If You Want To Be A Leader

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200 words, caring, compassion, courage, Diana Schwenk, Diana's Enormous Book of Quotes, dignity, Do the right thing, generosity, greater good, greed, humanity, integrity, joy, justice, kindness, leadership, love, mercy, Purpose, Truth, vision, world issues

Climb the mountain so you can see the world, not so the world can see you. ~ David McCullough

When you have the means to make it in this world, when the pieces fall together in such a way for you to get ahead, to gain influence and power, then it’s more vital than ever for you to do what is appropriate for the greater good.

And in such a position, it is also important to be a person of integrity, someone who has their personal affairs in order, someone who is a role model for justice and compassion.

Listen to what President Obama had to say when asked what questions he’d asked of presidential candidates.

~

To Whom Much is Given, Much is expected

A good leader, whether the leader of a nation, or the CEO of a company, or the team lead of a crew needs to climb the mountain, not to be seen, but so (s)he can see the people, understand their circumstances and lead effectively with their best interests in mind.

What can you do today for your family, your company, your neighbourhood, your city, your cause to make it better for everyone.

~ DIANA’S ENORMOUS BOOK OF QUOTES ~

What Kind of Giver are You?

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200 words, authentic, community, generosity, giving, honesty, integrity, love, motivation, scorekeeper, true to yourself

Teach us to give and not to count the cost. ~Saint Ignatius

I ADMIT IT. I’VE ALWAYS BEEN a bit of a scorekeeper. I don’t like that about myself. But it’s true.

To be fair, I used to be way worse. I’d like to think I’ve grown as a person during the half century I’ve been on earth. And really, I mostly keep score when I feel indebted to someone.

You know, as in ‘you paid for breakfast last time so I can’t sleep peacefully until I buy you breakfast and then we’re even,’ kind of way?

But the concept that I might keep score, especially when I begin to feel as though I’m always giving and someone else is always taking, is not a foreign one to me either.

So what is my motivation for giving?

Don’t get me wrong, sometimes when I give, it’s from a place of love and compassion. But when I give because I feel indebted, or I give because I expect my giving will be reciprocated, can that truly be called giving?

When I give, I want to give without counting the cost.

~ DIANA’S ENORMOUS BOOK OF QUOTES ~

What kind of giver are you?

Love is more than a feeling

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200 words, believe, caring, commitment, courage, Diana Schwenk, Diana's Enormous Book of Quotes, family, feelings, friends, generosity, good times, growing up, happy, hard times, integrity, joy, kindness, laughter, love, promise, Relationships, sorrow, will, witness

Love me when I least deserve it, because that’s when I really need it. ~ Swedish proverb

It is easy to love someone when all is well. When they’re meeting our expectations. When there exists a reciprocal flow of give and take between you and another.

Often, we associate love with a feeling.  The way we feel when we first meet our life partner. The way we feel when our children are born. The way we feel when someone pleases us.

Anyone who has ever been forgiven in spite of what they’ve done, or felt shame, yet saw love reflected in the eyes of another, or been held in a loving embrace when they’ve screwed up,  can tell you that love is most needed when it’s undeserved.

Love – real love – is much more than a feeling.

Love is an act of our will.

A promise to be there – always.

A commitment to bear witness to, and walk alongside another during, their most difficult trials.

A force that takes us beyond feeling and pushes us through difficult times, especially when we don’t feel like it.

And love is most needed when it’s least deserved.

 ~ DIANA’S ENORMOUS BOOK OF QUOTES ~

I think an angel lives across the street…

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angels, believe, Calgary, compassion, courage, Diana Schwenk, doing the right thing, generosity, God, goodness, Homelessness, kindness, living in the moment, love, mercy, passion, Relationships, world issues

Something very beautiful happens across the street. And it’s been happening for quite some time, long enough so that I can’t pinpoint exactly when it started.

I don’t often see them go into the apartment complex across the street.

I’ve only seen two or three enter the building over the years.

They looked as if they’d lost all hope. Their bodies bent by some unseen weight on their shoulders.

As if every drop of strength had been beaten out of them.

Dirty

unkempt

under the influence

seemingly at the end of their rope.

No, I haven’t seen many go in, but I have seen them come out.

Usually between 8:00 and 9:00AM. Sometimes just one, other times they exit in groups of two or more. Always groomed. Clean clothes. A travel coffee mug in hand. And on their backs, a backpack that I imagine is filled with their meager belongings and maybe a snack for the road. Their bodies still bent, yet maybe a little less so.

I think an angel lives across the street.

A kind soul who takes pity on those who live on the fringes of society. A loving human being who gives them shelter at night. An angel of mercy who washes their clothes and lets them have a shower. A compassionate man or woman who may even feed them breakfast before they head out for the day to face the harsh reality of their lives on the street.

