“Success requires enough optimism to provide hope and enough pessimism to prevent complacency.”
David G. Myers
I’ve been thinking . . . about the qualities of successful people.
On July 9, 2011 Derek Jeter smacked his 3000th career hit joining the small club of only 27 other major league baseball players to achieve this threshold. He has also had 6600 at bats without a hit. Jeter’s response to this achievement; ”…There is a lot of hard work, sacrifice and failure that goes along with it.”
Steve Jobs is considered a giant innovator in the technology world. He managed to merge creative genius with technology to create products we didn’t even know we needed. At the time of his death Steve Jobs had amassed 317 Apple patents ranging from computer cases to iPods and even packaging and retail store design.
Mother Teresa founded the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, India. She became an international legend advocating for the rights of the poor and helpless. In 1985 President Ronald Regan presented Mother Teresa with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. At the time of her death in 1997, missionaries of charity had 610 missions in 123 countries.
People who achieve substantial success are often perceived as being big dreamers, creative thinkers, expert planners; and most of all consummate doers. There are some added simple principles critical for sustained success.
First, success comes from small efforts hammered out day by day. People often sabotage their success by believing some grandiose achievement is necessary to determine whether or not they are successful.
It’s imperative that you be happy right where you are with what you have while pursuing what you want. Then, success can follow.
Celebrate Now! The moment. The effort. Not . . . I’ll be successful when . . .
“I couldn’t wait for success,” declared Jonathan Winters “so I went on ahead without it.” So did Drew Carey.
Comedian Drew Carey certainly didn’t grow up in a culture that molded his sense of humor. Carey was only eight when his father died and a year later he was molested. Life didn’t get easier. As a college student at Kent State he attempted suicide at a fraternity party, struggled to achieve acceptable grades and ultimately left after five years without a degree.
Carey became drifter and once again attempted suicide. He then began reading, learning and applying principles for taking responsibility for his life. Then, a friend asked him to write jokes for a comedy show. Next thing you know he’s on stage at a comedy club. Star Search and The Tonight Show followed, after which his success snow balled.
Coping, drifting, irresponsibility, ‘settling’, compromise; these are not the steps to success. Begin conceptualizing and molding your success one small step at a time.
My second success observation - Pleasure precedes success.
That’s Right! Your chances for success in any undertaking can be measured by the degree of pleasure you feel in what you do.
If what you’re doing today is not satisfying, fulfilling, gratifying . . . you’re not successful. Make a change.
Marcus Buckingham, writing in his book, The One Thing You Need To Know, advises: “The one thing you need to know about sustained individual success: Discover what you don’t like doing and stop doing it.”
Interestingly enough, successful people are often quitters. They quit doing things they abhor to free up their time and talents to excel at something that engages and energizes them.
Best-selling author Michael Crichton certainly understands this success principle. Crichton graduated from Harvard Medical School and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the prestigious SALK Institute for Biological Studies; certainly guaranteeing him a successful and lucrative career as a doctor or as a medical researcher.
Understanding pleasure precedes success, Crichton traded a secure future for an unpredictable writing career. Crichton concluded he didn’t have the stomach for cutting people open or a passion for the medical field . . . regardless of the money, prestige, or perceived success it would bring.
Beware the tendency to underestimate your success because you are simply doing what you find pleasure in doing. Doing what you love to do is the epitome of success.
“To succeed,” suggested Tony Dorsett, “You need to find something to hold on to, something to motivate you, something to inspire you.”
Number three. Success breeds success. (Told you these were simple.)
Have you ever noticed how a little success fuels energies, arouses desire, increases motivation; which breeds more success, elevates drive, fuels ambition, creates more dreams and the success cycle continues.
The headline on the sports page on Saturday, April 17, 1999, read: Great Gretzky’s Career Ends.
Despite the encouragement from virtually everyone who knew him to give it one more year; the 38 year old Gretzky said his “Gut” told him it was time.
Gretzsky’s departure certainly left a significant gap in professional hockey. His hall of fame achievements began when he took the ice at the age of 3. He scored 104 goals in 62 games at age 8 and 378 goals in 82 games when he was the mature age of 10.
Success breeds success. Out of incredible commitment, unwavering determination, and hard work combined with God given ability success breeds success.
Wayne Gretzky owns roughly 60 records, is a 10-time scoring champion and a nine time MVP. “I was a boy that happened to love a game and got lucky,” said Gretzky in an interview, “and the good Lord gave me a passion for it.”
Think about it—focused effort, combined with the pleasure of doing what we do, creates success that tends to reproduce itself. Pretty simple – but powerful!
“Success is waking up in the morning, whoever you are, wherever you are, however old or young, and bounding out of bed because there’s something out there that you love to do, that you believe in, that you’re good at-something that’s bigger than you are, and you can hardly wait to get at it again today.”
Whit Hobbs
Friday, October 28, 2011
Monday, October 10, 2011
Press On!
“Many men fail because they quit too soon. They lose faith when the signs are against them. They do not have the courage to hold on, to keep fighting in spite of that which seems insurmountable.
C. E. Welch
I’ve Been Thinking . . . about why some people quit and others keep going.
Comic strip creator Charles Schultz was not an overnight success. Even after the strip sold, it took an additional few years for “Peanuts” to attract nationwide attention. Charles Schultz epitomized Vince Lombardi’s thought that “The harder you work, the harder it is to surrender.” Schultz continued creating and illustrating at One Snoopy Lane in Santa Rosa, California. Ten years after his introduction to the world, Charlie Brown and his friends became a household name.
Most people can perform exuberantly for a day, a week, or even a month. But if you want ongoing success, it takes an impassioned belief in what you do, supported by an unwavering commitment to see your ambition through to the finish. There will no doubt be stumbling blocks along the way but they are only reminders to make adjustments, reassess priorities and evaluate to your conviction. Don’t get sidetracked. Remember, “Persistence,” says personnel executive Robert Half, “is what makes the impossible possible, the possible likely and the likely definite.”
I remember watching the funeral services of Richard Nixon with mixed emotions. President Nixon was revered by many for his achievements and international diplomatic efforts. Others harbored bitterness for the blemishes caused by the Watergate scandal.
Henry Kissinger eulogized his friend at the graveside. “So let us now say good-bye to our gallant friend. He stood on pinnacles that dissolved in the precipice. He achieved greatly and he suffered deeply. But he never gave up.”
In their tears, many standing at the graveside must have reflected on the tenacity of the man who once said, “A man is not finished when he’s defeated. He’s finished when he quits.”
