"It’s great to be great, but it’s greater to be human.”
Will Rogers
I’ve Been Thinking. . .I wish I could have known Will Rogers.
Steve Gragert, director of the Will Rogers Memorial Museums in Claremore and Oologah, Oklahoma documents the history of Will Roger’s influence. “At the time of his death in 1935, Rogers was reaching 40 million people readers at a time.” That’s incredible! The population was only 120 million.
I admire the fact that Rogers traveled the lecture circuit, wrote magazine articles, authored books and produced his “Daily Telegrams” newspaper column. On top of it all, Rogers starred in 21 motion pictures that achieved considerable acclamation and made Will the highest paid Hollywood actor of his time. In fact, his market share was bigger than any entertainer’s past or present.
Why?
He could appeal to the common folk, challenge the political establishment, poke fun at the prominent and elite and he embraced a self-deprecating humor that appealed to the masses. His onstage showmanship drew in the masses who also followed his Sunday newspaper columns that eventually ran in 500 newspapers.
Ironically, the Oklahoma cowboy had atrocious spelling and even worse grammar which added to his humoristic appeal. His 10th grade education might have surfaced in his writing but despite that limitation, he had an inherent sense of what appealed to the American people and he spoke at their level.
Rogers performed and communicated at a difficult time in American history. Yet, he brought optimism, hope as well as a flash of humanity during the dark years of the depression. People sought out his wisdom, honesty and down-home clarity about issues that were impacting their lives. He wasn’t afraid to criticize what he believed was wrong and remain true to the issues he believed in. Many believe his candor influenced public opinion as well as national policy.
I love Roger’s often stated quotation: “I’m not a member of any organized party – I’m a Democrat.” There was more to Roger’s conviction than party lines. He was, without hesitation, always on the side of the working person – even after he became wealthy. Political officials welcomed him with open arms – yet I’ve got to believe they wondered how their conversations would reappear for the world to see.
It was almost like Rogers was looking into the future when he said: “The more you observe politics, the more you've got to admit that each party is worse than the other.” Regardless, Rogers was a true Patriot who believed in the American Dream.
“Be thankful, he said, “that we’re not getting all the government we’re paying for.” Roger’s honest, get to the point, no strings attached approach to Patriotism would be a welcome relief today. One of Roger’s classic observations was, “A senator got up today in Congress and called his fellow senators sons of wild jackasses. Now, if you think the senators were hot, imagine how the jackasses must feel.”
Who is the Will Rogers of today? Someone once suggested it would take the combined attributes of some our greatest comedians, commentaries, musicians and we would still be left short of the impact Mr. Rogers had on the thinking of his day. Who else could get away with saying, “The income tax has made more liars out of Americans than golf,” and still be loved?
His unfortunate death at 55, in the crash of small plane piloted by a well-known pilot preparing for the world’s first transpolar flight, was indicative of his adventurous spirit.
In the midst of current political struggle, corporate controversy, financial ambiguity, and questionable practices; where is the voice that represents the everyday American?
“Live in such a way that you would not be ashamed to sell your parrot to the town gossip.”
Will Rogers
Friday, March 30, 2012
Will’s Wisdom
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Become an Initiator
“There are two types of people in the business community; those who produce results and those who give you reasons why they didn’t.”
Peter Drucker
I’ve Been Thinking. . . about those who ‘get it done’ and those who ‘think about’ doing something.
In his book Principle-Centered Leadership, Stephen M.R. Covey tells how Columbus was once invited to a banquet, where he was seated at the most honorable place at the table. A superficial self-seeker who was insanely jealous of Columbus asked him pointedly: “Had you not discovered the Indies, are there not other men in Spain who would have been capable of the enterprise?”
Rather than reply, Columbus took an egg and invited those around him to make it stand on end. They all attempted, but in vain; whereupon he tapped it on the table denting one end, and left it standing.
“We all could have done it that way!” the courtier accused.
“Yes, if you had only known how,” replied Columbus. “And once I showed you the way to the New World, nothing was easier than to follow it.”
It’s much easier to follow the path to achievement than to blaze the path yourself. True explorers venture into unchartered territory knowing full well it would be much easier if they waited for someone else to show the way.
Dreamer or Achiever. Achiever want-to-bes are experts at replicating someone else’s effort rather than risk failure, embarrassment or loss. Achievers are initiators. They are pioneers, discoverers, innovators; blazing the path to attaining their aspirations. They stare risk head on and then muster the guts, determination and heart to deliver.
There is a distinct gap between a notion and accomplishment, revelation and achievement, inspiration and productivity. Lots of people have great ideas in the shower but rare are those who dry off and do something about them. In order to reap the benefits of any brilliant idea, you must find a way to bridge the gaps. Bridging the gap between concept and practical application excites initiators.
Wayne Huizenga is an initiator. While managing a garbage collection service he made a bold decision to start his own trash collection business. Not only did he specialize in garbage collection, he built a multibillion-dollar worldwide company that became a Fortune 500 leader in environmental services. Waste Management, Inc. became a fabulously successful enterprise providing outstanding services for customers and creating a great place to work for employees.
Huizenga didn’t stop there. Initiators never stop. . . They seem to be in perpetual motion!
Huizenga decided to rent movies through free-standing outlets, malls; wherever movies could be rented. Strange idea. Of course, Huizenga built Blockbuster, Inc. into another multibillion-dollar Fortune 500 company that created thousands and thousands of new jobs and produced massive profits. He now had two Fortune 500 companies notched on his belt.
He wasn’t done. AutoNation became a multi-billion dollar used car outlet company. It was his third Fortune 500 Company.
How does someone like Wayne Huizenga do it? He is truly an initiator. You don’t have to create Fortune 500 companies to be an initiator. But, nothing of significance was ever created by people who sit on their hands. As Zig Ziglar so eloquently said: “You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.”
Disturb the Present. When was the last time you did something for the first time? Refuse to get comfortable with being comfortable. Be restless. Start something. . . anything. Push on. Discover something other than the tried and true. The comfort zone, habits, traditions, procrastination, aversion to risk and holding tight to the customary are the antonyms to initiation and innovation.
Drive Intentional Improvement. Immerse yourself in curiosity. Initiators are rarely satisfied with the way things are. Give yourself permission to discover and experiment. Mediocre, good enough, ordinary is so run-of-the-mill. Find a crack, a slight opening in the ‘ordinary’ and create the extraordinary. Move from blind satisfaction to a chronic, obsessive, compulsive passion for making things better.
Determine Your Path. Do you want to make a difference with your life? Do you want the world, your family, your work, relationships to be better because of you? Stop waiting for someone to create a risk proof plan to make it happen. Being an initiator isn’t about blindly following some road map to success. Create it!
Put your energies, ideas – your heart into the world and people around you. Uncover undiscovered possibilities because, like Columbus you were willing to go first into unchartered territory. Be an initiator.
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
Mark Twain
Peter Drucker
I’ve Been Thinking. . . about those who ‘get it done’ and those who ‘think about’ doing something.
In his book Principle-Centered Leadership, Stephen M.R. Covey tells how Columbus was once invited to a banquet, where he was seated at the most honorable place at the table. A superficial self-seeker who was insanely jealous of Columbus asked him pointedly: “Had you not discovered the Indies, are there not other men in Spain who would have been capable of the enterprise?”
Rather than reply, Columbus took an egg and invited those around him to make it stand on end. They all attempted, but in vain; whereupon he tapped it on the table denting one end, and left it standing.
“We all could have done it that way!” the courtier accused.
“Yes, if you had only known how,” replied Columbus. “And once I showed you the way to the New World, nothing was easier than to follow it.”
It’s much easier to follow the path to achievement than to blaze the path yourself. True explorers venture into unchartered territory knowing full well it would be much easier if they waited for someone else to show the way.
Dreamer or Achiever. Achiever want-to-bes are experts at replicating someone else’s effort rather than risk failure, embarrassment or loss. Achievers are initiators. They are pioneers, discoverers, innovators; blazing the path to attaining their aspirations. They stare risk head on and then muster the guts, determination and heart to deliver.
There is a distinct gap between a notion and accomplishment, revelation and achievement, inspiration and productivity. Lots of people have great ideas in the shower but rare are those who dry off and do something about them. In order to reap the benefits of any brilliant idea, you must find a way to bridge the gaps. Bridging the gap between concept and practical application excites initiators.
Wayne Huizenga is an initiator. While managing a garbage collection service he made a bold decision to start his own trash collection business. Not only did he specialize in garbage collection, he built a multibillion-dollar worldwide company that became a Fortune 500 leader in environmental services. Waste Management, Inc. became a fabulously successful enterprise providing outstanding services for customers and creating a great place to work for employees.
Huizenga didn’t stop there. Initiators never stop. . . They seem to be in perpetual motion!
Huizenga decided to rent movies through free-standing outlets, malls; wherever movies could be rented. Strange idea. Of course, Huizenga built Blockbuster, Inc. into another multibillion-dollar Fortune 500 company that created thousands and thousands of new jobs and produced massive profits. He now had two Fortune 500 companies notched on his belt.
He wasn’t done. AutoNation became a multi-billion dollar used car outlet company. It was his third Fortune 500 Company.
How does someone like Wayne Huizenga do it? He is truly an initiator. You don’t have to create Fortune 500 companies to be an initiator. But, nothing of significance was ever created by people who sit on their hands. As Zig Ziglar so eloquently said: “You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.”
Disturb the Present. When was the last time you did something for the first time? Refuse to get comfortable with being comfortable. Be restless. Start something. . . anything. Push on. Discover something other than the tried and true. The comfort zone, habits, traditions, procrastination, aversion to risk and holding tight to the customary are the antonyms to initiation and innovation.
Drive Intentional Improvement. Immerse yourself in curiosity. Initiators are rarely satisfied with the way things are. Give yourself permission to discover and experiment. Mediocre, good enough, ordinary is so run-of-the-mill. Find a crack, a slight opening in the ‘ordinary’ and create the extraordinary. Move from blind satisfaction to a chronic, obsessive, compulsive passion for making things better.
Determine Your Path. Do you want to make a difference with your life? Do you want the world, your family, your work, relationships to be better because of you? Stop waiting for someone to create a risk proof plan to make it happen. Being an initiator isn’t about blindly following some road map to success. Create it!
Put your energies, ideas – your heart into the world and people around you. Uncover undiscovered possibilities because, like Columbus you were willing to go first into unchartered territory. Be an initiator.
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
Mark Twain
Monday, February 20, 2012
Focus On What You Do Best
“When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, “I used everything you gave me.”
