|Comments Posts
May 22 2011

Giving Away A Dollar A Day If You Live In A Rural Area

May 22, 2011 – 1:36 pm
By Todd | Posted in Creative Ideas For Giving | Comments (0)

I send out an email every couple of weeks to folks who subscribe to Inspirations From Give Away A Dollar A Day. I’ve been doing this for several years now, sharing stories of blessing, and of giving and receiving. Every once in a while, someone will write to me with a question. Here’s one I received recently from Dennis Martin:

Could you sometime make up a list of ideas on different ways to get those dollars out there? I am retired and live in a rural area and don’t get to town all that often and need some ideas. I’m sure there are others who would appreciate some ideas too. Maybe you could ask your correspondents for ideas first and then compile a list to share.

Since I live in the city, I wasn’t quite sure how to answer Dennis’ question, so I asked our readers. Quite a few responses came in… really good and creative ones! Here they all are. No matter where you live, whether the country, or the city, I think you’ll find a lot of great ideas here for giving away a dollar a day!

Blessings and Good Fortune to you!

Todd

Hi Todd,

I don’t really live in a rural area but in a big city area so I have no problems placing my dollars. One way though if he has any close by stores or restaurants he can always do what I do now and then and that is to place a dollar in the men’s restroom in the paper towel dispenser. If I come up with any more ideas Todd I will gladly share them with you.

Blessings,
Ron

Hello Todd, Here are some ideas for GIVE AWAY A DOLLAR A DAY from anywhere in the world….

Send a Dollar in the mail to a favorite person with a suggestion to shop for something for themselves
Send a Dollar in the mail to a child who lives off in a distant state
Send a Dollar in the mail to an orphanage with a card that says they are loved
Send a Dollar in the mail to an elderly person in a home with a card just thinking about you
Send a Dollar in the mail to an elderly person in your home town
Send a Dollar to your favorite church
Send a Dollar to a friend for a cup of coffee
Send a Dollar in a birthday card for someone’s b-day (got one myself yesterday)
Send a Dollar to someone you heard on the radio or on TV that inspired you
Send a Dollar to your favorite author
Send a Dollar to the Zoo or MUSEUM in your area
Place a Dollar in the mailbox for your post man to enjoy a cold/warm drink
Mail a Dollar to your favorite charities…you could put it in an envelope and let it ADD up then replace it with a check to mail….
Give a Dollar to charities, authors, and others on the internet that have donate buttons on their sites

Thanks, love you buddy!

Joan Maresh Hansen
http://www.artworkontheweb.com
http://www.goodlifeguide.org

Todd… This is in response to the gentleman who wants to give away a dollar a day…. But because he lives in a rural area finds it difficult.

I think he could have a special tin or box… or even an envelope …. Especially for his give away dollars… and put a dollar into this special container each day. The when he does go to town… he will have a bundle of dollars to leave all in one place… (what a huge surprise that would be… for someone) or put a dollar everywhere he goes that day in town!!!

A dollar woman,
Victoria

The most obvious one to me is that surely he has a phone book, and not everyone does it, but, just start with the A’s and go on down through the phone book and send everyone with an address a dollar bill, and all it will cost is a stamp. Just don’t put a return address on it, so as to remain anonymous….Mark

GOOD MORNING TODD,   THANKS FOR ASKING.  PUT IT UNDER THE PUMP HANDLE AT THE GAS STATION.  PUT IT HALF UNDER A ROCK ON A HIKING TRAIL.  ATTACH IT TO A ROAD SIGN.  SEND IT ANONYMOUSLY IN THE MAIL TO ANYONE.  PUT IN A MAIL BOX.  PUT IT IN A BALLOON FILLED WITH GAS.   THANK YOU FOR ALL THE INSPIRATION, LOVE AND CARING YOU SPREAD!!!!!!     GENEROUS SMILES AND BLESSINGS BEYOND YOUR IMAGINATION TO YOU AND ALL THAT YOU TOUCH,    NORM

(a few days later, Norm added this in another email…)

BY THE WAY I LIKE TO PRINT VERY SHORT MESSAGES ON EACH DOLLAR LIKE   “I LIKE YOUR SMILE”     “YOU ARE LOVED”      “MY GIFT TO YOU”    “YOU MADE MY DAY”      THANK YOU AGAIN TODD.    SMILES AND BLESSINGS,    NORM

Hey Todd,

I live out in the country and the transmission on our truck
went so, my wife and I don’t get into town that much, right
now … That’ll change, here shortly.

When I can’t get into town, I put a $1.00 in what I call
my wife’s stash – even though I do put a $1.00 in her
stash everyday, anyway … ;o)

My wife showed me another way to give, as well:

http://www.clicktogive.com?ref=31145

Have a great day and do Remember to Smile and Keep

Your Dreams Out in Front of You.

