Contagiously Inspirational

Try not to become a man of success but a man of value....
-Albert Einstein

As some of you know, I work the midnight shift at the drug store near my home. There, I have the most amazing inspiration for many of my post as well as much of my life. I get to interact with the public there, more than anywhere that I have ever worked before. I also get to work with some awesome people. One of which is the store manager. He is an inspiration in himself. The man just doesn't know how to say NO when it comes to getting the job done. He is an avid hunter and in his spare time mentors city youth in getting outdoors and discovering all that nature holds for them. In February, he will be honored with an award from a national organization for being the positive roll model that he is. We couldn't be more proud to know him. He does all this with out the need for praise and even thinks that we don't know all that he is up to. I mention him because he is such an inspiration to me and is the reason that I have stayed with the company for the past five years although I don't really need the employment. And daily, he reminds me of how much of an inspiration I am to him. I guess we feed off each other in that respect. He is always bragging to others that he is a better man having known me. And I feel the same about him.

I don't feel that I do that much really to inspire others, but my manager would say differently. I simply treat each customer as I would like to be treated. They are each in their own place in the world. Each person that I interact with, I greet with a smile and happily help them with anything that they need. I'm also constantly looking for new and innovative ways to make their shopping experiences easier and better. I've as well stream lined the inventory and ordering process to make life easier for the other employees on a weekly basis. If this makes me an inspiration, then I am left wondering what is going on in the rest of the company.

I am simply kind to others and find ways to make every one's life easier. I think that we all underestimate our power to make the world a better place. If everyone smiled at strangers and helped the people around them, think of how wonderful this world would be. Simple, random acts of kindness when people least expect it. It will make their day. These acts will spawn and inspire other acts and the cycle will continue. If we stop thinking of ourselves only, and recognize other peoples positions, we could inspire a new world. Will winter solstice 2012 be the end of the world as we know it? I hope that it comes faster than that. It is my goal this Christmas season and into the new year to be even more of an inspiration than in the past.

 I hope to be contagiously inspirational. 

I wish each and every one of the readers here a wonderful holiday.