A Cup of Caroll

April 30, 2023

“As long as you’re only focused on YOU, you’re not going to be fulfilled. The next level of your destiny is connected to helping someone else.” – Joel Osteen

One of our Women’s Manifesting Mastermind members recently posed a fascinating question: “How do you maintain your energy and enthusiasm for life as you grow older?” 

The group came up with a wide variety of suggestions, including getting involved in a physical activity such as yoga, pilates or pickleball; learning a new skill or taking up a hobby, as one member recently discovered a real talent for creating pottery; widening your circle of friends or seeking a new romantic mate; exploring new types of cultural events; and finding a new mid-life career or side gig.

These are all great ideas, but I believe there is one sure-fire answer for both men and women of any age. A guaranteed way to regain a zest for life and feel purposeful is highlighted in a YouTube talk by my favorite positive-thinking pastor, Joel Osteen, titled “Living Cause Driven.”

Joel says, “You were created to help someone else.  You need to have a cause you’re passionate about.  If you’re only focused on yourself, you won’t reach your highest potential.”

A few ways he suggested to do this: volunteer, mentor, support worthy organizations or help one individual get what they need.

Joel went on to say, “Get involved in making a difference.  When you’re cause-driven, you’ll see promotion, doors open, the right people show up.

“It’s good to have your dreams, your goals, but you need to be a part of something bigger than just you.  When your dream is connected to helping others, you’re not only helping them; you’re helping yourself…. You can’t help others without God helping you… The greatness God put in you is going to come out of the cause.”

It’s good to raise your family, do good work on your job, give to charity, help a friend when they need support.  But when you apply your unique gifts and abilities to a CAUSE – a problem that needs to be solved or an injustice you want to see righted – it brings out the BEST in you and often pushes you past whatever self-imposed limits you may have. You will stay focused and persevere when you face seemingly-insurmountable odds or opposition.  You will get up and get going when you feel like staying on the couch because the cause is worth it.

That extra drive we have when we are pursuing a cause bigger than ourselves was beautifully demonstrated in the story of the Jeansonne Family that was the subject of the last blog (You Brought the Blessing – Blog 468).  Many of my cherished readers and I donated to the “Be Love Days” fundraising campaign that was the brainstorm of one of my favorite past clients, Andrea Schaff, and her dear friend, Kristy Jeansonne. Kristy’s husband Brian was diagnosed with ALS on April 14, 2020 and as his condition has progressed, he has required professional caregiving, which is a big out-of-pocket expense not covered by insurance.

Kristy told Andrea she was not sure how they would survive if they had to come up with an extra $110,000 a year for Brian’s care, so they brainstormed together and came up with the idea of asking everyone they knew to donate $14 (or more) on April 14, 2023 AND to spread the word to 10 or more personal contacts.  Within days, over 1250 individual donations had rolled in, amounting to over $118,000 and still climbing.

All this happened because two women were Cause-Driven and didn’t let anything stop them.  Now, they and a group of volunteers plan to make it an annual event. I have a strong feeling it is going to grow into something much BIGGER than even they can now imagine, spreading beyond the worthy Jeansonne Family.

Another one of my longtime coaching clients, Diane, tragically had her son Kevin Natale pass away of cancer at the age of 44 last year. She told me she now has a new passion for growing her direct sales business because she has a new “Why” beyond just making extra money for a comfortable retirement: She wants to help many more people with her skin care products and business opportunity so she can carry on the work of the Founded on Forgiveness Foundation Kevin started.

Kevin’s foundation is dedicated to spreading forgiveness because he learned first-hand how forgiveness changed his life when he was finally able to forgive the man who shot and paralyzed him when he was just 14 years old.  Thousands of others who have heard Kevin’s story have been inspired to forgive the “unforgiveable” too.

Now that Diane is inspired by a cause bigger than herself, she isn’t stopped by fatigue or fear of rejection.  She gets up and gets after it each day because she wants her son’s memory to live on and his story to change thousands and thousands of lives far into the future.

As for me, about a year ago, I became a volunteer daily dog walker for six rescue pups that are fostered by The Little Red Dog, a local grassroots rescue that saves dogs shelters would ordinarily euthanize because of the breed (pit bulls, chihuahuas, etc.), injuries, disabilities or just fear and shyness making them difficult to adopt.

