Are you a gem or a jerk?

Considering I just spent a few hours in the last day with the always inspiring Tim Sanders, there are many ways I can think to answer this question. But, I’m going to stick with my intent from a few days ago. Remember when I asked you to take this survey?

This is why. I came across this headline in my Google Reader: A 30-second test to determine whether your boss is a gem or a jerk.

Let me clarify, I have a wonderful boss, so that was not what got my attention. I love the “gem or jerk” comparison in the headline, which is why I used it for this very post. (Plus, I’m a total nerd and enjoy taking tests.) The test, if you haven’t guessed already, is the simple survey you all (maybe) took. The results of my survey confirm the scientist’s findings.

The study Daniel Pink references found those who wrote the E so they were able to read it, were more ego-centric and would be the “jerk” in the headline. Those who wrote the E so others could read it were more empathetic and were often thinking of others perceptions and needs first. These individuals are the “gems”.

I promoted my simple survey on Twitter and Facebook, which generated 16 responses (at publishing this post). Ten respondents wrote so others could read the E. I thought the majority leaning this way made a lot of sense considering the respondents were most likely social media users. If you use social media successfully, you’re probably empathetic, considering your readers/followers/friends, and others-oriented.

Hopefully, if nothing else, this bit of information causes you to pause and think about your focus on others.

New Music Musts

Or so I’ve heard.

The new albums of:

• The Givers
• The Decemberists
• Dum Dum Girls
• Vetiver
• Hey Rosetta
• Hypnotic Bass Ensemble
• Foster the People
• Smith-Westerns
• YUCK

Don’t take my word for it. Take his.

Contagious Community: Being Contagious

Being Contagious

When Amber and I started this blog, we were sure to write our mission statement and the About Us page. But, I’m not really sure that we’ve really explained what we mean by “contagious”. Here are a few thoughts.

Being social also means being contagious. Social Media is about relationships. If you’re using the tools well, you’re forming connections, having conversations and sharing. When someone (or better yet, many people) share information and it is an idea that is shared multiple times, it becomes contagious. How many times have you read a book because of a recommendation? How many events have you attended because someone shared the invite with you personally? How many times have you made a purchase because you knew someone who loves it as well? If you can yes to these examples, you’ve acted on contagiousness. (Is that even a real word?)

Being contagious doesn’t mean just sharing germs. I work in the healthcare field so it is difficult to use the word and not think about disease. Especially when you’re talking about using social media and “going viral”. That said, it’s the perfect example of the power of sharing something – no matter the size. You don’t have to have a huge wallet to give. You don’t have to have limitless time to serve. You don’t have to be “the” leader to impart knowledge. You have to care. You have to love your family or your friends or your neighbors or your networks or simply strangers. If you have gratitude, you can be generous. And that means doing so with whatever means you have and in every way you can think possible.

With this blog, we hope to be contagious with our personal experiences of service and giving as well as information we think you might find valuable including opportunities to serve. After all, this isn’t about us – it’s about sharing ideas and information in an effort to improve and demonstrate the value of the community we so dearly love.

As a bit of a P.S., I’d also like to note that I believe generosity sustains itself. The more you give, the more you will have to give. (Shout out to my favorite author’s newest book Today We are Rich that really talks about the value of living a generous life. My book review here.) As we’ve been working on this blog, it seems that relevant articles and resources cross my path more than I ever noticed before. I thought I’d share a quick list of recent ones in case they spark something inside you as well.

• Can Social Media Help Feed A Billion Hungry People?
• Passion with a Purpose
• How Every Woman Can Help – Even You
• Compassion for Community
• Volunteers are the New City Employees
• Fun in the Sun Volunteer Opportunities for You Right Now
• When Do Gooders Go Viral
• How Crowdsourcing is Improving Global Communities
• Working for a Bigger Purpose

Quick Survey: Draw an “E”

If you feel so inclined, take 30 seconds to do this quick experiment. I promise to reward with with the “why” and the results in a future post.

Click here to take survey

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey, the world’s leading questionnaire tool.

Weekend Pinterest Project: Yarn Covered Initial

In honor of being real (as promised on this site), I should disclose that I almost titled this post “Super Simple String S”. But then I thought better of it. Ha!

Basically, this easy project was inspired when I saw someone pin some string covered letters from Etsy. I thought “smart!” and then “I could do that”. So I did.

In a weekend full of projects, I knew that I could put this to use immediately in a frame collage for my kitchen. Here are the simple steps and how you too can make your own yarn covered initial. ‘Cause who doesn’t want to spend their weekend on a project like this. Ha!

Step-by-Step How To:

1. I purchased a thin MDF letter “S” in the wood-craft section of my local craft store. I also purchased yarn that coordinated with the colors of the items I planned to hang the completed letter with.
2. Note: This next step was definitely trial and error so do what you find to be successful. I realized that a) with the shape of letter and b) with the fact I would need to cover the front AND sides of the 3-dimensional letter, I wound the yarn around the letter first horizontally starting with the endcaps and then vertically around the entire letter. (Biggest tip: hot glue is your friend. Every time I started and stopped the yarn, I glued it in place on the back. This also came in handy to keep the yarn in place that was going vertically on the edges.)
3. I was definitely pleased with the result but went a step further and hot-glued a few old buttons on the S for additional detail.

