‘Shark Tank’ investor Daymond John reveals the book he's read 20 times

Another short read.  Recommended book by Shark Tank investor.  He's read it over 20 times.

Here is the link:

http://www.cnbc.com/2016/11/03/shark-tank-investor-daymond-john-reveals-the-book-hes-read-20-times.html

Here is the copy and paste in case the link goes away down the road:

Daymond John, the founder of the $6 billion hip-hop culture clothing line Fubu and star in the hit ABC show "Shark Tank," grew up in Hollis, Queens, where there weren't lots of models of entrepreneurs for him to look up to. 

"We never got to see the heroes. We saw pimps and drug dealers," says John, speaking at Forefront, the first large-scale live event of the I Will Teach You to Be Rich community in New York City.

And those who did get ahead were those who got an education, got a job in a company or factory, and worked hard for somebody else, day in and day out.

"You weren't supposed to work on your dream, you were supposed to work on [your employer's] dream. And hopefully if they succeeded in their dream they would then reward you," says John.

The first individual John saw that broke that mold was Russell Simmons, who was traveling the world selling hip-hop. "How could you actually make money doing something you love?"

Inspired, John educated himself. He read the classic guide to business Think and Grow Rich, written in 1937 by Napoleon Hill. 

"The first book I ever read in my life: Think and Grow Rich. I have read it 20 times since then," says John.

Hill was inspired to write the book by a challenge set forth by the business magnate Andrew Carnegie to analyze the paths to fortune by more than 500 wealthy businessmen, including the Henry Ford and John D. Rockefeller, and document their paths to success. 

The secret is fearless, all-consuming determination and faith in yourself, a message that would sound hopeful to a kid from Queens with low funds and big dreams. 

"If the thing you wish to do is right, and you believe in it, go ahead and do it! Put your dream across, and never mind what 'they' say if you meet with temporary defeat, for 'they,' perhaps, do not know that EVERY FAILURE BRINGS WITH IT THE SEED OF AN EQUIVALENT SUCCESS," writes Hill.

Not only did John take this advice, he now distributes it widely and with his own brand of inspiration.

"You either think like a shark or you don't. There is no difference with you or I. You have to understand that. Think about it," says John. 

"If you think that anything can hold you back, well, I am dyslexic. Some people would [say] that being African American is a challenge. I am short. I got left back in school. I didn't go to college. I don't know anybody with a famous last name. I am not a relic of anybody with a famous last name. I could call Elton John and tell him I am his son, but he probably wouldn't believe me. ... I can't sing rap, I can't shoot a basketball, can't play basketball, or whatever you do with a basketball," says John. All the same: "I am here with you." basketball," says John. All the same: "I am here with you."

What Gum in the Trash Taught Me

When I was in my mid 20s I was at work one day and I had a piece of gum in my mouth.  It got old and needed to be rid of. 

I looked around try to find something to put it in - piece of paper or tissue.  I finally found a little piece paper, lifted it up towards my mouth, put the gun into the paper, and quietly threw it into the trash can.

I didn't know it, but a coworker was watching me.

After I disposed of the gum in the trash can folded up in the paper, she says to me very seriously, "I sure wish my kids knew to do that."  

I thought for a moment and then explained, "well, I know to do this because I live on my own now."

I had learned the hard way having to throw away my own trash now from my cute little apartment (at the time) that it's much easier to throw away your trash without gum being stuck to the bottom of a trash can.   And, it made sense why my Mom always stressed for me to do that, lol.

So I told her that it's really real-life experience why I do this.  Her kids will get "it" about the gum (and other things) when they move out of their own as well.  

PepsiCo CEO says this one skill was crucial to her success

I love leadership articles, especially short and effective ones.

Here is what the CEO of PepsiCo says of this one skill that was crucial to her success: http://www.cnbc.com/2016/12/23/pepsico-ceo-says-this-one-skill-was-crucial-to-her-success.html

It will take one whole minute to read the article - I loved what she said, and it made me think about my "hip pocket skill."

Oh, and, in case the link breaks a year down the road, let me paste it here:

Indra Nooyi, CEO at PepsiCo, has a reputation. And it's helped her become one of the most powerful women in business.

"Interestingly, over my entire career what I've been known for is making simple the complex, whatever the issue is," Nooyi tells LinkedIn Executive Editor Daniel Roth.

As Nooyi's colleagues always say, "If you give it to Indra, it will get addressed."

