Fonts

While no marketing expert, I am going out on a limb to say there is likely a great deal of study surrounding the use of fonts in advertising materials.  Have you ever picked up something to read only to struggle to read the script because of the font selection?  And notice how words are italicized, highlighted, and bolded to draw attention to those areas?  Even font size can make a big difference in how the materials are absorbed by the reader. 

A recent conversation at my office landed in the world of font selection, and interestingly we found that some people have strong opinions about fonts they do or don’t like.  And amazing to me, I learned that some people are quite satisfied always typing in the default font.  No offense to the creators of Calibri but I really dislike this font, so I’m not sure why anyone would choose this default font voluntarily.  But on the other extreme, I loathe fonts that are so squirrelly that it looks like hieroglyphics.  Apparently, I rest in the camp of those with judgmental thoughts about fonts.  And I’m not even apologetic about my stance.

Lots of psychology inventories use common-day associations to help people understand their personality types: colors, animals, the four elements.  What if we did the same with fonts?  Open a Word or Google document and it’s easy to find an almost unending list of font options.  Try writing everyday words like happy, angry, hot, and cold and find fonts that match your perception of the word.  Then, type your name.  Metaphorically consider two font choices: The font that you project to the world and the font that aligns with your internal compass.  Maybe they are the same font, or perhaps two different fonts are selected.  Are there metaphoric fonts you would prefer to be associated with?

We all make daily choices that market ourselves to the world.  The inventory taken about the way we market ourselves could be analogous to the font choice – style, size, bolding, italicizing – and how we are portraying our “self” message to the world.  If it appears that the readers in your world understand you, then likely your font choice and word selection are working for you.  However, in the moments that you feel misunderstood, first consider the words chosen.  If those words are accurate with your internal compass and you are still misunderstood, think about the ways in which you are conveying the message.  Life is full of plenty of font choices that can create nuisance to the words.  If life is a typewriter, then font choice is the power we have been given to construct the meaning within the message.

Changepoints:

Open writing software like Word or Google and type a simple message about yourself.  Pause and consider:

·       What type of messages do you tell yourself about who you are that are untrue?  Where do you have a harsh view of yourself or an overinflated perspective?

·        How do these messages get conveyed to those around you?

·        How can you challenge your false self-concepts so that you begin to align your personality font with your truer identity?

·        Who are the people in your life who you identify as being authentic?

o   How does their authenticity benefit you and those around them?

o   How can you assimilate these traits into your own practice?

Selecting a font on a computer is an act of aligning the tone with intention, and it is a good theory to utilize in our own lives.  

outSIGHTin, LLC: Creating awareness as a changepoint for improved organizational results.

Memes

Memes can be a creative communication tool.  These little pictures pack a powerful punch because they deliver a message with such clarity.  My coworker is the queen of memes and will send the best images to match the situation we are facing.  Usually, she addresses a challenging situation with memes that will us have gut-laughing.  It instantly diffuses the unpleasantries by shedding light in comical ways.  Often it is just a picture.  If any words are used, they are few. 

These little icons are so effective because they rely on imagination, shared understanding, and brevity.  Next time you pick up your phone, look around at the world of memes and find just how many exist.  And therein lies the rub: finding the right meme.  Sometimes it takes searching many phrases until the right imagery pops up.  To make the meme work, however, requires that is conveys an accurate message.  Therefore, rarely will the sender just use a random meme.  An art and science were used to find the perfect image.

When communicating something that could evoke stress, misunderstanding, or tension, consider the process of developing a meme.  Memes work because they first think about the topic at hand and then winnow it down to an image that captures the concept.  They also work because the recipient is in mind when capturing the icon.  Lastly, it rests on the philosophy of simplicity and directness to communicate.  By using a shared understanding of the topic being conveyed, the meme gets right to the point with imagination and succinctness.  And, usually, it breaths oxygen into an otherwise weighty conversation.

This isn’t to say that all communication woes in the world can be dealt with through memes, but the mindset can often be applied in a universal way.  There are enough critics, downers, sharp-tongued people in the world already.  We don’t likely need to add to this equation.  Instead, think like a meme and see how the conversation unfolds.

Changepoints:

Using a smartphone, go to a meme setting and scroll through images:

·        Which images resonate with you?  What about their composition strike a chord?  Is it the color usage, picture choice, or brief word selection that you appreciate?