Erma Bombeck
I’ve Been Thinking. . . about my responsibility to develop my God-given abilities.
I love the story of the ninety-year-old man who, when asked if he knew how to play golf, responded that he didn’t know. “What do you mean, you don’t know?” he was asked. The man, with a wry grin on his face, replied, “I’ve never tried.”
Many of us have talents, abilities and gifts we’ve never fully developed. Others haven’t taken the time to identify their strengths and still others don’t have a clue what they can do because they’ve never tried.
Gallup, Inc., an international research and consulting company, studied 250,000 successful people and concluded that “the highest levels of personal achievement came when people matched their activities with their strengths.”
Author H. Jackson Brown Jr. quipped, “Talent without discipline is like an octopus on roller skates. There’s plenty of movement, but you never know if it’s going to be forwards, backwards, or sideway.” If you know you have talent, and you’ve seen a lot of motion – but little concrete results - you might benefit from an intense strengths focus.
Activity without productivity is often talent without disciplined application. Often times, people are so intent on improving their weakness, talent takes a back seat. Unless your weakness impedes your results or zaps your confidence, learn to manage rather than correct. Let the strength of your talents compensate for your weakness and make them irrelevant.
We have a responsibility to nurture our talents to become the best we can be so we are prepared for life’s opportunities. But how? How do I develop the necessary discipline to develop my natural abilities? Actually, it’s simpler than you might think.
First, determine what you are naturally good at. What activities tend to give you a natural high, peak your interest, or trip your trigger? Where do you enjoy investing yourself? What comes easily to you? What tasks are a no-brainer for you to accomplish?
Secondly, find a way to invest yourself enlarging your talents. Professionals understand the price to be paid to achieve impressive results. They practice, apply and refine their talent. Find paths to contributing your unique abilities to achieve what your organization needs you to do and produce uncommon results. How could you get involved in special projects that would highlight your strengths and allow you to contribute in a special way?
Follow the wisdom of basketball great Larry Bird. “A winner is someone who recognizes his God-given talents, works his tail off to develop them into skills, and uses those skills to accomplish his goals.” This is a wonderful lead-in to our final step.
Finally, Act! Sitting on the sideline is unacceptable. What is holding you back? What keeps you from applying your God-given abilities? Face it head on. It is time to do what you were designed to do. Find a need and invest everything you have in making life better for someone else. Les Brown says, “You don’t have to be great to get started, but you have to get started to be great.” Do it!
In his book, Just Like Jesus, Max Lucado tells about a wealthy woman who lived 100 years ago. She was extremely stingy with her money, so neighbors were shocked when she finally had her home wired for electricity. Weeks later, a meter reader noted very little usage, so he asked, “Are you using your power?”
“Certainly,” she replied. “Each evening I turn on my lights long enough to light my candles; then I turn them off.”
Are you using your power? Are you doing all God equipped you to do? Have you joined the anti-just-get-by league? Commit fully to the power that is in you. I love what Charles Swindoll says about having the discipline to apply ourselves. “When you do the most what you do the best,” he said, “you put a smile on God’s face. What could be better than that?”
Don’t paint stripes on your back if you’re not a zebra. Focus on building upon your unique abilities.
Lee J. Colan
Erma Bombeck
I’ve Been Thinking. . . about my responsibility to develop my God-given abilities.
I love the story of the ninety-year-old man who, when asked if he knew how to play golf, responded that he didn’t know. “What do you mean, you don’t know?” he was asked. The man, with a wry grin on his face, replied, “I’ve never tried.”
Many of us have talents, abilities and gifts we’ve never fully developed. Others haven’t taken the time to identify their strengths and still others don’t have a clue what they can do because they’ve never tried.
Gallup, Inc., an international research and consulting company, studied 250,000 successful people and concluded that “the highest levels of personal achievement came when people matched their activities with their strengths.”
Author H. Jackson Brown Jr. quipped, “Talent without discipline is like an octopus on roller skates. There’s plenty of movement, but you never know if it’s going to be forwards, backwards, or sideway.” If you know you have talent, and you’ve seen a lot of motion – but little concrete results - you might benefit from an intense strengths focus.
Activity without productivity is often talent without disciplined application. Often times, people are so intent on improving their weakness, talent takes a back seat. Unless your weakness impedes your results or zaps your confidence, learn to manage rather than correct. Let the strength of your talents compensate for your weakness and make them irrelevant.
We have a responsibility to nurture our talents to become the best we can be so we are prepared for life’s opportunities. But how? How do I develop the necessary discipline to develop my natural abilities? Actually, it’s simpler than you might think.
First, determine what you are naturally good at. What activities tend to give you a natural high, peak your interest, or trip your trigger? Where do you enjoy investing yourself? What comes easily to you? What tasks are a no-brainer for you to accomplish?
Secondly, find a way to invest yourself enlarging your talents. Professionals understand the price to be paid to achieve impressive results. They practice, apply and refine their talent. Find paths to contributing your unique abilities to achieve what your organization needs you to do and produce uncommon results. How could you get involved in special projects that would highlight your strengths and allow you to contribute in a special way?
Follow the wisdom of basketball great Larry Bird. “A winner is someone who recognizes his God-given talents, works his tail off to develop them into skills, and uses those skills to accomplish his goals.” This is a wonderful lead-in to our final step.