Most of us never have, and hopefully never will, experience the trials and tribulations of Richard Nixon. You can be encouraged however by one who spoke from experience. Persistence is an essential element for experiencing success in any endeavor.
Thought of throwing in the towel lately? Have you experienced feelings that the project you’re involved in just isn’t worth the effort? Has discouragement become a way of life? How many self pity parties have you organized?
Take heart, you’re not alone. Winners and losers alike experience these feelings. What separates them? Losers dwell on them until paralyzed by their own inaction. Winners work through the emotional difficulties while hanging on to the conviction that nothing will stop them from achieving their dream.
Dr. Norman Vincent Peale poured his emotional energy and personal philosophy into a written manuscript. A host of publishers responded with rejection slips causing Dr. Peale to pitch his manuscript into the wastebasket. His wife Ruth believed in the printed prize possession and determined to help her husband get it published.
She personally visited a publisher who had not yet been contacted. The publisher immediately noticed that her package looked odd, unlike any book manuscript he had ever received. It was big and bulky, not even the normal shape. When he unwrapped the package, he was surprised to find a garbage can containing a manuscript that the world has come to know as The Power of Positive Thinking. Ruth Stafford Peale’s courage to try one more time made it possible for her husband’s book to sell over 30 million copies.
It was no doubt his wife’s efforts that inspired Dr. Peale to remain unaffected by disappointment. He once said, “I never let go of something I desperately want to do or think needs to be done. If I can’t do it head on, I will look for a circuitous way to do it. The idea is to do it no matter what method you use.” (Maybe he was referring to delivering a book manuscript in a wastebasket).
Multitudes of people get sidetracked from achieving their dreams. “Many people fail in life because they believe in the adage: If you don’t succeed, try something else,” believes Don. B. Owens, Jr. “But success eludes those who follow such advice....The dreams that have come true did so because people stuck to their ambitions. They refused to be discouraged. They never let disappointment get the upper hand. Challenges only spurred them on to greater effort.”
You will never achieve all you are capable of unless you stay focused and are willing to take whatever action is necessary to realize your dreams, regardless of the obstacles you encounter.
Press on! Press on! Press on!
"That which we persist in doing becomes easier to do, not that the nature of the thing has changed but that our ability to do has increased.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
C. E. Welch
I’ve Been Thinking . . . about why some people quit and others keep going.
Comic strip creator Charles Schultz was not an overnight success. Even after the strip sold, it took an additional few years for “Peanuts” to attract nationwide attention. Charles Schultz epitomized Vince Lombardi’s thought that “The harder you work, the harder it is to surrender.” Schultz continued creating and illustrating at One Snoopy Lane in Santa Rosa, California. Ten years after his introduction to the world, Charlie Brown and his friends became a household name.
Most people can perform exuberantly for a day, a week, or even a month. But if you want ongoing success, it takes an impassioned belief in what you do, supported by an unwavering commitment to see your ambition through to the finish. There will no doubt be stumbling blocks along the way but they are only reminders to make adjustments, reassess priorities and evaluate to your conviction. Don’t get sidetracked. Remember, “Persistence,” says personnel executive Robert Half, “is what makes the impossible possible, the possible likely and the likely definite.”
I remember watching the funeral services of Richard Nixon with mixed emotions. President Nixon was revered by many for his achievements and international diplomatic efforts. Others harbored bitterness for the blemishes caused by the Watergate scandal.
Henry Kissinger eulogized his friend at the graveside. “So let us now say good-bye to our gallant friend. He stood on pinnacles that dissolved in the precipice. He achieved greatly and he suffered deeply. But he never gave up.”
In their tears, many standing at the graveside must have reflected on the tenacity of the man who once said, “A man is not finished when he’s defeated. He’s finished when he quits.”
Most of us never have, and hopefully never will, experience the trials and tribulations of Richard Nixon. You can be encouraged however by one who spoke from experience. Persistence is an essential element for experiencing success in any endeavor.
Thought of throwing in the towel lately? Have you experienced feelings that the project you’re involved in just isn’t worth the effort? Has discouragement become a way of life? How many self pity parties have you organized?
Take heart, you’re not alone. Winners and losers alike experience these feelings. What separates them? Losers dwell on them until paralyzed by their own inaction. Winners work through the emotional difficulties while hanging on to the conviction that nothing will stop them from achieving their dream.
Dr. Norman Vincent Peale poured his emotional energy and personal philosophy into a written manuscript. A host of publishers responded with rejection slips causing Dr. Peale to pitch his manuscript into the wastebasket. His wife Ruth believed in the printed prize possession and determined to help her husband get it published.
She personally visited a publisher who had not yet been contacted. The publisher immediately noticed that her package looked odd, unlike any book manuscript he had ever received. It was big and bulky, not even the normal shape. When he unwrapped the package, he was surprised to find a garbage can containing a manuscript that the world has come to know as The Power of Positive Thinking. Ruth Stafford Peale’s courage to try one more time made it possible for her husband’s book to sell over 30 million copies.
It was no doubt his wife’s efforts that inspired Dr. Peale to remain unaffected by disappointment. He once said, “I never let go of something I desperately want to do or think needs to be done. If I can’t do it head on, I will look for a circuitous way to do it. The idea is to do it no matter what method you use.” (Maybe he was referring to delivering a book manuscript in a wastebasket).
Multitudes of people get sidetracked from achieving their dreams. “Many people fail in life because they believe in the adage: If you don’t succeed, try something else,” believes Don. B. Owens, Jr. “But success eludes those who follow such advice....The dreams that have come true did so because people stuck to their ambitions. They refused to be discouraged. They never let disappointment get the upper hand. Challenges only spurred them on to greater effort.”
You will never achieve all you are capable of unless you stay focused and are willing to take whatever action is necessary to realize your dreams, regardless of the obstacles you encounter.
Press on! Press on! Press on!
"That which we persist in doing becomes easier to do, not that the nature of the thing has changed but that our ability to do has increased.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Monday, September 26, 2011
Growth Doesn’t Come In Microwave Packages
“You’ve got to continue to grow or you’re just like last night’s corn bread -- stale and dry.”
Loretta Lynn
I’ve Been Thinking . . . about the temptation to coast.
C. William Fisher, in his book, Don’t Park Here, tells about driving in his car with his 4-year-old son. “Byron, what do you want to be when you grow up to be a man,” he inquired. The youngster replied, “I don’t want to grow up to be a man.” Surprised, his father asked, “Why not?” Byron replied, “because then I couldn’t ride my tricycle!”
