I am sure that every manager, business owner, entrepreneur, net-worker, team builder, religious leader, non-profit director… has faced the issue of loyalty at some point or other.

Loyalty is the end-goal of a well-traveled mountain path littered by barriers and detours.

I’m just sounding off on the topic, as I ponder on this after 2 years of developing and overseeing the growth of a non-profit. The core program of the non-profit is to provide community relief in the sector of housing counseling; with ancillary programs of youth development, community education, and food drives.

The initial mission was targeted towards youth development, but as the housing crisis blossomed the need for housing counseling services grew. Without a fund raising portal to hold the foundation together, the need to create a work program around the counseling service was identified.

We brought in the first core of close acquaintances and taught them in the areas of marketing, team building and housing counseling. Providing countless hours of training via website information, conference calls, quarterly training and many selfless one on one session.

Many people came through the unseen doors of The Helpful Hands Foundation receiving more than they ever gave. Some were in foreclosure and learned key points on home preservation and lender requirements. Many were at the doors of court houses and were empowered with hope; armed with confidence and knowledge they were able to talk to judges and attorneys and restore home ownership.

In a period of two years over 1,000 people were saved from foreclosure.

In those same two years we watched over 600 people come into the housing counseling work program of the non profit and… we watched them leave. People were paid on commission. What ever money came in for services was all disbursed back to the counselors. Incentive was built into the same commission so that managers can rise and build teams and get compensated for helping the non profit grow and train more counselors. This effort would maximize the community outreach.

Today The Helpful Hands nonprofit organization survives on hope, the income generated barely covers the office and overhead.

What pains me is that those that have been brought into the inner circle claim to want to help… but money is their boss. Not loyalty to a cause.

The Cause at The Helpful Hands Foundation: Helping People. The motto: “helping one hand at a time”
How do we help? Through service.

Many say they will support you … but that support comes when they pay their bills. Does your opportunity help fill other peoples pocket?

Is your organization filling a need? What kind of need? Does it create jobs? Does it fill an emotional need? Does it educate others?

I still find myself with the initial question, how does a non profit create loyalty when income margin is based on volume? People helping people. What a novelty: people helping people!!?

Why would anyone want to join a non profit and help it grow (or church, company, team etc)?

Again, I find myself at the mercy of God defining my mission as one that serves the many. Reminding myself that if I share my knowledge, my love, my compassion then in His wisdom I will be blessed.

If you are a leader and believe in your company, if you believe in its mission statement, if you believe in touching peoples lives… then let that define you. Become the best at your trade whether it be leadership, recruiter, trainer, manager.

If you are a leader and believe in the money your position can attract. Then let that define you and follow the money.

Don’t stay in a company where you will not be fulfilled (whether you are the founder or a manager).

If you are a hiring manager, recruiter or trainer (church leader, business owner etc)- remember you are influencing the make-up of the organization by the people you bring and train; and it is a privilege to be a mentor to someone. The opportunity of interaction and giving to another human being is priceless.

I have learned that many people place ZERO value on knowledge that is given freely or even emotional goodwill they receive from a kindred spirit. If they don’t see it with their eyes, if they can’t touch the results with their hands you just haven’t done enough for them.

I have been a trainer for over 25 years and I’ve embraced with much pain the lesson from the above sentence and practice the Catch and Release philosophy.

Many walked through doors of The Helpful Hands Foundation and this has allowed me to be on many Catch and Release expeditions; in these expeditions some were saved from foreclosure, others were hungry and were fed, and I’m not talking just about food… I’m talking about knowledge. Knowledge that now is theirs to grow and share with others.

The Helpful Hands Foundation the non profit that changes peoples lives.

Perhaps one day we will find a few good people that will help it grow.

Your actions will soon DEFINE… YOU.

Nothing is… impossible! I’m-possible!!

All that is possible has the ability of Realization; has the ability of being conceived. In the realm of what is possible things can manifest according to nature. I ponder on the nature of man… if collectively we are infinite beings then our nature is infinite and therefore our possibilities are endless!

Moving into the realm of what is possible we must embrace courage. Courage is about making those moment to moment decisions that carve our true path.

It takes a lot of courage to move from inaction to action. It takes a lot of courage from doubting ourself to trusting in the gentle nudges of our soul.

It is through the eyes of courage that we can look back and acknowledge the incredible life that we have carved for ourselves… seeing it with the eyes of truth and acceptance. It takes courage to identify and stay on our own true path.

Courage is seen in those little acts we make on a daily basis; it is those little yet apparently insignificant acts that take us closer to who we really are and what our mission truly is. Every day we are presented with choices about how to act and respond, what to say and do; constantly we are pulled in a myriad of directions by many people yet courage moves us onto our path with every choice we make.

Embrace the possibilities of what our life has to offer, it’s not always going to be easy. Making a change or taking a risk….can create moments of apprehension, agonizing self doubt and fear. If we allow it, fear has the potential to stop us in our tracks.

Courage is about moving through fear, even if our knees are knocking and we have a pit in our stomach. The opposite of courage isn’t fear…it’s inaction. Courage is about acting from our heart even in the face of fear.

The world needs our talents for building bridges, listening and providing collaborative solutions.

