Expert in the Rough, Brian Monahan

If you are at a loss on what you can do to impact the world, do not fret.

I have a very simple solution.

Share What You Know!

It does not matter how simple or silly the idea or need.  The world is just looking for somebody to share their wisdom.

Formalize it and turn it into a blog.

Here are some ideas:

• Teach someone how to change their motor oil.
• Teach someone how to set up a Gmail Account
• Teach someone how to use Google Reader
• Teach someone how to care for tomatoes
• Teach someone how to cook a crepe
• Teach someone how to write a Haiku
• Teach someone how to organize their files
• Teach someone how to care for a baby
• Teach someone how to train a dog

This quite simply is the easist way I know to make the world a better place.  Simply Share What You Know!

It’s been said music can take you places and for me music takes me back to places in my heart and mind.

I can being driving in my car and before you know it I am on a bus en route to the big wrestling match as the “Lunatic Fringe” blares on my radio.

“Benny and the Jets” and I am jumping on the couch in the living room with my sisters.  “Betty Davis Eyes” and I am in the back seat of my Dad’s car with my little brother he is only 2 and it”s one of his favorite songs.  White Snake and “Here I Go Again” hosting a party while my parents are away for the weekend.  “Yankee Rose “at Myrtle Beach on vacation with my buddy Craig. “Come Away With Me” and my wife and I are dancing our first dance.

Over the years I have felt like the songs were the catalyst for these good times but I now believe the songs are merely a marker or reference for a good memory.

My I-Pod has become a trip down memory lane but maybe, just maybe, all of this nostalgia is holding me back.

Maybe the access to the music from my past has made me lazy.  As my life moves on I have less and less songs that impact me.

I think the predominant factor in this development is, as I get older I take on less challenges and socialize less.  If I look back most of the musical memories revolve around people and experiences.

BOOM, BOOM POW! Time to start living again!

Happy Birthday to Me!

Last week I celebrated my 38th birthday.  My wife asked me what I wanted to do for my birthday.

I really love parties and entertaining, but I have become bored with the eat, talk and get fat format.  Instead  I suggested we host a “CornHole Tournament.” For those of you not from the Cincinnati area I assure you “CornHole” is not what you think.  CornHole is a fun bean bag toss game similar to horseshoes which supposedly originated in the Westside suburbs of Cincinnati.

Since I am 38  and too old for a traditional birthday party and I  did not want any presents, I decided to request my guests bring a can of corn to donate to the FreeStore Foodbank a local food pantry.  This worked out beautifully.  We collected 24 cans of Corn including one Sam’s Club size can of corn.

The success of my “CornRaiser” got me thinking about how easy it is to serve the world or community when you intertwine it with your everyday life.  In todays very hectic world sometimes the simplest of ideas are the best.

I challenge you to come up with a simple Fund Raiser to make a difference.

Here are a few to get started

• Cookie Buffet:  At work request co-workers bake a dozen cookies to bring into the “Cookie Buffet” those that bring cookies get free admission to the buffet and charge others a cover charge.  Donate the proceeds to a charity.
• Food Drive:  Put a large basket or bucket near the front desk of your office and collect can goods year round.
• White Elephant Silent Auction:  Request co-workers to donate an item of value that they just never use but maybe somebody else might find more useful.  Have the items on display for a week with bid sheets.  The money collected can be donated to a local charity.

These a just a few ideas, post your ideas and successes in the comments area.