Comments on: What You Don’t Do Doesn’t Matter

By: Isabelle Bouchard

Isabelle Bouchard — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 01:23:31 +0000

Finally someone who dares to write this out. We all do it. We reason and justify everything and every thought. Thank you for this active reminder to take action. People remember and appreciate kind gestures.

By: Brenton Gieser

Brenton Gieser — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 17:46:00 +0000

I love the simple reminder that intention and thoughts don’t mean much with action behind them. Thanks Chris!

By: Michael Dundas

Michael Dundas — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 11:06:53 +0000

Simple and great post! And so true. I don’t do new years resolutions, but I have been working this personally for the last few months. Not that I was bad at it before, but I found that people that I truly respect all were better at this than I was. If they think like me, then to keep their respect, I need to do the same.
-mike.

By: Mark Harai

Mark Harai — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 14:12:01 +0000

Great message Chris – thank you for motivating me to get busy with some things I’ve been thinking about for far too long!

By: Wyman

Wyman — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 03:12:12 +0000

Great thought provoking post, Chris,

I think of all the businesses that don’t call you back. Maybe why many of them fail.

You can’t do everything, but you can do a few things for others in every area of your life.

Our reputation is based largely on our promise to follow though. Under promise and over deliver.

I spent years as a scout leader. I tried to instill in the boys that “do a good turn daily” was not just something to repeat.

By: Tyler McCann

Tyler McCann — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 20:29:48 +0000

Chris, this is such a simple short article but it is so powerful. Shortly after reading this I heeded its advice and started becoming more active in my service clubs and offering my assistance. Even when I had a crummy day, helping others (instead of merely thinking about it) had a tremendous impact on improving my outlook.

By: Don Holkum

Don Holkum — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 18:40:03 +0000

Addendum: At the very least all of those ‘un-realized’ thoughts resulted in your posting here. Guaging by replies, those thoughts and this post proved to be very effective.

By: Brooke Ferguson

Brooke Ferguson — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 03:00:53 +0000

Ya, I do this all the time, too. On the flip-side, if I did every act I thought about doing for people, I would have absolutely no time for anything in my life. One of the things I’m learning now is to not worry about giving people stuff or sending them things, but to just be very present in their company. Most people, I’m finding, would rather be heard and appreciated… and that is a gift we can give daily, and freely.

By: Trackback from Jon Sampson

Trackback from Jon Sampson — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 01:36:26 +0000

[...] “Every day I think all kinds of nice things about people, and maybe 5% of them make the transition into something I actually do. Thinking about someone doesn’t help them. It’s only when our thoughts translate into actions that we reach out of ourselves and impact the life of another.” [...]

By: Julie

Julie — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 22:04:15 +0000

Can’t tell you how many times I made the same speech to my soon to be ex-husband. Thinking about telling me something important doesn’t get it on my calendar. Musing about appreciation isn’t the same as actually communicating it (I prefer heartfelt words spoken with eye contact to flowers any day.) One-sided discussions that take place entirely in his head are not helpful to the relationship, no matter how well he might have anticipated my response.