I wrote this sitting in an auditorium at William Blount High School. I spoke for a couple of hundred high school students which can be a challenge. I think they thought I was from the Ice Age. However, I think they were from the future. Conversely to what CNN, Fox News, ABC, NBC, CBS and all the other news media might portray, the young people of today hold promise for tomorrow. In my experience with today’s young people, they think and act unlike the youth of my generation. They take a stand, voice their opinions, and act on things that they care about. Among the few I had the opportunity to meet were Grant, who told me he wants to serve our nation and our world. He’s still figuring out how. He had charisma and leadership abilities that make him destined to be a difference maker. I also met a young man named Devon, who in front of a group of his peers said, “Richness is not really defined by money but for many people it’s fulfillment and happiness. It’s having all you need and not wanting more.” He spoke of family and friends and how both made his life more rich.Then there was Jennifer, age 17, who works with the Free Masons to help with an annual Christmas party. They give clothing to the homeless and while they are there, Jennifer talks with the parents and entertains their children at the party. Alex, who is from a Hispanic heritage, told me he wanted to be a mechanic and he wanted to use his “fix it” skills to serve others. He told me after the program, “Your talk gave me the bumps (chill bumps). I realized that I can do something to make a difference and I loved hearing stories of people my age who care enough to do cool things to serve others.”  

When I asked the students what it meant to be rich, I was surprised with their answers. The answers they gave were wise beyond their years. They spoke of quality of life and helping others. Of course, I heard the usual funny answers one would expect from high school students but these were said for show. After I spoke, a local group named Black Sunshine performed what they called slam poetry – which by my definition is rap meets Maya Angelou poetry. I was glad I spoke first. I realized that as much as wanted to think I was “in” with these kids, I was so far “out” in every way - age, dress, thinking, and speech. While I could never compete with a group like Black Sunshine, I am grateful that even though the medium of communication will change with the ages, young people can still hear and act on a message. Even one presented by a middle aged man who doesn’t wear an over-sized shirt with his pants hanging halfway down his backside revealing boxer shorts. 

Tim Richardson is an inspirational speaker who speaks about how giving increases employee morale, lowers employee turnover, increases customer loyalty and creates higher profits for Fortune 500 companies, associations, and national conventions. He is the founder of the The Worlds Biggest Blog Party an event which will connect bloggers from all over the world to raise money for charity. He is also founder and president of the Bill Walter Melanoma Research Fund. For more information on Tim, go to www.TimRichardson.com

I received the email below from my professional speaker colleague Barbara Glanz . Barbara wrote the book the Simple Truths of Service with Ken Blanchard about Johnny the Bagger. Barbara seems to find great inspirational stories where ever she go including this from her pastor in a recent sermon (I have pasted her email exactly as she sent it:)

My pastor told a story this Sunday that really touched my heart. He said he
was traveling on Delta from Atlanta to Sarasota, and although usually he is
in the very back of the plane, this time his boarding pass said zone one.
Being one of the first people on the plane, he got to do some wonderful
people watching as others were coming on board.

He was in the third row of coach, when soon a young man in uniform came in,
stowed his pack in the overhead bin, and sat in the row ahead of him. Another young lady was seated in that row, and he was able to hear a bit of their conversation. The young man told her that he had just finished a tour in Iraq, was coming home on leave, and then would go back in several weeks.

As they were talking, a woman who had been seated in first class, came back
to the young man’s row, introduced herself, and asked him for his boarding
pass. A bit puzzled, he handed it to her, at which point she, in turn,
handed hers to him. She said, “I would like to trade seats with you.”

The young man immediately responded, “Oh, no, Ma’am, I couldn’t do that.”

She smiled a huge smile and said, “Oh, yes, you can, Soldier. It’s an
order!”

So, as everyone around wiped teary eyes, the young man reached up for his
backpack and went up to sit in first class.

Just a few moments later, he said another woman came out of first class,
went down the row to another young soldier and said, “I just want to thank
you for serving our country. Would you please trade seats with me?”

And the end of the story is that by the time that plane took off, EVERY
SINGLE PERSON IN UNIFORM was sitting in first class!

What a testimony this is to the difference each of us can make every single
day in every single situation when we are in touch with our hearts! That
one act started a chain of kindness that touched every single life on that
plane that day.

How can YOU reach out to someone today to thank them for the difference they
are making?

Blessings,

Barbara

The only ones among you who will be truly happy are those who will have
sought and found how to serve. Albert Schweitzer

Tim Richardson is an inspirational speaker who speaks about how giving increases employee morale, lowers employee turnover, increases customer loyalty and creates higher profits for Fortune 500 companies, associations, and national conventions. He is the founder of the The Worlds Biggest Blog Party an event which will connect bloggers from all over the world to raise money for charity. He is also founder and president of the Bill Walter Melanoma Research Fund. For more information on Tim, go to www.TimRichardson.com

Today I spoke with my new friend David Douglas who called in route to the San Francisco International airport. As I write this, he’s flying half way around the world for a two month trip to Nepal, Indonesia and Thailand (I wrote a little about him in during my recent crazy travel week). David’s story is amazing. He had it all (or at least thought he did) the gorgeous three story home in San Francisco, a Lake Tahoe condo, five cars, a BIG corporate salary, etc. He came home one day and asked his wife, “IS THIS all there is?” That question eventually led him to ponder what he was doing with his life and totally shift his priorities. He’s now in the volun-tourism field. Check this our from his web site:

If you have ever dreamed of visiting Nepal, then this is an adventure you won’t want to miss. Members of the tribe will be trekking Nepal this Fall in the Annapurna Sanctuary, considered by many to be the most beautiful trek in the entire world.

“October is the best time to visit the majestic mountains of Nepal—when the countryside is fresh, the temperatures mild, the air clear, and the views breathtaking.”

Nepal holds a special place in the heart of Off-the-Rails co-founder Dave Douglas. So he has put together a trek that makes a great introduction to the Himalayan experience visiting friends in various villages that encompass the culture and traditions of Nepal.

“I have no doubt that anyone joining in on this trip will come back with a new perspective on life…there’s something inherently special about meeting the people of Nepal and re-discovering a way of life long forgotten as we visit the villages and terraced rice paddies dotted along the base of these amazing Himalayan giants.”

We will do beautiful day walks working our way along rivers and ridges from one village or settlement to the next, staying and eating in Nepalese style bed & breakfast inns (no camping!). All you need is a light day pack for essentials throughout the day and we will have porters carry your other necessities during the trek.

We’re giving David the job of being our international correspondent for the World’s Biggest Blog Party. He’ll be writing weekly about his adventures, the people he meets, and some very RICH stories on voluntourism. Look for his stories soon on the WBBP.

 As my friend, WBBP party goer, and former National Speakers Association president Scott Friedman says, “Enjoy the Journey!” I’m quite sure Dave will and hopefully we will vicariously through his posts on the blog.

Tim Richardson is an inspirational speaker who speaks about how giving increases employee morale, lowers employee turnover, increases customer loyalty and creates higher profits for Fortune 500 companies, associations, and national conventions. He is the founder of the The Worlds Biggest Blog Party an event which will connect bloggers from all over the world to raise money for charity. He is also founder and president of the Bill Walter Melanoma Research Fund. For more information on Tim, go to www.TimRichardson.com

When I receive emails like this one, it is confirmation that people are ready for a new message of richness:

I spoke to you briefly after your recent presentation at the NECA convention in San Francisco. I was glad to hear of your organization and your stories about all the people who have done so much for so many. I can relate first hand what a wonderful experience it is to volunteer your time and talents to help someone who is less fortunate.

