Monday, December 29, 2008

Massive Giving Day - January 1, 2009

I've delcared a Massive Giving Day for January 1, 2009. We appreciate our freedoms but tend to forget about those who put their lives on the line defending them for us. I've found a simple, easy, free way for us to let our soldiers know that we appreciate their efforts.

Massive Giving Project #1:
Send Thanks to the Troops


The Massive Giving project to send 20,000 thank you post cards to our troops is moving forward and gaining momentum. We have sent over 2,500 already but we still have a long way to go to get 20,000 sent by January 31.

For some people, it works well to send 5 or 10 each day. Others like to do a bigger batch once per week.

I've decided to pick on day per week and promote it as a Massive Giving Event to help encourage those who can't find the 2-4 minutes per day that it takes to send out 5-10. After some practice, I can now send about 20 in 5 minutes.

The first Event is January 1.

Here are the links and simple instructions that you need to participate.

1. Go to this web site: Send a Card

2. Pick out a Thank you card and send it.
  • Then hit your browser's back arrow and send another one.
  • Or click on "View All Designs", pick a new card, and send it.
3. Then tell me how many you sent by clicking here ==> I sent some

4. Get the word out about this 20,000 card project. Send this link to all your friends, post it on your blog, or put it on your web page: http://tinyurl.com/6khmyl

5. Return here daily and send a few more. How about 5 per day? Can you do it?

A full explanation of the project and complete instructions are here:
Send Thanks to the Troops

Remember to post a comment on the Massive Giving blog or on the Facebook Massive Giving Group telling us how many you sent.

Thanks for your support,
Ralph Lyon,
Founder, The Massive Giving Group

Monday, December 22, 2008

Military Families

In church yesterday, the speaker told a story about a soldier's widow and how she received a Christmas Card from her dead husband who was killed in action shortly after he sent it.

It started me wondering about what we Massive Givers can do to show our appreciation to the spouses, children, mothers and fathers of those men and women who are serving in foreign countries. It's not just our soldiers who are lonely and feeling unappreciated and forgotten, but their families from whom they are separated. They are our friends and neighbors, all across America.

Let's reach out to them also and let them know that we appreciate the sacrifices they are making.

Also, let's continue sending appreciation post cards to our soldiers.

What do you think we can do? Please feel free to leave a comment with your ideas.

God bless America and God bless the World. May the Spirit of Christmas permeate our hearts this Christmas season and throughout the years that follow.

Ralph Lyon
Founder, The Massive Giving Group

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Breaking News. Massive Giving hits 1000!

I'm excited. This morning I was a bit disappointed that we didn't hit 1,000 cards sent to the troops yesterday. We were so close, at 974.

I could have put us over myself, but that's not what I'm promoting. The Massive Giving Group is about having a large group of people giving small amounts regularly. Each giver decides what is a small amount and what regularly is. For me it's 5-10 post cards sent daily. So sending 26 isn't what I'm dedicated to doing.

If your "regular" is weekly, that's great. If your "small amount" is 500, that's great. Do what you can when you can. Just get in the habit of doing it.

But now I'm elated. I was just notified that one of our Massive Givers sent 202 post cards this morning and that pushed us well over 1,000 cards sent.

Thank you, Givers!

- Ralph Lyon
Founder: The Massive Giving Group

P.S. Normally, this isn't what Massive Giving is all about - but for the few of you Massive Givers who are interested in learning how to do online marketing via teleseminars - this is not to be missed.

While supplies last, Tellman Knutson is giving away as free Christmas gift (and as a promotion for his latest program) one of his most expensive and well known products, The Perpetual Marketing Machine. He claims that it's a $4,000 value and he's giving it away free (well, he does require you to give him an email address and you do have to view two one time offers). I've followed Tellman for a couple of years. I grabbed myself a copy of the course.

Although it isn't "regular" or "small" - it is a one time Massive Giving.

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Be a Part of Something Good

Massive Giving is taking off. I think we will hit 1000 smiles sent to our troops today.

The other day, someone sent me an article written by Baxter Black. He talks about the economic mess we are in and gives us his 3 simple things that we ought to be doing.