God Bless!
Mac

share a meal with someone….

Lilly

I appreciate you asking my opinion. As we’ve discussed before, sometimes I load up and make a donation in a greater amount. Maybe to the local animal shelter, or food bank. I often drop a dollar into the little hand baskets at the grocery store, in the corner at the post office or just pretend I “drop” one at the gas station. I’ve seen the look on people’s faces when they find it. It is truly priceless. They often keep looking around perhaps wondering where the money came from. If Dennis knows people that walk their dogs or just take walks in his neighborhood then perhaps he could drop one where they walk. I found a dollar once while doing this and was Really surprised at the location. It was in ice on a sidewalk. I’d love to hear other people’s ideas as well. Thanks for all you do to spread sunshine in this world. It’s Wonderful. Have a fantastic week. May you feel the warmth of sunshine in your soul. Darlene P.S. I have also included my husband (Jeff) in the helping to distribute.

Whenever he goes to town, he can give several dollars away in different locations.

(That one was from Dave A.)

I live in a suburb but if I transported myself to his surroundings I would come up with the following:

1.  when he goes in town to buy groceries, it is fun to leave one on a shelf, in the movie rental slot (like blockbuster), on the lotto counter
2.  if he goes to the doctor/dentist/etc, to stash one in the seat of the dentist chair, or on the exam room table
3.  when he goes to get gas, I stick one in the slot you put your credit card in
4.  he could save up a weeks of $$ (that makes $7) and  randomly mail that (with a note like I am going to add below) to someone out of the phone book.
5.  He could leave one in his mailbox for his mail carrier
6.  he could walk to a neighbor’s house and put it in their mailbox-I have done that :)
7.  He could save up a whole months worth and donate it to KIVA….I LOVE THIS site…it provides micro loans to people all across the world.
8.  When he goes to church/synagogue he could leave one in the pew

Hope this helps…by the way I have thought about adding a note on my $$ saying:

“this was meant for YOU to find this…abundance is all around you….relax and all is well”.  I haven’t done it yet, but I am inspired to do it now.  I am going to create a pretty note with ladybugs and print it out and do it.  Thanks for all the inspiration you give me!

(That one was from Dawn F.)

The first idea to come to my mind for Dennis is to randomly pick addresses out of the phone book and mail it anonymously. Or you could mail one (or more) to a local school asking that it be given to the top student/teacher of the day.

By the way, I found a $20 bill this weekend on a sidewalk and my first thought was, “I hope someone dropped it there on purpose.”

Patti Smith

Leave a dollar on the pump when you get gas.
Drop a dollar or coins outside restaurant doors.
Drop coins or bills beside your car in a parking lot or garage.
Just drop coins quietly as you walk down any street.
Leave a dollar in a vending machine.
Leave a dollar (or more) with the cashier to pay for the next person’s meal (or a specific person)

Hope that helps!

Many blessings.

In sincere appreciation,

Linda Miller

Hi Todd,

I just had an idea!

If he gets any junk mail that includes a postage-paid return address envelope, he could enclose a dollar and send it back — maybe along with a short note that it is for whoever opens the envelope.

Wishing you all the best…

Success, Wealth, Happiness, Health!

Laurie

Hmm he could hide em at his supermarket with a blessing on it.. Or get a mailing list and put them in the mail to folks with 1.00 or more.  Hmm leave them where folks wait for a bus or boat trip etc.

Go to a popular store and leave some. Also I leave money in bathrooms. :)

Hope these ideas help Todd and lots of blessings.

–Love and Blessings Sheldon

Hi Todd,

Here are a few ideas.

*Leave a dollar for the mail delivery person.
*Leave a dollar for the paper delivery person.
*Mail a dollar to a random person from the telephone book.
*Donate online (Red Cross, Goodwill, etc.)

Hopefully these ideas help.

Danyelle

Just about every small down has a Post Office. That would be a good place to leave a dollar on the floor, desk where people go to fill out their envelopes, or maybe a dollar sticking out of an envelope they sell to those who need one.

Also local fairs would be a great place to find creative places to put a dollar.

Underneath a friendly dog’s collar that belongs to a neighbor.

Hope these help some.

Dexter Black

How about putting a dollar in a few of the mailboxes….probably by the road?  Do any of the neighbors work?  If they are away from their home during the day, maybe slide a dollar where the door opens, by the doorknob?  are any neighbors farmers?  A dollar bill somewhere in the barn?  Or write a neighbors address on an envelope with no return address and mail it to them?