·        Consider a time when a meme was sent to you and it was highly effective.  How did it change your mindset?  How did the communication alter?

·        In what ways could you adopt the philosophies that make memes so successful?

·        What parts of your world could benefit from the metaphoric use of memes?

o   Who are the people who would appreciate it?

o   How might those relationships change?

If it seems pretty obvious to use a meme-mindset to deal with challenges, just embrace the well-known meme and say, “Thanks Captain Obvious.”

outSIGHTin, LLC: Creating awareness as a changepoint for improved organizational results.

Stars

Star treatment.  Shine like a star.  Star student.  Be a star.  Hollywood star.  These are phrases we often hear about special, high-performing people.  We correlate the attributes of stars hanging in the night sky with amazing brilliance.  This is a fair assessment since these celestial lights stand in stark contract to the blackness of the evening sky.

Most of us know that stars are located light-years away, are burning masses, and the largest is the sun.  However, there are lesser-known facts about the 200-400 billion stars in the sky that have lessons to teach.  The next time you look at these constellations or praise someone for having star qualities, remember the pieces of information that often don’t come readily to mind.  When we see stars twinkle, it isn’t because the star is doing something out of the ordinary.  Rather, it is the movement in the earth’s environment that creates this fun sparkle.  It’s the quietly working atmosphere that lays the backdrop for the star to get credit.  Also, stars with the most mass are the ones that live the shortest period.  The requirement to produce so much energy shortens its lifespan.  Having a great amount of mass comes at the cost of it burning faster.  Sometimes a steadier presence can have its own reward in a longer existence.

The next nugget of wisdom to consider about stars is profound: Stars are in perfect balance, yet stars are in conflict with itself.  There is a gravitational pull of its mass that is constantly pulling it inward.  Left unchecked, stars would merely collapse.  This doesn’t happen, however, because there is a force that pushes back: Light!  The core of a star produces enough energy to balance the gravitational pull.  The result is the illumination we see at night.  This is remarkable given how far away stars are from earth.  And yet, we can see their beauty with the naked eye.   

It makes sense why we use the analogy of a star to characterize greatness.  The physical brilliance is noteworthy.  Yet, the symbolic brilliance is equally noteworthy.  It is the subtle working of the atmosphere that creates the glimmer we admire.  Perhaps this is the important role you take in the world.  Also, it is the star with lesser mass that paces the longest.  Maybe you take this steadfast approach to life.  But regardless of the role we take in the universe, it is important to remember that stars shine not because it is effortless.  The harmony comes because the internal core of the star works in balance against gravity by using its own source of energy.  Each of us has this ability within, so we are all tasked with the responsibility of shining in the environment we’ve been given.  Let us all be our own star.

Changepoints:

Next time you look up at the night sky and see stars, pause to observe them, and consider:

·        Upon looking at stars, what human attributes come to mind?  Are you currently modeling these traits?

·        Think of a specific time when you felt positive about yourself.  What behaviors did you engage in to get to this point?

·        Are there potential shifts in your atmosphere that will help produce a needed glimmer of self-encouragement?  How can you foster your internal core to produce energy to make a difference in your world?

·        How can you create inner balance to ensure you don’t burn out quickly? 

o   What inspires you to stay engaged for the long run?

o   How is the world around you benefited from this approach?

Balance in life comes from an acknowledgement that life has a gravitational pull, and we have the internal power to create light that works with it.  This is how we glow.

outSIGHTin, LLC: Creating awareness as a changepoint for improved organizational results.

License Plates

I’m not a car person, so my knowledge in this area is slim.  Yet somehow I landed myself in a strange new curiosity surrounding license plates.  My coworker recently purchased a car and decided to get the new “vanity” plates available in Iowa.  Considering there are 25 types of license plates you could find in Iowa, it is pretty amazing that one particular license plate has risen to the standard of “vanity.”  But these plates are cool.  They are all black with stark white lettering. 

These license plates are so sweet that my son and I created a new game about them.  We call it, “Is your car cool enough?”  Here’s the premise: If we see a car donning these all-black plates, we ask ourselves if the car merits such a swanky license plate.  On a scale of 0 – 10 we rate the driver’s decision to purchase a vanity plate given the car they drive.  The game is a lot of fun when you have endless miles of roads in front of you.

