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America, the Beautiful
It's always hard to promise to deliver something BIG in an article the moment the reader engages with your work. But a promise today is very much appropriate. I am leaving the U.S.A. for a long time in just a very short few hours. As I prepare to step on that plane, I want to leave some fruitful and helpful words to you.
Dear Reader, you are awesome! You really are a great person and there is none other. Our country needs you! Your country needs you! Yes You!!!
Did you ever stop to think that the smile you have brings warmth to others? The compassion you have (or had) is a cheer for many? The gifts you possess are needed by others all around you.
You are awesome! Yes, you are awesome!!!
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With that short introduction, I want to focus on three questions that I think every American (and awesome people from other countries) truly needs to answer. Bear with me, I am one of us. I am an American, full and true. I love our country and our values. I also love being a member of those values - of compassion, service, duty, honor, worship, friendship, care, and personal freedom of conscience. There are more values we Americans hold as true - don't get me wrong - and I am just listing a few of them. But I love these values and the country living them out. It is the fiber of being in America that truly creates opportunities for us to be a great country and to interact positively with ourselves and with the world around us.
QUESTION 1 – Can you start a habit of learning how to say nice things in other languages?
It’s funny, in America we deeply love and value and use every day the strongest language on earth, English. English exists on the moon, on satellites, on technology and inventions everywhere. Viola, it’s the medium of writing for billions of people worldwide who will learn of things and then translate it into their native language as well.
I’m not saying that English is the best, I am just saying that you can use it in a large number of countries. That’s not as true for other languages.
Because of the dominance of English as a worldwide language, we have an opportunity to LEARN OTHER LANGUAGES. Before your furrow your brow, consider this. You speak one version of English as an adult or young adult but
- Children in our great land speak another version of English.
- Tech-infused kids still speak yet another ;=) if you think about it #Duh #What’s-He-Mean?
- The awesome parents of this generation speak the language of care and love and though my wife and I are not yet parents except to 4 awesome kitties, we know that language of English and speak it well!
- The awesome grandparents and elders speak another English.
- And then people of past generations still another English.
- And then northerners speak in a fast clip, southerners a warm melody, west coast friends a smooth UN-interrupting use of words that is precise and positive, and so on.
- Our awesome indigenous Americans speak still another English with different uses of words and tones to convey meaning.
- And those courageous people around the world and in America who speak another language than English are also within our reach to encourage and share hope with.
You see, we all speak different Englishes – and some of us speak other languages too! – within a broader context of understanding English every day. We can learn many types of English as we interact with others across our great land. But what about other languages?
I have a simple task for you to consider. Could you learn a new language today to say one simple message. The message is YOU ARE AWESOME!
Let’s first look at the some of the groups of English speakers I just shared.
- Children – YOU ARE AWESOME means to encourage them, to see and observe their strengths, to forgive them, to teach them, to always hold high expectations for them and to celebrate them.
- Tech-infused kids – YOU ARE AWESOME means to learn how to use methods like text messages, Facebook Messenger, LinkedIn messenger, Instagram (I still don’t have an account ;-). Did you know that there are teachers available under the age of 18 who are waiting to teach us these technologies. I am reaching out to my awesome nieces to start up Instagram (stay tuned). As we learn how to use technology to talk to these kids and tell them they are awesome, we are valuing them!
- Awesome Parents – YOU ARE AWESOME means to find out who they care about and to care for them too. The biggest word used by great parents is the word “we.” And the empowering phrases “you can,” “you are,” and you will.” Talking with parents means learning to use English to convey hope. Yes, you can and likely will do this every day.
- Awesome Grandparents and Elders – YOU ARE AWESOME means to find out what they have learned in life and what their story and life message is. You don’t and I don’t learn this by just asking for it. Instead, you have to spend lots of time listening, learning, and understanding. I met an awesome Grandparent once who had a 58-year need (he called it a failure) that I helped turn into a success and answer to prayer. Just by listening. Who can you listen to today? This week? This month? This year? – that you have not been making a steady practice of listening to? And who can you add to the group of grandparents and elders you know.
- Foreigners in our great land or in their own great land – YOU ARE AWESOME means something different that connects with their culture. For example, years ago I spent time with a Russian ship worker who visited the island I was a teacher on. Over a week, he taught me Russian which I learned because I was an English speaker in a foreign place. I also learned how to say God loves you to him. It was pronounced as Boag Lublue T’bya. and written as Бог любит тебя. As I said this back to the man on the ship, he smiled. I connected with this seaman in his language. And you can do that with anyone who speaks a foreign language – learn how to say something that has meaning to them!
QUESTION 2 – Can you place a positive message in someone’s heart and mind today, wherever I am?
My wife and I met years ago as teachers in Saudi Arabia, and we maintain friendships in that great land. I was asking my new friend Mozin recently how to say “You Are Awesome” in Arabic? Why? Because he is awesome and so are many people in his great land.
Every person in every country and in every language needs to heart the things that they are great at. Everyone. Even you and me. All of us on this tiny globe.
So Mozin told me how to say it, that is, to say the message “You Are Awesome.” In Arabic, the words are أنت إنسان عظيم and are pronounced by an English speaker (say it slowly) “Inta Ensan Atheem.”
Now why did I ask Mozin this?
It is because I wanted his gracious help to share a message of hope to people in Arabic-speaking lands. You see, in just nine hours, I will be embarking on a short plane ride of 18 hours (😉) with my wife to the great land of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to serve the great people there. It is an awesome opportunity and also it is something that fits within a national UAE vision for 2017 which is that this is the UAE Year of Giving.
The UAE NATIONAL VISION OF GIVING IN 2017! https://uaecabinet.ae/en/year-of-giving
Yes, the entire country has a vision of giving (and giving back) as a national motto and practice from the highest levels of government down to everyone there. And us too. We are giving back to a country that we lived in five years ago when we were first married. We are giving our talents to help wherever we can.