Our church, Sonrise, in Rotterdam, NY, learned about an organization called YUGO in Mexico. They needed volunteers to rebuild a local church in a poverty stricken village in Mexico, south of Tijuana. The pastor there could not afford to rebuild, and the people had no money. The old church had been torn down because it was unsafe. Our church sent a team of adults and teenagers to YUGO, which provided facilities to set up tents so we had a “home base” to operate from. Every morning our build crew, which I was a part of, drove in a van over twisting dirt roads through the worst poverty I have ever witnessed to reach the church site in the village. We spent a week there rebuilding their church, and the people started coming back even before we were done. They held a bible study one night in the main structure once we had four walls and a roof, they were so excited. The pastor was very pleased and appreciative of the work we had done. You could see his mood improving every day as the work was completed. While we were building the church, the teen groups were out visiting the nearby orphanage, playing with the kids and just showing them love and attention. My son was there, and the stories he told me brought tears to my eyes, to know they made such a difference in those kids’ lives, just by being there. He had the time of his life being there, and I know he will do it again, I was so proud of him. I make a good salary at my job, and I have had the opportunity to travel all over the country, and abroad. I never considered myself rich, but I never felt so good or had a better time than when I volunteered my time and energy to help those people who could not help themselves. I can’t wait to do it all again someplace else, our pastor said we may be sending a team to Africa next year, I’m already saving my money, I will be there, and I will encourage my friends to go as well.

God bless you and your organization for sharing your stories and motivating people to serve others, to “Love their Neighbor as they Love Themselves”.

Tim Richardson is an inspirational speaker who speaks about how giving increases employee morale, lowers employee turnover, increases customer loyalty and creates higher profits for Fortune 500 companies, associations, and national conventions. He is the founder of the The Worlds Biggest Blog Party an event which will connect bloggers from all over the world to raise money for charity. He is also founder and president of the Bill Walter Melanoma Research Fund. For more information on Tim, go to www.TimRichardson.com

At 6:00 pm on September 20th, Forbes magazine will release their annual 400 Richest People in America list. The usual names you’ve seen the past few years. One name you won’t see on Forbes list is Ed Payne who has multiple sclerosis though he has never allowed it to deter him from improving the lives of others. Payne has worked tirelessly to help others who suffer from MS for nearly 40 years. Payne helped put Fairfield County on the map for having the largest MS Walk Team in Ohio, generating more than $400,000 for the National MS Society. He and his wife Cheryl even serve as co-chairs of the Lancaster MS Walk. Payne was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1963, but he’s never let his own struggles stop him from doing things for others, according to his wife, Cheryl Payne. Ed said he missed being around people after he retired as a doctor in 1994. He decided to volunteer full-time at the Fairfield Center for Disabilities and Cerebral Palsy. Now he gets to meet people every day. That’s why he’ll never stop volunteering as long as he’s healthy enough. He has no use of his upper leg muscles,” Cheryl said. “It makes it difficult for him to even get around from the bedroom to the kitchen. But he would never tell me that. He would never tell you that. But you know that it is.” Cheryl has not heard Ed complain during the 40 years they’ve been married. It makes her feel a little guilty about complaining when she’s sick. But she’s proud of him for it. Doctors told Ed’s mother he should drop out of Ohio University in Athens when he was a student after he was diagnosed with MS. She refused to tell her son because she wanted him to achieve his goal of becoming a doctor, Ed said. Ed went on to become a radiologist and later a community activist and volunteer after graduating from OU. That’s rich!

Tim Richardson is an inspirational speaker who speaks about how giving increases employee morale, lowers employee turnover, increases customer loyalty and creates higher profits for Fortune 500 companies, associations, and national conventions. He is the founder of the The Worlds Biggest Blog Party an event which will connect bloggers from all over the world to raise money for charity. He is also founder and president of the Bill Walter Melanoma Research Fund. For more information on Tim, go to www.TimRichardson.com

Whenever she sees a need, Rhonda Bentley takes action. Not long after she saw children waiting for the school bus in front of her home without coats or proper shoes, Rhonda organized a clothing bank with the help of her church. Her compassion and concern for the people in Nelsonville does not stop at 5 p.m. when it’s time to go home from her job as director of the Family Information Center. She extends her hand and heart regardless of her own situation, giving extra hours to paint offices, organize activity groups and baseball programs for teens, or clean and iron donated clothing. Rhonda convinced other social service organizations to collaborate to help the needy receive food, clothes and lunches for kids during the summer. Rhonda gives her time and talent to make Nelsonville a better place to live.

If the title caught your eye, please know that I am looking for more people like Rhonda to round out my annual Richest People in America list coming out this month. Who do you know who is Rich like Rhonda? I’ll be featuring people like this each day this week who are rich where it counts. There are some really inspiring stories…so stay tuned.

Tim Richardson is an inspirational speaker who speaks about how giving increases employee morale, lowers employee turnover, increases customer loyalty and creates higher profits for Fortune 500 companies, associations, and national conventions. He is the founder of the The Worlds Biggest Blog Party an event which will connect bloggers from all over the world to raise money for charity. He is also founder and president of the Bill Walter Melanoma Research Fund. For more information on Tim, go to www.TimRichardson.com

As we remember the events of September 11th, it seems like a good time to think about the many ways you can give back. I found a neat article this am that I thought might have value for my blog readers. It was from an organization called Progressive U. The post recommends the following volunteering considerations: 

1.  Research the cause and issues important to you.  Search for organizations that compliment the issues that motivate you the most to want to make a positive difference.  If you can’t find an organization that suits your interests, try starting one on your own.  You can rally your friends, neighbors, businesses and family in your community to participate in your cause.  It could be anything from cleaning up the grafitti and other vandalism around your community to visiting the local children’s hospital or nursing home to make someone’s day. 

2.  Consider your skills.  Look for volunteer opportunities that compliment your skills and personality.  For example, if you enjoy horseback riding and like to help children, perhaps you can volunteer at a therapeautic riding stable to offer assistance to children with disabilities. 

3.  Consider opportunities to learn & gain new skills.  Perhaps you enjoy writing as a hobby and would like to expand your hobby into improving your writing and editing skills by volunteering at a local animal shelter and assist with the publication of their monthly newsletter.  It can possibly even open the doors for a future career in writing. 

4.  Combine your goals.  Search for volunteer opportunities that will help you achieve other goals in your life.  For example, if you would like to learn more about cooking, volunteer at a food bank that teaches cooking skills.  Or if you would like to be more active and lose a few pounds, volunteer at a city park or local YMCA to help out with the summer youth programs. 

5.  Don’t over-commit your schedule.  Make sure the time you want to give for volunteering does not interfere with other commitments in your life.  You don’t want to exhaust all of your energy where you may neglect other areas in your life.  Manage your time wisely by searching for opportunities that fit your schedule and needs.  If you can only handle something short term with a set maximum number of weekly hours, make sure you stress this to the organization’s volunteer coordinator. 

6.  Prepare to be interviewed, when inquiring for volunteer opportunities.  Nonprofit organizations have to be careful when accepting the services from volunteers.  If you contact an organization with an offer to volunteer, you may be asked to come in for an interview and submit a resume and complete a volunteer application just as you would for a job interview.  It’s in the organization’s best interest and most beneficial to those it serves to make certain you have the skills and commitment for the available volunteer opportunities.

7.  Consider volunteering as a family.  Look for opportunities suitable for everyone in your immediate family to do together as a team.  When families volunteer together, the experience can bring them closer together.  It can also teach young children the value of giving their time and effort.  Such an opportunity, provides everyone in the family to skills and experiences never before enountered, which gives the entire family a shared experience as a wonderful family memory.  Volunteering can even become an annual family tradition.   

8.  Volunteering from your home computer!  Many organizations offer opportunities to do volunteer work over the computer.  For example, you can be a peer mentor contact for a shut in with a computer.  Another example would be to help edit and type a term paper for someone with a disability.  This type of volunteering is excellent for those with limited time or no transportation. 

9.  Many community organizations are in need of volunteers.  Hospitals, libraries, nursing homes, and churches use volunteers for a great deal of their work.  Here are some further volunteer opportunities to  consider:

Day Care Centers

Animal Shelters and other Animal Welfare Organizations

Neighborhood Crime Watch

Public Schools and Colleges

Halfway Houses

Community Theaters

Drug Rehabilitation Centers

Fraternal Organizations and Civic Clubs

Retirement Centers 

Meals On Wheels

Homeless Shelters

Church or Community Sponsored Soup Kitchens or Food Pantries

Museums, Art Galleries and Monuments

Community Choirs, Bands and Orchestras

Prisons

Neighborhood Parks

Youth Organizations, Sports Teams, and After-School Programs

Shelters for Battered Women and Children

Historical Restorations, National and State Parks

10.  Most importantly, give voice to your heart through your giving and volunteering!  Bring your heart & enthusiasm with you to volunteer opportunities.  What one gives to his/her community is immeasurable!  To all those that make a positive difference in our society, Thank You!  Just imagine what more we can do to help our communities! 

I’d love to hear about your most fulfilling volunteer experience.

Several months ago, I bumped into Kathy Roth at a dinner at my church. Kathy’s husband, Jeff, was killed last year as he rode his bike along a four-lane highway near where we live. For months I had wanted to plant a seed with her. I wanted to share with her how I had dealt with the blow of losing my best friend to melanoma in 1998. For months after her husband’s death, I had wanted to tell her about the foundation we started in memory of my friend and about our annual 5 K run. I didn’t know her before the accident so I waited….several months. Eight months later, I approached her and suggested that she consider starting a foundation to keep the memory of her husband alive.  I suggested she might have a bike ride to raise money and awareness of cycling safety. It was a short conversation and I didn’t think much more about it. I saw Kathy a few weeks later and she told me that she couldn’t stop thinking about the idea.

Over the summer, we met and I told her how we had started our foundation. I told her how so much of what we had accomplished (raising over $400,000 to help patients who needed treatment, sponsoring symposiums to bring leading researchers together from all over the world, educating people about the dangers of exposure to the sun, etc.) had been accomplished because we asked people to help. Many things we asked for - a DJ to MC the event, a musician to play after the race, billboards that advertised our events, a race director to make our 5 K run one of the premier runs in central Florida - we got for free. We talked about how people were more than willing to help if asked. We talked about how people really want to help but sometimes they just need to be asked. And we talked about the joy others get when they have the opportunity to help.

This week, we were talking on the phone about the Jeff Roth Cycling Foundation. She told me how that simple conversation we had changed her life lately. She gave me several examples. She told me, “I was denying people joy by not letting them help me in the past. Now simply by letting people know what my needs are, I am getting help I need and others are experiencing the joy of giving.”

 I share this personal story for a few reasons.

1) When someone you know experiences a loss, thoughfully consider how you might help them. If might take some time before your offer is right but offer.

2) Don’t be afraid to risk. By the time I planted the seed with Kathy, I felt comfortable enough with her to make the suggestion but there was always the possibility that she might not have been ready. 

3) If you have needs, don’t be afraid to ask. People everywhere want to help. Sometimes they just don’t know how.

4) Look for opportunities in your life and in the lives of others around you to turn adversity into action. Kathy already had helped influence legislation to make cycling more safe.

5) Remember there is joy in giving. It will truly make your life more rich.

