Parenting and the Power of Being Kind and Caring (3-5-25)

Our last entry was about little signs of support. This week is about parenting and the power of being caring and kind.

Last week, Alice (almost 13) was having a tough time. I talked to her a bit about it. Later that night, I heard Alice telling my wife how I had been so helpful to her. My heart swelled when I heard her say that. If I’m entirely honest, I have no idea what I did. I can’t think of any special tactic or some magic question or phrase I used. Instead, Alice shared, “He was so caring and kind.”

What does this have to do with anything? Yesterday, was the first day of a market research supplier partner conference. I ran into someone I hadn’t seen in years. We had worked together on a few things when she first joined her company, and then I hadn’t crossed paths with her too much since. I was so excited to see her and how far she had come in her career. Then, she looked at me and said something like, “You may not even know this, but you were like an important part of my early career.” I was shocked. I had no clue I had such an impact on her. If I’m entirely honest, I have no idea what I did that could have made her feel that way. I can’t think of any special nuggets I shared with her. I don’t remember imparting any specific wisdom. I can’t think of any secret market research techniques I showed her. Instead, she went on to explain how I was caring and kind when she started out, and that made all the difference.

Think about the people who have had a positive impact on you in in your career. If I asked you to explain what specifically they did, you might struggle. However, I bet for all of them you would say that they cared about you and were kind. Those two simple things are so powerful. Those two simple things always matter.

The challenge- In a world where it is easy to be uncaring and cruel, will you have the strength to be caring and kind?

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

Bonus Blog- The Power of Kind Words

Bonus blog entry for the week about the power of kind words. In my blog last week I talked about how I didn’t feel I accomplished all the things I wanted to in January. If I’m being honest, life and work kicked my butt the entire month. It felt like I was juggling balls, all of them were glass, and I was letting quite a few of them fall and shatter. In the midst of feeling like an utter failure, one of my partners sent me this email.

“I could tell you have a lot going on for you this week, and it seems like you’ve been under a lot of stress. I just wanted to pop in to say that you’re doing a great job, and you’re easily one of my favorite clients to work with. You handle yourself so well and I value our partnership a lot. Keep being awesome and have a great weekend!”

What does this have to do with anything? Have you ever felt like you were a total failure? That’s where I was, and then I received that email. I can’t begin to tell you how much I needed that message, especially because this partner is one of the ones I felt I was failing the most. That short message changed the trajectory of my week and is carrying me into this week. This short email reminded me of two things. First, we are likely never as big of a failure as we feel like we are. Second, there is a lot of power in sharing an uplifting message with someone.

The challenge- Lift someone up today. Write them a short message showing them some love and appreciation. Create a positive ripple in the universe.

Bonus- If no one has told you lately, YOU’RE AWESOME! You are being so strong in the midst of all kinds of swirl, change, and challenges. YOU ARE ENOUGH and you are a gloriously beautiful messy human 😉

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

The Power of a Small Act of Kindness (7-26-21)

Bonus blog. Something happened today that brought a smile to my face, so I hope it inspires you too. It’s all about the power of a small act of kindness.

In general, I’ve not had the best of luck lately, way more unnecessary stress than needed. Then, this morning was the most Monday morning I could ask for. My 9 year old was spitting teenage level sass and emotional fire. I spent the morning addressing issues I thought I addressed last week. A billing mess up is trying to cost me a few extra hundred dollars. Not a great start to the week.

I’m in the midst of my crappy morning, knocking out emails, and I get a phone call from a number I don’t know. I assume it’s the people to talk about the billing situation, so I’m mentally ready for a not so great convo. Then the person says, “This is Kelly from Uber Eats.” I hadn’t ordered anything from Uber Eats, so I assumed it was a scam. Turns out, it was a surprise delivery! I open the box of doughnuts and it has a nice little note on the inside. I smiled, had a doughnut, and that one small act of kindness was enough to turnaround an entire day. I’m now fully refreshed, fully carb loaded, and ready to go! 😉

What does this have to do with anything? We all have the power to be kind. We all have the ability to make one small gesture towards another human in our lives. You never know. Maybe that person is having a tough time and your small gesture will completely pick them up out of their bad mood. Maybe that person is already doing pretty well, and your one kind gesture will give them even more feel good energy. The challenge: Perform one small act of kindness for someone else today.

Write and send a thank you note.
Surprise a stranger by buying them a Starbucks drink or paying for their food at a restaurant.
Send an email with a cool meme telling someone you appreciate them.
Record and send a video of you telling someone how much you care about them.
Surprise someone with an Uber Eats delivery

Side note, you might be wondering if my girls will get any of the doughnuts. I make no promises or guarantees…😉

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry