Throughout this political season I’ve been watching with interest the emails I’ve been receiving. I’m still on the mailing lists of some of the politicians I supported when we still lived in Wisconsin. The techniques they use to get you to open an email or to read through it are fascinating. They attempt to make it personal.

One of the things they do is send an email “from” someone who only uses a first name. For instance, they’ll send you an email from “John.” It makes you want to open it. Then when you do, the email opens with “Hi, Tom…” or “I’ve been thinking, Tom…”

That’s all well and good until you keep reading and discover, of course, that they know nothing about you. It was all just a “come on” to get you to read the email. Then they hope you’ll click on the link that sends you to a site where you can make a donation to the candidate.

All their emails were wasted on me. First of all, I don’t live in Wisconsin anymore. Secondly, I’m not making donations to any candidates this election season. Finally, their faux friendliness was just that: faux. It wasn’t really personal.

We live in a technological, social media world that presents a kind of false dichotomy. It has brought us closer to people all over the world, or even across the street. On the other hand, we are often hidden behind our computer screens.

We’ve got to be even more intentional today to be sure that we reach people with a genuine human touch. We’ve got to be more intentionally personal.

So before you post on Facebook, send an email, or tweet at somebody:

• Think about the person on the other side of the screen
• Write something specific to that person
• Don’t send emails to people who haven’t given you permission
• Engage in a real conversation
• Ask for feedback
• Give away valuable content

As a personal thank you for reading this post, I’m going to send a free copy of my book: Fully and Creatively Alive to the first three people who email their address to eggebrecht.tom@gmail.com. If you don’t reply in time to get one of the free books, I would be most grateful if you check out the Amazon page for the book and consider acquiring your own copy.

In the mean time, I’ll be here every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday providing content on this blog that I hope is helpful and valuable to you. 

And, I hope, personal, too.

How do you keep things from becoming impersonal and anonymous online?

You don’t realize how important sleep is until you find yourself deprived of it. Last night I got one hour of sleep. I laid awake all night. You know how it is. You lie there thinking that any moment sleep will take you over and you find yourself in dream land. But it didn’t happen for me. The first time I looked at the clock it was 3:08. The next time I looked it was 4:22. I almost got up, but thought it would defeat the purpose of ever getting to sleep at all.

In retrospect I probably should have wandered around the house. Eventually I fell asleep at around 5:00 a.m. My wife’s alarm went off at 5:55. Since one of our cars is in the shop I had to take her to work. So there was no making up at least another hour or two of that precious unconsciousness. I had to get out of bed with only about an hour of zzz’s.

Sleep deprivation is not fun. I found myself more cranky throughout the day. My attentiveness was less than sharp. My mind wandered often. I daydreamed of what it would be like when I would get to crawl back into bed and make up for that precious lost sleep. And, of course, this happened to be on a day that I had an evening meeting. Thankfully I made it through OK.

But here’s why you should skip a night’s sleep every now and then:

1. It makes you appreciate what a gift a decent night’s shuteye really is. There’s good reason we’ve been given this gift by our Creator. It’s a natural way of reviving both our body and our spirit.
2. It gives you reason to research ways to get better, more consistent nightly rest. I found this article about gadgets that’ll help that very process.
3. It makes you sympathize with people who have a consistent problem with insomnia. I don’t know how people survive without consistent nightly rest. If you are one of those people, please know that I pray for you.

I’m sorry this is such a short post, but I’ve got to get to bed. Here’s hoping for a better night’s sleep and for sharper, more awake and aware Tom tomorrow.

How do you cope when you have insomnia?

I went to one of those banquets tonight where they give out awards. The organization that hosted it does this on an annual basis. They give awards for humanitarianism, unity, and service to the community. The people that received the awards were all certainly worthy. They exemplified the reasons for which the awards were given.

Sitting there watching the ceremony and listening to speeches being spoken gave me an idea. What would it be like if we all had the opportunity to hold a banquet and give out personal trophies to people in our lives? Which people would most deserve it?

I’d give:

• My wife the Undying Support Award for standing with, in front of, and behind me through thick and thin, night and day, year in and year out, no matter what.
• My dad the Father of Creativity Award for bestowing upon our family a love of the arts and all things creative…especially theatre.
• My mom the Bookworm Award for being the one who’s always reading, recommending, and purchasing the perfect books as gifts for the people in our family.
• Our daughter the First One to Give Us a Grandchild Award, coming sometime around early January.
• Our son the Living Out Your Creativity Award for being the only one in our family actually making somewhat of a living off of his art.
• My friend, John, the Friend Who Loves Me Despite My Faults Award for sticking with me no matter the years or miles that separate us.
• The people I work with the Give Until You Can’t Give Anymore Award for going well above and beyond the line of duty, even when it’s not noticed or appreciated, and sometimes even in the face of criticism
• My church’s leadership the Forward Thinking Award for being willing to plan, dream, and cast vision, all the while being helpful and supportive.