Total Cost: $1.99 for the initial “S” and $3.39 for the yarn (not all was used)

Weekend Pinterest Project: Antique Fan

Recently, my grandmother gave me an antique fan she found while cleaning out the attic. I love this sort of thing. I already knew it needed to be cleaned. Badly. But I wasn’t sure how I wanted to restore it. (I use the word “restore” loosely, since I don’t really know how to restore anything.)

Enter Pinterest. And a burst of energy. And my mind works like this:

I have this…             Love the Color…            I could paint the fan!…   Voila!

Step-by-Step How To:

1. Wearing protective gloves (for all steps), spray WD-40 on the metal piece and scrub with a coarse brush. I used a Stanley brush.
2. Next, I took a Scotch sponge and scrubbed the whole fan again.
3. I then took paper towels and cleaned the entire fan from any WD-40 residue. The fan was definitely in better condition, but still needed to be painted. (below: pic 2)
4. Then, I used Krylon “Gray” Indoor/Outdoor Primer to cover the fan. (I read that Gray was recommended to cover metal.) (below: pic 3)
5. Finally, having been inspired by the Peacock Blue chest above, I sprayed the entire fan with Krylon “Regal Blue” Indoor/Outdoor Gloss. (below: pic 4)

Total Cost: $4.99 x 2 for the spray paint and primer

What weekend project(s) have you taken on this summer? Have you been inspired by Pinterest too? Need an invite to Pinterest? Let me know!

Google+: my two cents and more than a dollar’s worth of links

It’s been just over a week since creating my Google+ account and I’ve been able to dabble into various parts of this new “channel”. 

(Side note: that’s what I call all social media sites. Goes back to my media buying days. Sort of the old, who is the audience, use, etc. for that TV channel and why would I buy it. Does it meet my goals?)

There has been no shortage of opinions, advice and insights on the new channel. So in the spirit of sharing, here are my brief thoughts on a few of the features of G+.

General

• Overwhelming.  Not open to all yet but somehow a few are able to have tens of thousands of followers already. These same individuals took years to grow a similar following on Twitter. Is this rapid (but closed) growth good or bad?
• A lot of content. Not a lot of organization. And with no limit on characters, there is no consistency among information being shared.
• Too much chatter. However, I love LOVE the “mute this post” option, which allows you to end notifications when others comment on a post you have commented on.
• Lots of possibilities. Can’t wait to see how it evolves (or doesn’t).

Hangouts

• Limited to 10 people max. (Still better than Facebook’s version, which is limited to two people.)
• Originator of the Hangout does not have to be present for the hangout to continue.
• No time limit.
• “View Only” mode offers some potential.
• Users without access to webcam, can still participate but by voice only.

iPhone App

• Why isn’t it an integrated function of the Google app similar to Reader?
• Overall, good. Wish it had landscape mode and Hangout function.

Circles

• How are people using these? Are you organizing your circles like you would a Twitter list?

Interested to see what others are saying? Me too.

• INFOGRAPHIC: Comparing Twitter to Google+ and Facebook
• Google will not run circles around Facebook but it does get a +1
• 3 Reasons to use Google+ during your next Twitter chat
• How to hold a press conference using Google+
• What we’ve learned from Google+ (so far)
• Is it better to share on Google+, Facebook or Twitter
• Learn Google+
• Google+ is a very different sharing environment
• Top 100 people on Google+
• How to increase your Google+ followers
• How to make a Google+ desktop app
• Conversations matter in Google+
• Insights into Google+

Inspired to Serve by a Sandal

One of my favorite blogs to read is Sit a Spell written by Heather Hendrick. She’s honest, raw, and encouraging in her writing. Recently, she’s been writing a series of blog posts about caring for the poor. Before you make any assumptions about this content, let me give the example of one of her posts… “I’m a recovering modern-day slave owner.” Needless to say, she daily encourages me and challenges how my actions measure against my beliefs. For this, I love her and yet don’t know her.

Enter in a recent guest post on her blog about Sseko Sandals. Think of TOMS and now think a bit bigger. Perhaps not in number of shoes sold, but in the impact it’s having in the lives of Ugandan women. These are women who recently graduated from secondary school, and aspire to go on to attend university.

By working with Sseko, these young ladies are able to earn money for their tuition and receive an education that is not often a possibility for a young girl growing up in a war-torn and male-dominated country.

Through her blog, Heather is giving the opportunity to win a pair of these beautiful and powerful sandals. Of course I’d love to win a pair, but even if I don’t win, I’m putting it in the budget to buy a pair for sure. If you’re moved to share the Sseko story, please do so! You can find them online, on Facebook and even Twitter.