How do you define SUCCESS?

Good Morning Miss Jenny!  I made it!  Yes mam, I sure did! I am sooo glad to be here today too! I am sorry I am running late, but I had to run an errand with Cousin Mary this morning to the thrift store to look for more props.  I just couldn't wait to get here, though.  Yes mam, I know I told ya I may not be able to make on account of cousin Mary looking for a job, but guess what she's got one, and I might still be able to make it to class!  Ain't that great?

Yes Mam!  She sure did!  Do you remember last week when I told you about an opportunity that she wanted to do that was risky and you thought that was my "R" word?  Then I told you no mam, that ain't my "R" word that Retail Therapy was my "R" word and..What?  Oh yes mam, I'll stick to the point.  Okay, so my point here is that crazy old cousin of mine went for the Risky job.  She decided this was the right time in her life to just go for it! 

 Mam?  Well yes mam, I'm gonna tell ya, gosh, gimme a minute here will ya? No mam, I ain't being sassy..huh uh, no, not me, I'm just so excited!  She is going to sell custom engraved jewelry and embroidered gifts through a home party sales company called Initial Outfitters!  She even gets to make sales online with her own website, for those people she can't travel that far to have parties for.

Yes Mam, she said I can just call her an outfitter now!  I said, what's that?  She said somebody who helps others choose personalized accessories to wear and then sells it to them.  I said,  oh I get it, but I really didn't. Then she just laughed and said, it's the same as an independent sales consultant silly!  Then she said let me just show you a few things I am going to be selling.

I'm gonna sell custom engraved jewelry like this.

And, I can sell embroidered accessories like these!

I said, Wow!  That's purty stuff, cousin Mary!  I love it!  I think your business is gonna go well, then you will be a BIG SUCCESS!  Well, I thought for sure cousin Mary was gonna kiss me, but she didn't!  She just looked at me and shook her head.  She said, You sure gotta a lot to learn girl!  Let me tell you what being successful is.  Successful is all about your attitude, what's deep inside of you. 

Success is when you got a heart of humility that ain't (I mean she said isn't) afraid to help others out when you've got the resources to do it!  She said, one thing she loves about this company that she is going to sell products for is they know about giving back.

She said, they help support a ministry called Charlies Lunch.   Cousin Mary said, for every lunchbox and cookbook she sells, her business is gonna donate the proceeds to help feed hungry children all around the world.

 She said, and that's not all, I can even collect straight money donations to turn in or let my customers round up there purchases to help out because even that little bit of money will feed lots of hungry children.   She said, it sure makes her proud to be working for a company again that understands about giving back.

Then she said, there's all sorts of ways people can help out others and each of us should look deep in our hearts to figure out how we can help another.

  She said, take shopping at Goodwill for example.  They are helping out many!  Lots of folks get to shop there and that money really does go far.  I said, maybe, but what about those people that complain about them getting too expensive then the poor people can't shop there anymore.  She said, it takes money honey to make world go round!  I said, What?  She said, they are trying to stay low but they've got to pay people to work for them and they do hire people that might not be able to work other places and help provide education for them too.  They help out in ways most of us don't even know about.  Besides, you know good and well, most of us find plenty of bargains through that business, and can well afford it.   Every purchase we make is helping another in some way, it all goes around.  I said, okay I see, but I really didn't get exactly what she was talking about.  Then she said, come on hop in the car, let's go hunting for some props.

So we drove to this store here!  I said, cousin Mary what kinda props are you gonna find in here!  She said, you just stick with me child and you'll learn quite a bit.  I want to show you this store.

She said, there's bound to be something here I can use.  I said, Cousin Mary!  But before I could say another word, she said, let me tell you about this store.  It sells donated items where all the proceeds go back to help another charity called, Good Works.  Good Works helps those who are really needy to make repairs and fix up their homes that are literally falling apart.  They started that charity and right away started collecting items to help do the repairs and the work on homes.

  Before you knew it there was so many people donating and so many things coming in that the donations were all over the main building.  Eventually, the folks over at Good Works realized that God was giving them so much and there was another way they could continue to give back, so this store was opened.  I told cousin Mary, oh I get it, it's for the poor people only then.  I thought cousin Mary was going to loose her head.  She said, NO Mam!  It's for anyone!  You just don't get it do ya girl?  Of course you are gonna have poor people shop here, but why in the world would you cut off one hand that could help the other, when you don't have too?

  If this business was only for the poor people it may not last, or make nearly as much money.  But if you let others in they will keep popping by and keep helping out by buying things, and then that money continues to help out too!  It all counts! 

 Then she said, there is always a way to help another when you have a spirit of humility.  Mam? No mam!  My "S" word is not spirit, I told you it was SUCCESS didn't I?  Well, I thought I did!  Yes Mam, I'm wrapping it up here, I promise, right now.  Cousin Mary said, SUCCESS is when you keep a sense of gratitude for all that you have and a spirit of humility about all those things that got you there along the way.  Now that, little girl, it what I call a BIG SUCCESS! 

Then cousin Mary smiled at me and said, come on get back in the car, we've got to get you on to class for Alphabet Thursday.

So there's my homework Miss Jenny, and I hope I get to see you next week too, because it looks like Cousin Mary is going to be able to do her work around helping me and others out too.  Isn't that great news?

I sure think so!

Hope you have a great day!

"Little Missy"