And so, you have the same opportunity in America where YOU ARE GIVING BACK. It’s not only one country that is doing good things in this small world, but many countries. We are awesome, all of us across this great world. We all have gifts to give back and can use them every day to help others. As President Obama wisely say, “Yes You Can!”
QUESTION 3 – Can you put something together today that is broken? That is, can you fix something?
You know, brokenness is a worldwide phenomenon in every country. Everywhere there are things that need fixing. These include roads, bridges, educational systems, healthcare systems, and relationships.
So, how can you bring wholeness to others?
This is simply by you, Yes You, doing your best everywhere that you can. Isn’t that what many of us learn from Grandparents or Elders in our lifetime? And isn’t it what those of us as Grandparents and Elders teach through their invested time in other people’s lives?
Care and Compassion? Listening and Encouraging? Hope and Affirmation?
I have a simple video that I want to share with you? It describes my mission in Life. And I want it to describe your mission too.
This video is about how to VALIDATE and APPRECIATE the AWESOME GIFTS in others. You can do it, YES YOU CAN.
Now I shared this cool video with Mozin and he provided me with those awesome Arabic words:
· نت إنسان عظيم, are pronounced as “Inta Ensan Atheem” which means YOU ARE A GREAT PERSON.
Can you find someone right now that you know and tell them they are a great person? It could be a coworker, a waitress, a person in a restaurant or hotel. Just say to them these simple words and mean them “You are Awesome.”
Did you do it? Okay, if not then try again. I will wait for you. You are Awesome, by the way, because you are still reading this article. You are Awesome. Now go and say that to someone.
Did you do it? One last time – even call someone you know and say it and OBSERVE THEIR REACTION.
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I did it to my awesome waitress Barb at Denny’s. She has been my the faithful, dedicated waitress to my wife and I over these past 5 years in Michigan. She has been there during smiles and hardships, during the up times and the family challenges? She has been OUR WAITRESS!
And my wife and I saw her yesterday when we had breakfast for our last time at Denny’s probably for a while. Or maybe not as you will see in a second.
So, I told Barb, “Hey Barb, you are awesome!” and I waited.
I waited. I smiled. I meant it!
Barb glowed again just like she always does. She said she never had something so nice said to her. She gave me a hug. And she asked about our trip later day. Barb is awesome! And she knows it too. And I reminded Barb that I just might see her or a coworker soon because there are Denny’s restaurants in the UAE in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Wouldn’t it be cool if a Michigan Denny’s employee came to the UAE to give back during the Year of Giving or a future year? That would be AWESOME!
Dear Reader, YOU ARE AWESOME too. You need to hear it from me. I know it about you. I mean it. You are awesome!
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You can also share this great message with people from other countries. I recently did this in an article about an AWESOME COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP GRADUATE from the UAE who had completed a Bachelors and Masters degree at the awesome Michigan State University: Khaled Al Ghafli. Read it here: www.tinyurl.com/Doll-Khaled-Interview-2017
As I said to Khalid, I say again to you. “You are awesome!”
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TEN THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
While I was in Michigan, I had the privilege of knowing a great group of guys who go on an annual camp-out in Northern Michigan for a church – even though they are from a few churches in the Mid-Michigan area. They are awesome guys.
The camp-out is called CRASH, which means herd of rhinoceros’ actually. A fitting metaphor for a group of guys at a campgroud but also for men in life. We are big and burly, a force in life to be reckoned with. But we as men also need focus too in life.
Did you know rhinos in the world can gallop at 30 miles an hour but can barely see 30 feet of ahead of themselves? Just like men. Lots of speed and strength but needs to refocus their vision intentionally A LOT so we can go in the right direction in life.
In the future, I might write an article about WHAT CRASH MEANS to us guys. It’s really an awesome thing for men to do every year! I went on that camp-out for the last five years in a row. So stay tuned!
Well, one of those men sadly passed away this year. He died suddenly, and he was (and is) my friend. I tear up as I write this because he was such a great guy and such a great friend.
JIM FIROS (1948-2017) - www.tinyurl.com/Remembering-Jim-Firos
This is Jim Firos and Sycamore Creek Church founder, Barb Flory
I wrote a whole article about Jim because he was, and is, such a great friend. I miss him. So does his family and a large group of people Jim touched in his life as a postal worker and basketball coach.
Jim taught me ten things that I want to share with you. In closing, they are ten things that you need to know. I need to know them too!
#Lessons-from-Jim
It’s difficult to summarize what you learn from a friend, but from Jim that is actually quite easy. I learned the following things:
- #Patience
- #Trust
- #Serving
- #Family-First
- #Community-Care
- #Authenticity
- #A-Listening-Ear-And-A-Mug-Of-Coffee
- #Kindred-Heart-in-Caring
- #Kindred-Soul-for-Praying
- #Kindred-Body-for-Serving
As I share those things, I want to say one last thing to you, my awesome reader. It is this:
“You’ve got a ton of gifts too! Really, if you do more of those gifts and contributions each day, your happiness level is going to take off like a rocket and soar. Keep giving back. Keep enriching other people’s lives. Keep on Listening, Loving, Enduring, and Caring. It’s who you are. You are awesome!”
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Dr. Jonathan Doll writes on issues of educational impact, wellness, and the benefits of being positive. His Mom is a great inspiration and is recently featured in the true story Dr. Doll wrote for the 2017 Chicken Soup for the Soul Series, BEST MOMS EVER!. He is a 2015 alumnus of the Strategic Data Project of the Graduate School of Education at Harvard University, and wrote the book Ending School Shootings. His opinions are his own.