Issue link: http://psai.uberflip.com/i/1187276
WEEKLY EDITION JULY 3, 2019 Lessons from Sharon Paulsen By Karleen Kos, PSAI Executive Director 6. M ak e a dj u s t me n ts b u t d on 't gi ve u p o r gi ve i n . If you spent any time around Sharon you knew that she had a well-stocked handbag. Always somewhere near the top was a small pair of ice tongs. I learned about them at my first Pumper show when Sharon placed them on the table while she dug for something deeper in the bag. "Oh," she said. "They never serve wine as cold as I like it. But I don't want it to get watered down. So I order a glass of wine and a glass of ice. Then I use the tongs to put one ice cube at a time in the wine." It might seem like a small thing, but I never met anybody else who carried her own ice tongs across the country — airport TSA be darned — to close the gap between the world as it was and the world as she would have preferred it. As time passed, Sharon's legs and balance weren't as reliable as they had been. So she could be found on a motorized scooter. Some folks might have stopped coming to events under those circumstances. But she and Lou said, "It's no big deal." Whether life throws you a small irritation or a major curveball, the lesson from Sharon and Lou is to find a way to take it in stride. Make changes but don't let it keep you down. 7. E n ga g e i n y ou r c o m mu n i t y. On page 14 you'll find Sharon's full obituary. Within that write up you'll find a list of the many community groups she and Lou have supported over the years. Once when I was interviewing them for a newsletter story, Sharon talked about how much this involvement has meant to them. Of course it helped them make business and community connections – but that's not why they did it. They did it to offer some good in the world. To give back. To join with friends. They did it because it was the right thing to do, no matter how busy things were at Can Doo Budjet Rentals. The fact that the relationships that came through their many volunteer roles were part of what kept the phone ringing at Can Doo was just a bonus. 8. S u p p or t yo u r as s o c ia ti o n . The PSAI is an association that depends on the verb "to associate." We are strong when Members come together and share their ideas and experiences. And when companies also invest in the Association by volunteering, taking action on one of our initiatives, or upgrading their membership tier so we can do more, that takes things to a higher level. Sharon did all those things consistently, eagerly, and energetically. 9. B e u n i q u e a n d me mo ra b le . Your mom and your kindergarten teacher were right -- you are special. If Sharon were here she'd tell you so. And then she'd tell you a story and make you laugh. That was Sharon's unique and memorable gift above them all. She made everyone she talked with feel like a million bucks. Be like Sharon. - KK PAGE 16