This morning I checked my email to see that a few books I had posted on PaperBackSwap .com had been requested. This is a regular occurance considering we have been majorly overhauling our "STUFF" and trying to declutter. John had gone through the books awhile ago and I had finally posted them online to be traded. So, I grabbed the books and gave them a glace to see what they were. Many of the books I have available to trade are from family who don't have the time or desire to put in the effort to deal with trading themselves, so I do so and reap the benefits of the book trades.
One of the books had an inscription from the gifter on the first page and part of it caught my attention..."...this book made me look at all that I do and asses my ability to do everything better!...." I was intrigued so I read the first three pages while waiting for the girls to get their shoes on. I quickly saw that this was a MUST READ before I sent it off to be traded. So, after dropping the girls off at their activity for the day I sat down and read the book cover to cover.
I don't think I can trade this book away now. It should be a MUST READ for every single adult, scratch that, for every single high school senior before they graduate or get a job. It literally took me two hours to read, and I feel motivated.
The book is written by Mark Sanborn, a motivational speaker who had a mailman by the name of "Fred" when he lived for a number of years in Denver. Fred was an example of a person who had an ordinary (if not completely monotonous) job of sorting and delivering the mail each and every day, yet somehow he managed to do an exemplary job at his ordinary work.
The book goes on to describe how Fred was so exemplary... holding onto the mail when he knew Mr. Sanborn would be out of town... recognizing that a package delivered by UPS was at the wrong house and taking the extra time, energy, and effort to correct the mistake of another company and deliver it to the correct address... learning the names of each and every one of his customers and greeting them with a hello and smile each time he encountered them. Basically, he went above and beyond the call of duty because he genuinely wanted to make a difference in others lives. And, by thinking about what he could do in his ordinary job as a mail carrier, he did just that... he made a difference in the lives of his customers.
The book goes on to share many other examples the author has encountered over the years of exemplary customer service and dubbs theses people as "Freds" or having Fred-like qualities. Then it goes on to encourage us all to be Fred-like, no matter the type of job we have. We can all make a difference in the lives of others simply by doing what we do in the best way we know how.
While this book is clearly meant to motivate workers for actual companies to do their job the best they can, it has me thinking.
Actually, the part that got me thinking in the first place was the fact that my own mail-lady has a smile on her face every single time I see her. I have on several occations thought that I should get a Starbucks card and suprise her with it the next time I see her, simply because it makes me smile when she smiles. It could be 110 degrees outside and I know that she will still smile and say hi as she sorts the mail.
While it does make reference to the whole 'pay it forward' mentality, I din't get that it was necessarily asking us to do so. I got that it was asking us to go above and beyond in what we already do and our actions will eventually make a difference to those around us.
So, the logical next question is how does this relate to me?
Well, in my business, I can focus (ha! no pun intended) on the individual needs of the people I photograph. I do try to do this already, but I can always improve. But, my business is not exactly where I felt the most convicted while reading this book.
My my most important job is that of wife, Mom, and homemaker. How can I be Fred-like while doing laundry, making dinner, and scrubbing toilets? I so often feel like I am working for no reward when I am performing the mundane tasks of keeping a household. I mean, if Fred can find a way to exceed expectations while he delivers mail, can't I exceed expectations when I plan out meals and unload the dishwasher?
It is not just this book that had me thinking about this. I have been trying to change my view of my job as a homemaker for a long time now. Without getting into the psychology of why I feel this way about working in the home instead of outsisde the home, I will just say that being a SAHM (stay at home Mom) is not the plan I thought I had for my life. God knew my heart though and has been working diligently with me on changing my view. Always a work in progress, I am finally starting to see that making the bed DOES matter. Keeping the laundry in check, including putting it away has value. It may not be just this one effort that my kids see, but eventually they have to see that the way we react to the job we have makes the job either enjoyable or not.
I know, this is a little more soul searching that I ususally share on the blog. But, today I feel like being real. I don't have the answer to how I can be more Fred-like when I am doing my daily chores, but I can say I am going to try harder today. If I can do that, then maybe I will remember to do so tomorrow, the next day, and the one after that. Maybe I will remember to recognize someone else that has gone above and beyond at their job today. Then, maybe I can start to see this everyday.
I won't say that reading "The Fred Factor" will have the same impact on you that it has had on me, but if you are looking for a quick motivational read, I do recommend it.
Whew! Hopping off the soapbox now... :-)
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