During the time when we created this game, my son was struggling with something in his life, and I was trying to get him to focus on areas other than this challenge.  He stated that it was all he could see around him.  I empathized with his discouragement and offered this analogy: Previously when we drove down the road, we paid no attention to the license plates on cars.  Now, we can barely pass a vehicle without trying to note what type of license plate it carries.  Did anything change about the cars from then until now?  No.  Our perspective and focus changed, however.  When we decided to shift our eyes to something specific, we created newfound energy.  The world around us felt different even though the environment hadn’t changed because our lens towards it had.  How we drive down the road of life is our choice to make.  When there appears to be traffic jams, road construction, or unaware drivers, consider if the journey might be more enjoyable if you pay attention to the black license plates around you.

Changepoints:

Next time you are in a vehicle traveling down the road, see if you can notice things you weren’t aware of before:

·        How does it change your experience being in a car when you decide to have a new focus?

·        What are the benefits of recognizing the power of perspective during times when we can’t control our environment?

·        Once you decide to shift your focus, does it feel almost automatic to do so again in the future?

·        Who are the people in your life who can readily identify the metaphoric “attractive all-black license plates” on the road of life? 

o   What traits do they model that you could embrace?

o   How are their lives benefited from a positive mental mindset?

The world is full of cool license plates if we choose to look for them.  And the ride can be more enjoyable when we allow their presence to enter the road of life.

outSIGHTin, LLC: Creating awareness as a changepoint for improved organizational results.

Three Words

In the past four months I have watched death impact several lives.  One individual I didn’t know personally, but I know their parent.  Another was a relative of a dear friend.  Lastly, was an individual who was part of my formative childhood years.  The circumstances surrounding each passing were different, but one thread remained the same: Upon their death, people sought to convey the essence of their loved-one while they were alive.

We can all relate with wanting others to know about a person’s mark when their after-life crossing arrives.  Putting language to someone’s soul can be complicated.  None of us are the highlights or lowlights of our life.  We are the sum-total of our waking hours.  To winnow it down to a short phrase is challenging.  But it’s what a tombstone or epitaph requires.

My own dad has been gone for over 25 years.  One would think I could summarize his life succinctly after all these years.  But when I was given an opportunity this summer to purchase a memorial bench in my childhood playground, I struggled with the limitations the plaque allowed.  I only had a given amount of space to communicate a message about my dad.  After much thought, I ended up with this: David Fleming – A Noble Hearted Leader.  Brief, but true.

Given the recent deaths surrounding me and the memorial process for my dad, I thought about how our lives might be shaped if we pre-wrote the intended message for our lives.  If you had an allotment of three or four verbs and adjectives to describe the legacy you wish to imprint in the world, what would they be?  I think mine might say, “Devoted to Language.”  It could also say, “Advocate for the Unheard.”  Perhaps it would read, “Complicated Enigma.” 

In corporate environments, executives are coached on the necessity for brevity when creating mission statements.  If employees can’t recite it effortless, the odds of sustaining the purpose of the statement diminish.  A simple sentence can drive home the point.  Research a few organizations and you will get the concept.  One of my favorites is from TED, the Technology, Enterprise, and Design non-profit that now devotes its energy to expanding ideas globally.  Here is its mission statement: Spread Ideas.  Brilliantly simple because the powerful two words carry the water.  Two, three, or four words.  Think about how you want to define your life now.  The unfortunate part of epitaphs is that they are written after the fact.  Organizational mission statements, however, describe the current purpose.  As you think through your personal description, let’s end with three words I believe to be true about you: More Than Enough.

Changepoints:

Visit a cemetery, read an epitaph, or study a corporate mission statement:

·        What are the benefits of proactively writing a personal mission statement versus waiting for a post-life description?

·        How does the process of selecting a handful of chosen words create a focus around purpose and energy?

·        What will you manifest when your eyes are focused on the core of what you wish your legacy to be?

·        How will your time on earth be better aligned with your values if you determine the way you wish to pre-write your story? 

o   How does your lens affect which positives and negatives enter in?

o   What ways can you align your actions with your beliefs about yourself?

The concern about post-world accounting is that it is timebound.  The beauty of a present-day message is that it is flexible, expandable, and transformable.  Choose your words wisely. 

outSIGHTin, LLC: Creating awareness as a changepoint for improved organizational results.