Fisher wrote, “As I drove on, I thought, ‘I’m sure I enjoyed my tricycle when I was 4, but I’m also sure that I enjoy much more the power and performance of my Olds (probably a Toyota in current times) today.’”
Fisher’s point reminds me of the two caterpillars crawling across the grass when a beautiful butterfly flew over. One nudged the other and commented, “You couldn’t get me up in one of these things for a million dollars!”
Neither the caterpillar nor little Byron understood the excitement of growth. How many times do we cling to childhood tricycles or limited performance, not realizing the potential for so much more? To get what you want out of life, you will be required to continually change and grow. Personal growth transforms life through the development of powers not yet recognized.
Growth is preceded by substantial effort. There is no shortcut. An unceasing effort to advance, move forward, and explore the unknown will protect you from the trap of the tried and true. Growth doesn’t come conveniently packaged in a microwave container that can be zapped and ready to serve. If you want to become all you can be, understand that explosive growth requires a commitment to a lifestyle of pursuing uncharted territories.
Here are a few stimulators to activate the growth process and overcome that fleeting thought of coasting.
Becoming all you can be is a mind set, a way of thinking. You must believe there is room for improvement and growth. When you rethink how you think, your mental boundaries will be stretched, expanding the room for your performance potential and eliminating perceived constraints. The capacity to grow begins in your mind. Give yourself permission to risk the unknown.
Growth requires you to abandon the status quo and overused methodologies. Sticking to the tried and true will stymie your ability to move beyond where you are. It is a subtle trap that keeps you living in a box. Instead, determine to abandon the usual and ignore doing what you’ve always done. Disturb your comfortable lifestyle. Do something new!
Be prepared for the long haul. There is no overnight success. Pursuing your potential will take considerable quiet, unapplauded effort. It is an inside job that defies discouragement and survives without public recognition. An old Irish proverb says, “You’ve got to do your own growing, no matter how tall your grandfather is.” In other words, you can’t depend on what others before you have done or your past performance to guarantee future brightness.
Surround yourself with people who are vitally alive and stretching. Stay away from boring people who live in a grave with ends knocked out -- a rut. Get close to those who epitomize a passion for the privilege of living and the pursuit of possibilities.
Dissolve perfectionist attitudes. Perfectionism immobilizes initiative and paralyzes progress. The pursuit of perfection cripples your ability to move ahead because nothing will ever be “good enough” to build on. Perfectionism often becomes an excuse not to try at all. Growth is not a finished product but a way of making each part of our life better. Perfectionists are continually looking to achieve unblemished results. It’s not going to happen.
Continually dream, plan, create new goals and identify new challenges to conquer. Stagnant living is being over concerned with obstacles and limitations. Replace old expectations by pursuing something new. You will be motivated to expand yourself to meet the new challenges and master new approaches. Ronald E. Osborne stated, “Unless you do something beyond what you’ve already mastered, you will never grow.”
Stop doing something you presently do. More of the same just produces more of the same. Evaluate your beliefs, habits, and behaviors. Determine what isn’t working or adding substantial value to your life. Eliminate it. Replace it. No matter how hard you try to make the old methods work, you will reach a point of diminishing returns. An addiction to the old makes it virtually impossible to learn anything new.
Be willing to make mistakes. Growth requires you to learn on the go, right through your mistakes and failures. Errors are expected, even welcomed. Take advantage of them. They are ever present learning tools, warning signals and detour signs that keep us on course to personal success.
Eliminate excuses. “I’m too old to start now.” “I’m set in my ways.” “I’m just too comfortable where I am even though I’m not getting the results I want.” I’ve heard them all and a hundred others. Every excuse is a good excuse but not one is acceptable. Take charge. Make choices. Eliminate excuses. You are in control.
George Eliot wrote, “It is never too late to be what you might have become.” There is no time like the present to get started. Growth doesn’t begin until you do. You must move...take action...mobilize your resources...eliminate resistors and channel your energies to push your personal effectiveness to an all-time high.
“Resting on one’s laurels makes for an uncomfortable bed, and only crushes the laurels.”
A. Cygni
Loretta Lynn
I’ve Been Thinking . . . about the temptation to coast.
C. William Fisher, in his book, Don’t Park Here, tells about driving in his car with his 4-year-old son. “Byron, what do you want to be when you grow up to be a man,” he inquired. The youngster replied, “I don’t want to grow up to be a man.” Surprised, his father asked, “Why not?” Byron replied, “because then I couldn’t ride my tricycle!”
Fisher wrote, “As I drove on, I thought, ‘I’m sure I enjoyed my tricycle when I was 4, but I’m also sure that I enjoy much more the power and performance of my Olds (probably a Toyota in current times) today.’”
Fisher’s point reminds me of the two caterpillars crawling across the grass when a beautiful butterfly flew over. One nudged the other and commented, “You couldn’t get me up in one of these things for a million dollars!”
Neither the caterpillar nor little Byron understood the excitement of growth. How many times do we cling to childhood tricycles or limited performance, not realizing the potential for so much more? To get what you want out of life, you will be required to continually change and grow. Personal growth transforms life through the development of powers not yet recognized.
Growth is preceded by substantial effort. There is no shortcut. An unceasing effort to advance, move forward, and explore the unknown will protect you from the trap of the tried and true. Growth doesn’t come conveniently packaged in a microwave container that can be zapped and ready to serve. If you want to become all you can be, understand that explosive growth requires a commitment to a lifestyle of pursuing uncharted territories.
Here are a few stimulators to activate the growth process and overcome that fleeting thought of coasting.
Becoming all you can be is a mind set, a way of thinking. You must believe there is room for improvement and growth. When you rethink how you think, your mental boundaries will be stretched, expanding the room for your performance potential and eliminating perceived constraints. The capacity to grow begins in your mind. Give yourself permission to risk the unknown.
Growth requires you to abandon the status quo and overused methodologies. Sticking to the tried and true will stymie your ability to move beyond where you are. It is a subtle trap that keeps you living in a box. Instead, determine to abandon the usual and ignore doing what you’ve always done. Disturb your comfortable lifestyle. Do something new!
Be prepared for the long haul. There is no overnight success. Pursuing your potential will take considerable quiet, unapplauded effort. It is an inside job that defies discouragement and survives without public recognition. An old Irish proverb says, “You’ve got to do your own growing, no matter how tall your grandfather is.” In other words, you can’t depend on what others before you have done or your past performance to guarantee future brightness.
Surround yourself with people who are vitally alive and stretching. Stay away from boring people who live in a grave with ends knocked out -- a rut. Get close to those who epitomize a passion for the privilege of living and the pursuit of possibilities.