I am not an experienced dog walker by any means, but I have learned a lot from other volunteers who are.  It’s a joy to see the dogs come out of their shell and respond to kindness and gentle but firm direction.  It’s such an honor to be someone they can count on to show up and to believe they will find a forever home eventually.

The most impactful personal “cause” I had was my very first walking assignment: “Rhino,” an aptly-named gray pit bull mix, overweight at about 65 pounds, super strong and sometimes overly-enthusiastic.

Rhino is sweet with people, but was fearful of other dogs, which made him behave aggressively as a defense tactic.  When there were no other dogs around, he was placid.  But if he spotted another dog, he would go nuts. Once, when a small white dog barked at him from behind a wrought iron gate, Rhino charged, pulling me off my feet, and dragging me on my stomach across the lawn until I was finally able to put the brakes on him.

Not surprisingly, TLRD had fostered Rhino for several years.  He was adopted and returned three times by people who instantly gave up on him.  I finally asked TLRD co-founder Steve McClain if Rhino could be taken temporarily out of his foster home with an elderly couple who gave him love but no discipline so he could be re-trained by a professional.

Steve told me he would love to, but even if a trainer re-habilitated him (which wouldn’t be hard), if he went back to the same foster situation, it would all be for nothing without consistent reinforcement.

So I continued to walk and believe in Rhino and I literally prayed for a “Christmas Miracle” that he would be adopted by a couple with no dogs who could give him the training and patience and love he needed.  Within two weeks, Steve got a call from a couple whose adopted dog had just passed, asking if TLRD had any “hard to place” dogs because they were up for the challenge.  Because I had talked to Steve, I believe, he suggested Rhino and they took him on.

Rhino now lives in a great home and seems like a completely different pup.  He has lost weight, and looks happy and relaxed doing various fun activities and living the life he deserves on his Instagram page at rhino.daug.

Rhino was my #1 cause within the bigger cause of supporting animal rescue, and I will always think of him whenever something looks “hopeless.” He proved that miracles really CAN happen when we just keep believing, do the best we can, and leave the HOW up to God.

Joel Osteen says when you live cause-driven, “You’ll go beyond what you think you’re capable of.  You go beyond the ordinary into the uncommon.” And I promise it will infuse your life with a new energy, joie de vivre and sense of purpose and fulfillment beyond what you can now imagine.  Beyond pickleball even!

PLEASE NOTE: The blog is taking next weekend off to celebrate Rick’s and my 16^th wedding anniversary. Look for your next Cup of Caroll on May 14, and I hope you will celebrate those heroes who deserve recognition EVERY day: Teacher Appreciation Week is May 8-12!

If you or your friends would like your own free subscription to receive this blog three Sundays a month, just go to https://www.practicalprosperitycoach.com and enter your name and email at the top.

*************** Give Yourself the Gift of Dreams Fulfilled! ******************

I want to be of service to YOU and your friends, colleagues and loved ones! To schedule a F*R*E*E, no-obligation one-hour Breakthrough Coaching session by phone that will help clarify your Big Goals and get you into ACTION on making them a reality, please email me at caroll@practicalprosperitycoach.com.

April 23, 2023

“Life is made up, not of great sacrifices and duties, but of little things, in which smiles and kindness and small obligations, given habitually, are what win and preserve the heart and secure comfort.” – Humphrey Davy

You will recall that in last week’s post (“Be a Blessing – Blog 467), I told you about the “challenge” one of my past clients, Andrea Schaff, texted to me in support of her dear friends who are facing the biggest personal challenge of their lives. Now, I want to update you on the outcome, which I am sure you will agree is pretty amazing.

To refresh your memory, here’s the message Andrea sent, along with a picture of the family, Brian and Kristy Jeansonne and  their five children Micah (18), Jonah (17), Nathan (16), Lucas (14), and Zoe Moon (11) who live in New Orleans, Louisiana.

“In September of 2019 Brian went for a run and noticed his left foot scraped the ground through his stride. After nine months of doctors’ visits and tests, what was initially determined to be minor nerve issues was actually diagnosed as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) in April 2020.