Finally, Act! Sitting on the sideline is unacceptable. What is holding you back? What keeps you from applying your God-given abilities? Face it head on. It is time to do what you were designed to do. Find a need and invest everything you have in making life better for someone else. Les Brown says, “You don’t have to be great to get started, but you have to get started to be great.” Do it!
In his book, Just Like Jesus, Max Lucado tells about a wealthy woman who lived 100 years ago. She was extremely stingy with her money, so neighbors were shocked when she finally had her home wired for electricity. Weeks later, a meter reader noted very little usage, so he asked, “Are you using your power?”
“Certainly,” she replied. “Each evening I turn on my lights long enough to light my candles; then I turn them off.”
Are you using your power? Are you doing all God equipped you to do? Have you joined the anti-just-get-by league? Commit fully to the power that is in you. I love what Charles Swindoll says about having the discipline to apply ourselves. “When you do the most what you do the best,” he said, “you put a smile on God’s face. What could be better than that?”
Don’t paint stripes on your back if you’re not a zebra. Focus on building upon your unique abilities.
Lee J. Colan
Monday, January 30, 2012
Find Your One Thing
“I am appalled at the aimlessness of most people’s lives. Fifty percent don’t pay attention to where they are going; forty percent are undecided and will go in any direction. Only ten percent know what they want, and even all of them don’t go toward it.”
Katherine Anne Porter
Pulitzer Prize Winner
I’ve Been Thinking. . . about movies and direction in life. Stay with me on this one.
The first movie is a scary one. What if? What if I could watch a movie today that will be played for me when I reach my eternal destination and it is entitled: The Life, Adventures and Accomplishments of Glenn Van Ekeren --- As They Could Have Been. I have a feeling this could be a horror movie with a bad ending.
If only I had understood early on that every choice I made contributed to the overall quality of my life. If only I had understood that there was a purpose in every action. If only I had realized that there was meaning in everything I attempted and achieved. If only. . . If only. . .
Enough of that scene. It’s depressing. Let’s leave my life and explore a couple commercial movies with a message. If you’ve seen the movie City Slickers, you probably recall a memorable scene involving Billy Crystal, who played a city slicker enduring a dude ranch vacation, and Jack Palance, who played a crusty old trail boss.
Here’s the scenario. Palance and Crystal are riding slowly across the terrain on horseback, discussing life and love. Crystal is amazed at Palance’s apparent ability to enjoy his seemingly questionable, less than exciting life and have his act together while Crystal is struggling to find direction and meaning. Here’s their conversation:
Palance: “How old are you? Thirty-eight?”Crystal: “Thirty-nine.”
Palance: “Yeah. You all come out here about the same age. Same problems. Spend fifty weeks a year getting knots in your rope -- then you think two weeks up here will untie them for you. None of you get it. [Long pause] Do you know what the secret of life is?”
Crystal: “No, what?”
Palance: “It’s this.” [Holds up his index finger]
Crystal: “Your finger?”
Palance: "One thing. Just one thing. You stick to that and everything else don’t mean nothing.”
Crystal: “That’s great, but what’s the one thing?”
Palance: “That’s what you’ve got to figure out.”
The weather-beaten, crusty old cattle driver nailed it. He wasn’t verbally elegant but he was profound and well-seasoned on life’s necessities. That one thing is what you’ve got to figure out.
Don’t make this too philosophical. Simply, what is your reason for living? What is your ultimate aim? Why are you here? What is that “one thing” you want to be the driving force for everything you do? If you’ve never thought about such questions before, you will find the process stimulating and enlightening.
Someday, your movie will be played back to you as well. These are the very questions that might come back for you to answer. Have you found that “one thing?” Have you figured it out? Are your actions consistent with achieving your “one thing?”
Movie number three. Recently my wife and I decided to attend a movie we previously determined to forego. A combination of newspaper reviews and a heart tug led us to the theater Saturday evening.
A 9-year old boy, the central character of the movie, lost his father in the World Trade Center attacks on 9/11. I wanted to avoid reliving the potential sadness, emotions and reality of loss related to this horrific tragedy. Instead, director Stephen Daldry filled Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close with hope, honor and intense purpose.
Nine-year-old Oskar Schell is attempting to cope with the aftermath of his father’s death by pursuing the purpose of a mystery key. He believes the key will lead him to a message from his father and thereby keep him connected to the man he fervently admired. His borderline Asperger’s syndrome fuels his obsession to do whatever it takes to solve the mystery key.
Oskar’s quest ultimately reveals that the purpose of the key actually has an enormous message for someone else’s life. Facing his strongest fears, engaging others in his search and pursuing answers with unquenchable determination leads Oskar to the realization that the answers weren’t as important as the journey.
Isn’t that just the case of our lives? Purpose in hand, it’s the journey that really matters. But, it’s the purpose that directs the journey. They’re Siamese twins. Purpose and journey.
Find your one thing. Understand that the journey is worthwhile because of the one thing and someday your movie will receive a standing ovation.
“How different our lives are when we really know what is deeply important to us, and, keeping that picture in mind, we manage ourselves each day to be and to know what really matters most.”
Stephen Covey
Katherine Anne Porter
Pulitzer Prize Winner
I’ve Been Thinking. . . about movies and direction in life. Stay with me on this one.
The first movie is a scary one. What if? What if I could watch a movie today that will be played for me when I reach my eternal destination and it is entitled: The Life, Adventures and Accomplishments of Glenn Van Ekeren --- As They Could Have Been. I have a feeling this could be a horror movie with a bad ending.