Blazers

Sometimes during business trips I get the rare opportunity to explore communities.  Recently, I was fortunate enough to get to see the sights of Charlotte, North Carolina.  I was wandering aimlessly because I believe that’s where the magic can be found.  Charlotte’s Uptown District didn’t disappoint.

I decided to check out the NBA Hornet’s stadium because my youngest son loves basketball.  So, I snapped a few pictures of the complex and went on my merry way.  I wasn’t paying much attention to my surroundings because I was enamored by the cool vibe of the area.  In my state of distraction, I didn’t notice suddenly being surrounded by a group of very tall, athletic men.  Most were wearing clothing emblazoned with Blazers’ logos on it.  And yet, this still didn’t send any striking messages to me.  Instead, I mixed in with the men because frankly they were coming out of a restaurant I thought looked stellar.  I wasn’t interested in the people exiting the restaurant, I just wanted to scope out the cool place.  Then, I noticed that people were paying a lot of attention to these gentlemen.  I couldn’t figure out what all the hubbub was about and why these guys were wearing clothing that said “Blazers” on it when we were clearly in “Hornets” country.  I still didn’t give it much thought and just went about my business.  I smiled and chatted with some of the men because it seemed like the polite thing to do.  Then, someone beside me says, “Isn’t it awesome that you just connected with Damian Lillard?”  Ummm – sure.  Except I don’t know who they are talking about.  I had just wanted to be friendly.  As I start to pay more attention, I notice there is quite a bit of security around, cameras are flashing, and there is a fleet of busses on the street.  These gentlemen start walking into the busses, and I realize I’ve stumbled upon the NBA Portland Blazers leaving their lunch as they are preparing for the game that night against the Hornets. 

I decide not to mingle any further and take a few steps back to quietly snap a few photos to show my son later (who, by the way, was quite disappointed I didn’t request autographs).  I explained to him that I didn’t ask for their autographs, because they are just people like us.  They want to eat their lunch and prepare for work like the rest of us. 

Side note: We did discuss how it was extremely funny that I didn’t initially realize I was surrounded by professional athletes.  But I think if I had another opportunity to talk to these athletes they would likely say they appreciated that I wasn’t starstruck.  I treated them like I would any other stranger on the street…with a smile and quick chatter.  It was a comical reminder that sometimes what we need is a dose of normalcy.  To feel surrounded by regularity.  To move under the radar.  To not solely be identified by our occupation.  To be allowed the opportunity to enjoy the small moments without interruption.

Professional athlete or not, we all live in the same world.  None of us are more special or less special because of our career-path or popularity.  We all need to have the same needs met, like eating lunch and fulfilling the roles we’ve been given.  Some, however, happen to get to ride on chartered busses and eat at fancy restaurants while doing so.

Changepoints:

Think about your celebrity crush and who you would want to run into on the street:

·        Consider how they would likely appreciate solitude and normalcy in events that we take for granted, like a simple lunch.  Might we hold different perspectives about the routines of our lives if we knew these same things are gifts to others?

·        Can we appreciate that popularity, power, and status come with its own challenges?

·        In what ways can we interject positivity into the lives of others just by offering gestures like a smile and simple words?

·        Despite the career, prestige, or rank someone holds, can we embrace the notion that interactions can be reciprocal, and we all have something to offer?

o   How can we demonstrate an appreciation for where we are at in life and that this simplicity can be a reprieve for others?

o   Can we shift our perspective to an understanding that no assignment in life is altogether good or bad?

The next time you see a group of amazing athletes standing in your midst, consider that the very thing you might be offering them is the unintended gift of not asking for their autograph.  

outSIGHTin, LLC: Creating awareness as a changepoint for improved organizational results.

Pivot

Friday through Tuesday was perfectly planned.  Or so I thought.  Then, Friday night my daughter gets sick, and we end up in the after-hours clinic.  Pivot.  Then, Saturday morning my son announces that he prefers to carpool with a friend to a basketball tournament.  Pivot.  Then, Sunday afternoon my flight gets cancelled with no other flight options for the day.  Pivot.  Then, Monday morning starts nine hours of travel on what was set to be a two-hour flight.  Pivot.  Then, Tuesday is rearranged to move all the training curriculum from the previous day to one day.  Pivot.

