You have heard me use the phrase before: "More than fill your present space." I heard it long ago, but the idea has stuck with me, perhaps because it perfectly embodies the spirit of Shine.
More than filling your present space can be applied to virtually any situation - big or small. At work you can more than fill your present space by taking initiative to develop new systems or by solving problems that the organization didn't know it had. At home, more than filling your present space might mean making the entire kitchen spotless instead of just loading the dish washer. And, on your block, more than filling your present space might mean not just politely waving at your neighbor as you pass to and from work. It might mean hand delivering half of your freshly baked chocolate chip cookies or hosting a holiday gathering at your home.
When someone more than fills their present space it is almost immediately obvious to everyone around them.
Yesterday I went to lunch with Kim, an old friend, along with two other women she knows. The three of us had never met, but Kim brought us together because she thought we would enjoy each other's company. One of those women more than filled her present space and it changed the entire tone of our lunch.
She brought something with her - an interesting book that immediately created common ground and sparked interesting conversation among the four of us.
Time flew while we spent our lunch hour engrossed in conversation - the same way old friends immediately connect when they are reunited.
The rest of us did what most people do - show up believing that just keeping the commitment and being on time is sufficient enough.
And it is.
Unless you want to Shine. Then you do what this woman did - come prepared with a fun tool that facilitated our getting to know one another.
By more than filling her present space, this woman very obviously turned our simple lunch into a memorable occasion.
A small example of how simple it is to Shine. So how about you? What do you have on your docket today and how might you more than fill your present space?
Shining off until...