1. Stop trying to figure out who to blame.
2. Turn off the news.
3. Reach out.

Let me quote from him on Reaching Out:

Together we need to find a new level of economic stability. At a personal level, as a family, as a business, as a community, as a country. Some will be starting at the bottom, others, further up the line. Reach out as an individual, as a family member, a neighbor, an employee, an employer, or as a friend. Start each conversation with, "How's it going? How can I help?"

For your own sanity, if you're in the limbo of loss —home, money, job — go mow a neighbor's lawn. Wash his car, fix her screen door. Keep your hands and heart and mind busy. Make your time beneficial to others. You won’t be surprised to find how healing it is to brighten someone's day.

Be part of something good. Start going to church again, help coach kids' sports, join the Lion's Club or Rotarians. Baby-sit for someone, tutor a hard luck child.Be thrifty but invest in your local economy as you are able.

So there you have it. I say it this way, "Do some Massive Giving".

Help a soldier, help yourself, help the world. If you can't give anything else, give a smile.

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Ever Felt ....Lonely?...... Discouraged? ...Unappreciated? ......Forgotten?


while putting your life on the line for your country....

Picture a US Marine, sitting in a Humvee in Iraq, looking out into the darkness through Night Vision Goggles and thinking:
..... do the people back home even care that I’m here? I wish they would remember me and let me know that they care. Knowing that would really help me on some of these lonely nights. I remember when we got some cards from first graders a few months back. They drew pictures for me... for me. That was neat. But here, at Christmas, does anyone even remember that I’m here?

I don't know how a solder feels about getting mail – I’ve never been one. So I asked a friend and here is how he put it to me:

I know what it feels like to get mail in the service. I was in the
US Marines and when I was somewhere spread all across the
world, the mail was almost like having your first child. It was
really exciting to hear from home and just to know that
someone actually did care... You should have seen some of the
faces at mail call when they were calling out the names and
handing the mail out. But then those few including myself
sometimes.... that big smile of anticipation would turn into
a frown when I didn’t hear my name called. It felt like your
girlfriend just broke up with you and your heart tightened
up somehow...

Ralph, when I was in Bosnia, I remember getting postcards from
some 1st grade class, with drawings on them from the kids. I
felt special. I know you don’t understand that, but I am
actually getting teary eyed just remembering how it felt. When
I was over there, to have someone actually care felt really
good. I honestly, for the longest time, didn’t think that
America really cared at all about us during the gulf way back
in ’91. I always thought they were more interested in the next
episode of Alf rather than me trying to get safely back home
from this crazy war my president put me in.

(That’s from my friend, Vic Hutchinson.)
Realizing how that soldier feels is the reason I started my Massive Giving Group.

Here we sit in our comfortable homes with our little problems .... and some of us do have big problems.
In spite of your problems, by taking 2 minutes, you can bring some cheer and encouragement to 5 special Americans who are giving their all to serve their country.

How? By sending 5 post cards. Think of what it will do for them ... and for you.

Do something COOL. Right now. Today!

Help send 20,000 Post Cards to our Troops.

You'll feel great, knowing you've brightened their day.

1. Go to this web site: Send a Card
2. Pick out a Thank you card and send it. Send more, if you have the time.

Xerox prints the cards and sends them to a soldier
who is serving in Iraq. You don't get to choose
who gets them. But they do get delivered
to members of the armed services.

3. Then tell me how many you sent by clicking here ==> I sent some

  1. Enter the number you sent and your comments in the "Leave your Comment" box.

  2. Scroll down and click the button to the left of the words "Name/URL".

  3. Enter a name. If you want to remain anonymous (which often increases the fun of giving), make up a name so I can tell you apart from other givers.

  4. If you desire, enter the URL for your blog or web page.

  5. Click on the "Publish Your Comment" below where you entered your name.
4. Get the word out about this 20,000 card project. Send this link to all your friends, post it on your blog, or put it on your web page:


or this shorter version:


5. Return here daily and send a few more. How about 5 per day? Can you do it?

Once a day in the upper right corner on this blog,
I update the total number that we've sent.