Probably living in the country, you could even go thru your phone book and mail a dollar to ANYONE.  No return address.

and when you DO go to buy groceries, there are many places to leave a dollar.  I love leaving a dollar between baby food jars, on a display, even in the dairy section between milk containers.  If you go to a drug store, leave a dollar in a greeting card, inside a writing tablet, magazine, many places in either store.

I hope this helps.  LOVE your inspirations Todd.

I love throwing dollar bills in open car windows in a parking lot.  I go to Barnes and Noble alot and stick dollars in the books all the time.  I throw a dollar in a mailbox around the corner quite often.  Or leave one in a lotto scratch off machine.  One can be very creative giving away a dollar a day!

BLESSINGS, LEA TARTANIAN :)

I live in a rural area also.  I go to town twice a week. He could “save up” his dollars and find places in town (once he goes) to leave them – Post Office, local cafe, grocery store, parking lots.

(That one was from Leslie)

Todd,

Maybe he could send a dollar in the mail – just pick an address and send it without a return address, yes it would cost the price of an envelop and a stamp; however less than gas to drive to town?

Hope this helps.

Mary Roberts

Well, that’s a tough one! I would be interested in hearing what others suggest. My thoughts were I guess he would have to make the most of the times he goes into town…………he could start collecting the dollars in a special place at home everyday and then drop off several in town at once. It could still be considered giving a dollar a day, if he made a little ceremony of it everyday, giving that dollar every day to his special little place, (box, basket, envelope) yet to be distributed later when he gets to town.

He might even make a point of going to town, for no other reason then just to have a “giving day”

He will probably receive many blessings for the effort. Sincerely Dianne

Hi Todd,

I live in a rural area also and I work at home which means that I do not get into town every day.

I plan extra time and leave a dollar in every aisle of the supermarket (as well as in between the fruit or vegetables) or store.  I make sure that I “drop” a dollar as I get into my vehicle.  Since I try to maximize my trips that alone can mean dropping $4 or $5. On my afternoon walks; I try to leave a dollar somewhere (impaled on a stick for example) it will not blow away.  Don’t worry if you are ahead on leaving dollars.  Everything evens out!  Just a few ideas for consideration.

Rebekkah

Hi Todd

I was in Walmart yesterday and another idea came to mind too for him. If he attends church services on Sundays or whenever he could take a church bulletin and place a dollar bill in it and put it in a pew or on a chair.  He can go into the rest room at the church to do this so no one sees. Also I send dollar bills in the mail to people that i may not even know without placing a return address on it.  If they may have a post office near by then he can mail it too. I am sure he goes into town somewhere to purchase groceries and other supplies and there are opportunities there to place dollars somewhere. You know ask and you shall receive.  So he can ask the question to the Universe, God, his guardian angel “Where is the best place to put my dollar that would be for the highest and best good for everyone?”  Then listen for the answers. There are no limits.

Blessings,

Ron

Put it in a neighbors mailbox
attach to a helium baloon with note, (message in a bottle without the bottle)

tape it to a stop sign
Open up a phone book, pick out someone at random and mail it to them.
inside the carton of eggs at grocery store.
in the grips of the palm of the town statue (every small town has one, usually near the courthouse.)

Good luck!

(That one was from Chris T.)

By Todd | Posted in Creative Ideas For Giving | Comments (0)
May 09 2011

Spreading Good Fortune

May 9, 2011 – 7:27 am
By Todd | Posted in Lessons Of Blessing | Comments (2)

Watching the news lately, I’m really seeing what so many of us are seeing, and that is that the world’s economies look like they’re really struggling, and us along with them. Folks here in the US are feeling it. Gas prices going up… AGAIN… Food prices… OUTTA SIGHT… Lost jobs…

But right now… today… I have a job. And a good one at that. One that is challenging and that I like.

Recently, I was at a week long conference in San Francisco, and with the awareness of all of this news, it dawned on me that I have good fortune right now in my life. And I am very grateful for that!

As I was packing up, getting ready to leave my hotel room and fly back home, I wanted to leave a gift for whoever was attending to my room. I only had a few $20 bills in my wallet, and my first thought was that this was a bit much as a tip for a maid. But then it all came together. I am blessed with good fortune. I probably make more than the maid who took care of my room. So why not spread some of my good fortune… to her or to him? I’d done this before, but never a $20. It was a stretch, but it really felt good.

Then, as I was coming into the BART station to board the train to the airport, I heard some music that I liked. It was a violin player. LIVE music! This ol’ guy didn’t have many teeth left, and he had pretty tattered clothing. But I got the sense that he was happy, just being able to play for people. He loved his violin. And I loved his playing. I had another $20 in my wallet, and decided to spread more good fortune.