To get ahead, it helps to have a "hip-pocket skill," something you're known for being great at and can develop even further, according to the CEO. Something akin to what CEO John Nesheim dubbed your "unfair advantage."

For example, when PepsiCo was working with Quaker Oats, the company had to go through a complicated process with the Federal Trade Commission. The company's lawyers were handling it, but Pepsico's leadership team wanted to better understand what was going on. So they put Nooyi on the job.

"I went to school on the FTC process," she says. "I became a student, and now I could explain, in very simple terms, what needed to be done."

The CEO recommends professionals find a specific talent they have and hone it.

Your "hip-pocket" skill could be excellent communication,an ability to be a team player or a facility for learning new things. As long as it's truly useful and relatively rare, it will serve you well.

Caring for the Caregiver

I wanted to write about this, then came across this article that is too true.  Instead of reinventing the wheel, paying it forward and pasting it here:

Bottom line is, in order to take care of others, you must take care of yourself, too.  We often forget that.  DON'T.

I was blessed my Mom knew this.    

Caring for the Caregiver

Caring for an ailing spouse or elder can be satisfying but difficult work. It involves not only the task of doing, but the task of coping, figuring out creative solutions and working to keep your head above water. The needs of the caregiver often get neglected. But the more neglected the caregiver feels, the less effective he or she may be.

How Can You Help Yourself?

Recognize your feelings.

At some point, most caregivers feel helpless, angry, resentful and then guilty for having these negative feelings. Caregivers may feel angry that other members of the family don't help out enough, don't visit or are critical. While it's natural to have these feelings, it's also important not to keep them bottled up inside. Talk about these feelings with others in your family and support network.

Use support services.

Start looking into support services before you need help. If you can develop a plan before your situation becomes a crisis, you'll have a clearer head to evaluate your options. Investigate adult day care programs, which often include therapy, activities, meals and health care. Use in-home help services, including nursing care and personal care services. Most communities have meals-on-wheels programs for older and ill individuals. Call social service agencies, home health agencies, home care agencies and transportation systems for referrals.

Accept help from others.

Considering the time commitment involved in taking care of an ailing partner, parent or relative, it's easy to see why many caregivers feel isolated. Not only is it difficult to carve out time to continue pursuing hobbies and activities, but friends and families tend to shy away, either out of fear of being asked to help or simply from a lack of understanding about the disease. Take the time to explain your situation and needs to those close to you. They will be more receptive to helping, if they can. If friends or family members want to help, accept their offers. Join a support group where you can share experiences with other caregivers.

Nourish yourself.

You don't have to leave your house to do something for yourself. Read a book or watch a favorite video or DVD. Ask a friend or neighbor to come to your house so you can get out for a while, not just to do errands but to go window shopping or to take a walk in the park. Ask yourself what you need in order to take care of yourself. Do you need a support group? In-home help? Respite care? A counselor to help you sort out and understand your situation? Remember, one of the best things you can do for the person you care for is to take good care of yourself.

Hoarder Reasons

I'm not really that much of a hoarder any more, but I used to be.

Don't worry, I'm not even close to needing the inspection police to be called on me NOR to be showcased on the tv show, Hoarders.  lol

But I do tend to over-buy on certain things.

I have a tone of the same hair cream/mousse, a small army of those small bottles of baby powder, a whole drawer filled with the same style socks, a whole row of the same hair clips, several of the same types of slippers, numerous styles of a certain sweater (just dif colors), boatloads of my favorite flavor of tictacs, half dozen boxes of the same chili mix, etc.

I wondered the other day, WHY?  Why am I like this?

It all bowls down to three instances in my life.

When I was a child (yep, a child story), I recall vividly going to the BX (that was the grocery store for people of military families), and my Mom put about 20 boxes of Kraft mac and cheese into the cart.

I asked her in my child, loud, inquisitive voice, "Mom, what are you doing, why are we getting so many?"  And she grabbed my arm and told me to "SHHHHhhhh!"  I embarrassed her.  I didn't realize at the time because of the impending divorce, we would never be able to buy cheap mac and cheese again.  She looked around the aisle at the other wives/mothers and was so embarrassed I asked such a question.

Then in my lower 20s, I had these pair of sandals that I loved.  One of the few pairs of sandals that didn't give me blisters.  And they were cute too!  People I didn't know would literally stop me in stores to talk about my sandals.

Well, after a couple of years the strap broke and I went to buy another pair of the same sandals at the same store.

WHAT?  I had no idea that eventually the brand would stop making them.  I was very naive.  I was also very shocked.  I LOVED those sandals.

