Growth Mindset Tip #33 for A Meaningful Life (Happy 90th Birthday Dad)

<p> Hey there, it's Michael. Welcome to Whole Again, the show that's here in support of the person you're becoming and a meaningful life. And every Friday this year, as a way to celebrate the 25th anniversary of my last bad day, the day that sparked all of this, I'm sharing little tips I've learned along the way.</p>
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<p>Some of them will hit the mark for you. They'll be a perfect addition to your, as I would say, your Toll House cookie recipe, because we all have a slightly different recipe to whip up a meaningful life. And some of these tips, well, they'll be a bit off the mark. And if that's the case, no worries. Simply leave those behind and take what works for you.</p>
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<p>And today we're up to tip number 33, and it's inspired by my dad's 90th birthday, which he celebrated just last week. And in his day of celebration, we threw a surprise party for him that was called, "Did you bring the coffee and donuts?" Because this is what he says to almost anyone, including most of his doctors, when they ask him, "Hey, how you doing?"</p>
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<p>He's like, "I'm doing fine, but did you bring the coffee and donuts?" And it's always worth a good laugh. About 30 people came, including one of his neighbors, Ginny, who turns 104 in October. She is a pistol. She's amazing, as are all his other residents at his independent living facility that showed up. They all have wonderful life stories, and they're all putting all those millennial longevity gurus to shame.</p>
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<p>They know the real deal. They know the secret to living a meaningful life, and I wrote about it in one of my recent Ripple Effect blog posts that I put on my website, and I'll include a link to it in the show notes. There are many cool things that happened at the party, including some of his coworkers from his past corporate life showing up.</p>
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<p>My dad retired from the moving industry when he was 77. He would do the estimates. He would help the families transition from their old home to their new home. But the guys that showed up were the guys responsible for packing the move up and loading it onto the moving van And what they shared with us was this: Your dad would always show up.</p>
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<p>He wouldn't just sell the move to the client, but he would show up on moving day. He would make sure that they were taken care of, and as a crew, we were taken care of. Nobody else did it like your dad. He showed up. And this is tip number 33, show up for others. I asked my dad if he had any life advice, and he said, "Well, not really."</p>
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<p>I pressed him on it a little bit, and he said, "Well, try to be kind and try to be in service to other people." Basically, show up. Go to those great lengths, even when it's inconvenient to do so, to show up for others. Whether they repay the favor or not, simply show up. Make that connection. So much of the world today is all around self-help and self-development.</p>
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<p>There's such a great me focus to it all, and by doing so, we've under-indexed on the importance of it takes a village, that together we go far. So I know there is so much going on in the world. Everyone's moving at a fast pace. But there's something to be said about simply showing up and supporting people.</p>
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<p>That's how we come together, and that's how we go far together. So this week's tip is dedicated to my dad, who just turned 90, who showed up for others. We didn't live in a rich household. We weren't one of the well-to-do families in our town, but I would argue that my dad was wealthy in the most important way He showed up for others, and last weekend, a whole bunch of people showed up for him to wish him a happy 90th, and that was awesome sauce to see</p>
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<p>As always, thanks for showing up and listening. I love the fact that you're part of our community, and I hope you're checking out my new series that I'm doing all this summer called A Perfectly Imperfect Union, where I'm talking to everyday folks across America on their reflections as America turns 250 years old.</p>
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<p>And of course, I'll have new episodes of Whole Again for you all next week. But until then, let's remember to celebrate our scars as golden symbols of our strength and resilience. And don't forget to have fun storming the castle.</p>
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<p>And if you wish to learn more about creating beautiful ripples and how to prevent a bad moment from turning into a bad day, please visit my website, michaelobrienshift.com, and sign up for my newsletter called The Ripple Effect. And join us each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday here at Whole Again, and discover how you can heal, grow, and become more resilient, and celebrate our scars as golden symbols of strength and resilience.</p>
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<p>Until then, remember, you can always come back to your breath. You've got this, and we've got you.</p>