The past few years I have struggled with depression and feeling empty inside even though I put on a face and present myself to others that I am OK and my life is going well. However, depression, no matter how long it has been since I have had an episode, will never leave my life entirely. At one point in my life I wanted to give up and not continue on with life. And then I found a reason to continue. That reason was my family. I didn’t want to disappoint nor upset my family by losing me. I still struggle with depression, but I look for ways to pull myself out of it. Usually the ways I find are to help or serve others.
Recently I have been struggling to know how I can help make a difference in someone else’s life and then I heard Jon tell the story of little Nathan. As I listened to his account of the story I felt like I had heard that story once before and also I feel like I have seen this very card once before, before I received it from Jon. Most of my life I have used the word “just” to describe who I am and what I do. However, after hearing Nathan’s story, I no longer want to use the word just as a description of a person or action. And part of that is that I want other’s who receive this card to realize that there is more to life than the word “just,” and that they are not just a person.
You are not “just” a person, you are a child of God. He loves you. You can go on to do great things in this life. You can be a difference in someone’s life simply by saying hello. We never know what people are struggling with either in their life or on the inside. The person next to you could be struggling with depression or anxiety, or could have lost a loved one and not sure how to handle loss. Reach out and share this card with another person so they can learn of Nathan’s story, and the other stories that are linked with this card.

I was doing programming homework when my classmate came in and threw this card at me. I proceeded to become a better person and think about how you shouldn’t throw cards. Harambe deserved better.

I currently own a small business in downtown Hartford Wisconsin and ever since hearing Jon speak live by the motto, “drop a stone into the water and in a moment it is gone but a hundred ripples circle on and on and on.” Our words have meaning in every situation. We must learn to uplift eachother with our words and actions as it has a ripple effect and will circle back to us one day.

Lisa is a teacher in a large elementary school. Due to the size of the school, the cafeteria often functions as a separate entity. There is little connection between the school staff and the cafeteria staff. Lisa knew the cafeteria was short staffed today. She volunteered her lunch break to serve food in the cafeteria. The workers in the cafeteria were very appreciative! A small action sent a huge message of appreciation. Thank you Lisa.

Working for a large computer software company can be stressful and the week long event in Seattle was no exception. Months of preparation, times of uncertainty with acquisitions and rumors of layoffs. Long days, hours on your feel, nonstop talking and a bit of tension among the staff. I stood in the middle of it all, as if in the eye of a storm, time and turmoil swirling around me. Then… from the chaos a sense of calm wrapped its arm around my shoulder, I took a deep breath, stepped out from the safety of silence and made a decision. Be a part of the problem, or take the leadership position and rally the troops to rise to the excellence we are capable of. What I learned… People want to do the right thing, they are eager to help. They enjoy collaboration and will in fact rise…to be excellent… together… each and every time.

During our monthly meeting we discussed Culture and shared Significance In Simple Moments by Jon Petz. The 7 of Hearts card started its journey on 10/31/16. Happy Halloween!!

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Louree works at the hilton at Disney Springs in Orlando FL and was our event manager and serviced our ballroom. When I first met her, I went to share her hand . . . she said “Oh honey, I hug”. After a wonderful hug we talked for a few minutes and I so enjoyed her energy, smile and passion for service. Shortly later, most of the meeting attendees began to show up. Within ten minutes, she had at least half of the people talking about her. Not in an egotistical way, but in a way like “WOW – she’s amazing”.
Louree is such an amazing example of bringing purpose and passion to what you do and doing so in a way that creates an amazing experience for your customer.
Hope she passes it along to something special that makes a difference in her day!