And I have yet, to this day, found a pair of sandals that do not give my blisters or fit perfect or look as adorable.

The third effect on my hoarding has to do with kitty litter.

One day while at Sam'sClub (bulk store), they ran out of my normal cat litter and so I grabbed a different that was only available.  It was made by Sam'sClub/Walmart actually, Members Mark.  Well shit (pardon the pun) if it didn't turn out to be THE best cat litter I had ever bought in my life!  You couldn't smell the litter or the cat droppings.  It clumped well and had a decent smell to it, all the while you could not even smell/tell I had a cat in the house.  It was truly the best cat litter I had ever bought and I had tried many dif kinds.

So one day Sam's is out of the litter.  Being the person I am, I go to another Sam's.  They have it; I bought 2.

A few months later, go to that Sam's.  They are out now.  WTF...

You can see where this is going....  THEY DISCONTINUED MAKING IT.

OMG... I called other Sam's stores to see who had any left in stock (none anymore).  I also called and wrote emails to Sam's to beg them to bring it back.  No such luck.

So, those instances have led me to actually be very afraid of things going away, discontinued, no longer available... so it makes me hoard things I adore and/or think I could never live without again. Tough habit to break, actually, lol.

Southwest Social Media Learning Exp (article)

Best quote of the article:

“Customer service is a spectator sport now. The key here is the hundreds of thousands of people who saw how (Southwest) interacted on social media,” he said. “There are definitely some customers who are lost causes and social can't fix everything. But for those who are on the fence, it’s a huge impact.”

What businesses can learn from Southwest's social media response during its tech outage:

>http://www.dallasnews.com/business/southwest-airlines/2016/08/05/businesses-can-learn-southwests-social-media-response-tech-outage

Speaking of Sounds

I just wrote about sounds, and speaking of sounds...

Lately I've been video taping my dog Lily doing silly stuff.  And when I play back the video to check her out, I can sometimes hear my Mom's laugh on the video!

I guess at times when I laugh a certain way, my laugh sounds just like her laugh.

I had no idea :)

Here she is being funny! (even under the circumstances of no rooms available and they gave us a spot in the hallway of the hospital)

Oh how I miss her.  (love and smiles)

Favorite Sounds

I have three favorite sounds:

• Hearing the laughter from friends
• Trains
• Godzilla/T-Rex

For some reason the sound of trains is sexy to me.  I think it has to do with an ex I adored who told me a very memorable story for me of him jumping on trains and just riding the cars and relaxing in his haze.

I have always loved Godzilla as a child (still do) and also the sound of the over-powerful T-Rex.  The sound of their powerful voices in movies is always a smile-maker for me for some reason.

And laughter from friends is my most favorite.  I don't hear them often but when I do, I love to hear the happiness in their voice, see the smile in their eyes, and the sound of laughter coming from their hearts.

Cedar Hill Walk with Lily

Trying to get out more to be one with nature.  I can tell it's helping me A LOT.

Found a trail in town that I could take Lily on.  We both LOVED IT!

Cedar Hill State Park (just south of Arlington, Texas) has more trails to check out that are much longer.  I'm super excited!  Of course, not sure I can take Lily on the longer ones - maybe when it finally feels like Fall weather. 

She loved the "hike" SO much!  I could tell by the way she fell asleep so fast and kept close to me the next few days showing her appreciation and adoration. 

Here are some pics for my memory (although the great area wont ever leave my thoughts):

So Much Left To Achieve at Age 51 - Shania Twain

Shania Twain attended the CMT Awards Oct 19, 2016.  And....:

She took home the Artist of a Lifetime trophy at the – though she admitted that she was surprised to have been chosen for the award. "I didn't expect something like this so early in my life. I guess if I could say it that way, I have lived a lot so much already in my life,” the singer confessed.

I really love that she says at the age of 51 that she didn't "expect something so early in life."  

And then she added:

"I've had such a long career already, but when I look at all the years left, and all there is still left to achieve, I guess I just thought, 'Wow!'" Shania added. "I was overwhelmed I guess I could say. It was very emotional."

And for her to say she realizes "all the years she has left, and all there is to still achieve...."  Makes one think how much more in life we can do at the ages we think are "old" or kinda near "retirement" age.

I LOVE THIS.  Will help my 'purpose' thoughts.

30 Days of Thanks-GIVE-ing 2016

Instead of doing 30 Days of Thanks (which I know all my friends on Facebook got tired of reading every day in November lol), a cohort of mine and I did instead something much more powerful:  “30 Days of Random Acts of Kindness.” 