If only I had understood early on that every choice I made contributed to the overall quality of my life. If only I had understood that there was a purpose in every action. If only I had realized that there was meaning in everything I attempted and achieved. If only. . . If only. . .
Enough of that scene. It’s depressing. Let’s leave my life and explore a couple commercial movies with a message. If you’ve seen the movie City Slickers, you probably recall a memorable scene involving Billy Crystal, who played a city slicker enduring a dude ranch vacation, and Jack Palance, who played a crusty old trail boss.
Here’s the scenario. Palance and Crystal are riding slowly across the terrain on horseback, discussing life and love. Crystal is amazed at Palance’s apparent ability to enjoy his seemingly questionable, less than exciting life and have his act together while Crystal is struggling to find direction and meaning. Here’s their conversation:
Palance: “How old are you? Thirty-eight?”Crystal: “Thirty-nine.”
Palance: “Yeah. You all come out here about the same age. Same problems. Spend fifty weeks a year getting knots in your rope -- then you think two weeks up here will untie them for you. None of you get it. [Long pause] Do you know what the secret of life is?”
Crystal: “No, what?”
Palance: “It’s this.” [Holds up his index finger]
Crystal: “Your finger?”
Palance: "One thing. Just one thing. You stick to that and everything else don’t mean nothing.”
Crystal: “That’s great, but what’s the one thing?”
Palance: “That’s what you’ve got to figure out.”
The weather-beaten, crusty old cattle driver nailed it. He wasn’t verbally elegant but he was profound and well-seasoned on life’s necessities. That one thing is what you’ve got to figure out.
Don’t make this too philosophical. Simply, what is your reason for living? What is your ultimate aim? Why are you here? What is that “one thing” you want to be the driving force for everything you do? If you’ve never thought about such questions before, you will find the process stimulating and enlightening.
Someday, your movie will be played back to you as well. These are the very questions that might come back for you to answer. Have you found that “one thing?” Have you figured it out? Are your actions consistent with achieving your “one thing?”
Movie number three. Recently my wife and I decided to attend a movie we previously determined to forego. A combination of newspaper reviews and a heart tug led us to the theater Saturday evening.
A 9-year old boy, the central character of the movie, lost his father in the World Trade Center attacks on 9/11. I wanted to avoid reliving the potential sadness, emotions and reality of loss related to this horrific tragedy. Instead, director Stephen Daldry filled Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close with hope, honor and intense purpose.
Nine-year-old Oskar Schell is attempting to cope with the aftermath of his father’s death by pursuing the purpose of a mystery key. He believes the key will lead him to a message from his father and thereby keep him connected to the man he fervently admired. His borderline Asperger’s syndrome fuels his obsession to do whatever it takes to solve the mystery key.
Oskar’s quest ultimately reveals that the purpose of the key actually has an enormous message for someone else’s life. Facing his strongest fears, engaging others in his search and pursuing answers with unquenchable determination leads Oskar to the realization that the answers weren’t as important as the journey.
Isn’t that just the case of our lives? Purpose in hand, it’s the journey that really matters. But, it’s the purpose that directs the journey. They’re Siamese twins. Purpose and journey.
Find your one thing. Understand that the journey is worthwhile because of the one thing and someday your movie will receive a standing ovation.
“How different our lives are when we really know what is deeply important to us, and, keeping that picture in mind, we manage ourselves each day to be and to know what really matters most.”
Stephen Covey
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Responsibility 101
People waste more time waiting for someone to take charge of their lives than they do in any other pursuit.
Gloria Steinem
I’ve Been Thinking. . . about the relevance of a very old movie. Grab your TV Guide. Oh, that’s right, they quit making TV Guide. Okay, go to your local cable listing and hope you can find the next showing of Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front.
There’s a scene where an angry German soldier in a hospital ward smashes a bottle against the wall. An officer quickly comes storming into the room demanding to know who threw the bottle. “I did,” said Joseph Hamacher, even though he had nothing to do with the incident.
The angry officer takes down Hamacher’s name, informs him he’s in big trouble and then stamps out of the room. The other soldiers are curious. Why did Hamacher take the heat when he didn’t commit the crime? Hamacher grins and explains, “I got a crack in the head, and they presented me with a certificate to say that I was periodically not responsible for my actions. Ever since then I’ve had a grand time!”
Sound familiar? There are a lot of people walking around today declaring themselves temporarily not responsible for their actions.
Relinquish responsibility to someone else or an event and you become powerless as well as angry and resentful. Grant someone or something responsibility for the quality of your day and be assured the results will be undesirable. You’ll soon believe that you have no control over what happens to you. This is the fast track to becoming a helpless victim of the past, other people and life. Trapped.
When you consciously take responsibility for the outcomes in your life new possibilities and alternatives will surface. Responsible people see no reason to blame others or the world around them for how they feel, think, or act. Their approach is to face the facts, meet challenges, decide how to make changes, and actively plan how they will make a difference in their future.
Two questions will assist you in making this transition. What do I want? What am I willing to do to make it happen?
You possess all the necessary tools to determine what activities and thoughts to activate. Being clear about what you want and how you will achieve it provides fresh insight into desirable behaviors.
“Success on any major scale requires you to accept responsibility,” says Michael Korda. “In the final analysis, the one quality that all successful people have...is the ability to take on responsibility.”