Sound familiar?  The best laid plans can require pivoting skills to execute the change properly.  It’s not always easy to pivot when things appear to get derailed.  But usually there is a positive side to pivoting.  Friday night my daughter received care from a medical practitioner who also happens to be married to a long-time friend.  Connecting with her again made the appointment more enjoyable for my daughter and me.  Saturday I was able to take a different route home from the game, which allowed me to pick up a piece of furniture I purchased.  My son wouldn’t have ben elated to do this, so it was great I could accomplish this alone.  Sunday’s canceled flight meant my sweet dog, Shiloh, got to spend an extra evening and morning with me without needing dog-sitting care.  Monday was spent working ahead on reports, so I could return from my travels with a sense of accomplishment.

Embracing a bit of flexibility, something previously not in my nature, allowed me to receive gifts I wouldn’t have experienced had I not been open to them.  The pivot worked in my favor.  Typically, it will when we allow it.  For example, my mom and her husband recently had a mix-up with international travel arrangements, and the result was getting to the spend the night in a beautiful hotel on the Danube River.  The email sent by them acknowledged the stress tied to the uncertainty of not knowing where they were going to stay that evening and then ended with the focus of getting to experience an overnight at a place they otherwise would have missed.  Again, the pivot worked in favor of the recipient willing to receive its gift.  It doesn’t mean we have to ignore the reality of the challenges presented, but there remains the opportunity to have an open mindset.

The keyword is pivot, which means turning point.  We often mentally translate the word to divot, which is a dent or cut made in the ground.  Instead of feeling stuck or sunk by a circumstance, which is the mindset that a divot can create, try considering if the experience could be providing an opportunity to pivot.  That moment could very well be your chance to turn it into something positive.  The next time your plans don’t unfold as you image and your mind begins telling you that a divot is on its way, ask yourself to reframe and accept the opportunity to experience the joy in the pivot.

Changepoints:

Remember an experience where the unexpected outcome brought you positivity:

·        How does remembering times where you experienced positivity during a change help soften the desire to be cemented to a plan?  What are the areas in your life where you get rigid if plans appear to derail?

·        What happens when you become so tethered to an expected outcome that you fail to relax and allow opportunities to become flexible?

·        How can you encourage your mind to view change as a positive expression from the universe versus seeing it as the world forcing a divot upon you?

·        Who are the people in your life who model the ability to be nimble when life unfolds unexpectedly?

o   In what ways do they demonstrate an openness to change?

o   How can you adopt some of their practices to receive the gifts that pivoting through change can offer?

Believing the world offers a pivot and not a divot when change comes your way, and the experience will bring forth gifts for your benefit.  

outSIGHTin, LLC: Creating awareness as a changepoint for improved organizational results.

And Also...

My daughter is the most delightful spirit in my eyes.  She is a complicated soul who is creative, intelligent, random, driven, and protective.  She has high expectations of the world, and even higher of herself.  From school, to volleyball, to her friendships: she wants “big,” and she gives even “bigger.”  Although she is now a teenager, she has been this unique creature since her birth.  For instance, when she was just seven years old, she already demonstrated her own view on the world.  It was a painfully frigid day in Iowa, and people – me included – were complaining about the intense wind.  Many children would chime in with their grumbles about the weather, but this was her response, “I just think the wind wants to help the snow blow up in the air to catch the sun’s rays so it can sparkle.”  How’s that for perspective?!  A much healthier point of view at that.

Fast forward to today.  When my daughter gets amped about something she will start a story and then realize she has more to share.  This is when she says, “And also…”.  Except that the “And also…” is typically repeated a handful of times until the story reaches its crescendo.  I’ve learned that when she says, “And also…” there is lot more she is going to tell.  Recently, I made her toast with peanut butter and chocolate chips on it.  She thanked me for the gesture while simultaneously grabbing the chocolate chip container saying, “And also, this is how we do toppings around here.”  As you can imagine, a mountain of scrumptious chocolate now hid the peanut butter toast below.

She is my “And also…” child.  She adds and adds and adds.  What starts at one spot – whether it is a story she is telling or toast she is eating – ends somewhere far grander than its origination.  She sees the potential.  She wants you to experience the fullness of the story or the greatness of what goes on top.  To her, life is all about the possibility of seeing how many chocolate chips can be added.  Wouldn’t it be glorious if we all tried to add to whatever circumstances we are given?  Instead of seeing the winter day as a battle with the wind, seeing it instead as a gift of helping the snow to glitter?  Instead of seeing the meal we are eating as a routine breakfast, seeing it as the platform to add something fun?  If we so choose, life can be “And also…”

Changepoints:

Consider some of the routine parts of your life or areas that seem challenging:

·        How could you approach what seems on the surface as regular life or areas of struggle with an “And also…” mindset?

