November 20, 2024

Carmelita Davidson’s Daily Dozen

Sara

A surprise tribute to the compassionate Carmelita Davidson!

Since I have been intentional about having conversations with local leaders, one name kept coming up over and over again. MULTIPLE people kept telling me I HAD to meet the LEGENDARY Carmelita Davidson. I was told she is a leader who not only serves food at the Ozark Food Pantry in Festus, Missouri, she also serves Jefferson County, and our entire world.

I was thrilled when my friend (and another local leader!), Lynnsie Kerperien, invited me to get to know Carmelita, over lattes at The Corner Cup Micro Bakery.

Local Leaders: Carmelita Davidson and Lynnsie Kerperien

Check out this 14-minute surprise tribute episode on the MyFESTUS.com Conversations, I (Sara) introduce Carmelita Davidson, a community leader generously serving in Jefferson County, Missouri. I share how Carmelita has made significant contributions to our local area through various initiatives, including the Ozark Food Pantry. 🥫

Enjoy learning about the fascinating highlights of Carmelita’s inspiring journey from the Philippines to the U.S., her dedication to service, and the principles she lives by, collectively coined and referred to (by me!) as the “Davidson Daily Dozen.”💛

These itty-bitty, yet impactful principles emphasize gratitude, kindness, and community engagement, specific to each of us.

P.S. Carmelita did not have a list when we talked. We just had a genuine, real, authentic conversation.

These are the nuggets of wisdom, the golden chunks of knowledge that she was able to provide to me about how she lives her life with such positivity and passion.

I wanted to share how this wonderful woman lives her life with optimism because, if there is anything that any of us can gain from a leader who is doing wonderful things in this world, let’s learn! Perhaps if we can improve just an itty-bitty bit, or have a perspective shift, that’s pretty magical.

So here goes…here are Carmelita Davidson’s Daily Dozen:

God (or the universe or whatever you want to say), handles and protects us all.
The words that we speak, internally and externally, are so powerful.
When we are so full of appreciation and gratitude for ourselves, others, and this world, there is no space for judgment.
No judgment for others for wherever they’re at on their journey, there is only respect.
There is no need to be negative or complain about this world, about others, or about ourselves. There’s no time for that.
Anyone can learn if they put their mind to it.
People need structure. We all need structure or some sort of way we can follow something, or follow through.
Walk the walk. If you are going to talk the talk, walk the walk and live in integrity.
Small steps add up. The itty-bitty things we do each and every day, our thoughts and actions add up.
Spread kindness. It’s free. It’s liberating, and we can all spread kindness.
We are each given our talents and unique gifts from God. All of us have unique gifts. We need to be aware of what those are.
It is our job to unleash our gifts, to unleash our talents to be able to show up and serve, given the God-given gifts that we have.

Carmelita encourages all of us to serve in any capacity, given our individual, unique, and authentic talents.

This is a non-paid endorsement inviting you to reflect on Carmelita’s Davidson’s Daily Dozen list.

What resonates with you?

Are there any itty-bitty ways you can shift to incorporate any of these concepts into your life so that you might be able to show up in a way that feels good to you?

What is your favorite principle?

I am so excited for you to listen and share what inspires you, in the comments on social media.

I am absolutely thrilled and honored that I was able to get to know Carmelita Davidson. I thank and honor her, Lynnsie, and all of the compassionate volunteers that run the Ozark Food Pantry.

✨Thank you for SHARING this to SPREAD THE LOVE for Carmelita + CONNECT more people as we all SUPPORT an inspired community.✨

Itty-Bitty, Inspiring Takeaways (from the podcast episode)