And...On a Final Note...

With the world coming to a rather anticlimactic end this Saturday at 6:00pm, I am feeling great time restraints. I think it is essential that all of us take the following steps in this precious remaining hours.

-Return all phone calls
-Catch up with a long lost friend or two without Tweeting or Google Chat
-If you have season finale episodes of favorite shows cued in TiVo, watch the finales before THE finale
-Yankee and Met fans, don't worry about your teams long-run prospects, because they have no long run
-Try to find that missing sock you know you put in the wash as a pair
-Figure out some of the garbled lyrics of Crocodile Rock that we have never been able to figure out no matter how hard we have tried
-Call O.J Simpson and say, "OK for the last time...Did you?"
-Go hug someone, hold a child's hand, us the word "YES" all day and pick your favorite song to listen too before the fireworks start and the Earth implodes.

Now, just take note here that the fundamentalists who "know" their scripture failed to remind us what Jesus said in Matthew 24:36: Hike! Said God's Son; "But of that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of Heaven or Son, only the Father".

So, that being said, I'm keeping a pint of ice cream in the fridge (chocolate chocolate chip) and the season finale of The Big Bang on TiVo just in case I get bored after about 6:15pm waiting for the planet to draw me into the abyss.

 Now, do I drop shirts at the dry cleaners for Monday pick up?...

The Superman Complex and Customer Service

I, like many other Americans, tuned in to watch the final episode of Smallville this last Friday night. For those not familiar, it is the story of Clark Kent growing up in Smallville, Kansas and his life lessons and upbringing that lead him to become the Man of Steel.

 I have to admit I am something of a Superman fan. I have 3 different tee shirts of the great big “S”, paraphernalia, a box of old comics and of course action figures. My daughter is even fascinated by the Big Blue Boy Scout and runs around singing the theme to the movies.

 I even suffer from a touch of Superman complex which is the unhealthy sense of responsibility to others and the need to feel they have to save others. They take others wellbeing, mentally and physically, into consideration before they do so  of themselves. They know no limitations. They don’t know when to stop trying to do too much at once and say “no” when asked to perform while already overwhelmed.

The upside of this complex is that it helped me to become keen and sharp in my role as a customer service expert and teacher. Because I suffer from this, it has helped me be exceptional at customer service. If you peek around you, you may see others in the field that are the same way.

 Where does it stem from? Parents. Surprise!  My mother had a very Martha/Jonathon Kent style do-gooder code she installed into my early programming that made me who I am now.  But it also instilled in me, like young Clark, a destiny. A destiny to be a “turn to person” to make a difference and help others realize their potential in my case, for customer service. We all have the ability. It just sometimes takes an epiphany to trigger it.

 I recently started following a Twitter group called #leadfromwithin that is run by its creator Lolly Daskal. Lolly is one of those people that makes you get up on your feet and find your trigger or puts you on the path with what you are supposed to be doing. She also just puts out great feel great quotes about leadership and potential. I met her in real life (or as we say in social media IRL) and we became very fast friends. I encourage you to take a peak in at Lolly’s chats on Tuesday at 8pm on Twitter, if you are on Twitter that is, if not check out her blogs at http://www.lollydaskal.com  You just might find your inner super strength!

 So, why the confessional this week? No reason but to share. And I was moved by the final episode of Smallville as my trigger for this post. As a father, it was like watching a son grow into manhood over the last 10 years and watching him take flight (and wear the leotard and cape for the first time) in his journey into his destiny.

 As the show ended I went into my daughter’s room and looked down at her small 3 year old frame sleeping soundly. I thought how super she is. How super she will become. I thought, will I be as positive an influence on her as the Kent’s were to Clark? Will my concept of right and wrong be enough a guideline for her on her journey to her destiny? Time will tell.

 She will run into kryptonite along the way and she will have her Lex Luthor to deal with.  But she will always have her father and mother. She will soar.

 Truth. Justice and the Customer Service Way. (Ok that was a cheap wrap up line but hey…)

Guest Post by Amanda Hite: Use Your Social Influence To End Childhood Hunger in America. 2011 Dine Out for No Kid Hungry Restaurant Rally

Use Your Social Influence To End Childhood Hunger in America. 2011 Dine Out for No Kid Hungry Restaurant Rally. sexythinker | May 3, 2011 at 7:53 am | Tags: amanda hite, be the change, dine out for no kid hungry, no kid hungry, share our strength, social influence, tweet-a-thon, twitter | Categories: Be the change | URL: http://wp.me/psI8I-4S

1 in 4 children in U.S. will face hunger this year. Without the security of knowing where their next meal will come from, these children lack the energy to learn, grow and thrive. Share Our Strength is an organization committed to ending childhood hunger in America. The money raised through Share Our Strength's Dine Out for No Kid Hungry will connect kids with nutritious food where they live, learn and play
In 2010, over 4,000 restaurants joined Share Our Strength's sponsors and partners to raise more than $1.5 million for the Dine Out For No Kid Hungry^™!
Last year, many of us joined together to support Share Our Strength’s Dine Out for No Kid Hungry. Over 1,000 people spread the word online posting over 10,000 tweets about the campaign in just one week. Those 1,000 contributors helped Share Our Strength and the restaurant industry increase donations by 108% over the last year.
This year, the goal is 3 million dollars and to start we need to rally over 5,000 restaurant locations to participate in the program. Now it’s time to rally restaurants around the cause. This Wednesday, May 4th Share Our Strength is hosting a twEAT OUT for the Dine Out for No Kid Hungry all day long! Let's focus our network's enthusiasm on this one day to really grab the attention of restaurants.
Here's how you can help:

1. If you have a blog repost this blog on your network asking people to join this Wednesday’s twEAT OUT linking to the TwEAT OUT page:
2. Post a request to join us Wednesday and the link to the TwEAT OUT page on your Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin networks
3. JOIN us THIS Wednesday for the TwEAT OUT (Tweet-a-thon)

Let’s rally our networks to help end childhood hunger in America!
GET STARTED BY CLICKING HERE
If you want to hear more about how to do more things like this and "Use Your Influence" to make meaningful change. Join Be The Change Influencers.