Formulate a course of action to focus on who you want to be and how you want to feel.
“If you’re tough on yourself, life is going to be infinitely easier on you.”
Zig Ziglar
Gloria Steinem
I’ve Been Thinking. . . about the relevance of a very old movie. Grab your TV Guide. Oh, that’s right, they quit making TV Guide. Okay, go to your local cable listing and hope you can find the next showing of Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front.
There’s a scene where an angry German soldier in a hospital ward smashes a bottle against the wall. An officer quickly comes storming into the room demanding to know who threw the bottle. “I did,” said Joseph Hamacher, even though he had nothing to do with the incident.
The angry officer takes down Hamacher’s name, informs him he’s in big trouble and then stamps out of the room. The other soldiers are curious. Why did Hamacher take the heat when he didn’t commit the crime? Hamacher grins and explains, “I got a crack in the head, and they presented me with a certificate to say that I was periodically not responsible for my actions. Ever since then I’ve had a grand time!”
Sound familiar? There are a lot of people walking around today declaring themselves temporarily not responsible for their actions.
Relinquish responsibility to someone else or an event and you become powerless as well as angry and resentful. Grant someone or something responsibility for the quality of your day and be assured the results will be undesirable. You’ll soon believe that you have no control over what happens to you. This is the fast track to becoming a helpless victim of the past, other people and life. Trapped.
When you consciously take responsibility for the outcomes in your life new possibilities and alternatives will surface. Responsible people see no reason to blame others or the world around them for how they feel, think, or act. Their approach is to face the facts, meet challenges, decide how to make changes, and actively plan how they will make a difference in their future.
Two questions will assist you in making this transition. What do I want? What am I willing to do to make it happen?
You possess all the necessary tools to determine what activities and thoughts to activate. Being clear about what you want and how you will achieve it provides fresh insight into desirable behaviors.
“Success on any major scale requires you to accept responsibility,” says Michael Korda. “In the final analysis, the one quality that all successful people have...is the ability to take on responsibility.”
Formulate a course of action to focus on who you want to be and how you want to feel.
“If you’re tough on yourself, life is going to be infinitely easier on you.”
Zig Ziglar
Friday, December 30, 2011
Fresh Page
“Every man should be born again on the first day of January. Start with a fresh page. Take up one hole more in the buckle if necessary, or let down one, according to the circumstances; but on the first of January let every man gird himself once more, with his face to the front, and take no interest in the things that were and are past.”
Henry Ward Beecher
I’ve Been Thinking . . . about the New Year. A fresh page. A blank slate. Another hole in the belt buckle – one way or the other.
Prior to 1995 the Northwestern Wildcats football teams were the most notorious losers in the Big Ten, and probably in college football. They set an NCAA record by losing thirty-four consecutive games between 1979 and 1982. Although each year brought the possibility of a “fresh page," they didn’t have a winning season in twenty-four years.
Then in 1995, the Wildcats finished the season 10-2, won the Big Ten Conference title, and participated in the Rose Bowl ranked eighth in the nation.
In an essay entitled “Good Guys Finish First (Sometimes),” Andrew Bagnato relayed this experience.
Following a rags-to-riches season that led them to the Rose Bowl – their first in decades – Northwestern University’s Wildcats met with Coach Gary Barnett for the opening of spring training.
As players found their seats, Barnett announced that he was going to hand out the awards that many Wildcats had earned in 1995. Some players exchanged glances. Barnett does not normally dwell on the past. But as coach continued to call players forward and handed them placards proclaiming their achievements, they were cheered on by their teammates.
One of the other coaches gave Barnett a placard representing his seventeen national coach-of-the-year awards. Then, as the applause subsided, Barnett walked to a trash can marked “1995.” He took an admiring glance at his placard; then dumped it in the can.
In the silence that followed, one by one, the team’s stars dumped their placards on top of Barnett’s. Barnett had shouted a message without uttering a word: “What you did in 1995 was terrific, lads. But look at the calendar: It’s 1996.”
No matter what your past has been, you have a spotless future. The past isn’t your present and the present doesn’t determine the future. The future is a blank canvas waiting to be fashioned, designed and constructed one piece at a time. The only way to create an original future is to leave the past behind.
The successes, challenges, joys, disappointments, failures and awards of the past are history. Learn from them. Leave them there. Look to the future. This is the time to create your future – you’re going to live the rest of your life there.
Don’t be like the guy who walked by a little shop with a sign reading “Fortune Teller.” Discouraged, disappointed with his past and curious about his life, he decided to consult with the mystic and ask for a glimpse into his future.
The fortune- teller looked in her crystal ball and slowly raised her eyes to meet with her client’s.
“What did you see?” he asked.
“You’ll be poor, unhappy and miserable until you’re fifty.”
“Then what?” asked the man with desperation in his voice.
“By that time,” the fortune–teller said, “You’ll get used to it.”
The future isn’t something to ‘get used to.’ Determine today that your spotless future will be filled with aspirations, adventures, action, and anticipatory energy. Don’t allow the past or the present to sideline your future potential. Let the wisdom of Spanish essayist, novelist, poet, playwright and philosopher (multi-tasker) Miguel de Unamuno rattle your thinking a bit. He asserted, “We should try to be the parents of our future rather than the offspring of our past.” Powerful!
