Service | Bonnie Barnard - Part 2

Home » Service

Are You REALLY Kind?

Kindness comes from the English and has two predominant meanings: 1. to be of the same — like these apples are the same kind 2. to be benevolent without the motive of profit Combined; these two definitions mean what I believe the Dalai Lama refers to when he says “My religion is kindness.” Meaning this — each of us humans share the same Source, we are the same kind. This means inferior and superior are off the playing field. We share Same. We share the experience of being human and at the same time in history. And, as kind … behaving generously without searching for a gain. Let this settle for a moment. How often do you come from a place of giving without any expectation whatsoever of receiving? Let me break this down a bit further. When giving, a thank you isn’t expected from the other; you simply give. A week doesn’t go by without me hearing the phrase “and they didn’t even say thank you!!!” as though...

Change the World in One Hour

This past week I participated in a workshop where our class was given the assignment to create and execute a community service project in one hour. The project was to stretch us and to be beneficial to the world. We chose to create a Peace Poem uploading a peace sentence provided by friends and strangers. Each act of service, as we know, has the potential to transform the world. It is my hope this video brings you some joy. Happy...

I Choose to be Maladjusted

Over the years I have loved Martin Luther King, Jr for his commitment to living heaven on earth and I’ve disliked him for his alleged philandering. When I learned it was a mother who said to him in the grocery story “I hope someday our children can play together and not be judged by the color of their skin but instead by their character,” I was angry he didn’t credit her for these heart felt words. Since becoming a minister I realize talks are inspired in large part by our experience with others, so I softened a bit. After I had the experience of being cheated on, I couldn’t imagine a man who touted “morality” harming his wife this way. I still don’t understand this one, and I’ve learned it isn’t my business to. There are periods over the past four decades I have also been deeply inspired by his words and work. Core changing inspiration which has led me to see the Gospels in a social light. I...

Starbucks: Creating Jobs, Seeding Lives

Friends, My heart is so full of joy right now. There are moments when I am proud to be an American. Where wearing the “country” label feels good upon my skin. Today, I experienced one of these moments. My morning started as it often does with a walk to my local Starbucks. Walking allows me to get grounded to the earth, move my body some and receiving a natural source of Vitamin D. This morning as I stood in line to purchase my venti green tea iced, no sweetener. I was met with a smile from my barista behind the register and a patriotic-looking display to the right front of it. The display read “This country needs jobs” with an invitation for the consumer, me, to get involved with a solution. For a $5 donation, six other investment groups (foundations, banks, corporations, faith-based organizations, government, socially responsible investors) match my gift to parlay it into a $35 donation. This donation is then loaned to create community businesses in America...

What I Want from Customer Service

I envision a world where customer service looks like this: 1. When you buy a product or service it is delivered as promised and in the timeframe agreed upon. 2. If an error is made on the side of the company/service provider an apology is given followed by a remedy. Responsibility is taken. Communication remains open. The customer is not burdened with the work to make it right. 3. For high priced items or on-going service, I like periodic check-ins, looking like a relationship. “I see Ms. Barnard you purchased a solar system for your pool last year, how do you like it?” I think an $8,000 investment warrants this. Of course, what I think and what is an be two different things. These past two years as I have had plenty of opportunity to reflect and observe, I came out of my solitude with the desire to write a book on the Soul of Customer Service. This desire came from my interest in the Soul (the place where...