“As the disease progressed rapidly Brian’s needs became greater. Until his tracheostomy in October 2022, Kristy and their children handled everything. At that point Brian needed round-the-clock care. To help the family, part-time caregivers were hired.  This is an out-of-pocket expense not covered by insurance.  Caregivers are necessary for Brian’s quality of life and for his family’s as well.

“Statistics show that it costs $150,000 (out of pocket) a year to keep an ALS patient healthy and thriving. The Jeansonne family has estimated their cost to be around $110,000 a year for Brian’s care and out of pocket medical expenses.

“Our goal is to raise $80,000 to help cover a large portion of his medical expenses. If you feel led to financially donate you can do so via Venmo to @thejeansonne7. (504-908-1004 is the phone number for verification).  The goal is to have as many people as possible donate $14 each.  Of course, if you are moved to donate more (or less), any amount is greatly appreciated. We would also love for you to follow along their journey!”

Website: www.thejeansonne7.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thejeansonne7?mibextid=LQQJ4d

Ig: https://instagram.com/thejeansonne7?igshid=Mzc1MmZhNjY=

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thejeansonne7?_t=8bSnWvJnJec&_r=1

Andrea’s personal challenge was to ask her own friends to contact “as many people as you feel comfortable reaching out to. This is what we are asking your community to do: Financially support the jeansonne7 by giving $14 (or more!) and personally ask 10 friends to also support the jeansonne7 by giving $14 (or more).  Do you see how this ripple effect could work? Asking a lot of people to contribute a little.

“If you are interested, I am looking for commitments!  How many people will YOU personally reach out to?  So, are you in?  If not, that’s okay too! Just keep this family in your thoughts and prayers. Be love. Andrea.”

Then she sent me a follow-up text that included the words, “Sometimes we all just need a little help.” Those simple, heartfelt words grabbed my heart and I decided to help spread the word with last week’s blog.

My cherished readers really responded!  Many took the time to let me know they were inspired that both friends and total strangers would go out of their way to support the family in this way, and so were moved to contribute as well.  Thank you!

I just followed up with Andrea to see how the campaign was going and learn more about Brian and his family that Andrea call her “best friends.”

When Andrea met Kristy Jeansonne 13 years ago through a mom’s group at their church where Brian’s father was the pastor, they became instant friends.  After his father retired, Brian founded his own church in New Orleans that has been a light in so many lives.

Andrea knows well what a huge challenge it has been for Kristy and their four teen boys and younger daughter to shoulder most of the caregiving duties for Brian as his ALS progressed. One day, Kristy shared her fear and anxiety about how they were going to be able to afford the part-time professional caregiving help Brian now needed: “How are we going to survive?”

That’s when the two women began to brainstorm how they could raise the money.  Andrea said, “We didn’t want to use a crowdsourcing site because they take such a big fee and the family needed every dollar. So, Kristy and I decided to try to do it ourselves.” That’s when Divine Inspiration stepped in and the magic started to happen.

“We sat and talked one night, and it was beautiful the way it came together. Kristy and I are so different in our approaches. We just went back and forth, each contributing ideas in a creative collaboration, and the message just poured out so beautifully.”

Here’s what they came up with: “We know times are tight for many people. We thought since Brian was diagnosed on April 14, 2020, we would ask everyone to contribute just $14 on April 14, 2023. We called the campaign Be Love Days.”

The two knew they couldn’t do it all by themselves, so “We recruited a team of supporters we dubbed the Busy Be’s who were very invested and had a network we could tap into.” (I was in her address book, so I was part of Andrea’s network.)

Their philosophy is that “Every dollar counts.  Every thought, every share is truly appreciated and valued. It’s like eating an elephant. Everyone can be part of this.”

Just as Andrea and Kristy hoped, the one-person-tells-10 “ripple effect” challenge worked.

To date, the Jeansonnes have received over $118,000 in donations, averaging $20 each, from more than 1250 individual contributors – all through good old-fashioned person-to-person communication!

When the total surpassed their wildest dream goal of $80,000, Andrea says the family were in tears of gratitude. Now, the Busy Be’s plan to sponsor Be Love Days annually, to keep the support flowing to them.

