy Joel.

I’ve liked his music since his very first song, “Piano Man” in the early 70’s.

I remember one story, because of his busy concert schedule, he was going to miss his only child’s, his daughter’s Birthday and she was devastated by the news…he was more so.

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Professional Speaker, Author, Assurance Man