Affectionately called:  30 Days of Thanks-GIVE-ing.

We held each other accountable by updating each other each day on what we did.  Below are the 30 Days of Random Acts of Kindness and also our comments we had for each other.  You can read our excitement through our words below and how impactful it was for us, yet alone the people receiving the random gifts:

Day 1 

Helped pack up decorations at my mom's friend's house

I bought a guy I didn’t know a couple of shots

We will rock it out! It's gonna be fun :)

Day 2

• I have 3 bags of clothing that I'm donating to a women's homeless support organization.
• I bought lunch for the guy behind me in line.

This is gonna be tough! But I'm excited! 

Day 3:

• We are doing birthday gift bags for families for the Food Bank and I donated $20 (only b/c i didn't have time to go buy things lol).
• I grabbed a pumpkin muffin and took it to my trainer (he's a pastry junkie!)...along with a thank you note I wrote out quickly...just to express how much of a difference he (and the other trainers) have made in my life.

I like hearing about yours b/c it helps me

I think that's why keeping each other updated is a great idea...because I know I'm going to struggle finding new ideas for 30 days!!! Sometimes the opportunity just presents itself...and sometimes we will have to rack our brains to find something cool!

:) im excited! I hope I don't miss even one day

Day 4:

• This morning...I bought a gift card when I was at Starbucks picking up my grande crack latte...and I gave it to the first friendly face I saw at work :)
• Yesterday I asked the janitor what his fav candy was and so I bought two snickers bars for him for today :) 

I went to CVS yesterday and was all excited about the possibilities! Have some ideas for future days! I am SO excited. What I didn't think do-able is coming to a reality! 

Awesomeness! So many people probably just look right past janitorial staff...so that is very nice that you treated him to a treat!

I loved the thankyou note for your trainer :)

It's only 4 days in...but I wake up in a good mood and looking forward to finding something fun/good to do for someone. I'm glad you're enjoying it, too!

I am :) And Im honored we are doing this together!

Day 5:

• Surprised my girlfriend today by buying lunch. It was an easy one...but I'm super preoccupied trying to get ready for vacation! Lol.
• My heart is beating fast for some reason about this, but I just paid $60 and ordered a swab testing kit so I can submit my "dna" to see if I’m a match in the future for someone who needs a bone marrow transplant or bone marrow cells.

Omg...that's crazy! How brave of you!!!

Day 6:

• One of my coworkers LOVES elephants, just like my Mom. I picked one out of my Mom’s collection today and brought it to my coworker this morning. She was practically in tears she was so happy :)
• We had a car service pick us up at 6:45 this morning to take us to airport. I gave him a cup of coffee and a Kind bar in case he had not had a chance to eat breakfast.

Wow. That is an incredible gesture. I know how difficult the loss of your mother has been for you...so for you to part with something of hers...it's a big deal. I love you and how big your ❤ is and how you're embracing Thanks-GIVE-ing!

Day 7: 

• I bought my friends’ husband a 24 pack of beer and surprised him last night.
• We bought appetizers and drinks for a honeymoon couple we met on Saturday, and yesterday I just walked around complimenting everyone I could. Trying to make people smile as much as possible!

Day 8:

• I bought a beautiful bouquet of flowers to give to this lady at work Monday that always smiling.
• "30 Days of Random Acts of Kindness continues for Thanks-GIVE-ing month. Handed this amazing bouquet to the lady in the cafeteria this morning who is always smiling and super nice to everyone she serves. i heard someone ask her if it was her birthday, i walked away with the biggest smile on my face”
• Today was our boat captains’ birthday...so after we disembarked, we invited them down to the local bar and bought some birthday rounds. They were amazed that we wanted to hang out with them after the charter.

Day 9:

You've been coming up with some good ones. I'm gonna surprise someone with flowers when I get home.

I'm trying! Lol. It's tough. The person will love them from you!

Day 10: 

• So yesterday we ate at the southernmost bar in the US...and it’s run by this adorable family. The 10-11 year old son brought us our food and was so helpful. We tipped him $20 on a $20 meal.
• Hadn't done anything major yet today, but I did just let Lily chew and play (and ruin) one of my fav socks! And we played tug of war, too! Hadn't done that in a long time

That's terrific. Dogs are people too...in my book at least!

