Happy Soul Food Friday for Thanksgiving Week!
My heartfelt aspiration for you is that you have many things to be grateful for this holiday season, and that we all take a moment to share that attitude of gratitude with the people that matter most to us in our lives.
As the perfect antidote for the typical holiday season fervor of material spending and crazy consumerism, that begins with Black Friday and continues through Cyber Monday and now Mobile Tuesday, here are some soul food gifts to share with your loved ones. They cost nothing but are indeed priceless, validating that Einstein knew what he was talking about when he said, “Not everything that can be counted, counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.” :
First the gift of humor (and lateral thinking):
The following short quiz consists of 4 questions and will tell you whether you are qualified to be a professional. Scroll down for each answer.
The questions are NOT that difficult. But don’t scroll down UNTIL you have answered each question!
1. How do you put a giraffe into a refrigerator?
The correct answer is: Open the refrigerator, put in the giraffe, and close the door. This question tests whether you tend to do simple things in an overly complicated way.
2. How do you put an elephant into a refrigerator?
Did you say, Open the refrigerator, put in the elephant, and close the refrigerator?
Wrong Answer.
Correct Answer: Open the refrigerator, take out the giraffe, put in the elephant and close the door. This tests your ability to think through the repercussions of your previous actions.
3. The Lion King is hosting an animal conference. All the animals attend…except one.
Which animal does not attend?
Correct Answer: The Elephant. The elephant is in the refrigerator. You just put him in there. This tests your memory.
Okay, even if you did not answer the first three questions correctly, you still have one more chance to show your true abilities.
4. There is a river you must cross but it is used by crocodiles, and you do not have a boat. How do you manage it?
Correct Answer: You jump into the river and swim across. Have you not been listening? All the crocodiles are attending the Animal Meeting. This tests whether you learn quickly from your mistakes.
According to Anderson Consulting Worldwide, around 90% of the professionals they tested got all questions wrong, but many preschoolers got several correct answers.
Anderson Consulting says this conclusively disproves the theory that most professionals have the brains of a four-year-old.
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Now for some other meaningful thanksgiving holiday gifts.
*** The FIRST gift is the gift of time.
“Just being with someone can be of great comfort to that person”.
*** The SECOND gift is the gift of good example.
Most people learn fundamental attitudes by observing other people.
*** The THIRD gift is the gift of acceptance.
People often begin to change when they realize they’re being accepted for what they are.
*** The FOURTH gift idea for those who are so often busy and distracted these days is the gift of privacy – that is, time of one’s own.
Too often, we smother people with questions and demands on them and their time.
*** The FIFTH is the gift of seeing the best in people.
“How can you see a ‘fine’ picture of someone close to you – when that person doesn’t always seem to be so fine?
*** The SIXTH gift is the gift of self-esteem
Not crippling others by nagging or criticizing – especially those we love. That’s particularly a tough one for millions of people every day.
*** The SEVENTH gift, might be the giving up a bad habit.
*** Number EIGHT is the gift of self-disclosure.
Bottling up feelings and resentments deprives the other person of truly knowing who you are.
*** The NINTH gift idea is the gift of helping someone learn something new.
It is an investment in their future happiness.
*** The TENTH gift is the gift of really listening.
“Few of us know how to listen in an effective manner”.
*** The ELEVENTH is the gift of fun!
It’s important to help those close to you to find the fun in ordinary, small events.
*** Finally, the TWELFTH gift is letting others give to us.
“When we let others give to us”, “and when we can accept their gifts in a gracious and mature manner, we may be giving them one of the most important gifts of all.”
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A Thankless Profession? We can change that!
As we extend that attitude of gratitude to those that touch our lives most meaningfully, please let’s not forget our teachers who give so much, and get thanked so little. Take a moment right now to thank a teacher for their hard work, dedication, enthusiasm and willingness to go the extra mile for our students and their families. In addition to your priceless gratitude, Mission Fed will serve to memorialize their service and esteem them for their great work! It is easy, just click here: https://www.missionfed.com/im-thankful
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We’ve highlighted Dogs and Cats but let’s not forget the Birds:
Enjoy these glorious pictures
Thanks this week to Debra S., Larry H. and all the teachers that inspire me and make me a better person!
An abundance of blessings for you and yours as we enter the Holiday Season.
Pay it forward, you can’t take it with you…
Love,
Neville
“The influence of each human being on others in this life is a kind of
immortality.” –John Quincy Adams
Happy Soul Food Friday! 