Blogging @ http://drewrieder.com NOW!

Hello visitor! I wanted to let you know that I’ve moved. It’s kind of like moving your house but in a digital way. I’ve moved all my content from the three blogs I’ve written from (starting back in October of 2009) over to http://drewrieder.com

You’ll like my new home. It’s cool and there’s lots of room to wiggle around and create stuff. I’m just getting started.

So come visit me here and you’ll see that I’m stepping up my game a bit for you. I’ll continue to post fun and interesting info always with a personal approach. Thanks for reading and I look forward to seeing you at http://drewrieder.com

Peace….drew

Do small things!

This poem is a quick story about a man who decided to focus and do less. I wrote this poem a few months ago from the viewpoint of an aspiring minimalist. Do small things well and do them consistently. Cut out the rest of the fluff in your life and focus on what is most important. Do your passion! A lifetime of doing small things can change the world in a BIG way.

Small Things

It’s a wonder that both night and day
During times of plenty or months of gray
That the slight man goes along his path

He’s slow but steady
Yet preparing to be ready
For the day his effort will be a bounty

Many the zealous hurl forth their ambition
Whilst the quiet man kneels in contrition
The hairs on his head blowing in the wind of their ardor

With gentle might and fervent pace
Little footsteps he gains on the human race
Too lathered in frenzy are they to notice

Many a slain craving lay dead at his side
Ear pressed to heart, he hears not their chide
With careful wisdom he lengthens his stride

By measured smile he continues on by
Droves of onlookers give piercing cry
These tiny pieces had built their victory

So give me a myriad of consistency
A tower of granite formed persistently
And you will see a magnitude
Of a life spent doing small things

-Drew Rieder (February 11, 2010)

What’s a Rubber Band Reminder?

Greetings, earthlings! Put this idea in the realm of mnemonic devices. First off, I can never remember how to spell the word “mnemonic” so I always have to Google it to remember. Say “mnemonic” ten times fast! Or, rather, spell it ten times slow and then you’ll have it locked in.

A mnemonic device is a learning aid or a trigger to help you remember something important. It can come in the form of a word, a story or a conspicuous or strategically placed object. When one hears one in the form of a word they ascribe its meaning to an action or it prompts a memory of something. If it’s contained in a story then the characters or things in the story can be the reminder. A story used as a mnemonic device can contain a list of things you need to shop for that day or tasks that need to be accomplished. The points in the storyline trigger the list. The well placed object as a mnemonic would be the last example. This is my favorite kind.

I’m certain you’d agree that attaching meaning to things is a pretty universal human condition. Art means something to us because it produces feelings of nostalgia or it helps us solidify something we believe in. When that certain something ceases to have meaning to us, it’s probably time to replace it or switch it up. I was in need of a visible reminder to help me improve my behavior.

So I searched for a simple prompt to call to mind these two important actions.

1. My “Love One Another’s.”
2. Being more patient with my wife and kids.

About that time I spotted a run of the mill rubber band hanging out in one of our household drawers. I thought to myself, “this could be an easy way to help me get re-focused on my priorities.” So I picked it up, slipped it onto my right wrist and now I’ve got a tangible reminder for myself to get my act together. It’s worked very well so far and I plan on keeping it there until which time it’s meaning fades and I need to replace it with another mnemonic device.

Keeping this example in mind, I thought of some other easy-to-implement mnemonics which might work for you.

Here’s a list of ten additional ideas to help you put some reminders back in your life.

