Thought For The Day

"The superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his actions. " ~ Confucius

The Importance of Centering

Leaders are called to many tasks ... and those come in all shapes and sizes. One huge task that we have to make though are the tough, and difficult decisions and talks that well, are not popular or you know will disappoint others.

A good leader makes the tough and unpopular decisions when he knows it is the best course of action ... even if people will get hurt.

There are many ways to go about this, and over time, I've probably swung from one end of the spectrum (not wanting to make a decision at all) to the other (making the tough decision and just being callous about it wanting to get it out of the way). Either way, people get hurt more... and I have learned that there is a better way ... that is the way of compassion.

Compassion is defined as "a deep awareness and sympathy for another person's suffering". For those of you who are Christian (and I say this only because I am and cannot speak for other religions), you know this well, because this is taught from the very early stages of religious teaching. To act with compassion is to consider another person's suffering as if it was your own.

I have found that to speak or deliver bad news ... make the tough decision as early as possible ... can be done with compassion, and doing so makes it easier for you and the person who is on the receiving end of the difficult decision. Making tough decisions is not easy and it probably never will be. Honestly, I prefer it that way. I ought to worry when making tough decisions becomes an ordinary event. I wouldn't want to ever be that way.

The key to being able to do this, for me at least, is quiet. Remove yourself from the noise, to an extent, isolate yourself and meditate. Spend the time and effort necessary to go through the impact of your decisions, so that when you actually deliver the sad news, you speak sincerely with compassion, and are better prepared to act and accept the response from the other side.

Some guiding thoughts...

Have a great day!

Make Changes ... One Day At A Time

People are a resilient bunch. We tend to be faced with changes, and it takes a while before we respond. There remains that part of us that denies to ourselves that change is happening. I'm not going to enter into a discussion that early recognition and response is better than later. I'm just telling it as I see it.

Change happens. One day, we open our eyes, and say to ourselves, things have changed. Now I need to change to respond. These changes don't need to be huge changes. Think weight gain. Think road rage. Think your messy desk. Or, it could be larger more life impacting things like a change in your relationship with a loved one, or perhaps your level of satisfaction at work, or even your performance at work.

So, you wake up one day and you find yourself so far away from where you were ... or where you want to be, and you tell yourself, I'm going to change. Good! That is the first step.

But, as we all know, it's tough because once we set out with a roadmap, the next question is how to make the "new" whatever you are doing into a habit. Everyone seems to say that 21 days is the magic number for creating habits. I know this is tough. But, here's what I keep telling myself day after day after day.

Just one more day. And, just like listening to a child who is first learning her numbers ... eventually, you hit 21.

Just one more day. That's all you have to do today.

Have a great day everyone!

Thought For The Day

"Ideas are elusive, slippery things.
Best to keep a pad of paper and a pencil at your bedside,
so you can stab them during the night before they get away."
— Earl Nightingale

This is absolutely true. There are times (even waking hours) when I find myself busy doing something routinary (like filing or putting things away) when I get one of those flash bulb moments. You know the feeling ... here you are with basically nothing on your mind, not really concentrating on anything at all because you're performing a mindless task, and there it is! Like a flash, you get a thought. It's brilliant, you think! Should I act on it now? Should I write it down? And you tell yourself ... nah! it's so good, how could I ever forget it? And, for a while you relish in this brilliant idea ... you play with it and develop it. Then, just as quickly, someone enters the room and poof! that idea is gone. At first you're in shock! How could that be, you ask yourself? It was fantastic! But, search search search, and it won't come back ... well, not immediately anyway.

That's the wonder of these thoughts. They come out of nowhere and go wherever. And, I DO man wherever. These ideas, I call them opportunities. Someone once said that an idea is a dime a dozen. I believe that's true. The universe sends these things out ... and depending on what our inclinations are, I believe they find someone attuned to those thoughts / ideas. But, the proof is in the pudding ... the ideas work for the people who not only nurture them, but ACT on them. So, act we must ... but, since I'm filing or folding shirts, let me write it down first!

Thought For The Day

THOSE WHO CREATE GOOD FELLOWSHIP AMONG OTHERS
WILL NEVER BE SHORT OF FRIENDS.

Can't really stress this enough. You know how there are those people that are just fun to be with? ... who, when you are with them, leave you with a feeling of positiveness and goodness? There is so much discord in this hectic and stressful world. Be the difference and help forge friendships and strengthen relationships whenever possible!

Have a great day!

Thought For The Day

Remember that the tone of your voice often conveys more accurately what is in your mind than do your words.

This is so true. I find it incredibly useful to center myself with a few minutes of quiet before speaking to someone about sensitive matters. In this way, I let go much of the personal emotion first, allowing myself to be more objective and choose the proper words to convey the message correctly. Many times we forget that communication happens in so many levels, words being the more superficial.

Have a great day!

Thought For The Day

“Don't dwell on what went wrong. Instead, focus on what to do next. Spend your energies on moving forward toward finding the answer.” ~Denis Waitley~

When things go wrong, there are those people who get stuck asking why. Now I'm not saying that it's wrong to know what went wrong. Indeed, you should take stock of the mistakes that resulted in any undesirable outcome. You really shouldn't make the same mistakes twice. It's worth the long hard and sometimes harsh truth to figure this out. But believe me, after you've figured it out, decide not to make the same mistake again, and move on!

I've been among people, some close friends of mine, who often find themselves stuck at the problem, rather than the solution. What a sad place to be, really. It's a waste of time (theirs and those of us who have to listen to it) especially when the person/people doing this are leaders.

If you find yourself there, remember this quote, and move on. Otherwise, you'll be stuck in the past, and you already know where that lead you to.

Have a wonderful and positive day!