The actions of this angel do not end homelessness in this cold Canadian city. These actions do not provide a permanent solution to homelessness. But to each individual person who is touched by this angel, these actions must mean the whole world.

I don’t really know what happens across the street. But I believe I am witness to something quite extraordinary. The truth is, I don’t think knowing more is even necessary.

Something tells me the benefactor across the street is not doing it for recognition or praise. That shining a light too intensely on his or her kindness would somehow ruin these beautiful acts.

I think an angel lives across the street…and that’s enough for me.

~ HUMP DAY CHRONICLES ~

I have marveled and wondered a lot about the activities across the street over the years. Does your neighbourhood have an angel? Can you think of a time when you witnessed an act of compassion and kindness that touched you deeply?

Music for a Winter Evening

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addiction, Alberta, Calgary, Calgary Dream Centre, Canada, caring, Charity, Christmas, community, compassion, Diana Schwenk, generosity, Homelessness, Hump Day Chronicles, living in the moment, mission, Music for a Winter Evening, Philanthropy, Relationships

The most effective and satisfying investment you will ever make is to invest in the lives of people…

Last night I went to the 14th Annual Music for a Winter Evening at the EPCOR Centre – a beautiful, traditional Christmas concert that set the mood for this ‘most wonderful time of the year.’

Hosted by Calgary’s very own beloved Darrel Janz with performances by Corpus Christi Male Chorale and special guest Tenore, it was a magical evening; setting the stage for the Christmas season. All proceeds from the concert and the Room for Hope Campaign benefit the Calgary Dream Centre in their work to help men break the cycles of addictions and homelessness.

During the evening, Luke, a client of the Calgary Dream Centre, along with his mom, took the stage and shared his moving story about struggling with addictions and overcoming them through the Dream Centre’s 49-day treatment program. I am so proud of Luke and admire his beautiful mom for standing by him; her love never allowing her to give up on her son.

This beautiful and inspiring evening would not have happened without the faith in the treatment program, and financial backing of, Legacy Kitchens and Dennis Plintz & Associates with Sotheby’s International Realty Canada.

Thank you to the brave men who work hard to change their lives, the inspiring performers, the above-mentioned sponsors and to all those who bought tickets and donated toward this campaign. You are making a real difference for men like Luke.

~ HUMP DAY CHRONICLES ~

What are you doing to get into the holiday mood?

 

No one should be left out in the cold

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believe, Calgary, Calgary Dream Centre, Canada, Charity, community, compassion, Corpus Christi Male Chorale, courage, Diana Schwenk, dreams, Fundraising, generosity, Hump Day Chronicles, Legacy Kitchens, Music for a Winter Evening, Room for Hope Campaign, Tenore

 

Addiction traps you in a seemingly inescapable cycle.

It drives a wedge between you and your loved ones.

It steals away your ability to live your life to the fullest.

And is compounded for those who are experiencing homelessness. 

Take Jason for example. Addiction holds a tight grip on his life and it tears away at all the dreams he holds in his heart for a better life.

He wants nothing more than to pull these pieces of his life together again. To restore his relationship with his children. To feel like the provider and father he so desperately wants to be.

For several months, I have been working with a dedicated group of partners on The Room for Hope Campaign – a campaign whose goal it is to help 75 men escape the cycle of addiction and homelessness. Their commitment, passion and determination has been a great source of inspiration for me. What a privilege it has been to facilitate the process of this campaign.

 About the Room for Hope Campaign

Room for Hope is a 9-week campaign (October 10 – December 16) that culminates with the Music for a Winter Evening Concert hosted by Darrel Janz with performances by The Corpus Christi Male Chorale and featuring Guest Artist Tenore at the Jack Singer Concert Hall.

Legacy Kitchens and Dennis Plintz & Associates with Sotheby’s International Realty Canada are proud sponsors of the Room for Hope Campaign to benefit the Calgary Dream Centre. They have set an ambitious goal to raise $120,000 through this campaign and the Music for a Winter Evening concert.

The campaign is a local, well-established event that has fundraised $1.3 million in the last 13 years toward alleviating homelessness in Calgary.

The Calgary Dream Centre’s addiction treatment program is a 40-day program based on the Hazelden’s ‘Living in Balance’ and ‘Integrating Dialectical Behaviour Therapy’ model. It includes a room, meals, addictions counseling and on site meetings. From there, recovering men move into shared transitional housing with continued treatment and emphasis on developing a toolbox for life. The Calgary Dream Centre also offers housing throughout Calgary with continued supports; ensuring the greatest long-term success for program graduates.

It costs $1,600 to complete the treatment program. $280 helps a man for one week. $40 helps a man for one day.

If you live in Canada will you consider donating to the Room for Hope Campaign this year?