He had all $1’s in the hat in front of him. I didn’t want to make a big deal out of giving him a $20, so I placed it in there as if it was another $1. He smiled as if to say thanks for the $1, and then kept on playing. And I told him how much I appreciated what he was doing, filling the air with his beautiful melodies.

The maid, the violin player, and I, all shared in good fortune that day two weeks ago. And it was good!

May you blessed with good fortune, and may you bless someone else today with your good fortune!

Todd

By Todd | Posted in Lessons Of Blessing | Comments (2)
Mar 27 2011

Real giving

March 27, 2011 – 11:17 am
By Todd | Posted in Inspiring Stories Of Giving | Comments (0)

I recently received this from a friend of a friend of a friend… You know, one of those where you really don’t know who originated it or where… But it is so good and so true about real giving, giving from the heart, that I wanted to share it with you in case you haven’t read it yet. This is from someone living in Japan who wrote this just a few days after the tragic earthquake and tsunami that struck that country on March the 11th.

Blessings,

Todd

———–

Hello My Lovely Family and Friends,

First I want to thank you so very much for your concern for me. I am very touched. I also wish to apologize for a generic message to you all. But it seems the best way at the moment to get my message to you.

Things here in Sendai have been rather surreal. But I am very blessed to have wonderful friends who are helping me a lot. Since my shack is even more worthy of that name, I am now staying at a friend’s home. We share
supplies like water, food and a kerosene heater. We sleep lined up in one room, eat by candlelight, share stories. It is warm, friendly, and beautiful.

During the day we help each other clean up the mess in our homes. People sit in their cars, looking at news on their navigation screens, or line up to get drinking water when a source is open. If someone has water running in their home, they put out sign so people can come to fill up their jugs and buckets.

Utterly amazingly where I am there has been no looting, no pushing in lines. People leave their front door open, as it is safer when an earthquake strikes. People keep saying, “Oh, this is how it used to be in the old days when everyone helped one another.”

Quakes keep coming. Last night they struck about every 15 minutes. Sirens are constant and helicopters pass overhead often.

We got water for a few hours in our homes last night, and now it is for half a day. Electricity came on this afternoon. Gas has not yet come on.

But all of this is by area. Some people have these things, others do not. No one has washed for several days. We feel grubby, but there are so much
more important concerns than that for us now. I love this peeling away of non-essentials. Living fully on the level of instinct, of intuition, of caring, of what is needed for survival, not just of me, but of the entire group.

There are strange parallel universes happening. Houses a mess in some places, yet then a house with futons or laundry out drying in the sun.

People lining up for water and food, and yet a few people out walking their dogs. All happening at the same time.

Other unexpected touches of beauty are first, the silence at night. No cars. No one out on the streets. And the heavens at night are scattered with stars. I usually can see about two, but now the whole sky is filled.

The mountains are Sendai are solid and with the crisp air we can see them silhouetted against the sky magnificently.

And the Japanese themselves are so wonderful. I come back to my shack to check on it each day, now to send this e-mail since the electricity is on, and I find food and water left in my entranceway. I have no idea from
whom, but it is there. Old men in green hats go from door to door checking to see if everyone is OK. People talk to complete strangers asking if they need help. I see no signs of fear. Resignation, yes, but fear or panic,
no.

They tell us we can expect aftershocks, and even other major quakes, for another month or more. And we are getting constant tremors, rolls, shaking, rumbling. I am blessed in that I live in a part of Sendai that is a bit elevated, a bit more solid than other parts. So, so far this area is better off than others.  Last night my friend’s husband came in from the country, bringing food and water. Blessed again.

Somehow at this time I realize from direct experience that there is indeed an enormous Cosmic evolutionary step that is occurring all over the world right at this moment. And somehow as I experience the events happening now in Japan, I can feel my heart opening very wide. My brother asked me if I felt so small because of all that is happening. I don’t. Rather, I feel as part of something happening that much larger than myself. This wave of
birthing (worldwide) is hard, and yet magnificent.

Thank you again for your care and Love of me,

With Love in return, to you all.

By Todd | Posted in Inspiring Stories Of Giving | Comments (0)
Mar 04 2011

Men Waking Up

March 4, 2011 – 8:33 pm
By Todd | Posted in Lessons Of Blessing | Comments (0)

I’m still “high” from staffing the February 2011 New Warrior Training last weekend in Central Texas.

I’m high because I have a ton of hope.

I’ll be honest, I’ve seen the news a bit too much lately, and there’s a part of me that is concerned about the shape the world’s in right now. Particularly with weirdos, like Colonel Gaddafi, running countries who shouldn’t be running countries. This guy just needs to go. His way is old and doesn’t serve anyone anymore. It simply doesn’t work in today’s world.