Dissolve perfectionist attitudes. Perfectionism immobilizes initiative and paralyzes progress. The pursuit of perfection cripples your ability to move ahead because nothing will ever be “good enough” to build on. Perfectionism often becomes an excuse not to try at all. Growth is not a finished product but a way of making each part of our life better. Perfectionists are continually looking to achieve unblemished results. It’s not going to happen.
Continually dream, plan, create new goals and identify new challenges to conquer. Stagnant living is being over concerned with obstacles and limitations. Replace old expectations by pursuing something new. You will be motivated to expand yourself to meet the new challenges and master new approaches. Ronald E. Osborne stated, “Unless you do something beyond what you’ve already mastered, you will never grow.”
Stop doing something you presently do. More of the same just produces more of the same. Evaluate your beliefs, habits, and behaviors. Determine what isn’t working or adding substantial value to your life. Eliminate it. Replace it. No matter how hard you try to make the old methods work, you will reach a point of diminishing returns. An addiction to the old makes it virtually impossible to learn anything new.
Be willing to make mistakes. Growth requires you to learn on the go, right through your mistakes and failures. Errors are expected, even welcomed. Take advantage of them. They are ever present learning tools, warning signals and detour signs that keep us on course to personal success.
Eliminate excuses. “I’m too old to start now.” “I’m set in my ways.” “I’m just too comfortable where I am even though I’m not getting the results I want.” I’ve heard them all and a hundred others. Every excuse is a good excuse but not one is acceptable. Take charge. Make choices. Eliminate excuses. You are in control.
George Eliot wrote, “It is never too late to be what you might have become.” There is no time like the present to get started. Growth doesn’t begin until you do. You must move...take action...mobilize your resources...eliminate resistors and channel your energies to push your personal effectiveness to an all-time high.
“Resting on one’s laurels makes for an uncomfortable bed, and only crushes the laurels.”
A. Cygni
Monday, September 19, 2011
There Are Only So Many Tomorrows
“Somebody should tell us right at the start of our lives that we are dying. Then we might live life to the limit, every minute of every day. Do it! I say. Whatever you want to do, do it now! There are only so many tomorrows.”
Michael Landon
I’ve been thinking . . . about the end of life. Wait. Wait. Wait. Don’t stop reading; this isn’t a morbid message. I promise. In fact, it’s all about living your life right now.
I got to thinking the other day: what if someone asked me to write on a 3 x 5 card how I lived my life to the fullest so that my advice could be passed on to other generations. What would my card say?
I never finished the card but thought I would pass on a few thoughts that ran through my head.
There is a wonderful scene in the movie Dead Poet’s Society that makes a good starting point. Mr. Keating is escorting his group of sophisticated, uptight, adventure impoverished students to the school's trophy case displays. Photos of earlier graduating classes are prominently displayed.
"Look at these pictures, boys," Keating challenges. "The young men you behold had the same fire in their eyes that you do. They planned to take the world by storm and make something magnificent of their lives. That was years ago. Now the majority of them are pushing up daisies. How many of them really lived out their dreams? Did they do what they set out to accomplish?" Then, with a dramatic move, Keating leans into his astounded class and passionately whispers, "Carpe diem! Seize the day!"
Contrast that attitude with the one depicted in the classic comedy movie “Groundhog Day” starring Bill Murray. In the movie, Murray repeatedly wakes up at the exact same time on the exact same day. Everyday is the same “Groundhog Day” – which he lives over and over again.
That script not only made for good humor, it also depicts the lifestyle of many people. They rise at the same time, eat the same thing for breakfast, head for work at the same time, slide into their comfortable work habits, punch out and head for home. Then, repeat the same thing again tomorrow.
It is relatively easy to physically live a long life in America. Statistics indicate 88,361 of every 100,000 persons reach 50 years of age, more than 70,000 make it to 70, and almost 17,000 live to age 85 or more. That doesn't mean these same numbers live lives of significance and value. We have little to do with how our life begins and, in some cases, the length of it but we can significantly affect the outcome.
Cultivate attitudes and skills that limit our chances to plateau. Seize the initiative to master each moment. Dismantle beliefs that life must be fair and good at all times. Establish priorities that reflect personal values. These are attributes indicative of people investing fully in the process of living.
I read a powerful story about the late Jim Valvano, former North Carolina State basketball coach. At age 47 he was suffering from terminal spinal cancer and reflecting on his life. He recalled an incident as a 23-year-old intensely competitive coach of a small college team. “Why is winning so important to you?” his players asked.
“Because the final score defines you,” Valvano replied.
“No,” the players insisted. “Participation is what really matters. Trying your best, regardless of whether you win or lose - that’s what defines you.”
Twenty-four years later, struggling with the horrible effects of chemotherapy, hanging onto life by a thread, Valvano realized, “Those kids were right. It’s effort, not result. It’s trying. God, what a great human being I could have been if I’d had this awareness back then.”
Life isn’t intended to be an all-or-nothing fight between winning and losing, misery and bliss, boredom and excitement. Life isn’t inherently good or bad. Life is life. Sometimes its okay, sometimes it’s invigorating. Sometimes comfortable. Sometimes unpleasant. Always inviting us to make the most of it.
There is no gift package waiting to move you from a spectator to active participant. You’ll have to make the discoveries on your own. It means challenging your present thinking, sometimes even creating additional problems. You may need to discover new ways of seeing yourself, life, and the possibilities contained in both. The journey starts when you believe that your life can become renewed and the future impacted.
What a great human being you’ll become when you endorse the principle that at the closing of each day you’re content with the way you lived it. Seize The Day!
Remember the infamous words of Erma Bombeck: “Seize the moment. Remember all those women on the Titanic who waved off the dessert cart.”
What would your card say?
“Life is the movie you see through your own eyes. It makes little difference what’s happening out there. It’s how you take it that counts.”
Denis Waitley
Michael Landon
I’ve been thinking . . . about the end of life. Wait. Wait. Wait. Don’t stop reading; this isn’t a morbid message. I promise. In fact, it’s all about living your life right now.
I got to thinking the other day: what if someone asked me to write on a 3 x 5 card how I lived my life to the fullest so that my advice could be passed on to other generations. What would my card say?
I never finished the card but thought I would pass on a few thoughts that ran through my head.
There is a wonderful scene in the movie Dead Poet’s Society that makes a good starting point. Mr. Keating is escorting his group of sophisticated, uptight, adventure impoverished students to the school's trophy case displays. Photos of earlier graduating classes are prominently displayed.
