A Real Joy
June 2nd, 2008 Posted in Leadership, Newsletter, The Energy Bus, WorkHer name is Tanya Walters. She’s a school bus driver in Los Angeles. I met her while speaking in California in February and I call her a real life JOY.
Like Joy, the bus driver, in The Energy Bus, Tanya is making a difference in the lives of her passengers. One day after realizing that most of her students were failing in school she decided to challenge them to do better. She challenged them to study harder, focus more and improve their grades. When they succeeded she took them on a trip on a marine biology cruise which led to the idea of a summer bus trip around the country. The purpose was to expose children to a world and life beyond the toughest streets in Los Angeles. She succeeded and now 7 trips later her non-profit, God Parents Youth Organization, has evolved into a powerful mentoring/ touring program that takes children to colleges and historical sites around the country and was recently featured on Oprah. You can watch the inspiring Oprah segment here: www.godparentsclub.org
So why am I writing about Tanya besides the fact that I have been thinking a lot about bus drivers lately? :)
My hope is that she will inspire you to be a driver of positive change at work, at home, and in your life. Tanya could have just continued driving her bus without doing anything meaningful. But instead she chose to drive with purpose. She chose to use her work to make a difference and have a greater impact on her passengers. Instead of letting the world influence her Tanya decided to influence the world.
Tanya represents the choice we all have—to drive through life with apathy and indifference or to drive with joy and purpose. Like Tanya we can all be a real Joy. We can uplift, empower, encourage, teach, praise and generate real positive change at work and in the people we interact with every day. We can all choose to be bus drivers and positively impact the people on our bus.
Today I encourage you to ask yourself if you are going through the motions or driving with purpose. Ask yourself how you can make a greater impact at work. Think about how you can make a difference in the lives of your customers and employees. What actions can you take that will uplift, encourage, serve and inspire? Think about how you can invite your family and kids on the bus as well. Then grab the steering wheel, step on the gas pedal and start driving. As Rosa Parks and Tanya have taught us, one small action on a bus can have a profound and lasting impact on people’s lives.
What action will you take today?
Share your thoughts HERE and feel free to email Tanya Walters at twalters@godparentsclub.org and wish her all the best as she embarks on a new bus trip June 20th.
Stay Positive!
-Jon
7 Responses to “A Real Joy”
By Carol M on Jun 2, 2008
After reading about Tanya Walters, it gave me an idea. With summer coming and kids out of school, I’d like to help my grandchildren keep their mind active. We are in the car a lot going from their house to mine. They are ages 9 and 13. It would be fun to ask questions or have them read something or have them spell something….whatever I plan for that ride that day. And they could get points for right answers and have a reward after so many points. I could plan trivia question or current event questions and I would learn with them. Of course, its just the start of an idea that I would have to develop more while planning. Great idea, Jon. Thanks.
By Robert on Jun 2, 2008
I truly appreciate the books & regular messages. I share them with my family & teams each week. Jon, will you be taking your “No Complaining Role” tour to Canada?
By JB on Jun 2, 2008
great job tanya god is useing you to promote he’s name in the best way you know how. You are a true leader in kids life. You have great leadership skills and makeing a difference in life is a blessing. my quote to you ” you may be a person to the world but to a person you are the world” God bless you.
JB:-)
By Carolyn on Jun 2, 2008
My husband and I were eating at a restaurant recently, we usually leave a couple of food
coupons from the restaurant we run along with
some cash for a tip. We did this time for the young man who waited on us….a few minutes later he came back with tears and astonished look in
his eyes he was so grateful, he said he was living out of a storage building at the time
and I think this gesture just really blessed him. We never know who we will bring joy to.
By Kevin on Jun 3, 2008
Hello everyone:
Very positive and timely to ask the question “what are we doing to encourage others, to keep the positive energy moving, etc.” Speaking for myself, it’s indeed a challenge, some days more than others, to take my head out of myself & look outward. But that’s what prayer is for.
Peace
By Connie Joy on Jun 3, 2008
“This is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it,” and “The joy of the Lord is our strength!” and “In His presence, there is fullness of joy” and “the fruit of the Spirit is JOY”!
By Georgia Adamson on Jun 4, 2008
Jon,
Your article about “Real JOY” certainly hit home with me. Especially this part: “Think about how you can make a difference in the lives of your customers and employees. What actions can you take that will uplift, encourage, serve and inspire?”
A few weeks ago I started a service for my resume clients called Job Opening Information Exchange (JOIE–pronounced JOY!) and am working on getting companies to send me job information that I can email to clients who sign up for the service. I did this because a client who was out of work said it would be great if my monthly ezine could pass along job opening information. I didn’t do it as a money-maker (I’m not charging my clients or the companies) but because I wanted to make a difference to my clients who need as much support as they can get in a difficult job market.
I’m going to share your newsletter information with my clients, too–maybe some of them will subscribe because your upbeat communications inspire hope.