The men’s weekend that I staffed was all about waking men up to their hearts, and to their missions in life. I saw men get in touch with parts of themselves that they thought no longer existed. Some broke through life long fears, many cried, and we all laughed and grew together in comradery and brotherhood. I came back, after the weekend, with a renewed love for, and wanting to spend more time with my family again.

I have a ton of hope, because these men who challenged themselves to grow and to become better husbands, partners, dads, and leaders, are helping to reshape this world for the better.

All it takes is…

One man at a time…

Blessings,

Todd

By Todd | Posted in Lessons Of Blessing | Comments (0)
Mar 04 2011

Trust and Faith

March 4, 2011 – 5:06 pm
By Todd | Posted in Lessons Of Blessing | Comments (2)

About three and a half years ago, I was in a situation that required me to go to a place of deep trust and faith inside. I don’t tend to be a real “faithful” kind of guy, so this was really new to me. It was a matter of life and death for me – not physically, but emotionally – so I let go and began to trust. And the outcome was truly positive.

Today, I’m on the verge of tapping into that same place within, that place of trust and faith. I’ve been praying. I’ve been talking to God. I’ve been trying to get that faith again.

But I’m struggling. I even asked a question this morning… When I pray, who am I talking to? God who?

And then I remembered what happened three and a half years ago. I prayed. I trusted. And it worked.

I had a similar miraculous experience in 1995 in a different situation.

So today, I remembered these two simple moments when I have trusted in the process and the power of faith… and in prayer… and in God.

I don’t need to know who or what I am praying to. I just need to trust. And to have a little faith.

Yeppers!!!

Todd

By Todd | Posted in Lessons Of Blessing | Comments (2)
Nov 22 2010

Don’t Cry Over Spilled Milk…

November 22, 2010 – 8:19 pm
By Todd | Posted in Lessons Of Blessing | Comments (2)

OK, so it wasn’t exactly milk… It was cream…

Last week, I was in my car, driving around like a crazy man.  Too many things to do, and too little time.  So… I was in a hurry.

I had just picked up a bunch of coffee from Starbucks for a customer event that I was hosting.  I put the coffee containers in the back seat of my car, along with the bag full of condiments, which included a cup full of fresh cream.

As I said earlier, I was in a hurry, so at one point I was forced to stop a little suddenly when I came up to one traffic light, and… you guessed it… the cream went all over the back seat and onto (more like… into) the carpet.

When I pulled into the parking lot and took the first look at the cream all of over the inside of my car, my initial reaction was disbelief.  I almost wanted to laugh.  But I knew what was right behind that laughter.  Rage.  Anger.  Pissed OFF!!!!

Fast forward an hour or two…

I went ahead and hosted the event, which was very successful, by the way, but I continued to be preoccupied with my car all the while through the event.

The next day, I took it to the car wash to have them thoroughly detail the carpet.  They did a good job, and I thought this whole episode was behind me.

Well, that cream must’ve gotten everywhere, and into cracks and crevices that the car wash folks couldn’t get to.  Because a few days later, after the carpet shampoo smell began to wear off, I started smelling the curdling cream.  Yuck!!!  If this has even happened to you, then you know exactly what I’m talking about.

So now, I have to take it back to the car wash and ask them to do an even deeper cleaning than they did before.  And, if that doesn’t work, I’m mentally preparing myself to take it to the dealership to have the carpets completely replaced.  This is turning out to be one big, friggin hassle!  And now I’m even more Pissed OFF!!!

Alright… time for a time out right now… time to regroup…

1.  It’s just dawned on me that this isn’t the only “drama” that I’ve had in my life lately.

2.  And with each one of these dramas, it usually takes several days of my already overcommitted time to deal with it and sort things out.

3.  This one, just like all the other dramas, is going to cost money to fix it… an unplanned expense.

4.  And, I’m always Pissed OFF whenever these things happen.

So… I was talking to my wife about this latest drama, the cream in the carpet.  She’s usually very wise and I value her feedback, but this time I just asked her to listen.  And as I talked, I realized the common ground with all of these.  The common ground was me.  And it was about me always being Pissed OFF.  At somebody.  Or something.  And it was about me being in a hurry.  I told my wife that this was going to cost me, getting rid of the smell in the car.  And then I chuckled, telling her that I’m still paying “tuition”…  I’m still in elementary school, hell maybe even pre-school, because I haven’t “gotten it” yet.

But this episode brought me one step closer to it.  What was there for me to “get” in all this?  That life is not only too short to go around being pissed off all the time.  But life is also much too wonderful to waste time being pissed.

In the long run, when all is said and done, this just might be a tuition fee very well spent!

Blessings,

Todd

By Todd | Posted in Lessons Of Blessing | Comments (2)
Jun 05 2010

Could Your Toilet Flusher Prevent The Next Oil Spill?