"Look at these pictures, boys," Keating challenges. "The young men you behold had the same fire in their eyes that you do. They planned to take the world by storm and make something magnificent of their lives. That was years ago. Now the majority of them are pushing up daisies. How many of them really lived out their dreams? Did they do what they set out to accomplish?" Then, with a dramatic move, Keating leans into his astounded class and passionately whispers, "Carpe diem! Seize the day!"
Contrast that attitude with the one depicted in the classic comedy movie “Groundhog Day” starring Bill Murray. In the movie, Murray repeatedly wakes up at the exact same time on the exact same day. Everyday is the same “Groundhog Day” – which he lives over and over again.
That script not only made for good humor, it also depicts the lifestyle of many people. They rise at the same time, eat the same thing for breakfast, head for work at the same time, slide into their comfortable work habits, punch out and head for home. Then, repeat the same thing again tomorrow.
It is relatively easy to physically live a long life in America. Statistics indicate 88,361 of every 100,000 persons reach 50 years of age, more than 70,000 make it to 70, and almost 17,000 live to age 85 or more. That doesn't mean these same numbers live lives of significance and value. We have little to do with how our life begins and, in some cases, the length of it but we can significantly affect the outcome.
Cultivate attitudes and skills that limit our chances to plateau. Seize the initiative to master each moment. Dismantle beliefs that life must be fair and good at all times. Establish priorities that reflect personal values. These are attributes indicative of people investing fully in the process of living.
I read a powerful story about the late Jim Valvano, former North Carolina State basketball coach. At age 47 he was suffering from terminal spinal cancer and reflecting on his life. He recalled an incident as a 23-year-old intensely competitive coach of a small college team. “Why is winning so important to you?” his players asked.
“Because the final score defines you,” Valvano replied.
“No,” the players insisted. “Participation is what really matters. Trying your best, regardless of whether you win or lose - that’s what defines you.”
Twenty-four years later, struggling with the horrible effects of chemotherapy, hanging onto life by a thread, Valvano realized, “Those kids were right. It’s effort, not result. It’s trying. God, what a great human being I could have been if I’d had this awareness back then.”
Life isn’t intended to be an all-or-nothing fight between winning and losing, misery and bliss, boredom and excitement. Life isn’t inherently good or bad. Life is life. Sometimes its okay, sometimes it’s invigorating. Sometimes comfortable. Sometimes unpleasant. Always inviting us to make the most of it.
There is no gift package waiting to move you from a spectator to active participant. You’ll have to make the discoveries on your own. It means challenging your present thinking, sometimes even creating additional problems. You may need to discover new ways of seeing yourself, life, and the possibilities contained in both. The journey starts when you believe that your life can become renewed and the future impacted.
What a great human being you’ll become when you endorse the principle that at the closing of each day you’re content with the way you lived it. Seize The Day!
Remember the infamous words of Erma Bombeck: “Seize the moment. Remember all those women on the Titanic who waved off the dessert cart.”
What would your card say?
“Life is the movie you see through your own eyes. It makes little difference what’s happening out there. It’s how you take it that counts.”
Denis Waitley
Monday, September 12, 2011
In Pursuit of Great – World Class
“Good enough has become the enemy of great. Routine has become the enemy of desire. Easy has become the enemy of sacrifice and hard work.”
Kevin & Jackie Freiberg
Boom!
I’ve Been Thinking. . . about what it takes to continually move a company to higher levels of excellence.
How can a company go from ordinary to extraordinary? Why do some companies seem to remain “average” forever while others are on a continual quest to be exceptional? What are the time-tested, secret, practical business philosophies that could transform a company?
In the book, CEO Road Rules: Right Focus, Right People, Right Execution, 50 CEO’s of primarily privately held companies were interviewed. The success patterns the authors observed in their interviews and in their work with entrepreneurs and mid-size companies fall into three broad areas:
Right Focus (having a clear and concise mission, vision and values along with knowing what you can be best at);
Right People (attracting and retaining talented and emotionally intelligent people and providing them coaching and rewards along the way);
Right Execution (defining key result areas and measures, implementing your plan and “living the values” while holding everyone, accountable for results).
In my humble opinion, the authors ‘nailed’ a simple, strategic approach for attaining greatness. In short, pursuing great is about selecting a visionary set of ambitions and expectations aligned with a compelling mission and values, engaging the commitment of dedicated people and developing an aggressive plan and set of actions that position us to become exceptional.
First off is focus. World Class companies are renown for being passionate and steadfast in living their principles and flexible in the continual review of how they do things.
Southwest Airlines understands the pursuit of world class. Their mission is “a dedication to the highest quality of Customer Service delivered with a sense of warmth, friendliness, individual pride, and Company Spirit.” Southwest was conceived as a company who would attract passengers in secondary cities with a fun low cost option. The company deliberately decided to fly only 737s to save on maintenance, offer no assigned seating or booking (the part I don’t like), and hire only fun people who made flying an experience different from what people were accustomed to (the part I do like).
That is their simple business strategy and needless to say, it is working quite well. Interestingly enough, Southwest has decided to buy new, larger planes. When asked about the change from their long term decision to fly 737’s, the company responded it was good to challenge their long held processes to find something better.
Every organization must identify strategies that work for them. It’s not about trying to duplicate other’s efforts, or being something we are not or pursuing angles outside of our mission, vision and values. It is about determining what we believe is critical to our success and maintaining the course.
How about the right people? There is never an excuse for not surrounding ourselves with talented people who support our vision, values, growth, development, and mission.
Somebody once said, “Love is blind, but hiring shouldn’t be.” Are we selecting people who encourage us to go to new heights by aligning themselves with our vision? Are we surrounded by people who endorse our values and are passionate about doing something extraordinary? Do we model how we expect other Family members to behave, think, dream, and serve?
Pursuing great will require us to surround ourselves with people who can support who we are, what we believe in and where we are planning to go. Otherwise, we should be eliminating potential candidates as fast as an American Idol audition.
Allow me to suggest another ‘people angle’ to consider. Personal growth precedes organizational excellence. Rare, or even non-existent, is the organization that can move to higher levels of effectiveness without leadership who are committed to re-thinking, re-evaluating and re-inventing their effectiveness on an ongoing basis. Those who endorse, no embrace, this way of living will do uncommon things in uncommon ways.
Execution. It’s the final link in our pursuit of world class. Plan. Follow thru. Evaluate. Measure. Reinforce. Adjust. Track. Team members hold each other accountable to achieve what has been planned and tenaciously hold fast to our beliefs. When it’s done, we celebrate. A worthy goal is to find more and more things to reward and more ways to reward it.
