Hang ten with an Optimist Club

The colorful and happy hibiscus is the token flower of Hawaiian shirts and surfboard couture around the world. Nothing says positive mental attitude - PMA - more than the surfer move of hanging ten.

To hang ten means that the surfer has positioned the board in such a way that the back of it is covered by the wave and freeing her to walk to the front of the board to hang all ten toes over its nose.

Sounds exhilarating; don't you think?

However the true exhilaration comes from the belief that one can do it - catch a wave, and ride it with skilled, but reckless abandon.

When one adopts a positive mental attitude they free themselves from the skepticism that would otherwise hold them back from big and small risks. It provides freedom and hope.

As a member of an Optimist Club, I work on keeping my positive mental attitude. There are many challenges that may distract us every day. Simply opening email or answering the phone brings the outside world into our home and interaction requires preparation and thoughtfulness. Without both, we might snap at those who want to wish us a happy day instead of wishing them a good day in return, but my optimism prevents that from happening.

Sharing optimism is a noble pursuit. Sharing a positive mental attitude should be everyone's purpose in life. Think how peaceful this world could be!

If you are ready to develop and keep a positive mental attitude, I recommend joining an Optimist Club. Click here to find an Optimist Club near you or contact me and I'll help you start a new Optimist Club in your community.

Family ties

I joined the Optimist Club of Granite City, Illinois in 1987. I've written about it before; I had wanted to join for some time, but it took quite a while for the men in this civic service club to allow women to enter its hallowed halls.

Once admitted, I got very involved moving through club leadership to district leadership and eventually landing a job at Optimist International headquarters as the director of membership development.

That position led me to visit Idaho and eventually move to the Pacific Northwest District - Optimist International. Once there, I took a hiatus. I never stopped my membership in an Optimist Club; however, my position as the executive director of the Gem County Chamber of Commerce encouraged me to participate in a different community organization, so I did. Service to our community is important, vital and necessary, no matter its flavor of membership and my involvement in the brand K club gave me the opportunity to learn about its inner-workings as I was quickly elected to be the club secretary-treasurer and appointed chairperson of the Key Club at the high school.

Fast forward several years when it was time to make a career move. I left the community and the club behind and never looked back because the Optimist family opened its arms, welcoming me on my return.

I was happy to be home because the people are different in an Optimist Club. I think it comes from the overarching goodness of the Optimist Creed. When people come together to promise themselves to look at the sunny side of everything and make their optimism come true, you know they are working on their personal development, they want to be good people, as well as doing projects that improve their community. That's important because positive psychology tells us that people with a positive mental attitude are happy and successful.

People who are connected to others with strong social bonds are happier still. When you reach out to an Optimist Club, the club members open their heart, and sometimes, literally, their arms, in true warmth and connection. You are welcomed to the family and no matter where you go in life, the Optimist Club family, more than 2,000 clubs strong, is there to welcome and cheer you and above all, inspire you to keep moving forward with your strong family ties.

You should become part of the Optimist family. Join an Optimist Club near you or start an Optimist Club family of your own. Please send me a message and I'll help you get one started today.

Don't leave it to chance - plan to be kind

There's a big movement that's been going around for several years now called pay it forward. The idea is that you pay for the person's coffee who is standing in line behind you at Starbuck's, or other places and ideas, among other different random acts of kindness.

The thought is that random acts of kindness lift your spirits at the same time as it lifts the mood of the person who receives your gift. Both are definitely smile-worthy pursuits.

I propose that we can do better than be spontaneous gifters of good feelings and I propose that we can do so through the planned activities in an Optimist Club.

Most Optimist Clubs will perform projects or activities throughout the year with an emphasis on programs that involve or benefit youth. What if we encouraged them to do good things more often and involve more people? Instead of only providing a benefit to children, what if they were to provide community-based programs for adults too? What if their first thought was to perform planned acts of kindness?

A planned act of kindness is a scalable activity; it can be as big or as small as someone wants to make it. Perhaps a club might stand on the corner of a busy street and offer free hugs to everyone who passes or perhaps it might take a group of teenagers to Six Flags. The only difference is that rather than being random, the Optimist Club plans to do kind activities in advance.