June 5, 2010 – 11:11 am
By Todd | Posted in Articles | Comments (0)

As weird as that question may sound, please bear with me for a minute or two…

I noticed the other day that the flusher lever on one of our toilets was getting loose. As I looked a little closer, I could see that the plastic housing behind the handle was cracking. This seemed normal to me as this one was at least 5 or 6 or maybe even more years old. It was just wearing with time. So before it broke altogether, I knew I was going to have to make a trip to the hardware store to get a replacement.

That evening, my wife and I were watching the news, and there was more live video of the oil gushing out of the damaged BOP at the bottom of the Gulf. I had read the news since this disaster began back in April and had seen many of the videos from the beginning of their being broadcast. But for some reason, watching it this time around was starting to make me feel sick in my gut. This man-made disaster was starting to get to me…

As a side note, I had recently finished a song called “Forgotten Land”. There’s a part in the song that says, “Look what we’ve done to you”. Watching the live video from BP, I began to recite that lyric line, in my own mind, over and over……

So the next day, I went to the hardware store to pick up the replacement lever. Looking at all of the choices, I noticed there were the $3 to $5 levers that are made entirely of plastic, and then there were the $8 to $15 levers that are made of brass. That cracked lever at our house was one of the all plastic ones. I bought it years ago, going on the cheap, spending around $3. But something was different this time…

I thought of the oil spill…

I heard in my mind, once again, “Look what we’ve done to you”…

And I decided to buy one of the brass levers…

Now, in the world of black and white, right brained thinking, did my purchase make any difference on this planet? Did I “save” the planet by making a consumer choice to NOT buy an item derived from oil?

Probably not.

But – and this is important – I feel that it stirred something inside of me… It stirred me to think a little more… To awaken a little more… To come to know that I have a responsibility for being a steward of this planet… For taking care of it…

Because it takes care of me. And my family. Every day.

I believe that the Iraq War was a wake up call for the US to break its dependence on foreign oil. And now the BP disaster is another wake up call, this time to break our dependence on oil… period.

Yeah, we drive a lot of miles in our cars. And many of them aren’t near as fuel efficient as they could be and should be. But what about all the OTHER plastic stuff that we consume EVERY DAY just because it’s cheap?

From the outside, my toilet flusher lever purchase in all likelihood didn’t make one bit of difference. But on the inside, it shifted my thinking. I have vowed that the next time I go in to any store to purchase something, I will take an extra 5 seconds to THINK about what I am buying, and the impact that it will have on this planet, this place I call home.

So if you haven’t yet cast me aside as some crazed, out of touch with reality, tree hugger, won’t you consider doing the same?

Just take an extra 5 seconds… and THINK.

Blessings to you and yours, and thank you for doing your part. Together, we can do this. It’s our job.

Todd

PS – My good friend Mr. Twenty Twenty wrote an article that outlines his unique approach to caring for the environment. Please read it; it may stir the creative juices in you!

By Todd | Posted in Articles | Comments (0)
Apr 22 2010

Giving To The Homeless

April 22, 2010 – 9:24 pm
By Todd | Posted in Inspiring Stories Of Giving | Comments (0)

I did something last Saturday that changed my life. I joined two of my friends, Chris Thibeaux and Ken Vaughn, as we went about giving gifts of food to many of the homeless folks in Houston. Ken and Chris were “veterans” at this… I had never done this before…

I say it changed my life… What I mean is that I was so humbled and blessed and in complete awe at the awesome power of unconditional giving. The smiles we received in return from each one who we gave a meal to were just as much a welcome gift to us than our food was to them.

Instead of just staring at them from within my comfy, air conditioned car like I had done in the past, I went out Saturday to meet them, talked with them, spent time with them, and found out that they are folks just like you and me… with love in their hearts… and hope for a better tomorrow.

I also remembered Give Away A Dollar A Day as we began our day of giving, and I pulled out a stack of 1’s. Chris, Ken, and I each gave our blessings of gratitude as we added a dollar to each bag of food that we were preparing to give away.

Looking back, I am so grateful for being able to do this… and I will definitely do this again!

Blessings,

Todd

By Todd | Posted in Inspiring Stories Of Giving | Comments (0)
Dec 26 2009

Licorice

December 26, 2009 – 12:42 pm
By Todd | Posted in Lessons Of Blessing | Comments (6)

Licorice, our 12 year old German Shepherd, passed away on Christmas Eve.

I had been talking to a friend a couple of weeks ago about life and living, and at some point in our conversation, he made the comment that he was now very happy and content because he is no longer afraid of dying. He’s in his sixties. And he’s totally at peace with the possibility that he could go at anytime.

goin for a ride, 6-09

Licorice’s passing made me realize that I am not yet OK with dying. I still fear it, I don’t want to talk about it, I don’t even want to think about it. I want to believe that it is a very long way off.

My wife and I were talking again yesterday morning (Christmas morning) about Licorice, and I was able to go a little deeper into how this was making me feel. I came to realize it’s not that I fear death so much as I fear not living life fully, each day, while I’m still here.

And that’s one of the greatest things about our dogs, our beloved pets, our buddies – they teach us unconditional love, and joy, and acceptance, by modeling it every day. No matter what is going on, no matter whether they’re in pain or not, no matter even whether we show up for them or not, they’re always there for us. They live every day like it’s a brand new day, and they don’t hold onto anything.

i think i'm in trouble, 12-07

I am having a hard time feeling right now. Or maybe what I’m having a hard time with is understanding what my feelings are. I’ve got so many of them.

I do know, though, that I am very grateful that God brought Licorice to our family. And I am grateful that God brought Licorice back home on Christmas Eve.

Blessings,

Todd

By Todd | Posted in Lessons Of Blessing | Comments (6)
Nov 29 2009

For Profit, Or For Love?

November 29, 2009 – 9:49 pm
By Todd | Posted in Lessons Of Blessing | Comments (0)

My wife, Victoria, makes beautiful hand crafted gifts. You can find many of them HERE.

And when I say hand crafted, I mean just that – she makes each of them one at a time, with all the love and the care that anyone would put into making a unique gift for a loved one.

Over the years, I’ve grown aware of a paradox in my thinking as I have watched her blossom into the artist she is today. On one side of my thinking, I really admire the time that she puts into hand crafting each gift. On the other side, though, I try to calculate in my logical, left brain what her actual hourly wage would be if she were clocking in at a job, and I’m usually not happy with the results…

But, doesn’t that completely miss the point?

In my heart, I know it does.

Victoria is not doing this for an hourly sum. She does it because she loves it. And because she knows that her friends and her customers love each of these gifts as much as she does.

So there’s another question I’m left with today… Does anyone do anything anymore in their business just cause it’s right, or just cause it’s beautiful, or just cause it’s a gift of service, of love?

Or do we only do things anymore when we are assured that a profit is forthcoming?

My head and my heart each have an answer to this question. And they are not the same.

Blessings,

Todd

By Todd | Posted in Lessons Of Blessing | Comments (0)
Nov 14 2009

Honesty And Integrity

November 14, 2009 – 1:36 pm
By Todd | Posted in Lessons Of Blessing | Comments (0)

You may or may not know that I had a radio show on the Law Of Attraction Radio Network for close to a year – the Give Away A Dollar A Day show. I was excited when I first started it, but soon realized that it was taking quite a bit of time to prepare for each show. That’s probably my perfectionist at work, but I don’t partake in any new venture without giving it more than 100%.

Why is this a big deal? Because what I really want to do is play, create, and compose music. That’s what makes my heart light up. I was doing the radio show at the wishes of others and to try and get the idea of Give Away A Dollar A Day out there even more. But what I was really doing was spending more time preparing for the show, which meant less time with music. So I knew that I needed to make a decision. And quite honestly, my heart was no longer in the show.

My last “officially scheduled” show was today, a show that I had set up with my guest around eight months ago. Because I had lost my juice for doing the show, I was hoping that my guest had forgotten about eight months later. Well, there was a lesson for me in this, because my guest hadn’t forgotten… In fact, he emailed me two days before the show asking if it was still a go. My first response to him was, “Yes, it’s still scheduled”. But I wasn’t ready. I hadn’t prepared at all. I really didn’t know what we were going to talk about. I didn’t even want to do the show. I called him on the phone and was honest about closing the show down. I suggested to him that we not do it, and he seemed OK with it. (Although, if I was in his shoes, I would have been pissed at the lack of integrity I had displayed by not letting him know sooner).

What was my real lesson in this? Well, I think there were a few… To begin with, I was not “letting go” of the show that I really didn’t want to do anymore. I want to play music, not run a radio show. So, in truth, the one I was out of integrity with was myself. Secondly, I was afraid to tell my guest that I wanted to cancel, because I thought that he would hate me, or reject me, or both. So when I canceled the show, I took that risk. The risk of rejection. But somehow, I felt clean, and relieved.

I think the overall story in this is honesty. I had to look at myself in the mirror and ask, “Am I really being honest with me right now?”

Thank you, I just needed to say this.

