Happy Holidays, Season's Greetings, Joyeux Noel and Merry Christmas to one and all!




Everyone loves to receive an invitation, and the Christmas season is full of them. Open house invitations in our neighborhood, dinner invitations with long time friends, and festive party invitations to celebrate the season....with my favorite red dress and a champagne cocktail.

This year, I've been lucky enough to have many invitations come my way as a result of my book, Lunchmeat & Life Lessons: Sharing a Butcher's Wisdom. Here's a peek at 2011 in review:

• Kansas City area speaking opps: Our hometown community continues to invite The Butcher's Wisdom into their lives, and I met several new friends as a result of my presentations to area schools, professional associations, local businesses and networking groups. A very special thank you to Barnett Helzberg for welcoming me to the Helzberg mentoring (HEMP) organization.

• Keynote addresses to national associations and high profile organizations: Speaking engagements across the country found me in Chicago for the American Heart Association's annual meeting, in New Orleans for the American Staffing Association's national conference, and even in Washington, DC to address the Federal Reserve with my father's wit and wisdom.

• Funds in support of the American Heart Association tribute center created in honor of my parents have now reached $18,000. I invite you to click on the Hearts We Leave Behind site to find out more and to consider donating generously.

• Career shift: After a five year sabbatical from full time work in the corporate world, I was asked to join the Staffmark organization as Chief Resource Officer this past summer. Staffmark is the undisputed staffing industry dynamo with over 300 offices in 32 states. I am now part of their executive leadership team and love every minute of it. To learn more, visit www.Staffmark.com

• One of the largest publishing houses in the country invited me to sign with them to give my book more "ooomph." After careful consideration, I declined, opting instead to make an impact with my father's life lessons the only way he knew how.....one person at a time. While I'm grateful for that opportunity, I know I made the right decision for the book, for its readers and for me.

• And to end the year on a high note -- and a British accent -- an invitation from across the pond in 2012. That's right. The Butcher's Wisdom will be presented in London next May, as I address the Recruitment and Employment Confederation World Employment Conference, the professional body representing the UK's international recruitment industry. Bangers and mash, anyone?

Exhausting, exhilarating, exciting all at once.

All of these events lead me to consider life's other invitations. Things we receive throughout the day, throughout the year, throughout our entire lives that we may not recognize as being special invitations. Yet indeed they are!

When we begin to view life's little "asks" as an engraved, gilt-edged invitation to throw open life's doors, behind them you'll find opportunity, abundance and gratification. Look closely to recognize these important invitations.....and say "I accept" whenever possible. These invitations represent life's daily possibilities to create new relationships and share new experiences. They are invitations to live life to the max.

As for me? That's easy. I invite each of you to enjoy time with those you love, a good book and champagne cocktail this Christmas season.

Cheers!

Mary

Greetings from 35,000 feet altitude!

"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." Ferris Bueller famously said that in the 1986 blockbuster comedy.....one of my favorites.

It's certainly moving fast for me right now. As I write this, my life is zooming along at exactly 450 mph high above the clouds in a Boeing 737. That's a good metaphor for the flurry of activity that surrounds me at present: Kids off to college, our annual Bichelmeyer family picnic, amazing new work assignments, friends and family struggling with health issues, increased travel, fighting to get eight hours sleep each nite.....and of course, new horizons presented because of my book, Lunchmeat & Life Lessons: Sharing a Butcher's Wisdom.

Let me share a few of those recent milestones with you here:

• The American Heart Association Heart.org/plannedgiving is now distributing the book to all those who are planning to include this wonderful organization in their estate planning. They honor me and my family in doing so, since both my parents died of heart disease. I've been very involved in the AHA in recent years, and they have been so supportive of me every step of the way. I'm honored that Lunchmeat & Life Lessons is impacting so many generous people willing to donate in an effort to end heart disease, the leading cause of death in the US today.