Get specific about where you are going this year. What pieces of the past do you need to let go? What do you want to experiment with? Who will you build a relationship with? What risks are you willing to take? What is it you’ve wanted to do but just haven’t had the get up and go to do? How will the future be different from the past?
It is time! Your best days are still ahead. . . Create a fresh page. Today.
“Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.”
Carl Bard
Andrew Bagnato, Chicago Tribune Magazine, September 1, 1996
Henry Ward Beecher
I’ve Been Thinking . . . about the New Year. A fresh page. A blank slate. Another hole in the belt buckle – one way or the other.
Prior to 1995 the Northwestern Wildcats football teams were the most notorious losers in the Big Ten, and probably in college football. They set an NCAA record by losing thirty-four consecutive games between 1979 and 1982. Although each year brought the possibility of a “fresh page," they didn’t have a winning season in twenty-four years.
Then in 1995, the Wildcats finished the season 10-2, won the Big Ten Conference title, and participated in the Rose Bowl ranked eighth in the nation.
In an essay entitled “Good Guys Finish First (Sometimes),” Andrew Bagnato relayed this experience.
Following a rags-to-riches season that led them to the Rose Bowl – their first in decades – Northwestern University’s Wildcats met with Coach Gary Barnett for the opening of spring training.
As players found their seats, Barnett announced that he was going to hand out the awards that many Wildcats had earned in 1995. Some players exchanged glances. Barnett does not normally dwell on the past. But as coach continued to call players forward and handed them placards proclaiming their achievements, they were cheered on by their teammates.
One of the other coaches gave Barnett a placard representing his seventeen national coach-of-the-year awards. Then, as the applause subsided, Barnett walked to a trash can marked “1995.” He took an admiring glance at his placard; then dumped it in the can.
In the silence that followed, one by one, the team’s stars dumped their placards on top of Barnett’s. Barnett had shouted a message without uttering a word: “What you did in 1995 was terrific, lads. But look at the calendar: It’s 1996.”
No matter what your past has been, you have a spotless future. The past isn’t your present and the present doesn’t determine the future. The future is a blank canvas waiting to be fashioned, designed and constructed one piece at a time. The only way to create an original future is to leave the past behind.
The successes, challenges, joys, disappointments, failures and awards of the past are history. Learn from them. Leave them there. Look to the future. This is the time to create your future – you’re going to live the rest of your life there.
Don’t be like the guy who walked by a little shop with a sign reading “Fortune Teller.” Discouraged, disappointed with his past and curious about his life, he decided to consult with the mystic and ask for a glimpse into his future.
The fortune- teller looked in her crystal ball and slowly raised her eyes to meet with her client’s.
“What did you see?” he asked.
“You’ll be poor, unhappy and miserable until you’re fifty.”
“Then what?” asked the man with desperation in his voice.
“By that time,” the fortune–teller said, “You’ll get used to it.”
The future isn’t something to ‘get used to.’ Determine today that your spotless future will be filled with aspirations, adventures, action, and anticipatory energy. Don’t allow the past or the present to sideline your future potential. Let the wisdom of Spanish essayist, novelist, poet, playwright and philosopher (multi-tasker) Miguel de Unamuno rattle your thinking a bit. He asserted, “We should try to be the parents of our future rather than the offspring of our past.” Powerful!
Get specific about where you are going this year. What pieces of the past do you need to let go? What do you want to experiment with? Who will you build a relationship with? What risks are you willing to take? What is it you’ve wanted to do but just haven’t had the get up and go to do? How will the future be different from the past?
It is time! Your best days are still ahead. . . Create a fresh page. Today.
“Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.”
Carl Bard
Andrew Bagnato, Chicago Tribune Magazine, September 1, 1996
Monday, December 19, 2011
How’s Your Gratitude Aptitude?
Christmas is most truly Christmas when we celebrate it by giving the light of love to those who need it most."
Ruth Carter Stapleton
I’ve Been Thinking. . . it is the perfect time of the year for me to refine my attitude of gratitude.
I can’t believe that Christmas 2011 is knocking at our door. It has been quite a year of local, national and international roller coaster experiences. Sometimes we might feel like we just want to stop the ride and get off. At other times we enjoy the thrill each day brings despite the discouraging news that invades our lives. We’re all at different stages, perspective, and demands in our lives.
The economic uncertainty, international unrest and political contentiousness have impacted everyone to some degree. The paper, television and internet are loaded with exasperating stories of financial challenge, ravaging devastation, personal ruin and the collapse of governments. Stress and anxiety about the future have penetrated the hearts of millions. In some way, all of our attitudes, emotions, plans for the future and perception of today have been challenged.
And yet, there is reason to celebrate. Christmas is a time for joy, despite the circumstances. Sure, the family celebrations, traditions, decorations and the memories we create are important. But, there is even a greater opportunity to impact and enrich our lives. There is an overriding message in every Christmas moment and it began when God decided to GIVE us the gift of Jesus. That gift alone should prompt our generous spirits and grateful hearts.
Anne Keegan’s article “Blue Christmas” was a collection of Christmas stories told by Chicago police officers. One was the story of George White.
George lived in a rented room at the YMCA. He had one set of clothes, shoes wrapped with rubber bands to keep the soles from flopping, and a threadbare black overcoat. He spent his mornings napping in an old metal chair by the heater in the back of the 18th District office.
Two officers, Kitowski and Mitch, took an interest in the old man, occasionally slipping him a few bucks. They found out that Billy the Greek over at the G & W grill gave him a hot breakfast every morning, no charge.