Don't you want to be a part of such goodness? Then join an Optimist Club and serve others with kindness. Click here to find an Optimist Club near you or send me a message and I will help you get a new Optimist Club started in your community. Share optimism!

Three words: join, optimist, club

Have you made a new year's resolution for 2015? Let me help you out.

Many bloggers and reporters are writing about the types of resolutions that are made each year and why they are so easily broken. According to Chris Brogan, resolutions are broken because they are too vague. He claims that merely saying something like "get in shape" or "save money" has no firm commitment. A better resolution would be "lose 15 pounds" or "save $2,000."

Brogan also claims that three words can be a guide for your life throughout the year. So in Chris Brogan style, I declare my three words to be join, optimist and club.

Taken separately, these words each have special meaning for me.

You see, I tend to be an introvert. I'm really comfortable at my computer all day or taking a bicycle ride by myself. So a goal for me is to join with others to share experiences, adventures, and yes, even work.

While overall I am a positive person, I know that I also tend to be more of a realist. It comes, I believe, from logical thinking - weighing pros and cons - and then going with the choice that makes the most sense. While this works, it doesn't allow room for possibilities. In order to be open to more possibilities, I vow to be more of an optimist.

A club is a group of people who share a special purpose. However, if the club is made up of a lot of people like me, individuals who are comfortable going it alone, the club's bond is weakened and the purpose of being together is diluted. You're just a bunch of acquaintances getting together to share stories of things you've done or plan to do on your own. So my third objective is to be a real part of the club whether it is at work, with volunteers or yes, in my own Optimist Club.

And that brings me to the resolution that I hope that each of you reading this post will make and keep. Resolve to join an Optimist Club. Perhaps my reasons resonate with you or perhaps you have your own; but I promise that joining an Optimist Club will make a difference for you and your community. And if you are really optimistic and part of the club, your life will change for the better.

Click  to find an Optimist Club near you or send me a message and I will help you start one in your community.

Reasons to smile

I created a board on Pinterest that I labeled "Smiles." My thought was to tuck away things that made me smile when I looked at them, but it quickly evolved into more. As well as tongue-in-cheek humor, it features some great smiles from children, animals and adults, too. It has a few bad puns and few good jokes.

It's Pinterest, so it I'm always adding to it and what I've found is that smiles are not only optimistic, they are addictive. You can't help but give them away. I encourage you to take a look and then share your smile and your optimism with others today and every day.

What sharing means to me

Following Chris Brogan's lead, I've chosen my three words to live by in 2013. The first is share and this song, "Soldier," by Gavin DeGraw speaks to what the word really means to me.

On the social web, sharing is currency. We share tweets, links and posts. In real life, sharing often means giving something with or without expecting something in return.

However, for me, to share is a responsibility that moves both way. One has to be willing to share and another has to be willing to accept that consideration.

On the popular sitcom "Big Bang Theory," socially awkward Sheldon Cooper struggles with the concept of gift-giving by making sure that he reciprocates at an equal value. The responsibility isn't, as Sheldon sees it, to give a gift in return, but rather to accept the gesture graciously.

This video celebrates the acts of sharing and accepting. Both are worth celebrating.

My other two words are mindful and active and we will explore them in the coming weeks; but today, please enjoy Music Sunday at Experience Optimism with the brave and encouraging "Soldier." 

Share more in 2013

A new year brings opportunities for new beginnings and for the first time in many years I am able to say that I don't think that I need a new beginning. I am happy with the direction that my life is taking me.

I have decided to make only one resolution this year and that is to be more physically active, but I also promise to continue with this awesome project so that others may Experience Optimism in action through my words and views.

Last week, I found a quote that spoke to me. It sums up my wish for this fabulous new year that is upon us. I hope that everyone shares their talents with others for I believe that sharing leads to true happiness.

“Share your knowledge, your wisdom, your passion, your experiences. Make a difference. Everyone is fascinating in their own way.” - Justin Cotillard

Happy New Year. Welcome to 2013.