Click here to check out the Bichelmeyer Family Tribute Site www.heartsweleavebehind.com

• YouTube.com Update: We've really gotten noticed on our YouTube channel in recent months because we've uploaded several new clips from my own speaking engagements around the country to press interviews with mom and dad at our family home. Just last month, I was overwhelmed by the "six degrees of separation" idea when the book got a moving shout out on the national TV show, Dr. Drew.
Click Here to see Lunchmeat & Life Lessons mention on Dr. Drew

• Did you know that Lunchmeat & Life Lessons: Sharing a Butcher's Wisdom is now available as an audio book? Well, it is and here's the link to listen to an excerpt and to place an order:

Lunchmeat & Life Lessons: Sharing a Butcher's Wisdom Audio Book Lunchmeat Audio Book

What does all of this add up to? Much joy, much gratitude, and much more yet to accomplish. But for the next 90 minutes until we land in Cincinnati, I don't intend to do anything at all. I'm going to mentally, physically, psychologically slow down -- and as my father John Bichelmeyer, the Butcher would say -- "enjoy the ride."

I encourage each of you to do the same. Living life at lightning speed robs us of being present in the moment. From time to time you've got to put the brakes on, take a good look around, breathe. Only when we are fully ourselves, fully here and now, can we appreciate what's really important. And trust me, you don't want to miss it.

Til next time, here's to life in the slow lane!

My best,

Mary

Sunday Morning Labor Day Weekend

Quick post that I wanted to share in honor of Labor Day.

Below is a link to one of my new favorite videos of Seth Godin talking about ways to "Stand Out"

Click on this Link to see Seth Godin's TED Talk on Standing Out

I thought Seth shared some "remarkable" ideas for all of us to consider when we go back to work after this long holiday weekend.

That's all for now... again Happy Labor Day weekend everybody and as always wishing each of you ALL THE BEST!

Mary

P.S. Thanks to Seth I am inspired to figure out ways to STAND OUT when I go back to work on Tuesday but for now I am far more interested in heading to my family picnic to PIG OUT ... thus the short post!

Cheers!

WOW...

Three letters that describe how I have been feeling lately.

WOW… what talent!

I have been thinking as I find myself surrounded by such incredible people at work and over the course of my travels.

WOW… where does the time go?

I think to myself as I leave my baby boy at college alongside his older brother.Wasn’t it just yesterday that I was bringing him home to meet his beloved big brother?

WOW… did that just happen?

I say out loud when a courageous young woman my father never knew is quoting him on Dr. Drew? Click on the link below and you can watch the exchange that left me filled with an attitude of gratitude for the blessings of my family and of awe and compassion for the courage of these women.

Click Here to View the YouTube Clip from Dr. Drew

Yep.. it has been a week of WOWS and I have a feeling there are more WOW’s to come as I too take the time to wonder at the WOWS and “learn something from everyone I meet!”

Thanks to all of you for your interest in my story.

So looking forward to this next chapter.

My BEST!

Mary

Happy Birthday Dad!

Dad would have been 95 years old today.

Today in his memory I have attached a link to one of my favorite video clips of Dad sharing some food for thought & inspiration on the subject of happiness.

Dad on Happiness

Enjoy!

Happy Father's Day to all...
Moms, Kids, Uncles and Aunts Included!

"Because I have given, I have received so very much in return."

That quote is a favorite of mine, and it's given me some food for thought lately. In fact, I heard this same sentiment expressed just this week by one of Kansas City's most respected businessmen and philanthropists, Barnett Helzberg. When asked what his life's greatest joy is, he didn't hesitate to respond:

"The joy of giving back to others."

Before you read further, friends, take note: This is not a message on the importance of giving. Instead, I want you to consider the impact of giving, or what I call the "echo of giving."
Here's what I mean: I gave a speech a few years back following the publication of my book, Lunchmeat & Life Lessons: Sharing a Butcher's Wisdom. It wasn't my best presentation and I knew it. Worse, I knew the audience agreed with my assessment. I left the stage and my confidence fell through the floor. Why wasn't I more prepared? Why hadn't I projected more emotion? Why didn't I connect with my audience?