Even though Brian can no longer use his voice, Andrea says today’s technology allows him to communicate clearly. “He can use his eyes to ‘speak’ through a computer, and his mind and heart are still very strong. We see it as Brian’s legacy. He’s invested in people his whole life, and now they have a chance to give back to him.”

If you would still like to contribute, your support is very much appreciated! If you prefer to use PayPal instead of Venmo, you can send your donation to Kristyjeansonne@me.com. Be sure to designate it for “friends and family” so the Jeansonnes will get 100% of your donation, without fees deducted. And if you want to send a check, just email me and I will pass along the address.

I agree with Andrea and Kristy that “There is NO disappointment.  Even if someone just chooses to pray for his family, we so appreciate the support!”

If you have ever contemplated doing a small good deed but wondered, “The need is SO great, what difference can my little donation/kind word/help make?” I hope you will remember the Jeansonne Family and do it anyway.

If you or your friends would like your own free subscription to receive this blog three Sundays a month, just go to https://www.practicalprosperitycoach.com and enter your name and email at the top.

*************** Give Yourself the Gift of Dreams Fulfilled! ******************

I want to be of service to YOU and your friends, colleagues and loved ones! To schedule a F*R*E*E, no-obligation one-hour Breakthrough Coaching session by phone that will help clarify your Big Goals and get you into ACTION on making them a reality, please email me at caroll@practicalprosperitycoach.com

April 16, 2023

“The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed. Those who help others are helped.” – Proverbs 11:25

The topic for today’s blog post came to me quite unexpectedly a few days ago, via a text from a past client I greatly respect.  I hadn’t heard from her in quite some time, so I was very curious as to what she could be contacting me about.

But when I saw it was a fairly long text, my first reaction was to put up my guard. “Uh oh,” I thought. “She must be sending me some solicitation to buy something from her direct sales company, along with everyone else in her address book. I will have to politely decline.”

But when I read her text, I was quite pleasantly surprised.  She was writing to ask for a small, specific bit of help for someone she cared about — actually her best friends. This family she dearly loves are complete strangers to me, as they probably are to almost everyone in her address book. There was nothing in it for her, reaching out to everyone she knew to ask them to support her friends in need.  She was doing it purely from love.

Here’s the message she texted, along with a picture of Brian and Kristy Jeansonne and their five children, Micah (18), Jonah (17), Nathan (16), Lucas (14), and Zoe Moon (11), who live in New Orleans, Louisiana:

“In September of 2019 Brian went for a run and noticed his left foot scraped the ground through his stride. After nine months of doctors’ visits and tests, what was initially determined to be minor nerve issues was actually diagnosed as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) in April of 2020.

“As the disease progressed rapidly Brian’s needs became greater. Until his tracheostomy in October 2022, Kristy and their children handled everything. At that point Brian needed round-the-clock care. To help the family, part-time caregivers were hired.  This is an out-of-pocket expense not covered by insurance.  Caregivers are necessary for Brian’s quality of life and for his family’s as well.

“Statistics show that it costs $150,000 (out of pocket) a year to keep an ALS patient healthy and thriving. The Jeansonne family has estimated their cost to be around $110,000 a year for Brian’s care and out of pocket medical expenses.

“Our goal is to raise $80,000 to help cover a large portion of his medical expenses. If you feel led to financially donate you can do so via Venmo to @thejeansonne7. (504-908-1004 is the phone number for verification).  The goal is to have as many people as possible donate $14 each.  Of course, if you are moved to donate more (or less), any amount is greatly appreciated. We would also love for you to follow along their journey!”

Website: www.thejeansonne7.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thejeansonne7?mibextid=LQQJ4d

Ig: https://instagram.com/thejeansonne7?igshid=Mzc1MmZhNjY=

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thejeansonne7?_t=8bSnWvJnJec&_r=1

Then she added a bold personal challenge:

“This is where YOU come in.  I am asking you to personally contact as many people as you feel comfortable reaching out to. This is what we are asking your community to do: Financially support the jeansonne7 by giving $14 (or more!) and personally ask 10 friends to also support the jeansonne7 by giving $14 (or more).  Do you see how this ripple effect could work? Asking a lot of people to contribute a little.

