Success Information

How Breaking Routine And Unexpected Acts of Kindness Can Energize Your Day!


Sometimes life becomes so routine, we don't have to think about a thing we're doing throughout the day. We're programmed to run on automatic. It's important to shake things up every once in a while to get the creative juices flowing, give us an added boost of energy or give us something to concentrate on for a change.

When routine sets in, particularly in relationships, we can't always see the impact it has until we throw a new ingredient into the mix. This week, I ventured outside of my regular routine, and performed a very unexpected act of kindness. The results were terrific!

Picture it, Cicely, 1945 ? oops, wait, wrong story ...

Picture it, Northern Ontario, Winter 2004. It's Friday morning, snow is falling, there is a nip in the air and neither my husband nor I want to get out of our toasty warm bed to get ready for work.

We go through the same exercise every morning. We both wait for the other one to get up first to turn up the furnace, then he heads to his washroom to get ready and I go into my office to meditate for half an hour.

This morning, however, neither of us would budge. He didn't want to get up, shower, make breakfast and prepare lunches, and I didn't want to meditate, go through my agenda for the day and start prioritizing my long list of outstanding tasks. We were stuck.

I must have been desperate or temporarily insane because I suddenly blurted out, "Hey! You get up and get ready and I'll make you breakfast today!" He was stunned at first and didn't say a word, then started laughing, "Yeah right. What about your meditation?" For anyone who knows me, there are two things I don't do ? cook (unless I'm in a real bind) and deviate from my routine.

I insisted I was going to cook for him ? anything he wanted. Eggs, bacon, you name it! There will be no meditating today. He hesitantly agreed and headed for his washroom, wondering if his dear partner had been possessed during the night and lost complete leave of her senses. The last time I made him breakfast was, hmmm, let's see ? when was the last time the Oilers won the cup?

I whipped up a hearty breakfast and while he ate, he repeatedly commented on how he couldn't believe I had done this. He thanked me several times.

Once I had finished in the kitchen, I went to my room to start getting ready for work. I could hear him singing and talking to himself in the kitchen. I called out to him, "You're happy, aren't you?" and he answered, "My baby made me breakfast!"

It was amazing how performing a small task for the benefit of someone else made such a BIG impact! My husband was excited and happy, and I felt fantastic for making him feel appreciated and loved.

For the remainder of the day, I was a fireball. I joked with everyone at work and had them laughing and feeling great. The day flew by. I accomplished loads of work and had tons of energy.

When my husband got home from work, he told me about his great day, how he was zinging off one-liners at the guys and making them laugh, and how good he felt, mentally and physically.

Changing our routine and experiencing an act of kindness elevated both of us mentally, physically and emotionally. It is no secret that change and giving to others boost our energy levels, but we get so caught up in daily living that we easily forget. We fall into the comfort zone of habit.

Today is a new day. What can YOU do differently? Take a different route to work? Part your hair on the left instead of in center? Take the stairs instead of the elevator? Whatever it is and no matter how small, change makes a positive impact.

What can YOU do for someone else today? Something completely unsolicited and without expectation. If you're going through the drive-thru at the coffee shop, pay for the coffee for the driver behind you. If you see someone struggling with her bags at the grocery store, lend a hand. The simplest act of kindness will reap big rewards for the giver, receiver and everyone they touch throughout the day.

Laurie Hayes is a Life Strategy Coach and owner of Where the Heart Is Life Coaching. She works with people who want to live life more authentically and on purpose. She can be reached at http://www.wheretheheartis-lifecoaching.com


MORE RESOURCES:

NBC13.com

Host Committee and Cities Declare Republican National Convention a ...
MarketWatch - 7 hours ago
... Minneapolis Mayor RT Rybak and Bloomington Mayor Gene Winstead declared the 2008 Republican National Convention a success as tens of thousands of people ...
2008 Republican National Convention: Remarks as Prepared for ... MarketWatch
all 330 news articles


Bleacher Report

Hokies' O-line key to young team's success
SportingNews.com - 11 hours ago
BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) -- The quarterback situation has gotten most of the attention so far this season at Virginia Tech, especially since Frank Beamer only ...
Hokies Focus on Running Game Washington Post
Two-QB system has pros and cons Daily Press
all 126 news articles


As Google Turns 10, Enterprise Success in Question
PC World - 6 hours ago
This accounts for much of the success Google has had with its Search Appliance and Google Mini, which have disrupted the enterprise search market, ...


B-School Experts Provide Roadmap to Success in Their New Book "The ...
MarketWatch - 13 hours ago
LOS ANGELES, CA, Sep 05, 2008 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX) -- Most applicants to top business schools are qualified to attend. In fact, the average applicant to ...


Analysts as a lagging indicator of success
CNET News, CA - 11 hours ago
Analysts, then, are a lagging indicator of success. They tell an enterprise buyer from whom she should have purchased software and hardware a few years ago, ...


BBC News

Hoy: I'm being used by politicians
Independent, UK - 5 hours ago
By Mark Hughes Chris Hoy, the cyclist who won three gold medals in Beijing, has spoken of his irritation at politicians "cashing in" on his success. ...
Hoy 'annoyed over political debate' The Press Association
Castle event for Olympic heroes BBC News
Wheels of misfortune: Hoy attacks politicians just as Brown holds ... Scotsman
BBC News - Scotsman
all 178 news articles


Maryland universities offer an ideal path to success
Baltimore Sun, United States - 20 hours ago
By Joshua L. Michael Growing up in Ellicott City, I found that many of my friends and their families believed nearby schools were just "ordinary. ...


Boston Globe

Obama acknowledges success of US troop surge in Iraq
Boston Globe, United States - 21 hours ago
A protestor was taken into custody yesterday at the State Capitol in St. Paul, Minn., near the site of the Republican National Convention. ...


ABC News

Google search for browser success results in Chrome
Irish Times, Ireland - Sep 4, 2008
GOOGLE BROKE into the crowded internet browser market on Tuesday with the release of Chrome, a product the world's most popular search engine is hoping to ...
Video: Tech Test: Google Chrome Lacks Polish AssociatedPress
Google's Chrome has no chance of success. Fact! PC Advisor
Google CEO: Internet Helped Obama FOXNews
CNET News - Forbes
all 3,448 news articles


No athletic dept at Vandy, but much success
International Herald Tribune, France - 4 minutes ago
But Vanderbilt says the real success is an athletics program that is no longer viewed as an appendage, a side business for entertaining students and donors. ...

Success - Google News

home | site map | Randy Ross Unstoppable Success 101 Bryan Adams SEO | Free and Near Free Content, Links And Web Site Traffic
© 2006