Courage is already inside of us… lying dormant waiting for us to embrace the possibilities of an amazing life. Think back to all the difficult choices you’ve made because you knew deep inside they were important to you.

Seek out the resources that will strengthen your courage. Embrace your courage, feel it stir deep within you and be empowered. And when you are…. believe me… you will empower others and contribute to the world making it a better place.

Daisy Says: Recognize your courage. Own it. Use it. And share it with others.

It does not seize to surprise me when people demand so much out of life and yet they themselves fail to give back to life what it demands of them. There are those individuals in my quiet observation that just can’t go by their day without complaining about something wrong with everything in their world but themselves… they are doing everything right (from eating right, exercising, sharing goodwill, going above and beyond their job description at work, being a good son/daughter – father-mother-wife-husband, giving back to their community) — I mean… gosh if you talk to them … you would assume you are talking to the most perfect human being on earth!

Yet, when you have the opportunity to REALLY enter into their space – they have bad eating habits, they lack discipline, their homes a mess, their relationships are lacking, they have poor work ethics, they gossip as they walk out of their religious house, their cars a mess and even their pets are ungroomed — and on and on.

I’m not much of a theosophist yet I have enjoyed the many parables found in the Good Book. A particular story of interest is in Luke 12:36-48, where Jesus tells a parable of servants who are waiting for their master’s return. Many lessons have been drawn from this parable; the lesson I extract from this reading is that those endowed with a gift – be it artistic, intellectual or circumstantial – should cultivate that gift and use it as a vehicle for excellence in life.

Many may confuse the parable to refer to those that are given much financial awards… while financial success is the world’s yardstick, it must not become ours.

Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.

‘God doesn’t give us more than we can handle’ – often used when people are suffering, yet this can be applied to: spiritual blessings, material possessions, and our personal characteristics. Within our core being we should strive for excellence… to Give more than is expected, to BE more than is expected, to LOVE more than is expected – You are the gift… do not be an unopened gift box.

Dig deep within yourself today and find out what areas of YOU that you keep hidden and ask yourself WHY?
Why not share that part of you, why have you not given more? Are you simply afraid that MORE will be expected… and you JUST want to get by? Don’t expect others to give your their best! and Don’t expect the world to give you its best. Before you open your mouth to spew your negative web… gauge your words and see if you yourself measure up.

Am I perfect? HEck no! I share this with you because, striving to be a better human is not easy…it is an EVERY DAY event… as well as a worthwhile cause.

If you are not getting more out of life and your relationships ask yourself why, and before you put the blame on anything outside of you seek within and weed your garden first.

Daisy Says: Share the BEST of yourself with the world..

What compels me to move onward?

WHEN OTHERS THROW STICKS AT MY FEET
AND PLACE ROAD BLOCKS AHEAD

What moves me to take another step forward?

WHEN EVEN MY PEERS AND MY COUNTRYMEN
JEER AND DOUBT ME

Why do I continue?

THE ANSWER IS QUITE SIMPLE… DO UNTO OTHERS AS YOU WANT DONE UNTO YOU

NOT A CASH HAND-OUT WOULD I ASK FOR, BUT

A KIND EAR TO HEAR MY PAIN AND MY JOY
SHELTER OVER MY HEAD IF I’M OUT IN THE STORM
WATER TO QUENCH MY THIRST

BUT MOST OF ALL IF YOU SEE THE FLICKERING LIGHT AHEAD IN THE
LONG DARK TUNNEL OF THE JOURNEY WE CALL LIFE

THE KIND GESTURE OF A HELPFUL HAND

TO POINT ME IN THE DIRECTION OF THE PATH…

AS LONG AS THE LIGHT KEEPS SHINING BRIGHT BEFORE ME
I WILL FIND THE COURAGE TO WALK
AND DEAL WITH THE CHALLENGES PRESENTED TO ME

FOR IN YOUR KIND GESTURE I HAVE FOUND HOPE AND PEACE IN THE HEART OF HUMANITY.
(Daisy Raisler)

Daisy Says: A kind gesture can fuel inspiration.

Halloween 2009 …and I look back fondly at the pictures.

My little Geordan is not so little… we didn’t even carve a pumpkin this year.

We had a delightful weekend with Zach who came to spend the Halloween with us; he grew up too! I remember previous Halloweens Zach would come over with his dad Lee and we’d all pile in the car — drive to a pumpkin patch and have the boys pick a pumpkin each.. then we’d carve it with the boys.

This year Zach was so sweet to come up to central Florida and spend it with us… I had prior plans to do some community work up at Lake Mary with Rosezetta — we had already registered a booth to give out candies at their annual Spooktakular event. We had over 700 kids stop by our booth…right up to the last minute… we were able to give out all our treats!

Rosezetta and I decided to celebrate our Goodwill and stopped at Chilis for a little R&R …we thought the patrons would enjoy us in our costumes and it was quite delightful laughing and smiling with total strangers.

While at the home front Geordan was having a blast with his friends, this year he had his friends come over he had a party of his own.

Daisy Says: Treasure every minute for the dynamic eternity in it; that eternity is the memory that will for ever remain in your mind and your heart.