So many people in my life deserve awards. If I were monetarily rich I would give them their due. But in the mean time I’d simply like them to know just how much I appreciate them. I’d like them to know how much their love and support mean to me.

We weren’t meant to go through life alone. I’m so glad God has given me the people with whom I get to journey through this season and time.

What awards would give? To whom?

This week I saw a video that made me cry. That’s right, a few actual tears ran down my face. It’s a video of teachers saying “thanks” to certain students for making them want to get up and go to work in the morning. I’d love for you to watch that video, but make sure you have a couple of tissues ready. You can watch it here. Go ahead. Go watch it. I’ll be waiting right here when you come back.

Did you cry? As I finished watching that video I was wondering why a video of teachers saying thanks to students brought such emotion to the surface. Here’s what I came up with:

1. I was once a student and would have loved to have a teacher say thanks to me. Just a small, positive comment on my report card meant more than my teacher would ever know.
2. These students are at risk students. That reminded me of many of the students we used to serve at our church’s school in Milwaukee. They were great kids. Many of them were friends of our children. They came from difficult home settings. Yet their potential was nearly unlimited. It was so much fun to see them accomplish things they never thought they could. It was fun and fulfilling to encourage them.
3. I was a college professor for 13 years. Every time I taught a class there were students that I should have, could have, and sometimes actually did thank for being such an inspiration to me. I am still in contact with a couple of them and am always so excited to see where their lives are leading them.
4. The tides were turned. Usually it’s students thanking and honoring students. This time it was the other way around. The teachers were just as emotional as the kids. They really care for them.

My father, wife, and some very good friends are teachers. I know what it takes to be a teacher. Students that inspire you to get up and go to work in the morning are a blessing beyond words.

An unexpected word of thanks is a gift given to the recipient. 

With whom can you share such a word today?

You get one chance. You have to lay it all on the line. There’s no turning back. You’re given only one opportunity to shine. Have you ever been there?

We are once again in the midst of post-season baseball. The first two games are wild card games for each league, winner-take-all. If you win you move on. If you lose you go home. You play 162 games only to have your fate decided by one single game.

Have you ever been in a situation like that? You’ve worked hard on a presentation, but you only have one chance to share it. You’re training hard for a race and you have only one chance to beat your personal record. You’ve been studying all semester for one test that will open the door to your dreams.

What do you do when you have only one chance?

1. Rely on what you know. If you’ve put in the time and work there’s nothing more you can do. Rest on your preparation and use it as it comes in the moment.
2. Put it all on the line. What’s the use in leaving anything behind. When you have only one chance give it all you’ve got.
3. Don’t worry about tomorrow. As Jesus said, “tomorrow will have worries of its own.” Do what you can right now, while you can.
4. Stay calm and “within yourself.” It’s OK to be a little nervous. It adds to your energy and adrenaline. But if you let it get out of control it could be detrimental. A calm, but nervous energy could be just what you need to perform at a high level.
5. Enjoy it. There are only so many one-time chances you get in life. Instead of being nervous or worried, enjoy the moment. You may never be there again.

What advice would you give to someone who only has one chance?

It’s become kind of a cliché. Somebody asks: “How are you?” You respond by saying: “I’m doing fine. Things are pretty busy.” I tried to stop using that as a response years ago. Everyone’s busy. If you say that to people you’re really not saying anything. Everyone has plenty of things to do. In fact, everyone has the same amount of time in every day.

But someone told me recently that even if you don’t say it, or use it as a response in your small talk, being busy might just be a blessing. A friend of ours recently moved her father into an assisted living facility. She and her sister have done everything they can to make him comfortable and at ease in his new environs. Yet in a recent conversation, he said to his daughter:

Enjoy your life now. I wish I could still work and still have a busy life because that means you are needed and valued for all that you do.

So…how are you feeling now? I know you’ve got a lot to do. But doesn’t this little statement put it in perspective? If you’re busy, you have at least two things that bring purpose to your life. You are needed. And you have value.

If you are busy, you are needed.

• Someone needs what you have to give.
• Someone needs the effort you’re putting out.
• Someone needs your art.
• Someone needs the talents you have.
• Someone needs your care.
• Someone needs your compassion.
• Someone needs your empathy.
• Someone needs your thoughts.
• Someone needs your time.
• Someone needs you.

If you are busy, you are valued.

• Someone values your unique skills.
• Someone values what it is you are making.
• Someone values the extra effort you give.
• Someone values your words.
• Someone values what it is you’re thinking.
• Someone values your ideas.
• Someone values your time.
• Someone values you.

So just for today, take some time to appreciate your busyness. It means that you are needed and you are valued. You have something someone else needs.

You are a gift.

Give it to the world.

What does busyness mean to you?