1. Sticky Notes: Write down a key thought, task, mission statement or prayer and tape it to the steering wheel of your car.
2. Calendar Reminders: Schedule a re-occurring task on your calendar to remember something meaningful (like “be thankful”).
3. Themed Wristbands (cousin of the Rubber Band): These are your Livestrong or your Pink Breast Cancer Awareness ones. These can also be any other theme out there with myriads of different meanings.
4. Candles: A strategically placed candle can serve as a reminder for just about anything. Put it in a place that you have to move it to use it. Upon moving it you’re reminded to light it and recall the meaning of its light.
5. Ringtones: Make your mobile phone sing your favorite inspirational song to you every time it rings. The song is the reminder and the music is the message.
6. Snail Mail: Write yourself a letter about something that’s meaningful to you. Put a stamp on it, address it to yourself and stick it in the mail. It’s powerful to receive your own words in this unique way.
7. Plant a Tree: Think about the meaning in this one. I planted a tree for each of my children. Every time I see those lovely things I’m reminded of how thankful I am for my kids.
8. Tattoos: Okay, I don’t have any tattoos (yet), but I have a lot of friends that do. Getting a tattoo can be a highly, visible reminder of something meaningful to you and can also send powerful messages to those who see them.
9. Signs & Placards: Put signs up in your house to remind you of what’s important. Maybe place a sign over your bed or on your bedside table with a phrase about thankfulness or love. We all need these reminders at the end of a long day. These can go in any conspicuous location throughout your home or office.
10. Note Cards: A strategically placed note card can be a great tool to help you remember what’s important. Stick one in your shirt pocket, in the book you’re reading, on your bathroom mirror or in your wallet (make it protrude so you have to remove it and read it).

There are hundreds if not thousands of simple things you can do to help yourself remember what’s important. Are you in need of a Rubber Band Reminder? What’s your great idea for a mnemonic device? Comment and share.

Thanks for reading. Be well and be blessed….drew

Start a “CULT” of positivity!

What do you do when someone says that being positive is like sticking your head in the sand and avoiding what’s real? Have you ever had someone get upset with you for having a great attitude? Surprisingly, it does happen and quite often. WHY?

We live in a culture that thrives on negativity and can’t pass up the opportunity to spread as much of it as possible. Look at our media. When I was in Iraq, I was very aware of an immutable fact of journalism. “If it bleeds then it reads.” It’s pervasive. The media rarely wants to herald the efforts of a community service project “gone good” and jumps at the chance to highlight the worst of human endeavors. People are drawn toward this negativity like moths to a flame. In many ways they become addicted to it. However, just because this is true should we surrender to this reality or wage war against it?

I say wage war against negativity and start a cult of positivity! Now you might say that “cult” is a negative word all in and of itself, but the word “cult” actually is just short for culture. We have plenty of good and bad going on in our culture. Watch the news. Read the paper. Peruse the Internet. More often than not it seems that the good news often gets buried beneath the bad. How can we do our part to change this?

Here’s my idea! Start a culture of positivity in your workplace, your home, your family and your neighborhood. Optimism can spread just the same as pessimism. So why not start your own quiet revolution and change the world in this small way. It may start small, but insisting on focusing on the bright side of things can bring light to nearly any situation.

The world is thirsting for it. Employers are hiring for it. Teams are in great need of leaders who possess it. Is there any good reason to not start today? Here’s a list of things you can do to start a culture of positivity in your little corner of the globe.

