Amazon Loves Me

     I think Amazon is beginning to like me.  It's just that they make it so easy to send people gifts.  A few clicks and it's done!

     After spending time with a new client earlier this week, I came home and needed to send the CEO an e-mail with some requested information.  I was getting ready to send him a few links to materials that I thought he would find useful when I realized that it would be far more helpful to actually have the books sent to him.  So I went online and in a matter of minutes 3 great books were on their way to home.  

     I've mentioned before that this is one of my more favorite things to do.  When I find a book that I think is particularly valuable, I love to have a copy sent to people that I think would really enjoy it and/or benefit from it.  It's not overly expensive to do, is simple (thanks to Amazon), and is so much appreciated by the recipient.

Amazon Again

     I love Amazon!  Not only have they made it so easy to buy virtually anything, but they've made it so fast and easy to send gifts to people.  One of my very favorite things is to share books that I find either inspirational, fascinating, or enlightening in some important way.  Recently, one of my consulting clients recommended one of his own favorite books.  While I was on an airplane today, I finally got the chance to dive into it.  It was truly fascinating and I immediately began thinking of all the people I know who would really enjoy reading it.  Within hours of landing, I had gone to Amazon and had sent the book to one of those people as a gift.  I know he'll love it.

     Some people lament this age of "instant gratification" where people expect whatever they want immediately.  I get that.  On the other hand, I like to work with a sense of urgency.  If I get a good idea, I want to move on it right away. (My own book took me only 6 weeks to write partly because I didn't have the patience to wait!).  I think it's mostly a good thing to have a sense of urgency.  And Amazon makes it easier than ever for me to operate that way.

Restricted by Sandy

     As virtually everyone knows by now, nearly the entire east coast has been battered by the hurricane/tropical storm Sandy for the past 24 hours and it's still going on as I write this.  Thankfully we've been totally safe and still have our power, unlike so many others.  Needless to say, it was a day spent inside, though at least it was with good friends.  With little to no chance to interact with the outside world other than through the internet, it seemed like a good day to send a book to someone.

     The other night I was with a fellow business person and I was telling him about a book that I thought he'd enjoy and get some value from.  As is typically the case, we sometimes intend to read books we hear about but then don't get around to picking them up.  Today I decided to send this person the book I had recommended to him.  Thankfully, Amazon makes this easier than ever.  He should have it by next week and I'm sure he'll appreciate its wisdom.

A Useful Book

     One of my favorite things to do is to share a great book with someone who I know will really benefit from it.  Of course, Amazon makes this easier than it's ever been.  Rather than simply recommending a book to someone, I can just have it sent to them as a gift.  Tonight, I did just that.  

     I was thinking about one of my favorite business books, one that I have mentioned a couple of times to a person I know.  I realize that when someone tells me about a book, I don't always get it right away.  I figured that if I sent it to him as a gift, he'd be more likely to read it, and as a result, to get the benefit from it sooner.

     While this might be slightly off topic, it's on my mind so I'll write about it and tie it back to kindness:  One of my shortcomings (along with millions of other people), is that I get too wrapped up in professional teams that I root for.  I say "too wrapped up" because I realize, intellectually, that to allow the performance of some people, who I don't even know, to affect my mood or state of mind is completely inane.  And yet, it still happens far too often.  When my team is playing well, I feel great, and when they're not, I get frustrated and annoyed.  I've learned to manage this process to where I can keep the feeling of annoyance down to a matter of hours instead of days, but it's still pretty silly.

     One of the things that I've also realized is that when we feel bad, whether it's because of something stupid like a sports team or it's for some other reason, one of the best things to do is to focus on helping and being kind to others.  This seems to take the focus away from my own pity party and enables me to put things in perspective.  I suppose it's why being kind to others is always high on the list of actions that the happiest people all seem to do.

     

A Book for a Friend

     This morning, I had breakfast with a friend I hadn't seen in more than a year.  He's a person I admire and respect a great deal, and we see each other far too infrequently.  As is usually the case with him, we had some great conversation.  At one point in the exchange, I mentioned a book that I thought had some real insight pertinent to his situation.  He asked me if I would e-mail him with the name of the book so he could check it out.

     As soon as I got home, I took care of it, but better than that, I went to Amazon and ordered the book sent to his house as a gift.  So often I find that we never quite get around to buying (or borrowing) that book we heard about and intended to read, as we get busy and distracted with life's daily tasks.  However, when it shows up on our doorstep, we're much more likely to pick it up and dive in.  Recognizing this, I particularly enjoy sending books to people that I know they will benefit from.  Today was one of those days.

A Thank You Book

     One of my favorite gifts to send people is a book, especially when I have a book that I know a particular person will really enjoy or get value from.  Sometimes I like to do this anonymously, but other times I send it with a personal note when it relates to a particular conversation we may have had.  Today's act of kindness fit into the latter category.

     I was staying with a friend of mine recently and we had many conversations about his business.  I mentioned to him a specific book that I knew would be perfect for him.  Though he might eventually get around to checking it out, I figured it would be faster for me to just buy him a copy and send it to him (or order through Amazon).  I ordered it today and had it shipped with a note so that he'll have it next week.

     Gifts like these really let people know that you're thinking about them because they're so targeted to a specific need or conversation.  I know my friend will love this book, so I'm eager for him to read it.

An Anonymous Gift

     There are lots of good books I've read over the years and it's always fun to compare notes with people about some of their favorites, particularly the ones that have been most influential for them.  When I find a book that I especially like, it's fun to give it to people as a personal gift.  Today I decided to send one to someone anonymously.

     The book I chose to send this time is a great book that was written back in 1995 by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen (the Chicken Soup for the Soul guys).  Through lots of inspiring stories, the authors explore the power of asking for what we want in life.  They examine some of the reasons we typically don't ask, and provide plenty of ideas for overcoming this tendency.  It really is an amazingly simple, yet powerful concept.  I'd highly recommend it for anyone.

     Anyway, I ordered a copy of the book on Amazon and had it sent as a gift to someone I know.  I included a note saying that it was a gift from an anonymous friend, and I also added the line, "What can you do to make someone else's day today?" (That's my pay-it-forward reminder).  The person I sent it to is someone I only know very casually and will likely have absolutely no clue who the anonymous friend is.

     As usual with these types of acts of kindness, I'll likely never know how she reacted, but I have faith that she'll be positively affected by the book itself as well as the anonymous gesture; and hopefully she'll pay that kindness forward into the world.