“If you are interested, I am looking for commitments!  How many people will YOU personally reach out to?  So, are you in?  If not, that’s okay too! Just keep this family in your thoughts and prayers. Be love. Andrea.”

My immediate reaction was to send her an atta-girl message — “What a lovely thing you are doing to support your friends” — and ask if I could use PayPal instead of Venmo.  I planned to make a small contribution and thought that would be the end of it for me.

But within a minute or two, I got a reply from her that said, “They are amazing people, and make the world a better place.  Sometimes we all just need a little help.  Thank you so much.  You are GREATLY appreciated.”

Those simple, heartfelt words grabbed me and I knew right then that I couldn’t turn down her challenge because she is 100% RIGHT: “Sometimes we all just need a little help.”  I could easily spare $14 but could I ALSO commit to helping her spread the word?  Heck YEAH!  At that point, it felt like the least I could do.

Last November and December, you may recall that I wrote a series of blogs about the “Pay It Forward Challenge,” an annual tradition, in which I ask my readers (just like Andrea asked me) to do at least one random act of kindness and/or generosity for someone else during the Holiday Season as a tangible way of putting the gratitude we all feel for our own blessings into ACTION that makes a difference for others.

Here she was, doing just that!  How could I ignore her straightforward challenge to ME? So that is when the inspired idea came to me to turn this family’s need into a blog post.  Whether any of my nearly 1000 cherished readers decide to join me in contributing a small amount doesn’t matter.  The point is that I walked my talk and paid it forward myself by doing a little favor that was asked of me because YES! “Sometimes we all just need a little help.”

So, whether you choose to contribute financially to this goal or choose to pray or send positive energy to Brian and his family, know that YOU are paying forward YOUR many blessings by taking a moment to care about a stranger.  And that gesture will surely come back to bless you in some way, because as the Law of Attraction (energy attracts like energy) dictates and the quote from the Bible reminds us: “The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed. Those who help others are helped.”

(My added note: If you decide to contribute and prefer to use PayPal instead of Venmo, you can send your donation to Kristyjeansonne@me.com. Be sure to designate it for “friends and family” so the Jeansonnes will get 100% of your donation, without fees deducted. OR if you prefer to send a personal check, you can email me for their address.)

If you or your friends would like your own free subscription to receive this blog three Sundays a month, just go to https://www.practicalprosperitycoach.com and enter your name and email at the top.

*************** Give Yourself the Gift of Dreams Fulfilled! ******************

I want to be of service to YOU and your friends, colleagues and loved ones! To schedule a F*R*E*E, no-obligation one-hour Breakthrough Coaching session by phone that will help clarify your Big Goals and get you into ACTION on making them a reality, please email me at caroll@practicalprosperitycoach.com

April 2, 2023

This weekend is a busy one for me, so with my open time being very short, I decided to go with the flow and repost a lightly-edited blog I wrote at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic on a topic that still resonates with me right now.  I’ll bet it does with you, too: How to fully live in the present, experiencing each precious moment with ease and gratitude, while still getting stuff done. I hope you will take a moment to sit quietly in a comfy chair, with a favorite beverage perhaps, and enjoy the read (again).

April 25, 2020

“Small deeds done are better than great deeds planned.” – Peter Marshall

The message that came to me over and over this week is one that most of us need to be constantly reminded of: Stay present and live each moment of life as it comes.

As I thought about the word “present,” it dawned on me that this one word has at least three main meanings which, while different, are all related.  First, as a noun, it means “gift,” like a Christmas present. It also means “now,” as in this present moment in time.  As a verb, “present” also means “to offer something” (as one might offer a gift).

In all these interconnected meanings, being present is a gift because it enables us to fully experience and appreciate every precious moment of life.  Now, more than ever, the whole world is keenly aware of the precious fragility of life — that we could be here today and gone tomorrow.

A recent daily inspiration from Joel Osteen also reminded me of what a special gift each moment of life is, especially in all the simple things we often overlook or take for granted in our daily routines:

Enjoy the Simple Things — by Joel Osteen

“Don’t miss a great season in your life wishing you had more, complaining about what you don’t have.  The real joy in life is in the simple things – making memories with your family, riding your bikes together, watching the sunset with your spouse, or staring up at the stars at night.  You don’t have to have big vacations or lots of money to have fun.  Learn to enjoy the simple things in life.

