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Hello Friends! Welcome to Mini Miracles from Minor Moments. This is your host Linda Gullo. I treasure the small things in life the encounters with people, and even the struggles that often bring us insight. Each week I bring you a theme and thought provoking stories for these 10 to 15 minute episodes. The are based on simple ideas with upbeat and hopefully encouraging tidbits for you to take along. My plan is to help you like yourself and love life.
We all need to feel that we contribute to our world. That could be to your family, your community or to your business. What are your gifts? How do you contribute to the world around you?
On my wall in the office I have the saying. “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain.” What does that mean? 
We all dance to a different tune and that is the neatest thing we can do. Sometimes we are called us to dance in the rain or through less enjoyable moments. Life does have a way of moving us through good and bad times.
God made us all so unique and different from one another and we all have our roadmap to follow. I try to learn from those around me who accept things well. I guess that is the number one reason I enjoy people so much.
We are called down such different pathways and need one another to succeed.
In yesterday’s blog, I wrote about just being yourself. Well that is often hard, because we are mixture of so many things.
Who are you? Where are you going? What influences you the most? Do you think for yourself or are you easily persuaded to take on the opinions of other people? We try to fit in to the norms and culture early on. We often listen to and become Mini versions of our parents, siblings or cousins without even knowing it.
When things are congruent for us it is usually when we are comfortable in our own skin. We have foods we like and those we don’t. We have a style of learning and either enjoy reading or we don’t! Maybe we find a profession we love, and it makes it simple to stay on task for us.
Years ago I volunteered at a Resale Shop for over ten years. It was an awesome experience. I met so many other volunteers there. About 55 different people of various ages. Each had their reason for contributing to this Hospital owned enterprise.
It was an old tire factory. It had rooms for furniture, shelving for household stuff, and plenty of hanger space for clothes. The prices were reasonable, it was clean, and the brightness of the location made it fun.
Parking was ample for those who drove and the location was easy within walking distance of apartments and homes. I wondered for a long time why I was called there. Perhaps I will never know the real reason, but I have concluded that it helped me define who I am. Material things took on a new place for me. New and used merchandise flowed in and out quickly. Some of the older things took me back to my past and the new things gave me vision.
Vision is always been important to me. Vision to see the future and to plan on all the opportunities yet to be experienced is great fun. I understand however, that for others vision is a frightening place. They are comfortable with things as they are now.
It is when they have to perform to a new standard that the question of who am I trips in? Does one dress differently to fit into the standard of that profession? Does a company paying the salary want me to put my ethical standards aside? How far would you be willing to go to compromise your values?
With the current political races going on it may be harder than you think to be yourself. Do you know who will vote for during this election? Are those around you clearer in their thinking? Time like this call me to my knees in prayer that I make a decision and act in a way that will be right for me–congruent with who I am on a daily basis.
When we are trying to follow what the advertisements sell to us or fit into the values of our society it may be hard. It is not simply deciding on the color of a new car or the decision to bring a child into the world. We know how we stand on those measures. It is using our internal wisdom and insight to make a clear long term decision.
I happen to enjoy sports some of the time. Raised by a dad who loved the Chicago teams, I learned to recognize the value of being a sports fan. There are always things to talk about and it is a connection to other people.
I always loved basketball. In Junior High it was my favorite thing to do. I learned the rules and enjoyed the pace. In high school, I attended the Saturday night games with a passion and jumped up and down in the stands with friends. My dad was always willing to drop us off and pick us up. Thanks Dad!
While at DePaul University, I was a big fan of the Blue Demons. I’d talk to Coach Ray Meyer in the hallways of Alumni Hall. He was a great man who was a coach and basketball analyst for the school. I would attend the weekend games there and even after my graduation I continued until his retirement to follow along. He lived to be 92 and when he died, I felt great sadness. I felt so sorry for him after he retired, because his wife died within that first year.
Other than that, I was just too busy studying and trying to learn a profession to stay involved in watching sports. While working I found myself on a bowling league and loved being able to connect with those bowling on my team. It was a sport that I could embrace by doing it.
This year with the Cubs in the race for the world series I have been listening and paying attention again. A flame for the good old times has been lite again.
If one stands in the aisle of a drugstore in front of the cosmetics, you are bound to hear people sighing. Especially from one of those buying lipstick or toiletries, that they have discontinued a favorite item. It has happened to me on several occasions. The lipstick color I loved is no longer available. I was forced to do without or compromise to another one.
Changes happen and probably the best approach is to become involved. Follow the news, read often, listen to friends and commercials, but in the process stay true to who you are as a person. Design yourself in a way of being the best version you know how to be.
So this whole podcast has been about the past, the present, and the future. As this podcast takes on personality and influence of its own, I am in the process of getting a co-anchor and guests to join me on a regular basis. It will be a nice step forward in taking it to a new level.
Until next week, stay true to yourself. Thank you for listening and for the kind feedback I have received. Know you can reach me at www.lindagullo.com. Feel free to sign up for the upcoming PDF’s on various topics, and handouts that will be coming regularly after the 1st of the year. Recognize the good people around you, the small joys that carry you forward and the laughable moments. Look for those Mini Miracles the help you to Delight in Living®. Bye for now and have a great week.