Welcome to my weekly Operation Melt update where I share progress updates from my continued fitness journey and the important lessons it is teaching me about life.
Financial Generosity
In my life, I have consumed many meals made possible by public assistance and had at least one food bank provided Christmas dinner. I went to public school and had free lunches for many years of my life. I spent time in neighborhood community centers as a kid as a form of child care and education. I have also huddled around a kerosene heater in the winter when the gas or electricity was turned off.
These experiences, and many more, have taught me the value that nonprofit organizations can provide.
As I have aged and as my wife, Liz, got deeply involved in nonprofit management, I have also learned that individual generosity and support are a big part of what keeps these organizations afloat.
I am an advocate for financial generosity for charitable giving and beyond. For example, as a friend of many people in the service industry, I know how important it is to tip generously for good service. People depend on this money to meet their needs.
But my fitness journey has taught me how important it is to give generously in ways that aren’t financial too.
Going Public
Three years ago this week I posted the following message on Facebook.
This marked the first time that I went public with my fitness journey. The response and messages of support were phenomenal and still very much appreciated. But it marked another evolution in my journey too.
At the point I went public I was down twenty-five pounds and was really starting to visibly show my progress. People were noticing and quietly wondering how I was doing it. Then, when I went public, I opened the door for them to ask me questions and talk to me about my journey.
Once the door was opened to talking to me about my weight loss, lots of people did so. People wanted to talk about my approach, they wanted to talk about their own weight loss goals, they wanted to share their stories and they wanted advice. I started becoming a resource for people and was helping them achieve their goals. Which ultimately helped keep me motivated too.
I started giving very generously to people. I was giving my time. I was giving my knowledge. I was giving my vulnerability and transparency about my experiences. This led me to launch OperationMelt.com and ultimately to write my book to help people.
Giving Generously Every Day
I received a message from somebody who was a frequent reader of my blog and the told me “you don’t know how much you are helping people.” This is because the people who are getting the most value out of your generous giving may not always tell you about it. Your generosity is making an impact, it would be missed if it were gone but you don’t know.
The solution is to give generously every day without expecting to get anything, even confirmation or validation, in return.
In a 2019 Reflections on Leadership post, I talked about why I share so much content. There are many reasons I share, but the biggest one is because I want to help people.
I know there are people reading (yes, I look at the metrics) and I know I am helping. In my writing, my posts, my mentoring and my storytelling, I am always looking for new ways to add value to people.
How can you give generously?
Did you recently read an article that you found beneficial? Share it with people on social media or email it to a friend.
Did you find something inspirational online? Share it.
Has somebody asked you to be a mentor? Do it, give them your time and knowledge.
Do you have feedback for how somebody can improve? Ask their permission and tell them.
Do you have a story to tell? Tell it!
I want to hear from you!
I’d love to hear your thoughts on today’s post, your goals or anything else on your mind. Send me a note via my Contact Me form above, on Facebook, on LinkedIn or via Instagram.
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Learn more about how I used project management as a tool for success in my weight loss journey? Pick up your copy of my book Operation Melt: How I Used Life-Changing Project Management to Lose Over 100 Pounds In Under a Year.
About Operation Melt
Operation Melt started as a blog to share my personal transformation and weight loss story. After achieving success with that goal, Operation Melt has evolved into a platform that to help inspire, motivate and equip people to achieve their own personal and professional goals so they can live their best lives. My vision is to build a world where no goal ever dies of loneliness.