Could it be that you’re at the right place for the season that you’re in, but you’re not enjoying it?  Maybe if you would step back and see it from a new perspective, you would realize that God has you in the palms of His hands.  He knows where you are, what you like, and what you don’t like.  Instead of living discontented, frustrated, always wishing you were somewhere else, embrace the place where you are.  See the good. Be grateful for what you have.”

My job is to help my coaching clients get what they want.  Each individual has a Big Goal, and I help them with the mindset tools, strategy and accountability that will enable them to reach that Big Goal, even if it seems far-fetched to someone else.

In my 18-plus years as a Personal Success Coach ™ I have learned that there are TWO fundamental keys to reaching any Big Goal:

1) Focus on what you WANT (not on what you don’t want). Keep your eye on the prize and use mindset tools daily to strengthen your BELIEF that you will get it.

2) Take ONE step at a time toward that outcome you want. Don’t try to figure out the whole HOW for getting there.  You can count on God/The Universe to help you with that, rolling the plan out for you one step at a time.  YOUR job is to take the step that is in front of you right NOW.  Looking too far ahead will only distract you from taking the right action today and make you doubt that it is possible to reach your Big Goal.  If you just stay in the NOW, focusing on carrying out today’s action step, the next perfect step will come to you when the time is right.

A week ago, on a coaching call, one of my clients seemed close to having a panic attack.  She was feeling totally overwhelmed by all the tasks she felt must be done simultaneously – caring for her family, staying mostly inside when she wanted to be outside, trying to come up with an entirely new distance learning curriculum for her students, while trying to consistently work her direct sales side business.  I understood why she wanted to stay in bed with the covers pulled over her head rather than try to organize ALL the many steps she needed to take!

During our call, I got her to take a calm look at things and focus on what small steps she could take NOW to begin to make progress on her many tasks.  As we talked, she thought of some specific resources available to her that she hadn’t been utilizing, and she promised to take just ONE action as soon as we hung up — to call her mentor teacher for lessons plan suggestions and emotional support.

She also came up with a brilliant plan for shaking off her paralyzing sense of overwhelm. She vowed to complete just ONE to THREE action items per day — no more, no less.  That number was emotionally and mentally manageable to her, and she knew that she could prioritize those specific few actions per day and get them done.  Completing them each day would give her a sense of control and accomplishment, which in turn would restore her self-confidence and expectation of success.

When we talked a week later, she sounded like her old can-do self again. She had been carrying out her daily “One to Three Things Action Plan” and was feeling much better. She was getting up early and enjoying her daily walks with her dog again, and grateful to be able to spend more precious time with her family because she wasn’t away all day in the classroom.  She is “embracing where she is” and “being grateful for what she has” in the PRESENT moment, just as Joel Osteen suggests.

We can all emulate my client’s simple approach to creating greater productivity and happiness:  Accept calmly whatever is going on right NOW in your life, do what you can right NOW, and let tomorrow’s steps unfold in God’s perfect way and timing.  When we allow ourselves to be fully present in each moment, we will find joy in recognizing the many precious gifts that surround us right NOW.

PLEASE NOTE: The blog is taking next Sunday off and will return on April 16. Until then, I wish you a happy Passover and Easter. 

COACHING RESULTS

“Caroll has been very helpful in guiding me to clarify what my most important goals are, what they mean to me and why they are important. Learning to focus on the important things makes me more efficient and able to get there faster. It’s a huge stress reliever to know where you want to go and the necessary steps to get there.” – June G., Realtor ™ and entrepreneur

If you or your friends would like your own free subscription to receive this blog three Sundays a month, just go to https://www.practicalprosperitycoach.com and enter your name and email at the top.

*************** Give Yourself the Gift of Dreams Fulfilled! ******************

I want to be of service to YOU and your friends, colleagues and loved ones! To schedule a F*R*E*E, no-obligation one-hour Breakthrough Coaching session by phone that will help clarify your Big Goals and get you into ACTION on making them a reality, please email me at caroll@practicalprosperitycoach.com