To Clean A Fridge

By January 17, 2017Mindy

I grew up with a very strong work ethic. Do my best. Give my all and then give some more. The satisfaction of knowing that I went above and beyond was my reward. If more came out of it then bonus for me.

I remember babysitting for this family who’s house was always a terrible mess. Not family of 5 messy. Oh no, I am talking family of 20 messy.

The parents both worked full-time and I was the only one who came to their rescue to help. I remember the first time I did the “fairy god mother” clean-up. I had put the kids to bed and went into the kitchen to get something out of the fridge. I opened the door and BAM! Out spilled 4 years worth of every this and that you could think of. What didn’t spill out was a globbed sticky smelly mess stuck to every inch of every surface of that fridge. I was about to shut the door and walk away and then I thought, “I am not doing anything else.” It is time to do a good deed. For the next 3 hours, I scrubbed every inch of that fridge until it sparkled.

When the parents got home, I didn’t say anything. I was paid for babysitting at my hourly rate of $1 and home I went. As soon as I got home, the phone rang. It was the mom thanking me so much for going above and beyond. From then on, I couldn’t wait to babysit for them; I was determined to attack every inch of their house. I even got the kids involved and we turned cleaning into a game. I was never paid any more than that what I asked for: $1 an hour. I didn’t want to be. Just knowing that going above and beyond was enough payment for me.

Fast forward to today. I don’t accept gigs solely based on what I will be paid. I don’t agree to sponsorships that are financially driven; I don’t cancel events just because of low attendance. Bruce and I have been blessed to have a platform to deliver the wellness message. We know that we are helping people change their lives and the lives that they touch. That is more than good enough for me.

I am writing this at the end of a 5 day trip to Tallahassee for our One Day to Wellness training. Our training had 11 amazing, sharing and caring attendees; We had husbands and wives, mothers and daughters, and gal pals. We flew into Orlando, picked up our rental car, and then drove 4 hours the next day to Tallahassee. Our training was on Saturday from 9-6 with no breaks. On Sunday, we drove back the same 4 hours to wait at the airport for our 6-hour flight, that was delayed 4 hours. We decided to stay the night and fly this morning back to California. A cross-country trip, 4-hour drive, three nights in hotels – all for 11 people.

Wait – Only 11 people? Your damn right!!! 11 people are 11 people making a difference in the lives of everyone they touch. And this could be because of One Day to Wellness. Damn right. As Martin Luther King Jr. said, “The time is always right to do right.”

So the next time you put “What do I get out of this?” before “What can I do for you?” think about the value of the gift. The ability to give is a gift. Give your gift then get into your car, drive 4 hours and board a plane to go home. The abundance you will see pouring in from your selfless act will overflow your cup.

I am blessed every day that someone finds me worthy enough to listen to what I have to say. I am blessed every day to have a man by my side who has the same value statement as I do. I am blessed right now that you are even reading this.

So go out there and make a difference. Not because of the money made or the accolades earned but for the joy of giving your gift and knowing that you cleaned a fridge.

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