A moment later, a man came up to me and took both my hands in his. Who was this person? His presence startled me as I was lost in my own thoughts. I'll never forget his words:

"I don't know what you said or what your message was as you spoke to our group," he began. "I didn't hear a word of it. All I know is that you stood in front of us and told us you were going to share some wisdom from the greatest man you ever knew: Your father."

I could see where this was going... he was ready to clobber me for my ineffective keynote address. Here it comes, I thought!

But wait. No, that wasn't it at all. The stranger continued, looking me straight in the eyes:

"You see," he continued, "I'm a new father. I left my six week old baby girl for the first time this week so that I could come to this convention and all I could think of as you spoke for the last hour is how can I be the kind of father to my daughter that your father was to you? How can I create that love, loyalty and lasting impact in her life? Thank you for inspiring me to be the best father I can be."

I couldn't speak for a moment. I simply held his hands tighter.

He walked away and I knew that something incredible had happened. It didn't matter that I thought I had delivered a poor presentation. My words had connected with someone in a powerful way. I had given of myself -- and he had received.

So what about the echo of that giving? Undoubtedly that businessman went home with a new way of thinking. A changed direction in being a father to that new baby girl. A re-organized list of life's priorities. And I bet that echo resonates on to this very day. In turn, he gave of himself to another person who received and embraced that simple gift.

On and on it goes. The circle of life. The echo of giving.

Remember my own father's words as you give of yourself to others... you receive so very much in return. I know I did that day.

Finally, to that gracious new dad who touched both my hands and my heart back in 2006,
I wish you a very special Father's Day 2011.
All the best!

Mary B. Lucas

My sister Jeannie told me this story about Mom and I think it sums up what Mom thought about “passion” in a marriage...

Jeannie and her husband had made some changes to their house and asked Mom to come down for a visit. During the tour of the new construction, they were walking through the master bathroom when Mom noticed Jeannie’s tattered flannel nightgown hanging on the hook behind the door.

Mom looked at that nightgown, then looked at Jeannie. “Jean Marie is that what you wear to bed with your husband?”

Jeannie nodded sheepishly, clearly embarrassed by the question. “Yes, Mom.”

“Jean Marie, let me give you some advice,” Mom said in a firm but controlled tone. “If you want to have a happy marriage you NEVER wear flannel to bed.”

Although Mom and Dad’s marriage could definitely be described as passionate and fiery, I assure you they weren’t always in the “no flannel zone.” In fact she could be pretty hard on him, prompting him to tell her at times that they’d get along better if she would treat him as if he were one of her children.

Dad was right; Mom would always celebrate our homecomings. Whenever any of us would arrive home from school Mom was there to wrap us in her arms and shower us with hugs and kisses. That was not always the case with Dad’s homecomings, where he would sometimes chide her by saying “Hey, what about me?”

Just because Mom didn’t always greet Dad in the same way she welcomed us kids, doesn’t mean she didn’t anticipate his arrival. Every evening around five o’clock Mom would splash on a little Shalimar Perfume and grab one of those pencils used to mark the packages at the meat market to fill in her brows.

Sometimes Mom would even put on some of the Mary Kay make-up she had bought from her friend Penny and she always clipped on a pair of earrings. Then she would have all of us kids line-up, kind of like the Von Trapp family, ready to give our Daddy plenty of hugs and kisses.

Those are my memories of Mom at her best with Dad. I might also add that Mom would be the first to admit that as a couple they also had some not so great times.

One time I told Mom about a couple I knew that was getting divorced. "What happened?" Mom asked.“I guess they are getting divorced because they have had a bad few years and can’t seem to get past it.” I speculated.

“A bad few years?” she asked indignantly. “That’s nothing! Your Father and I have had bad years - heck we have had bad decades but I would not trade the life we share now as parents, grandparents and great grandparents for anything in the world.”

Good decades, bad decades... I'd say that given the fact that Mom and Dad were married for over SIX decades and had ten kids, I think we can safely assume that there were plenty of nights when Mom followed her NO FLANNEL rule!