Pursuing world class is about putting our vision and values into action in extraordinary ways. It’s the daily display of treating others as the most important person in our lives. Pursuing great understands how the vision propels us to new levels of quality. Are we doing things that make a difference in people’s lives? Are we doing them in a way that is consistent with our values, in line with the mission and capable of moving us toward our vision?
Extraordinary companies do ordinary things extraordinarily well. They are continually developing or have already mastered the strategies, ideas, and tools needed to achieve extraordinary success. Excellence is exemplified in every area of operation.
Building a world class company is an exciting, open-ended, fun pursuit that will never be quite complete. It’s a wonderful path to enhancing our reputation, attracting compassionate, competent team members, and succeeding in ways we never thought possible.
Right Focus. Right People. Right Execution. A winning combination that moves us to World Class.
“At the end of every day of every year, two things must remain unshakable our constancy of purpose and our continuous discontent with the present.”
Robert Goizueta,
Coca-Cola
Kevin & Jackie Freiberg
Boom!
I’ve Been Thinking. . . about what it takes to continually move a company to higher levels of excellence.
How can a company go from ordinary to extraordinary? Why do some companies seem to remain “average” forever while others are on a continual quest to be exceptional? What are the time-tested, secret, practical business philosophies that could transform a company?
In the book, CEO Road Rules: Right Focus, Right People, Right Execution, 50 CEO’s of primarily privately held companies were interviewed. The success patterns the authors observed in their interviews and in their work with entrepreneurs and mid-size companies fall into three broad areas:
Right Focus (having a clear and concise mission, vision and values along with knowing what you can be best at);
Right People (attracting and retaining talented and emotionally intelligent people and providing them coaching and rewards along the way);
Right Execution (defining key result areas and measures, implementing your plan and “living the values” while holding everyone, accountable for results).
In my humble opinion, the authors ‘nailed’ a simple, strategic approach for attaining greatness. In short, pursuing great is about selecting a visionary set of ambitions and expectations aligned with a compelling mission and values, engaging the commitment of dedicated people and developing an aggressive plan and set of actions that position us to become exceptional.
First off is focus. World Class companies are renown for being passionate and steadfast in living their principles and flexible in the continual review of how they do things.
Southwest Airlines understands the pursuit of world class. Their mission is “a dedication to the highest quality of Customer Service delivered with a sense of warmth, friendliness, individual pride, and Company Spirit.” Southwest was conceived as a company who would attract passengers in secondary cities with a fun low cost option. The company deliberately decided to fly only 737s to save on maintenance, offer no assigned seating or booking (the part I don’t like), and hire only fun people who made flying an experience different from what people were accustomed to (the part I do like).
That is their simple business strategy and needless to say, it is working quite well. Interestingly enough, Southwest has decided to buy new, larger planes. When asked about the change from their long term decision to fly 737’s, the company responded it was good to challenge their long held processes to find something better.
Every organization must identify strategies that work for them. It’s not about trying to duplicate other’s efforts, or being something we are not or pursuing angles outside of our mission, vision and values. It is about determining what we believe is critical to our success and maintaining the course.
How about the right people? There is never an excuse for not surrounding ourselves with talented people who support our vision, values, growth, development, and mission.
Somebody once said, “Love is blind, but hiring shouldn’t be.” Are we selecting people who encourage us to go to new heights by aligning themselves with our vision? Are we surrounded by people who endorse our values and are passionate about doing something extraordinary? Do we model how we expect other Family members to behave, think, dream, and serve?
Pursuing great will require us to surround ourselves with people who can support who we are, what we believe in and where we are planning to go. Otherwise, we should be eliminating potential candidates as fast as an American Idol audition.
Allow me to suggest another ‘people angle’ to consider. Personal growth precedes organizational excellence. Rare, or even non-existent, is the organization that can move to higher levels of effectiveness without leadership who are committed to re-thinking, re-evaluating and re-inventing their effectiveness on an ongoing basis. Those who endorse, no embrace, this way of living will do uncommon things in uncommon ways.
Execution. It’s the final link in our pursuit of world class. Plan. Follow thru. Evaluate. Measure. Reinforce. Adjust. Track. Team members hold each other accountable to achieve what has been planned and tenaciously hold fast to our beliefs. When it’s done, we celebrate. A worthy goal is to find more and more things to reward and more ways to reward it.
Pursuing world class is about putting our vision and values into action in extraordinary ways. It’s the daily display of treating others as the most important person in our lives. Pursuing great understands how the vision propels us to new levels of quality. Are we doing things that make a difference in people’s lives? Are we doing them in a way that is consistent with our values, in line with the mission and capable of moving us toward our vision?
Extraordinary companies do ordinary things extraordinarily well. They are continually developing or have already mastered the strategies, ideas, and tools needed to achieve extraordinary success. Excellence is exemplified in every area of operation.
Building a world class company is an exciting, open-ended, fun pursuit that will never be quite complete. It’s a wonderful path to enhancing our reputation, attracting compassionate, competent team members, and succeeding in ways we never thought possible.
Right Focus. Right People. Right Execution. A winning combination that moves us to World Class.
“At the end of every day of every year, two things must remain unshakable our constancy of purpose and our continuous discontent with the present.”
Robert Goizueta,
Coca-Cola
Monday, August 29, 2011
Can Somebody Tell Me Who I Am?
“The first key to greatness is to be in reality what we appear to be.”
Socrates
I’ve Been Thinking . . . about authenticity.
Reports indicate that after World War I, hundreds of shell-shocked French soldiers struggled to remember who they were. Military records failed to help these amnesia victims recall their names and be reunited with their families. Officials decided to hold an identification rally in Paris and announce the event throughout France.
Imagine the anticipation and anxiousness surrounding this effort. Thousands of people gathered in the plaza hoping to identify their loved one. One by one the soldiers made their way to a high platform and pleaded, “Please, please, can somebody tell me who I am?”
That anxious cry -- “Can somebody tell me who I am?” -- resounds throughout the world today. The ability to determine who we are establishes our identity in a world of copycats and allows us to be ourselves in a world intent on us being someone other than we are to attain success.
I thought about Socrates’ comment and the soldier’s pleas as I reread an October 26, 1992 article in the New York Times. You might think the article entitled, “Fragrance Engineers Say They Can Bottle the Smell of Success,” by N.R. Kleinfield is a fabrication but here’s the actual way a portion of it appeared:
“It was bound to happen. Someone thinks he is about to create the Honest Car Salesman in a bottle.”
