Being the marketing person that I am, I always pay attention
to brands, logo’s and tag-lines. After
all, these are the defining attributes that make a company/business successful.
One of my favorites is Nike’s ‘Just Do It’.
Three words that make a lot of sense. These words are essentially
saying…stop wasting time on thought, process and what people have to say, and Just Do It.
The past several months have been life changing for me.
Anyone who has ever lost a parent can possibly relate. When losing a parent, it
is like a part of you is gone…no matter what the relationship is with them
is. After my Dad passed, I gained a
courage that I didn’t know I had. I used
to think, “I want to tell that person that I love them, but it may seem weird”,
now I just say it because time is too valuable. I used to think, “I need to
visit so and so…but maybe next year”, now I just set a date and time and go. I
used to think, “This would be a perfect time to talk about Jesus to that
person, but I don’t know if I should go that deep with them,” and can I tell
you how HAPPY I was that I had those ‘sometimes uncomfortable’ conversations
with my Dad. Now I know that he is in Heaven because I took those five minutes
to confirm with him his salvation.
Over the holiday’s my ninety-one year old Grandfather shared
with us a very powerful token of wisdom. He said, “When your friend is in need,
ill, or needs your help, don’t say I’ll go see/help them tomorrow…stop what you
are doing at that moment and go to them.”
He told us he did the same thing for a friend when they were in the
hospital, and they passed away the next day.
He was so glad he could be a friend when they needed him the most, while
they were still alive. That really made
me think how important it is to be unselfish in general. We get so caught up in living for ourselves
that we miss the blessing of being a blessing to others. Sometimes we subconsciously think that we
can’t be of help to anyone until we have our lives together. Not so. I have a relative who’s mentality, although not
often popular, taught me a valuable lesson through her heart actions. I learned
that you don’t need much to be a blessing.
If someone is in need, you can always be used by God to meet that
need. For example, if they are cold, you
may have the ability to go purchase them a brand new jacket, however, if you
aren’t in a position to buy them a new one…you can give them the one you have
or share with them. Even if you don’t have your own jacket, you can give them
hug…then you both will be warm. You see, you are always in a position to make a
difference; you just have to DO IT!
I think it’s key to remember that regrets only exist because
of a time we didn’t act on the principle of “Just Do It”. I think today is a perfect day to activate
that phrase. If someone has been on your mind, stop and give them a call. If
you said you were going to visit someone, call and set a date. If you know a
friend or family member in need – think of how you can help meet that need
(remember, you don’t need to be a millionaire or have your ‘life together’ to
do it). It’s important to remember that
you mean so much to someone, even if they don’t tell you all the time…so your
five minutes of reaching out to them could mean the WORLD to that person.
I don’t like saying life is short or long, however, I will say that life is precious - so very precious…and so are the people in it! So when given an
opportunity to help change someone’s life….JUST DO IT!
