Can You Understand me?

Pick up the papers, turn on the news, watch your neighbors... it’s a strange, sad world at times. A lot of hurting people are running around hurting other people.

I have to tell you that this shooting at this Amish school in Pennsylvania, really got to me. It is not just this shooting. There are tons of stories of shootings, and molestations, abuses, abandonment’s, poor choices. All I have to do is say Columbine, Natalie Holloway, President Clinton, Charles Manson, Adam Walsh….There are plenty of examples of the truth, "Hurting People Hurt People."

If you don’t believe me pick up the paper, turn on the six o’clock news…Hurting people, hurt people. And there is no shortage of hurting people, or evidence to support that "sad truth."

What’s the Problem?

That is too big of a question to answer in a few hundred words. That answer is the reason I created the radio program, "Under Construction with Mr. Black," Saturdays 12-1pm CST on BizRadio 1360 am Dallas, or on LIVE streaming Audio at BizRadio.com. You can also hear replays of past shows on our web site at EmpowerU.net.

I want the Radio show to be a place where "thinkers, seekers, people who want to play big" can go to consider, ponder and discuss these issues to make a difference. To leave this world a "bit better" than the way we found it.

I believe part of the problem is we don’t take time to become aware of just how unaware we are in our lives. We look but we don’t see, we touch but we don’t feel and we hear, but most of us…we don’t listen well. We are totally unaware of things going on around us.

One of the things that we are unaware of is other people’s needs, hurts and the opportunities we have to lighten their burden. As leaders we are in the people building business. How are you doing…today, with building your people?

... Click here to read the whole article. Also, see today's Action Plan for more.

It's easy to become overwhelmed if we focus on the negative news of events in the world. Everywhere we look, it seems, we can find examples of extreme problems that exist because of lack of understanding.

That's the reason Empower U CEO, Scott V. Black created the radio program, "Under Construction with Mr. Black," Saturdays 12-1pm CST on BizRadio 1360 am Dallas, or on LIVE streaming Audio at BizRadio.com. You'll also find replays of past shows on our web site at EmpowerU.net.

As a thinker, seeker, or someone who wants to play big in the world, "Under Construction with Mr. Black is a place you can go to consider, ponder and discuss these issues to make a difference. This is a place where you can go to be part of the solution; to be among those people who leave this world a "bit better" than the way you found it.

Volunteering at the dining room helped me break down some barriers I had regarding the homeless and destitute. Up until now it was very easy for me to ignore these people and think negatively towards them. I would think that they brought this upon themselves or that they were lazy. I have driven past the dining room on numerous occasions and never really gave it much thought. With my new outlook on life that has been fostered through the Leadership Awakening experience I now realize that each person is a gift and should be cherished as such. No person is any better than anyone else. I have been very fortunate and blessed in my life and I never want to forget that fact or take it for granted. I am committed to giving back and helping others. This can happen in small things like my effort today of helping to prepare and serve food to the needy. I hope that when I looked a guest in the eye today and smiled or said hello that that made just a little bit of a difference in that persons life. During the serving of the meals I reflected on my own life and again was very thankful for what I have. I got a great feeling of joy in being able to help others. I am very thankful for the staff at St. Vincent De Paul for the work they do and the other volunteers who take time to give back and help someone.

Givers get. I really felt a sense of fulfillment in helping others and seeing first hand how the dining room operates and performs the vital function of feeding many people in need. I recognized one of the other volunteers as a member of my church. I had only casually said hello to him in the past and did not know his name. Now I know his name and had the opportunity to get to know him better and we’ll always have this common experience together. As such this will help our church community to grow because two parishioners got know each other just a little bit better. Also, I found out that another of the volunteers was the daughter of one of my clients. We prepared the bread for the meal together and helped serve the food together. I’ll now have a good story to share with my client about the experience and meeting her daughter there. This should enable me to better connect with my client and I have greater respect for her because I came to learn that she also volunteers there quite often. I admire that she does this and that she instilled this on her daughter as well.

I got to the dining room at 9:00AM and was given a tour of the facility and got right to work by helping prepare the bread for the meal by laying it out in big trays. The menu for the day was hamburgers, french fries, salad, and dessert. When it was time to serve the food I first helped by putting desserts on the trays and then later by serving the salad. The food was served from 10:45 to 11:45. There was a quick break where the volunteers got to sit down and eat. Food serving resumed from 12:00 until 12:45. Most everyone pitched in by cleaning up and I was done by a little bit after 1:00.

I was also impressed by the great teamwork exhibited by the volunteers. Most everyone else there had volunteered on a regular basis. They all had a great attitude and were very friendly with each other. They all made me feel very welcome and at ease. We said a prayer together before the dining room was opened up to the guests. It was great to see people coming together as a team to do such a great thing. I was very thankful for the efforts of these volunteers because the place could not exist without them. I like to think that my efforts meant something to them. If I had not been there today others would have had to work harder to get the things done that I performed.

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