·        What facets of your life could you expand upon to see them with greater opportunities for potential?

·        Who are the “And also…” people in your world?  How can you integrate their influence into your attitude or perspective?  If your “And also…” relationships seem limited, how can you grow your exposure to positive individuals?

·        “And also…” people are those who strive for bigger and greater.  This means stretching, growing, and attempting more.  What does this look like for you?

o   In what areas could you expand or challenge yourself?

o   How can you encourage yourself to embrace a growth mindset?

When we allow the universe to become more expansive, the opportunities will be unending and will unfold before us. 

outSIGHTin, LLC: Creating awareness as a changepoint for improved organizational results.

Deposits and Withdrawals

The world of finances has been at the forefront of my mind lately for two reasons: 1. I’ve been knee-deep in QuickBooks trying to learn facets of the accounting software; 2. My oldest son opened his first checking account this week.  Both scenarios were eye-opening to me.  With QuickBooks, I soon discovered that certain pieces of information don’t readily communicate between the bank statement and the accounting software.  With my son, I realized that my personal checking history was so long engrained in my mind that I had forgotten what it is like to be a banking novice.  In both cases, my perspective blinded me to the end goals.  For instance, I was so entrenched with my understanding of my accounting practices that I failed to remember that the bank statement and software don’t glean information through osmosis.  And my years of checking account experience didn’t work in my favor when I assumed my son automatically knew all aspects of holding a personal checking account.  When I discovered he didn’t know what “SSN” meant when he was filling out the paperwork (“social security number” for those who despise the routine use of acronyms in the financial world), I realized I needed to take a step back.  I was so entrenched with my mindset that I was missing a teachable moment.

After explaining that he did indeed have an SSN used by the government, I decided to teach him quickly about deposits and withdrawals.  I told him that some deposits and withdrawals physically happen, while others might occur behind the scenes through electronic platforms.  The difference between these tangible and intangible transactions also helped shed light on my current QuickBooks woes.  Thankfully, a new procedure was established and now both sources of information are captured.  And with my son, he now understands how to track the various ways in which debits and credits are created in his account.

The learning lessons for me surrounding these recent finance experiences have been vast.  First, I need to try to take a non-assumptive view when I am exploring something.  I should also take the same mindset when I am trying to teach.  Secondly, using unnecessary technical terms or acronyms can be inadvertently confusing and isolating for the person on the receiving end.  But most importantly, the great reminder for me was this: Not all transactions in life can be readily seen by others, and yet it doesn’t make the impact any less.  Metaphorically, the behind-the-scenes debits and credits that people experience are very real even if they aren’t outwardly demonstrated.  On the upside, this means that many different things can help contribute to the credits and deposits we offer people.  Sometimes these smaller, quieter, and softer components will add more to their account than anything else could.  Conversely, the debits and withdrawals we take from people can leave them with a negative balance.  Their emotional, physical, or mental funds might be so depleted that they have insufficient funds.  Worse yet, we might not even know this is the unfortunate status they are facing.  Therefore, let’s use intentionality in how we practice our “spending and saving.”  We only have one account we are given in this life so let’s budget wisely.

Changepoints:

Think about the tangible and intangible aspects of life’s deposits and withdrawals:

·        Remember a time when you were given much needed deposits that added to your bucket.  Think about the variables surrounding that person or event.  How does it feel to recall that positive memory today?

·        Recount a specific situation or individual who debited from your account.  What is the memory surrounding this?  How does it still impact you today?

·        In what ways do our individual perspectives shape the way we view the intent and impact of the transactions we experience in life?  Could you shift your view about the intention of others to experience the impact differently?

·        How can you intentionally work on the deposits and credits you give to your world and those who are in it?

o   How can you stretch your metaphoric budget to be more generous to others?

o   What specific things can you do to be more mindful of your transactions (interactions) with others?

Give generously and receive with a gracious heart that attempts to assume good intentions of the world. 

outSIGHTin, LLC: Creating awareness as a changepoint for improved organizational results.