Here's what one soldier has to say about receiving these post cards:

Thank you so much for the post card. It is so nice to receive things in the mail here. Some would not believe it but the simple good feeling of going to the company mail room and the clerk saying "Yes, you have mail" is an uplifting experience. Even if it’s just a letter saying "hi" makes our day! Thanks again for your thoughts and prayers.
- An Army Sergeant
Wouldn't it brighten the spirits of lots of soldiers if
you and I get everyone we know to send several!!!
It is FREE and it only takes a few seconds.

Think of those soldiers receiving a bunch of these?
It doesn't matter whether or not you support the war,
our soldiers deserve to know we support them.

This takes less than 60 seconds and it's a marvelous way to say thank you. Please send some cards. Then take the time to pass a link on to others so they can do it also. We can never say "Thank You" enough to the men and women in our armed services.

Thank YOU for taking to time to support our military!
Now that you've sent one. How about sending some more.

Send as many as you have time to.

I hope you have a wonderful holiday season.

Ralph Lyon

P.S. Please remember to enter how many you sent. (See step 3 above.)

Monday, October 6, 2008

Building Castles

In getting any endeavor off the ground, take it slow –

With people, fast is slow and slow is fast...Stephen Covey

Life is all about people and relationships and trust. It takes time to build trusting relationships.

Success is also about systems, methods, tools, and techniques.

To build a castle, you have to start with the foundation. And you have to learn castle building skills. To learn to play the piano, you start with the basics and build up, you don't pick up a Chopin, or Mozart or Rachmaninoff piece and sit down and play it - if you try to, your chances for success are slim.

Just like building a castle or learning to play the piano takes learning the basics and practicing them, any worthwhile endeavor requires learning and practicing the basics.

Get the basics down and go from there. Then soon enough you will be able to build that castle that you really want to build. And you will know how to build it with the right materials that will make it strong and beautiful and all you dream it to be.

Success Quick Start Tip:
Become familiar with the jargon, tools, and techniques.



Friday, October 3, 2008

Your Destination

Also, before you start (or more likely, before you continue) investigating how to be successful...  STOP.

Take some time to think about what you want and when you want it. Consider alternatives. That’s what you should do no matter what you are engaged in.

Say, for instance, that you think you want to take a trip to Europe.

How?
You start by researching travel destinations until you identify the ones that really excite you. (Perhaps you already have them in mind.)
Then you should figure out how much money you will need to take the trip. (Some people leave this step out and just charge it, but we won’t go down that path.)
Then you determine when you can have that much money available. That gives you the earliest date you could start your trip.
Then you consider the time of year that you can go and that you want to go. If you enjoy beautiful flowers and warm sunny days, you might have to delay that trip a few months.

Success Quick Start Tip:Figure out where you want to end up before you start looking for techniques. Once you know your destination, figuring out how to get there will be much easier.

Please add a comment: What do you want and when do you want it?

Saturday, September 27, 2008

No Goal = Little Success

Since you want to be successful, let’s start at the very beginning.

If you wanted to take a trip to some exotic place, what would you do first? You would set a goal.

Why? Think about a load of cargo that needs to be flown from San Francisco to New York and needs to be there in 8 hours. What would happen if the shipping manager got it loaded on the plane, but he didn’t tell the pilot when to deliver it. What if he just told the pilot to fly that load to New York? The pilot happens to be from Australia and has no idea where New York is. He asks for a tip as to how to find it, but all he is told is that New York is a huge city on the east coast. He climbs into his airplane in San Francisco and makes a quick start by flying east with no flight plan in mind. He knows he needs to deliver the load to New York, but has no particular route or timetable in mind. He just knows that he needs to fly East. As he flies, he suddenly sees a mountain peak that interests him so he alters direction and is off to see it. Then he sees a lazy river and decides to follow it for a while. To top it all off, his compass isn’t working. Where is he likely to end up? Who knows, but the chances he will get to New York are slim.

Success Quick Start Tip:
Don’t start until you have a goal.
Please share some of your thoughts and tips about how to set goals.