Day 11:

• Today we were roaming around this little town and we stopped for ice cream. There was a veteran in front of us...and I paid for his ice cream.
• I was getting gas and noticed a lady that could not squeeze the handle b/c of arthritis or age and so I helped her. She was very emotional she needed help but of course he helped her. So sad. :(

Yesterday i bought some g/fs and some other items to be prepared for any random acts of kindness that arise each day. I have seen opportunities but didn't have things on me - now I’m prepared!

Day 12:

• Surprised my nail girl with a gift card tonight
• We did a zipline tour yesterday, and noticed that one group didn't tip our guides after the tour. It was a wet, windy day...so the guides were super focused on our safety instead of taking photos...and apparently that pissed those people off. So I tipped them extra to make up for the ungrateful bastards.

Day 13:

• Today we gave away our snorkel gear to some kids because obviously we don't need it at home...lol. They were super happy!
• Mailed this message and a cat candle to my friend today!

Day 14:

• Bought and gave two Starbucks gift cards to the front desk peeps at my gym today. Plus...I gave to a friends’ charity fundraiser.
• I did a lot at the tourney, but the most amazing thing was I bought packages of socks to give out if I saw anyone who could use them. As we drove to the tourney, a homeless guy was begging for money at a light. I pulled out the socks and held them out the window for him to grab and as he walked towards the car he figured out what it was and he started to dance l literally dance with joy! He was smiling SO big and he was SO happy with those socks!!!

Wow...who knew socks would make such a difference to someone? I guess it's the little things that you and I and everyone else take for granted! I didn't really find a good opportunity yesterday...so I'll have to double up today. I'll be headed to Target to get some socks!

Day 16:

• I just gave a Starbucks gift card to someone who is visiting our office and she always travels :)
• I've made plans to do a charity 5k on thanksgiving, donate plasma for the first time next weekend, and serve dinner to the homeless a couple days next week.

Day 17:

• I gave another package of socks this morning. It was raining and everything : ( then bought more packages after work just in case! And found a place that gives out turkeys, so looking into that soon :)
• Put this in one of the bathroom stalls at work today. An anonymous potty present!  Funny stuff...the winner just came running around to show everyone her surprise gift card. I had to sit here with a straight face and act totally surprised..LOL. Now people are running to check other bathrooms...hahahaha! I'm going to have to hide a few more over the next week or two! 

Day 18:

• I'm going to practice pool tonight...and I'm going to take flowers to the girl working behind the bar. I have no idea which gal is working...so it'll be a surprise for both of us when I walk in the door :)
• I've been at a conf this week and it's super cold in the room. I brought an extra sweater for one of the ladies to wear so she could be warmer, and told her to keep it and take it home to VA with her Friday. 

Day 19: 

• I'm shopping tonight...I finally have time! Toys for toy drive, components for homeless kits, and components for a care pkg for a friend who is going through a rough patch. Plus I'll be keeping an eye out for any small goodies or trinkets that might be fun to hide around the office or at the bus stop by my house. 
  
• Today I bought toys for the toy drive at work from Walmart. Still have a lot of gift cards to give out!

This task was daunting at first...the more we look around for opportunities...the easier it gets to come up with ideas! Sometimes the simplest ones are the most beautiful. I'm sending off my little pieces of Aloha today to the people whose names I drew from my FB post a couple weeks ago. So fun!

I get excited every day thinking of things! I think someoif these we would do anyway, but to find something every single day makes it more fun! The look on the faces have been priceless!

Day 20:

• I found a place that takes frozen turkeys.  I called today and told her I was coming buy to donate and she was SO happy and excited!
• A friend of mine is going on a cruise next week and I just called and was able to give them some gifts for when they get into the room! I sent them cheese, wine and champagne. And on their last night, they get a bottle of wine!

That is so special! They will be absolutely blown away. I love surprising people, too! I'm just usually horrible about keeping it a secret!

I just had a surprise sent to a friend...I think it ships today. I totally want to spill the beans...but it'll be better if I can just keep my mouth shut for a couple of days...LOL. I have a tournament this weekend...and I've got a couple of Hawaii gifts for friends that I'm looking forward to giving out :)

Day 21:

• Was practicing at the pool room last night and this homeless kid was just sitting outside. I told the gal working the counter to let him have whatever food he wanted...on me. He scarfed down a couple hot dogs...seemed real happy. Today...I dropped off some clothes to a friend who is collecting for homeless youths. He was so touched when I handed two bags full of stuff.  Maybe I’ll find a treat for our tournament director...who works super hard and just gets a hard time from all the complainers...lol.
• I gave a poker dealer a card with some giftcards

Day 22:

• Yesterday i saw a friend on fb wanted the new Adele CD so I bought that for her and had it shipped from target.com
• Today I asked the cashier at the cafeteria if she liked starbucks and she said she loved them so i pulled out my last giftcard for starbucks and gave it to her :)

she was so excited. :)

I saw the lady downstairs that I gave the flowers to, she shared with me they are still alive and beautiful :)

Day 23:

Melissa ordered me a very special gift as one of her Random Acts of Kindness!  I had planned a gift for her also, but she was clever and sent it in the middle of the month, instead of waiting until the end like I did.