1. Start at the thought level. What sorts of thoughts do you find yourself thinking in relation to the world, your environment and those around you? If you stop and think about what you’re thinking about most often, you may discover that even you are a bit of a “Gloomy Glen.” And nobody likes that guy. So put a STOP sign up in your head and start redirecting good thoughts to replace these negative ones.
2. Ninety Percent (90%) of communication is non-verbal: Hey you! Did you know that your body language will follow suit to what your mind is focused on? We may say the right things but if we don’t get started before we talk our bodies will give us away. So that’s why we need to start with our thoughts.  
3.  Think about the consequences of negativity. Negative thoughts will give birth to negative actions (and they’ll also affect your health and wellness). These negative actions tend to be negative comments which affect others. They directly or indirectly affect the person their about and they bring down the attitude of the hearer (ie. the person your gossiping to about “so and so”).
4. Be balanced in the way you process information. Ask yourself, “is it really that bad.” Do an honest appraisal of whether or not something is catastrophic. Redefine your own personal filters for information. Define “bad or negative.” Is this really the end of the world? Probably not.
5. Propose a solution. This rarely happens in the real world, but could you imagine if it did. What if we held each other accountable to being problem solvers instead of the senseless ranters we too often become? In the military they used to force us to think this way. If there was a “mission failure” we had to come up with three ways to make it better next time. Why not implement this practice into our daily lives now?
6. Pray for others and meditate on their good qualities. It’s proven that prayer and meditation can increase your lifespan. I believe it. Hey, we’re all human beings and yet sometimes we look at each other through the most cruel lenses. If we offer prayers of faith, hope and love for the people and situations we struggle with the most, we will see this positive action change us.
7. Human magnets are hard to find. Do you want to change your whole work environment and family completely? Be the person that constantly puts a shine on things. Listen to others so as to receive their woes and concerns, but then rebuttal with strategies of hope. Eeyore was never the hero of Winnie the Pooh. So, don’t be Eeyore. Be an agent of change.
8. Empower others to join your culture. If you live strongly enough you will enable those around you to live in courageous positivity, too. In a sense, you will give them permission not to wallow endlessly in their own self-pity, victim thinking and blame-casting. You can hand them a key by which they could unlock themselves from their self-imposed cage of negativity.
9. Go out of your way to be an encouragement! Encouraging others is one of the most liberating, simple and selfless acts in existence. And when you think about it for a minute, it’s one of the biggest missing pieces in our culture. Be one of those people who bends over backwards to show you care and tell others that you appreciate their work. Speak a word. Send a quick note. Give a genuine smile.
10. It’s okay to be REAL! In the midst of our personal-positivity-revolution give yourself permission to be real, too. It’s good to cry. It’s okay to vent. We need to talk things out etc. But just be careful where you land, how you vent and what your speech looks like. Being in touch with reality is not a bad thing. But it can turn toxic if we don’t buoy our lives with faith-filled, optimistic, energetic positivity.

So, what’s stopping you from starting your very own CULT OF POSITIVITY, TODAY? The answer is YOU. So get out-of-the-way and start living. Change the world around you by stepping out with a smile and stepping up in faith to make a better day. Small habits done consistently change the world. Start Now!

Thanks for reading. Be well and be blessed….drew

Kids @ Work!?!

Most of us fall into the pit of 9 to 5 living and become victims of the rat race! It’s a tough world out there. And all of us are trying to make a living in the best way we know how and we’re doing our part to support our families. Somewhere, too, amidst the chaos we’re hoping to actually make a difference in this great big world. We wake up early. We plug into our phones. We plug-in our caffeine and we fire up our lap tops & computers. It can be a monotonous, non-life giving struggle that drains the very core of our being. So how do we combat this? Here’s one idea I’ve tried recently which really refreshed my batteries and renewed my perspective on life.

BRING YOUR KIDS TO WORK!

• You might be wondering how this will help your day-to-day stress level or how this will renew your life energy? Keep reading. It will do both!

Now don’t panic. I can sense you’re panicking. You’re thinking to yourself,  “there’s no way I can bring my kid(s) to work. They’ll ruin my focus, destroy my office and my productivity. How could this be practical? What will my boss say? How can I mix my corporate life with my personal life together?” My answer is that you can and you should do this as one way to help you remember why you work to bring in a paycheck every month. It will also pay dividends into the future for your children. Stay with me.

HERE’S THE BIG IDEA! (step by step and by the numbers)

1. Make a plan to have one of your kids come to work with you for part of the day on a day they’re not in school. This could be on a scheduled school holiday, conference day or during their Spring break.
2. I suggest starting with your kids when they’re between the ages of 5-6 years old. You can be the judge of this as you know your children best.
3. Here’s an important part of the plan. They don’t have to be there all day, but just part of the day.
4. Make a plan to pick them up or have them dropped off an hour before lunch around the 11:00 a.m. hour.
5. Tell your boss that you’re going to have your son or daughter do a “job shadow” day with Daddy or Mommy. Ninety-nine percent of bosses out there will love the idea and wholeheartedly support it.
6. So what do you do with your child when they visit your office on that special day? Give them some jobs to do like drawing pictures on your dry-erase board or writing notes to family and friends. Their tasks don’t need to correlate with the kind of work you do. They will just be pleased as all get out to be with you and they’ll think that they are working too.
7. Take them on a quick 5-minute tour of your office and let them say hello to everyone and introduce themselves by shaking hands. This type of interaction will help start building needed social skills.
8. Give them a digital camera to shoot pictures with and take some video on their big day at your office. Then help them download the photos and print off their favorite one to make a memory.
9. Turn your waste basket into a basketball hoop and let them crumple up scratch paper and shoot some hoops with it.
10. Open up a blank Word document and let them type something. Let them type an e-mail and send it to your spouse or significant other at home or work.
11. Go for a walk around the building or the block or through your office complex. They will feel like they are on a huge journey.
12. Lastly, take your child to lunch at a place nearby and chat with them about life and all the things going on in their little universe. Share a milkshake and some fries or tofu or whatever suits your fancy! Try and eat your lunch outside in the park (weather permitting) and run around or play on the swings. Engage all the senses for a great learning experience.

Don’t wait until it’s too late. Taking your kids to work is a simple idea that builds your relationship with your child and brings some beauty and new perspective into your life. They will say the funniest things to you and help you remember that we can all be children at heart. They’ll remind you of things that you’d long forgotten and help bring some great balance into your hectic life. There’s always time for good things like this. You don’t have to make time. It’s there already. So take the time to do the important things. Bring your kids to work and change the world in a small way!

Thanks for reading. Be well and be blessed….drew

Be Golden!

Okay, you might have heard this one before in a lot of places from a lot of people and in many great books. BUT, it bears repeating. It’s a great starting point and it seems that most problems arise in our society because we refuse to live by the Golden Rule.

How can we expect others to treat us well if we, ourselves, don’t treat others with respect, dignity and love? Living by the Golden Rule (being “golden”) means doing unto others as we would have them do unto us. Or conversely, “not doing” unto others those things that we would “not” want them to do to us. It works both by committing acts of love and not doing things that are unloving to those in our circle.

Too often, we back talk our co-workers because they’re obviously doing it all wrong and we obviously have it all right. We brood in our negative thoughts & attitudes about how someone else is responsible for our problems. We too often take from this world when we should be giving back. We pass by opportunities to do good and serve others. And in doing so, we rob ourselves of the treasure that awaits us. We fail to realize it is better to give then receive.

So, here are 10-IDEAS that will help you “Be Golden” and live by the Golden Rule at work, home or wherever you may be.

1. Look for one opportunity per day to encourage someone or share a word of kindness.
2. Unplug your I-pod for 5-minutes and lend an empathetic ear to a fellow human’s problem.
3. Be the change you want to see in the world. Model it. Live it and see things change.
4. Use simple manners. Say “please” and “thank you” all the time (no limitations on this one).
5. Realize that the way you see the world & yourself is not the same way others do.
6. Volunteer to help someone once a day for no reason other than it’s the right thing to do.
7. SMILE! It’s impossible to be stressed out when you’re smiling (literally). Your mind reacts in a psychosomatic fashion and starts to change your mood. Smiles are also contagious.
8. LAUGH! Laughter is the world’s best_________ (you fill in the blank)! You know it’s true. Help someone see the humor in a situation today and watch the negativity melt away. And, live longer.
9. Be thankful for all the good things in your life! If you are thankful you can help others be thankful. Being thankful will also help you to see the good things in others. Everyone has something to be thankful for (or many somethings). This can also be called having an “attitude of gratitude” realizing you’re “too blessed to be stressed.”
10. Practice kindness as a way of life. People don’t remember two-thirds of what we say, but they remember how we make them feel. So make others feel good by the way you live your life.

You can do it! You can be Golden today and tomorrow and the rest of your life! I’d love for you to Share some of your Great Ideas, too! Feel free to chime in. Thanks for reading. See you again soon…..drew

Share Great Ideas!

Hello everyone! I’ve started a blog called Share Great Ideas. This blog is dedicated to all of us creative types out there who have a ton of artful contributions bottled up inside of us. Is that you? I’ve started this blog to share ideas that I have on Life, Love, Leadership and Music. I write from an experiential point of view on much of my content and my hope is to give away great ideas to you–my readers.

The world needs more great ideas in order to live better and to solve many of the complex problems we face today! There’s no time left to keep them hidden. Thanks for reading. Feel free to use any idea I publish. Take it and make it your own. Go do something to change the world! Do it today!

You can do it. I believe in you…drew

P.S. Stay tuned for my upcoming e-book on the topic of Love and Romance! Why not start with love? It’s the best place to start.