If you live in Calgary and would also like to attend the Music for a Winter Evening concert, please click here to learn more and get your $30 tickets.

~ HUMP DAY CHRONICLES ~

100% of donations and ticket sales benefit the work of the Calgary Dream Centre

A Person You Can Encourage

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200 words, caring, community, compassion, Diana Schwenk, Diana's Enormous Book of Quotes, encourage, generosity, kindness, living in the moment, passion

The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up. ~ Mark Twain

I have a friend named Chuck who is a street chaplain in Vernon, British Columbia.

He uses the ‘poke’ feature on Facebook to tell those he pokes that he’s praying for them.

On November 25th Chuck’s status update read:

Pray that the Lord would place a person in your life today that you can encourage.

I took it to heart and headed for my temporary part-time job at the mall where I, along with other passionate people, have been working to secure sponsorships for 125 children who live in some of the poorest countries in the world.

While I was there, the mall’s cleaning lady walked by and was sweeping the floor.

A demure woman in her 60s, who is there every day quietly doing her job.

So unassuming, she almost blends into the background; does anyone ever notice her?

I thanked her for keeping the mall clean. She looked at me, her eyes glistening and said, “Thank you so much for saying that.”

I wonder how many of the people I see every day feel unappreciated.

~ DIANA’S ENORMOUS BOOK OF QUOTES ~

Do good, especially when you don’t want to

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200 words, caring, community, Diana Schwenk, Diana's Enormous Book of Quotes, generosity, good times, growing up, happy, hard times, integrity, joy, kindness, laughter, life, living in the moment, struggles

“Do all the good you can, By all the means you can, In all the ways you can, In all the places you can, At all the times you can, To all the people you can, As long as ever you can.” ~ unattributed

There seems to be a dispute about whether or not this quote can be attributed to John Wesley or not.

In fact there’s a whole website dedicated to the quotes John Wesley did not say.

But who said it, doesn’t matter nearly as much to me as what the quote suggests.

Doing good.

Right now, using all the gifts at your disposal, no matter the circumstances.

No matter where you are, what time it is, who you are with and how much time you have left, is a worthy endeavor.

Not just when you’re at the top of your game; when all the pieces are falling into place.

But do good when your bottom’s falling out.

When you can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Do good when you don’t want to; especially when you don’t want to.

~ DIANA’S ENORMOUS BOOK OF QUOTES ~

What good thing can you do right now?

Easy to Start, Hard to Stop

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200 words, celebrate, courage, Diana Schwenk, Diana's Enormous Book of Quotes, entrepreneur, Fundraising, generosity, hard work, learning, listen, mission, Purpose, sacrifice, share knowledge, tenacity, The Other Bottom Line, vision

To succeed, you need to be easy to start and hard to stop. ~ unattributed

It’s been one year since I started The Other Bottom Line. And in that time, I’ve:

• provided one organization with their fund development history and 3-5 year strategy.
• worked with another organization as a bum-in-a-seat employee.
• facilitated the process to find a sponsor for, and drafted a gift agreement for another.
• helped another consulting company conduct searches for two non-profits.

The in-between times haven’t always been easy. I’ve had my hopes dashed a few times. I’ve spent some time playing the ‘Hurry Up and Wait’ game. I’ve been disheartened.

When I have wanted to give up, I kept going by:

• Documenting processes and accomplishments; referring to them often.
• Doing the things I vehemently didn’t want to do; moving them to the top of the list.
• Sacrificing the fluffy things. You’d be amazed how much you don’t really need.
• Being generous. Sharing knowledge and expertise.
• Celebrating the wins. Learning from the losses, then moving past them.
• Being open. Asking questions. Listening to others who have been there. 

~ DIANA’S ENORMOUS BOOK OF QUOTES ~

How do you ensure that you’re easy to start and hard to stop?

Their left hand doesn’t know what their right hand is doing

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200 words, Calgary, caring, community, compassion, Diana Schwenk, Diana's Enormous Book of Quotes, generosity, health, kindness, love, passion, random act of kindness

There is not a man of us who does not at times need a helping hand to be stretched out to him.- Theodore Roosevelt

Everyone needs a hand up at some point

In my life I have had opportunity to help some people.

It works best, when done in secret; something I learned from a group of men I have never met!

Somewhere in Calgary, there’s a group of men who want to make a difference.

They don’t do it for recognition.

They don’t do it for a tax receipt.

They just want to share from their bounty with others.

Each year they contribute a sum of money into the pot and wait for the opportunity to bless someone who needs help.

They solicit the help of a local financial planner to find an individual who is struggling and he shares that person’s story with the group.

The group then sends this financial planner to deliver the gift, without revealing who it comes from.

~ DIANA’S ENORMOUS BOOK OF QUOTES ~

I personally know what it feels like to be at the receiving end of a random act of kindness. Click here to read that story!