She had trees planted in honor of my Mom.

I don't think I've ever been so moved IN MY LIFE. And i seriously can't stop crying. I am soooo moved!

No one has ever done anything like this for my mom and i.

I can't stop the tears ! You truly are an angel!

I didn't mean to make you cry...although I guess if I'd thought about it...I'm not surprised. You have thrown yourself so fully into our project...and I wanted to do something nice specifically for you. The idea of associating it with your mother came to me because I know this is a difficult time of year for you. Hugs!

I can't even begin describe what you did means to me. And how much. And hoe thoughtful. It was amazing to do something in her honor.

I'm so deeply deeply deeply moved.

I was expecting a gift card, instead, it stopped me in my tracks. I literally leaned on the counter and cried for abt 10 minutes straight, paralyzed. Then i leaned on the door and cried more. I didn't even read the note yet, and i was already so moved with the honor, then cried more after i read the personal note!

You're a fantastic person Melinda...and I'm so proud and honored that you've been doing this with me. And you've really taken it to a great level...so I'm happy that I got to do something meaningful just for you.

More crying. ....

YOU'VE taken it to a great level!

I feel the same about you!

Day 23:

• I just finally did the rest of the shopping for thanksgiving food for the low income families. We had 3 shopping carts...and had to break it up into 5 transactions to get the discounted price on the turkeys. I felt so bad for the people behind us in line...but what could I do? I was able to get enough for 6 dinners for families who can't afford it otherwise. We tried to explain it to the guy behind us...but he was just giving us that super annoyed face/attitude. Everyone is in such a hurry these days.
• Delivered the turkeys!

Day 24:

• I finally did the flowers thing...bought them for the pool room owners wife...who has had a rough year. But she wasn't here tonight...so I gave them to him to take home to her. He said "why are you so awesome?"  
• Mailed 5 surprise gift cards today!

Day 26-29:

• I sent those gift cards which was 5 days worth, but gave a friend $20 for gas yesterday, and also yesterday my other friend got her cruise surprises! And on thanksgiving i gave a friend a cross necklace, that matches the tattoo cross he got in honor of his Mom.
• Wednesday I passed out cute Xmas socks to the gala in the office and gave an anonymous gift card to someone who was having a bad day. Thursday, we went shopping after dinner and I bought a giant teddy bear for toys for tots...which we dropped off at the local fire station. Yesterday, I took a plate of leftovers to the kid working at the gas station right by our house. He works two jobs and didn't really get to have a good thanksgiving dinner with his family. And today...I was shopping at bed bath and beyond...and I had 7-8 extra 20% coupons with me. I passed them out to the people in line around me 

Day 30:

• My little sister just got engaged...and I paid for her engagement photos this weekend. I can't wait to see them! She was super excited and thankful. Also...bought Starbucks for the crew at the pool room yesterday. And today...I presented my boss with Boba Fett socks. She is obsessed with Star Wars...as am I...and she mentioned how she loves Boba Fett when we were talking last week. I just happened to find some socks with him on them this weekend...so I picked them up for her. She is completely in love with them.
• I got my gift yesterday when I got home from the tournament! Thank you so much...I was jumping up and down and hugging it like a little kid! I'm so excited...and will post a pic when I use it to pack my lunch the first time :)

I'm so glad you like it!  It's funny... i wanted the last thing to be for you, and when you did yours to me in the middle,  i was like,  damn,  she got me! 

After:

I have gift cards left, too...just have to find the right opportunity to hand them out. We did good, Melinda. I mean...this wasn't about patting ourselves on the back or anything...but I think it's ok to recognize the effort and thought that went into this project. I'm super proud of us :)

Melinda, I LOVED doing this with you each day! Each day letting each other know what random act of kindness we did was so heart whelming and fun! I am honored we did this together.

Here is Melissa’s blog about our 30 Days of Thanks-GIVE-ing

http://dragonladypoolplayer.blogspot.com/2015/12/30-days-of-thanks-give-ing.html?spref=fb