I chuckled when I read that one of Detroit’s big three auto makers hired Dr. Alan R. Hirsch, a quirky smell researcher in Chicago, to devise a rather exceptional scent. The hope was that when the odor was sprayed on a car salesman, he would - yes - smell honest.
It sounds absurd. In fact, after she was done laughing, Dr. Susan Shiffman, a smell researcher and professor of medical psychology at the Duke University Medical School, remarked, “I was not aware that honesty had a specific smell associated with it.” But Dr. Hirsch, who refuses to name his Detroit client, is confident that he will have the Honest Car Salesman Odor devised within a year. “If he succeeds, he said, the auto maker will entrust the smell to its dealers, who will spray it on their salesmen, and then customers will catch a whiff and cars will fly off the lots.”
My first reaction was, “You have got to be kidding!” This unusual research is a marvelous indicator of a culture obsessed with “doing” rather than “being.” In an effort to get all you can, remember that what you do to be successful is far less important than knowing and being who you are. Authenticity will allow you to begin your journey to greatness. Refrain from artificial ingredients that camouflage the real you.
A modern day model of authenticity is Dolly Parton. In Parade magazine, she said, “People who know me know that beneath these big boobs is a big heart, and beneath this big hair is a big brain. Over time, people see me as a real person and stop staring at the anatomy.” Dolly Parton understands the obstacles she must overcome for people to see the real her. She is keenly aware that no matter what she achieves with her life, living her life consistent with what she really is will be the true measure of success.
Over time, people value the person who knows who they are and respects themselves for what they are. Be a genuine version of you.
“The easiest thing to be in the world is you. The most difficult thing to be is what other people want you to be. Don’t let them put you in that position.”
Leo Buscaglia
Socrates
I’ve Been Thinking . . . about authenticity.
Reports indicate that after World War I, hundreds of shell-shocked French soldiers struggled to remember who they were. Military records failed to help these amnesia victims recall their names and be reunited with their families. Officials decided to hold an identification rally in Paris and announce the event throughout France.
Imagine the anticipation and anxiousness surrounding this effort. Thousands of people gathered in the plaza hoping to identify their loved one. One by one the soldiers made their way to a high platform and pleaded, “Please, please, can somebody tell me who I am?”
That anxious cry -- “Can somebody tell me who I am?” -- resounds throughout the world today. The ability to determine who we are establishes our identity in a world of copycats and allows us to be ourselves in a world intent on us being someone other than we are to attain success.
I thought about Socrates’ comment and the soldier’s pleas as I reread an October 26, 1992 article in the New York Times. You might think the article entitled, “Fragrance Engineers Say They Can Bottle the Smell of Success,” by N.R. Kleinfield is a fabrication but here’s the actual way a portion of it appeared:
“It was bound to happen. Someone thinks he is about to create the Honest Car Salesman in a bottle.”
I chuckled when I read that one of Detroit’s big three auto makers hired Dr. Alan R. Hirsch, a quirky smell researcher in Chicago, to devise a rather exceptional scent. The hope was that when the odor was sprayed on a car salesman, he would - yes - smell honest.
It sounds absurd. In fact, after she was done laughing, Dr. Susan Shiffman, a smell researcher and professor of medical psychology at the Duke University Medical School, remarked, “I was not aware that honesty had a specific smell associated with it.” But Dr. Hirsch, who refuses to name his Detroit client, is confident that he will have the Honest Car Salesman Odor devised within a year. “If he succeeds, he said, the auto maker will entrust the smell to its dealers, who will spray it on their salesmen, and then customers will catch a whiff and cars will fly off the lots.”
My first reaction was, “You have got to be kidding!” This unusual research is a marvelous indicator of a culture obsessed with “doing” rather than “being.” In an effort to get all you can, remember that what you do to be successful is far less important than knowing and being who you are. Authenticity will allow you to begin your journey to greatness. Refrain from artificial ingredients that camouflage the real you.
A modern day model of authenticity is Dolly Parton. In Parade magazine, she said, “People who know me know that beneath these big boobs is a big heart, and beneath this big hair is a big brain. Over time, people see me as a real person and stop staring at the anatomy.” Dolly Parton understands the obstacles she must overcome for people to see the real her. She is keenly aware that no matter what she achieves with her life, living her life consistent with what she really is will be the true measure of success.
Over time, people value the person who knows who they are and respects themselves for what they are. Be a genuine version of you.
“The easiest thing to be in the world is you. The most difficult thing to be is what other people want you to be. Don’t let them put you in that position.”
Leo Buscaglia
Monday, August 15, 2011
Don’t Shove It... Love It!
“The grass may look greener on the other side, but it still has to be mowed.”
B.C. Forbes
I’ve Been Thinking. . . how to make my grass greener.
When you have one of those days at work when the grass looks greener on the other side or you want to scream, “Take This Job and Shove It,” consider the advice of Dr. Nickolas Hall:
On your way home from work, stop at your pharmacy and go to the section where they have thermometers. You will need to purchase a rectal thermometer made by Q-Tip. Be very sure that you get this brand. When you get home, lock your doors, draw the drapes, and disconnect the phone so you will not be disturbed during your therapy.
Change to very comfortable clothing, such as a sweat suit and lie down on the bed. Open the package and remove the thermometer. Carefully place it on the bedside table so that it will not become chipped or broken. Take out the written material that accompanies the thermometer and read it.
You will notice in small print the statement reads, “Every rectal thermometer made by Q-Tip is PERSONALLY tested.” Now, close your eyes and repeat out loud five times, “I am so glad I do not work in quality control at the Q-Tip Company.”
Puts things in perspective doesn’t it?
Let’s say you have reached the point where you want to ‘shove’ your job. It’s not energizing and inspiring you like you want. Consider your options:
1. Do absolutely nothing and hope for a magical intervention by the tooth fairy.
2. Leave your position so you don’t suck the energy out of other people.
3. Take some time to consider what you could do to transform your current job into something you would enjoy.
4. Figure out what your ideal job is and create it or go find it.
If you think the grass looks greener on the other side of the fence, it might be because someone is fertilizing it. I’m sure the water bill is higher there as well. The perfect lawn doesn’t just happen.
Neither does the perfect job.
Francis Ford Coppola once said, “If you love something, you’ll bring so much of yourself to it that it will create your future.” People who love what they do invest their heart, mind and spirit into everything they do. They are totally immersed and invested in what they are doing. How do you get there? Explore some new ways of thinking and approaching your job.
