X is for XTRA

Guess I cheated just a tad, but, well, who’s gonna pick me up on it?

I want to ask you – do you have a crack at going the extra mile for others? Are you prepared to step out of your comfort zone and contact someone or do you sit back and decide – someone else will do it.

I sometimes find that when I learn someone has been diagnosed with cancer or her fiancé has been electrocuted or… I find that part of me is just too scared or shy and I am reluctant to make contact. I have had to say to myself – hey, put yourself in their shoes… would you appreciate it if someone just rang you if you were in similar circumstances?

I spent part of Saturday helping some little kids get their bikes back on the road. Had to mend a few punctures, adjust some brakes, lower seats etc. The kids in general (all Aboriginal kids) were appreciative. I showed them how to do things – like how to use the tyre levers (spelt tire levers in USA), use the pump, find the hole in the tube etc. Progress won’t happen overnight, but it’s a bit like the bloke they found on the beach after hundreds of starfish had beached themselves up on the sand. (Or stranded themselves up on the beach.) He was throwing the stranded starfish back into the water, one at a time. A bloke went up to him and asked, “Hey, what are you doing? There’s millions of them on the beach. What difference can you make?” The stranger threw another one into the water and said with confidence, “Sure made a difference to that one.”

Yep, I figure if I can do that little bit extra – I might be able to make a difference in some lives.
Think about some extra stuff you can do this week… maybe next week. Want to share something? Click on comments and go right ahead. Even my daughter is allowed to comment!!!