The two policeman and their families decided to have George as their guest for Christmas dinner. They gave him presents, which he unwrapped carefully.
As they drove him back to the Y, George asked, “Are these presents really mine to keep?” They assured him they were. “Then we must stop at the G & W before I go home,” he said. With that, George began rewrapping his presents.
When they walked into the restaurant, Billy the Greek was there as always. “You been good to me, Billy,” said George. “Now I can be good to you. Merry Christmas.” George gave all his presents away on the spot. Chicago Tribune Magazine (12/24/95)
Generosity is natural when a grateful attitude prevails. It is amplified when we realize our responsibility to give as we have been given. How’s your gratitude aptitude? Consider these penetrating thoughts as we enter the Christmas season.
Attitude of Gratitude
If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep... you are richer than 75% of this world.
If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace... you are among the top 8% of the world’s wealthy.
If you woke up this morning with good health you are more fortunate than the million who will not survive this week.
If you have never experienced the danger of battle unfolding all around you, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation... you are ahead of 500 million people in the world.
If you can attend a church meeting without fear of persecution, harassment, arrest, torture, or death... you are more blessed than three billion people in the world.
If your parents are still alive and still married...you are very rare, even in the United States.
If you can read this message, you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world that cannot read at all.
Author Unknown
Don’t let the condition of a fickle world rob you of the incomparable blessing to Give with a grateful and generous heart. Develop, nurture and encourage a life of gratitude and generosity no matter what the circumstances. Even if your situation or condition never changes, your attitude toward them can change -- and this can be life-changing.
Determine to make this Christmas truly special by giving to someone in a way you’ve never done before. Amplify your Gratitude Aptitude by giving of yourself. . .
Christmas is a necessity. There has to be at least one day of the year to remind us that we're here for something else besides ourselves.
Eric Sevareid
Ruth Carter Stapleton
I’ve Been Thinking. . . it is the perfect time of the year for me to refine my attitude of gratitude.
I can’t believe that Christmas 2011 is knocking at our door. It has been quite a year of local, national and international roller coaster experiences. Sometimes we might feel like we just want to stop the ride and get off. At other times we enjoy the thrill each day brings despite the discouraging news that invades our lives. We’re all at different stages, perspective, and demands in our lives.
The economic uncertainty, international unrest and political contentiousness have impacted everyone to some degree. The paper, television and internet are loaded with exasperating stories of financial challenge, ravaging devastation, personal ruin and the collapse of governments. Stress and anxiety about the future have penetrated the hearts of millions. In some way, all of our attitudes, emotions, plans for the future and perception of today have been challenged.
And yet, there is reason to celebrate. Christmas is a time for joy, despite the circumstances. Sure, the family celebrations, traditions, decorations and the memories we create are important. But, there is even a greater opportunity to impact and enrich our lives. There is an overriding message in every Christmas moment and it began when God decided to GIVE us the gift of Jesus. That gift alone should prompt our generous spirits and grateful hearts.
Anne Keegan’s article “Blue Christmas” was a collection of Christmas stories told by Chicago police officers. One was the story of George White.
George lived in a rented room at the YMCA. He had one set of clothes, shoes wrapped with rubber bands to keep the soles from flopping, and a threadbare black overcoat. He spent his mornings napping in an old metal chair by the heater in the back of the 18th District office.
Two officers, Kitowski and Mitch, took an interest in the old man, occasionally slipping him a few bucks. They found out that Billy the Greek over at the G & W grill gave him a hot breakfast every morning, no charge.
The two policeman and their families decided to have George as their guest for Christmas dinner. They gave him presents, which he unwrapped carefully.
As they drove him back to the Y, George asked, “Are these presents really mine to keep?” They assured him they were. “Then we must stop at the G & W before I go home,” he said. With that, George began rewrapping his presents.
When they walked into the restaurant, Billy the Greek was there as always. “You been good to me, Billy,” said George. “Now I can be good to you. Merry Christmas.” George gave all his presents away on the spot. Chicago Tribune Magazine (12/24/95)
Generosity is natural when a grateful attitude prevails. It is amplified when we realize our responsibility to give as we have been given. How’s your gratitude aptitude? Consider these penetrating thoughts as we enter the Christmas season.
Attitude of Gratitude
If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep... you are richer than 75% of this world.
If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace... you are among the top 8% of the world’s wealthy.
If you woke up this morning with good health you are more fortunate than the million who will not survive this week.
If you have never experienced the danger of battle unfolding all around you, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation... you are ahead of 500 million people in the world.
If you can attend a church meeting without fear of persecution, harassment, arrest, torture, or death... you are more blessed than three billion people in the world.
If your parents are still alive and still married...you are very rare, even in the United States.
If you can read this message, you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world that cannot read at all.
Author Unknown
Don’t let the condition of a fickle world rob you of the incomparable blessing to Give with a grateful and generous heart. Develop, nurture and encourage a life of gratitude and generosity no matter what the circumstances. Even if your situation or condition never changes, your attitude toward them can change -- and this can be life-changing.
Determine to make this Christmas truly special by giving to someone in a way you’ve never done before. Amplify your Gratitude Aptitude by giving of yourself. . .
Christmas is a necessity. There has to be at least one day of the year to remind us that we're here for something else besides ourselves.
Eric Sevareid
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