First, increase your competence. Find a way to get better at what you do. Take one of the basics of your position and become a master at it. Denis Waitley and Reni L. Witt are convinced that, “Enjoyment comes from doing our best. At our best, we want to do and be our best, even when the work we are doing is not our first choice and does not give us the joy we want…”
Do yourself a favor and throw yourself wholeheartedly into becoming a master at what you do. Work as hard as you can to be the best you can be at what you choose to do.
Secondly, light yourself on fire. There’s an old Texas proverb that says, “You can’t light a fire with a wet match.” The world is full of soggy matches waiting for someone to come along and light their fire. Find a way to become your own personal arsonist. If you don’t set the kindling on fire, don’t expect anyone to do it for you.
Simply stated, each of us is responsible to take the initiative to create a passion for what we do. The fast track to this experience is doing what you love. If that isn’t happening for you try pouring your heart into what you do and see what happens.
Take it from Reggie Leach: “Success is not the result of spontaneous combustion. You must set yourself on fire.”
Another “love it” strategy is to focus on people. Ironically, when I unselfishly brighten another person’s world, my world becomes a bit brighter. Who needs you to show a measure of concern? What are the strengths of your co-workers? Show kindness to someone who is unable to return your gesture. Give up fifteen minutes in your day to build a better relationship with one person. You get the idea.
Ben Stein believes that, “Personal relationships are the fertile soil from which all advancement, all success, all achievement in real life grows.” Give it a try. If you are feeling a little disheartened about your life or job, find a way to enrich the life of someone else. You’ll be amazed at the result.
Finally, stretch yourself. Heighten your personal expectations. Challenge the walls of your current responsibilities. Be imaginative. Confront the status quo and take responsibility to work toward achievements uncommon to your position. Choose to make a difference. Dig in and find a way to produce the unexpected.
William Demille said, “I have always admired the ability to bite off more than one can chew and then chew it.” Feeling restless? Disillusioned? Bored? Uninterested? Try biting off a bigger challenge that stretches you to new levels of achievement. . . and most likely a greater love for what you do.
Don’t shove it, love it is a pursuit worth considering. We tend to enjoy whatever we are doing the most when we choose to find positive ways to engage our talents. Commit now to creating a renewed fascination for what you do.
“Are you bored with life? Then throw yourself into some work you believe in with all your heart, live for it, die for it, and you will find happiness that you had thought could never be yours.”
Dale Carnegie
B.C. Forbes
I’ve Been Thinking. . . how to make my grass greener.
When you have one of those days at work when the grass looks greener on the other side or you want to scream, “Take This Job and Shove It,” consider the advice of Dr. Nickolas Hall:
On your way home from work, stop at your pharmacy and go to the section where they have thermometers. You will need to purchase a rectal thermometer made by Q-Tip. Be very sure that you get this brand. When you get home, lock your doors, draw the drapes, and disconnect the phone so you will not be disturbed during your therapy.
Change to very comfortable clothing, such as a sweat suit and lie down on the bed. Open the package and remove the thermometer. Carefully place it on the bedside table so that it will not become chipped or broken. Take out the written material that accompanies the thermometer and read it.
You will notice in small print the statement reads, “Every rectal thermometer made by Q-Tip is PERSONALLY tested.” Now, close your eyes and repeat out loud five times, “I am so glad I do not work in quality control at the Q-Tip Company.”
Puts things in perspective doesn’t it?
Let’s say you have reached the point where you want to ‘shove’ your job. It’s not energizing and inspiring you like you want. Consider your options:
1. Do absolutely nothing and hope for a magical intervention by the tooth fairy.
2. Leave your position so you don’t suck the energy out of other people.
3. Take some time to consider what you could do to transform your current job into something you would enjoy.
4. Figure out what your ideal job is and create it or go find it.
If you think the grass looks greener on the other side of the fence, it might be because someone is fertilizing it. I’m sure the water bill is higher there as well. The perfect lawn doesn’t just happen.
Neither does the perfect job.
Francis Ford Coppola once said, “If you love something, you’ll bring so much of yourself to it that it will create your future.” People who love what they do invest their heart, mind and spirit into everything they do. They are totally immersed and invested in what they are doing. How do you get there? Explore some new ways of thinking and approaching your job.
First, increase your competence. Find a way to get better at what you do. Take one of the basics of your position and become a master at it. Denis Waitley and Reni L. Witt are convinced that, “Enjoyment comes from doing our best. At our best, we want to do and be our best, even when the work we are doing is not our first choice and does not give us the joy we want…”
Do yourself a favor and throw yourself wholeheartedly into becoming a master at what you do. Work as hard as you can to be the best you can be at what you choose to do.
Secondly, light yourself on fire. There’s an old Texas proverb that says, “You can’t light a fire with a wet match.” The world is full of soggy matches waiting for someone to come along and light their fire. Find a way to become your own personal arsonist. If you don’t set the kindling on fire, don’t expect anyone to do it for you.
Simply stated, each of us is responsible to take the initiative to create a passion for what we do. The fast track to this experience is doing what you love. If that isn’t happening for you try pouring your heart into what you do and see what happens.
Take it from Reggie Leach: “Success is not the result of spontaneous combustion. You must set yourself on fire.”
Another “love it” strategy is to focus on people. Ironically, when I unselfishly brighten another person’s world, my world becomes a bit brighter. Who needs you to show a measure of concern? What are the strengths of your co-workers? Show kindness to someone who is unable to return your gesture. Give up fifteen minutes in your day to build a better relationship with one person. You get the idea.
Ben Stein believes that, “Personal relationships are the fertile soil from which all advancement, all success, all achievement in real life grows.” Give it a try. If you are feeling a little disheartened about your life or job, find a way to enrich the life of someone else. You’ll be amazed at the result.
Finally, stretch yourself. Heighten your personal expectations. Challenge the walls of your current responsibilities. Be imaginative. Confront the status quo and take responsibility to work toward achievements uncommon to your position. Choose to make a difference. Dig in and find a way to produce the unexpected.
William Demille said, “I have always admired the ability to bite off more than one can chew and then chew it.” Feeling restless? Disillusioned? Bored? Uninterested? Try biting off a bigger challenge that stretches you to new levels of achievement. . . and most likely a greater love for what you do.
Don’t shove it, love it is a pursuit worth considering. We tend to enjoy whatever we are doing the most when we choose to find positive ways to engage our talents. Commit now to creating a renewed fascination for what you do.
“Are you bored with life? Then throw yourself into some work you believe in with all your heart, live for it, die for it, and you will find happiness that you had thought could never be yours.”
Dale Carnegie
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