Expensive laundry - There has to be a better way!

Anyone know what this picture is?

This is what is remaining of $68 worth of Staples Rewards certificates that went through the laundry while in my pants pocket. A whole different kind of 'Pocket Change' that I have blogged about recently. Now, do you think Staples knows this is going to happen to a lot of their certificates? Maybe so, but there have got to be easier ways for them to hand out their bonus points:

1) How about sending them electronically since I do a majority of my purchases on line?

2) Just assign them to my Staples reward card and when I check out, it debits my account automatically?

3) How about just giving me the dicount up front rather than making me handle paper certificates?

4) Their easy rebates program send Visa debit cards. How about that?

Or, I could not put them in my pocket, or not FORGET that I put them in my pocket!!!!

The question I have is will they believe me and send me new certificates? I will report back and let you know if they refund me for airing my dirty laundry, so to speak!!

What is the worst thing that you have lost through the laundry????

Pocket Change

Great article on investing in relationships by John C. Maxwell http://ping.fm/715IS

Pocket Change

What a profound post about deliberate practice. http://ping.fm/tTIxd

Pocket Change

What a great post I wanted to share from Michael Hyatt about 7 ways to keep your spirit up in a down economy. http://ping.fm/pBCV3

'Pocket Change' and relationships

When Chris and I first got married, I brought along the "Bud Light" bottle bank when we moved to St. Louis. When we got some extra pocket change, we 'deposited' it in the bank. Over the first few years of marriage, we had enough Pocket Change that added up to buy a new TV, and have spending money on a trip that we made. Pocket Change can add up.

In relationships, we have Pocket Change. When I spoke to a group of college students a few years back, I used a story that I had learned about Pocket Change and relationships. You see, when we build relationships, we, in essence, build up Pocket Change. Each time we build a relationship - be affirming, write a note, even smile - we build up our pocket change in that relationship.

We can also lose that pocket change. When we lie, talk about someone behind their back, or don't keep a commitment, we lose that pocket change through a 'hole' in the pocket...and it's HARD to get it back. You need some help from someone, you reach in to your 'pocket' for some change and find the hole and only pull out lint! So, don't deplete your pocket change with your relationships due to lack of character, integrity, and trust. It takes a while to build it back up! But, when you do build up your Pocket Change, the payoff can be enormous!!

With this post, I am going to start a snippet on Pocket Change - small leadership tips, quotes, stories, that I hope can add value to your life.

So, is your pocket change building up, or is there a hole in your pocket?!

Leadership and Winnie the Pooh

Last Sunday at church, the most effective message was done at "Children's Time" by our music director. While she spoke to the kids, she REALLY spoke to the adults and the leaders in the church. She asked if we were Winnie The Pooh "church goers". Replace church goers with whatever word you want: leaders, parents, co-workers, employees, etc.

Are you Eeore? If Eeyore were to lead, he would sabotage his chances for success so that he would have something to complain about. Eeyore worries in advance of a happening and complains about it when it has happened

What about Tigger? Tigger is eager and enthusiastic, he greets the world with extraordinary confidence. Many people would say he’s a natural born leader; however, he thinks he can do everything, and his over-confidence and ego keep him from evaluating his actions in terms of accomplishment. As a result, he can jump and thump, thinking he’s helping out when, in fact, he’s only making a mess.

Then there is Pooh, who accepts who he is and allows others to function as they are!
Pooh doesn’t worry about motives, politics or what others will say. Instead, he simply proceeds with the task at hand, doing his best to accomplish what he has set out to do.

For a more detailed article on the leadership lessons of Winnie the Pooh, click here.

In any event, we can learn a bunch from these characters. So, which one are you???? I hope you choose Pooh (the character, that is!). I bet you won't watch the show the same anymore.

Is holding an open house at 5064 Fox Ridge Road in Hunting Hills from 2 to 4 - http://ping.fm/pb3dE Stop by!

is trying a new service to be able to update status on all social networks with http://www.ping.fm . We shall see how it works