Before we looked at more houses last night we stopped for dinner. We were still dealing with all of the frustrations of yesterday’s news and just wanted an hour to enjoy dinner, live music and forget that we still didn’t have a home.

We chose a little Irish Pub in downtown Carmel and sat outside listening to the 2-man band expecting good food and fun music. The two guys singing covers of Bob Marley and John Lennon were definitely the highlight of our dinner, and that’s not saying much.

The food was terrible and the service was even worse. Our server took forever to take our order and bring us our food and then still got it wrong. I spoke to the manager about the terrible food and service but didn’t get a dime taken off our bill.

In the van after we left I told Lisa how amazed I was at the ineptitude of people today. It seems that people just don’t care about things like quality, service and customer satisfaction.

But then I was reminded of this quote by Ghandi,

Be the change you wish to see in the world.

There’s plenty of people doing a half-a** job these days. You don’t need me to tell you that. But what are you doing to change that? Are you living out the change you wish to see in the world?

• Don’t you love when a company goes the extra mile to ensure your satisfaction? When was the last time you went above and beyond and did more than was required of you?
• I’ve gotten free drinks at Starbucks before just because and it makes my day. Have you ever paid for a stranger’s meal or paid down someone’s gas you didn’t know?
• I love it when someone takes the time to tell me I’m doing a good job. It reminds me how much we all need affirmation. Have you ever jotted a little thank you note for the hotel staff that cleans your room or left a “way to go!” and a extra tip for great service?
• Pleasant people at the drive-through window are so rare but they always brighten my day. When did you walk into the gas station to pay for your gas with a smile on your face and small talk with the person behind the register? Trust me they see enough grumpy people with the gas prices these days!

You get the idea. We can either complain about the way things are or we can be a part of the change we want to see. In the words of the guy Ghandi stole his idea from, Do unto others as you would have them do to you - Jesus.

What really bugs you? What can you do to live out the change you want to see?

BONUS: Download the “Be The Change” desktop