Blessings,

Todd

By Todd | Posted in Lessons Of Blessing | Comments (0)
Sep 06 2009

I Just Serenaded Dr. Rick Barrett In His Car…

September 6, 2009 – 4:32 pm
By Todd | Posted in Music | Comments (4)

OK, now that I have your attention…

It’s not… quite… like it sounds…  :)

Dr. Rick Barrett, co-author with Dr. Joe Vitale of the book Give To Live, is a friend who has written some beautiful poetry that is in his book, and that I am putting to music. When we met for lunch late last week, I wanted for Rick to hear what I had done thus far, and had him listen to a couple of rough cut MP3′s on my iPod. But up to this point, the lead vocal is not yet sung by a person… instead it’s played by a piano. I wanted Rick to get a really good idea of the song, so I decided to sing it for him. I told him that I wasn’t sure how to do this, though, because – for obvious reasons – I wasn’t about to start singing to him in the restaurant… LOL

Then… Rick suggested that I could sing to him in his car. OK, that’s when I lost it… I was laughing so hard that the water I just sipped was coming out of my nose!!

Well, long story short, we finished our lunch, went out to his car, and I did sing to him. I’m glad I did because it gave him a much better understanding of the direction I was taking with his song. Too bad, though, that we didn’t get it on video…

Well… on second thought… maybe it’s a good thing we didn’t get it on video!

Enjoy all your good laughs today!

Todd

By Todd | Posted in Music | Comments (4)
Jul 18 2009

Ah Music!

July 18, 2009 – 7:06 pm
By Todd | Posted in Announcements | Comments (0)

If you’ve kept up with my blog posts, then you know that most of what I’ve written about has been giving. And, you may also know that I am an avid musician and am now adding, with private lessons, the piano to my repertoire of instruments.

For the moment, as I spend more time playing and learning and composing and playing some more, I am finding myself writing a little bit less.

So if you see fewer posts than usual over the next couple of months, don’t worry, I haven’t disappeared…

I’m just in the studio making some really cool music!

Blessings,

Todd

By Todd | Posted in Announcements | Comments (0)
Jul 07 2009

Did I Just Get Caught?

July 7, 2009 – 6:56 pm
By Todd | Posted in Inspiring Stories Of Giving | Comments (0)

So there I was, sitting in a business meeting, about ten of us gathered around the conference room table, with a Power Point slide show going. It was a long meeting, ended up lasting for three hours by the time we were done. And… it started out a little contentious, but eventually came around to being a pretty productive meeting.

Like the others, I was serious and to the point in the meeting. Except for one time…

I decided this was the perfect place for me to give away my dollar. But… this was one of those days where it wasn’t just a dollar. I had a ten in my pocket cued up and ready to drop. I chose this room, this meeting, to do it in.

So I reach into my pocket… I am absolutely sure no one sees what I’m doing… I covertly flicked it away from me and onto the floor underneath the conference room table. I was convinced that it was going to go unnoticed for quite some time.

Well… I really don’t know how this happened, but the guy sitting right across the table from me must’ve glanced down just at the time I did this, because he reached down, picked it up, and handed it back to me, saying, “You must have dropped this”. That ten wasn’t even on the floor for a whole second yet!

Thinking fast, I said, “Oh, yeah, hey thanks”.

But deep down inside, I kinda felt like el stupido!

Did the Secret Dollar Man just get caught?

;)

By Todd | Posted in Inspiring Stories Of Giving | Comments (0)
Jun 23 2009

Priming The Pump

June 23, 2009 – 3:27 pm
By Todd | Posted in Inspiring Stories Of Giving | Comments (0)

I was in a nice, quaint restaurant the other evening, with some business associates. It’s a very intimate place that serves Cuban Fusion food and has some of the nicest decorations and artwork I’ve ever seen.

The place also has a piano. And we were fortunate enough to be blessed with live piano music during our dinner.

We were there for several hours, and many dinner parties had already come and gone. As we got ready to leave, I decided to take a detour over by the piano player to thank her and to put a tip in her jar sitting on the top of her piano.

I was surprised, though, to find that only one dollar was in the jar. After the hours she had spent playing, there was only one dollar in there?

I’ve played in coffee bars and clubs before, and I know the amount of practice one has to spend to get ready for gigs like this and to stay sharp on their instrument. So I wanted to thank her for that and put several dollars in her jar. She was very grateful and appreciative.

From my experiences in performing live, I remembered that I would always put a dollar in the tip jar just to get the flow started… sort of like priming the pump. So I was wondering if the single dollar that was in her jar when I came up to her piano was from her priming the pump? And then I thought…

This is what entertainers do… they put a dollar in the jar to prime the pump. To start the flow.

So… do you prime your prosperity pump? You can start the flow today through the very simple act of every day giving.

Blessings!

Todd

By Todd | Posted in Inspiring Stories Of Giving | Comments (0)