My Life Lessons
Mentoring Inspires Greatness, Pass It On
I had just come across a paragraph I had written awhile back for the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Cincinnati. It was about the importance of mentoring. Reading it inspired me to share some thoughts.
To Big Brothers Big Sisters…
All of us, no matter what our upbringing, will face obstacles and detours on our journey through life. Having a positive role model – a mentor – who we can count on to help guide us, teach us and inspire us is a true gift that has the rippling power to uplift our entire life. The power of an adult who cares to an impressionable young person is so huge. It is the greatest feeling to know you have made a positive impact on a child. I have been the mentor and the mentee. Those relationships will be ones I will always 
treasure. They have taught me about empathy and integrity. They have made me a better, stronger person. Thank you to the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Cincinnati for fulfilling such a vital need in our community.
Mentors change lives
So I got to thinking about the people who I have been lucky enough to have crossed paths with, people who I consider my friends, role models and mentors. There have been many, each impacting my life in a different way.
There is Bill Mefford, who took me under his wings as a young professional, had the confidence in me to let me learn by doing on amazing projects, and was always available to share his knowledge when I needed it. Bobbi Harrison, one of the most creative people I have ever met, is someone I can always count on to bring out my smile. Just being in the same room with him inspires me to think in ways I hadn’t considered before. Toni Miles, Peg Gutsell and Sandy Kerlin were three clients turned friends whose appreciation for my strengths gave me wings. Friend Dianne Wente has never let me quit and always pushed me to see my potential. Mike Shikashio met me for the first time at an Association of Professional Dog Trainers conference and continued to find me throughout the weekend to ask if I was going to pursue dog training. Since then, he has never once waned in encouraging me and pointing out my strengths. Mike has been a rock to me, always finding time no matter how busy he is (and believe me – as a father, husband, successful dog trainer and president of the International Association of Behavior Animal Consultants, he IS busy) to be my sounding board, providing information, and offering advice. Other dog training friends Barb Gadola and Sheri Boone have also been there for me. Carolyn Dickerson has reminded me about inner strength and inspires me to be a better person. And of course my parents who taught me about kindness, love, standing up for what I believe it, and so much more.
I know I am missing out on so many who have played a role in my being the person that I am today. I am grateful to each and every one of them. And I strive to pay that forward by using my gifts to empower others.
My challenge to you is this – take a moment to reflect on those who have been a positive influence on your life and how their presence has impacted you. Be grateful. Pay it forward by being that positive influence in someone else’s life.
The Lesson In A Random Act Of Kindness
When I look back on my long career, I have so many reasons to smile. I have been so fortunate to have worked on so many truly heart-touching, community-strengthening and even fun causes and organizations. I have worked side by side some of the most passionate people who dedicate their days to improving the lives of others.
For me, it is great fulfillment knowing I have been a part of helping those people and those causes to further their ability to impact positive change. I admire them and am inspired them constantly, learning so many important life lessons from their example.
This week I was reminded of one of those lessons. On a steamy hot Cincinnati summer day, I walked into my bank with an envelope in my hand.
However, as I walked up to the table where I fill out my deposit slip, I had no idea how my day was about to change. There, in the envelope, resting on top of my check was $30 in cash with a hand written note from my client. The note reads, “Lisa – Thanks for everything! Great work. Take yourself to your favorite restaurant.” (and then signed by my client)
The smile that swept across my face was for the most part stuck there the rest of that day. I shared what had just happened with the bank teller, with an old friend who I happened to run into at a restaurant, and with my friend who I was meeting for lunch. 
Actually I think I shared it with everyone with whom I spoke.
When I got back to my desk, I was feeling so happy. I was more creative in my thoughts, more productive in my work, more enthusiastic about goals. Later I reached out to a few people who I hadn’t talked to in way too long, one being someone I had helped years back.
It is amazing what appreciation and a random act of kindness can do to a person, and the ripple effect. Day in and day out we are so used to our daily routines. We work long hours to meet deadlines and goals. We try our best to manage many demands on our time. And as we go about our way, it is easy to forget to let others know we appreciate them and the good effort they put in; to smile at a stranger as we hurriedly rush to a meeting; or to help someone who is having a bad day.
As humans, whether we admit it or not, we all have a basic need to feel valued. It is how we get the most out of ourselves, others, and our relationships with them.
A random act of kindness is just that. It is random. It can be as simple as a smile or a hug, writing a note of encouragement, or opening a door. But it is also a deliberate act that brightens someone’s day.
My challenge to you is this: today and every day, find simple ways to let those around you know that you value them; and be conscious to look for opportunities to spread kindness. Let’s keep this ripple flowing.
One Of My Life Lessons
One Of My Life Lessons
From time to time I enjoy sharing life lessons I’ve learned along the way. This is one:
When it comes down to it, it is the years or the days that we ultimately remember. It is the moments. It is the special time shared with people who add value to our lives. It is our dreams and accomplishments fulfilled. It is the laughter and the tears. It is our alone time to reflect and appreciate what we have, and the simple pleasures that make living great. It is the journey. Amidst today’s deadlines and commitments, I’m going to take special care to cherish the moments that make life great.
Jackie Robinson And His Gift To Our World
Today, at Greater American Ballpark and every other major league ballpark across the nation, in homes and businesses, in schools…and in movie theatres thousands will pay a tribute to a humanitarian, a father, a baseball legend, a hero.
Sixty-six years ago, when the civil rights bill was but a distant dream, a young man with unbridled talent stepped onto the field wearing a Brooklyn Dodgers jersey and the number 42 embellished on his back.
That man was Jackie Robinson, a former varsity athlete lettered in four sports at UCLA and a former second lieutenant in the U.S. Army. He also, as we all know, happened to have been African American. And on that historic day in the office of a bold businessman, Jackie courageously stepped forward to change history books forever when he signed to become the first black athlete to play major league baseball.
All around him people were separated by the color of their skin – in schools, the military, hotels, restaurants, buses, and yes, even the entrances to ball parks. Cruel racial (and religious) antagonism ran deep.
Jackie and Brooklyn Dodgers President Branch Rickey knew if they were to be successful in integrating baseball; it had to be with dignity not fists.
Jackie: “You want a player who doesn’t have the guts to fight back?”
Branch: “No, I want a player who has the guts NOT to fight back.”
“We win if we convince the world of two things – that you are a fine gentleman and a great baseball player,” Branch told the new rookie.
Jackie’s moral compass was tested as no man should ever have to be tested. Racial epithets pelted him on and off the field. Fellow Dodgers signed a petition to have him kicked off the team. He received death threats. The manager of the Philadelphia Phillies heckled him with the N-word for five unrelenting minutes (it may have been longer in real life). Even in Cincinnati’s own Crosley Field, the stands erupted in boos and jeers as Jackie stepped onto the field.
Through it all, he stood tall. Jackie proved to the world that he was a fine gentleman AND a great baseball player. And by Branch’s definition – I’d say he resoundedly won.
In 1997, under the direction of Commissioner Bud Selig, Robinson’s No. 42 was retired across all of Major League Baseball in an unprecedented tribute. However, today and every April 15, baseball players across the country will all be wearing his number in his memory and his honor for what he has given the game – and what he has given the world.
Stories like that of Jackie are so important for us to know and talk about. They are important lessons and reminders of what we as neighbors, friends, and co-workers must always remember. Our diversity is a gift that brings us different perspectives and opens our eyes to new opportunities. And the really beautiful thing is that, if you look deeper, you will find that we all share the most basic of needs – the need to be valued, included and loved.