Tim Richardson is an inspirational speaker who speaks about how giving increases employee morale, lowers employee turnover, increases customer loyalty and creates higher profits for Fortune 500 companies, associations, and national conventions. He is the founder of the The Worlds Biggest Blog Party an event which will connect bloggers from all over the world to raise money for charity. He is also founder and president of the Bill Walter Melanoma Research Fund. For more information on Tim, go to www.TimRichardson.com

On Good Morning America today, it was announced that Bill Clinton came out with a new book called “Giving”. Here’s the books blurb: “Giving is an inspiring look at how each of us can change the world. It reveals the extraordinary and innovative efforts now being made by companies and individuals—to solve problems and save lives both “down the street and around the world.” Then it urges us to seek out what each of us, “regardless of income, available time, age, and skills,” can do to help, to give people a chance to live out their dreams.”

Let me know what you think of this book (not what you think of Bill or Hillary). You can be the kind of person Clinton wrote about by participating in the World’s Biggest Blog Party.

Tim Richardson is an inspirational speaker who speaks about how giving increases employee morale, lowers employee turnover, increases customer loyalty and creates higher profits for Fortune 500 companies, associations, and national conventions. He is the founder of the The Worlds Biggest Blog Party an event which will connect bloggers from all over the world to raise money for charity. He is also founder and president of the Bill Walter Melanoma Research Fund. For more information on Tim, go to www.TimRichardson.com

I was dreading the trip. I hadn’t felt well. I holed myself in the hotel yesterday after arriving at my destination. I struggled to maintain my energy as I gave a speech today. I ate an almost normal meal for the first time since Sunday after my program and the queasy stomach returned. Yuck! At least I was able to get the earlier flight home. I even was upgraded to first class. Things were looking up. Then after everyone boarded and we started our taxi, the captain gave us the news, the instrument panel needed repair. Back to the gate. Unboarding. Passengers signed as if a loud sigh would let everyone know that they disapproved. As I was walking to the new gate, I heard a voice in a heavy accent call out my name. It was fellow motivational speaker and friend Rene Godefroy. He had just returned from a trip to his native Haiti. In our time together he told me about what he experienced in Petite Riviere, the small village where he grew up: doctors who were paid less than $100 US per month. Dentists who had to boil water on an open fire to treat patients. A little boy with Downs Syndrome, who he stumbled upon, had been left by his parents alone to care for himself. Kids who had nothing who looked to him for the assistance he traveled there to give. Rene taught them English. He paid for prescriptions. He helped his village get clean water. He fixed bike tires for kids. He hugged children. He gave them hope.

They told him, “It was a dream come true for you to come here. We have been following you. We read your website and your blog. We have seen you on TV. You are the hope for us here”. Indeed he was and is and will be. He’s going back in December. This time he’ll meet with the Prime Minister there. He knows where he came from and knows he wants to help others escape the lifestyle he had there. Rene was born in a tiny, isolated village and was an impoverished child perpetually tormented by cholera, rickets and malnutrition. Abandoned by his father and left behind while his mother sought work in the city, Rene subsisted on meager charity and the rare fish he caught with a string and hook. Some people of his village called him “Souyan”, the name of a sick and disabled old man. Few expected he would survive to adulthood.Rene surprised them. In 1983, he came to Montreal with a Haitian theater company and escaped into the United States wedged between the rear tires of a tractor-trailer. He arrived in New York with five dollars in his pocket, and two shirts and a pair of pants in his battered suitcase. In the years that followed, Rene supported himself doing hard labor for low pay. Sure in his heart that he was capable of much more, Rene taught himself English, read voraciously and dedicated himself to his grandest ambitions. Today, he is a proud American citizen, and a successful businessman, speaker and author. When the man they once called “Souyan” returned to visit Haiti, a man told him, “You are our Village Hero”.  

Today he was my hero and he made every inconvenience of my trip worthwhile.

Tim Richardson is an inspirational speaker who speaks about how giving increases employee morale, lowers employee turnover, increases customer loyalty and creates higher profits for Fortune 500 companies, associations, and national conventions. He is the founder of the The Worlds Biggest Blog Party an event which will connect bloggers from all over the world to raise money for charity. He is also founder and president of the Bill Walter Melanoma Research Fund. For more information on Tim, go to www.TimRichardson.com