Consider your initial reaction…

It is easy to initially overreact, bite back, or even yell in certain circumstances.  I have done it.  We all have.  I suggest a little different approach.  Resist the urge to vent and overreact.  First consider what will be gained from your reaction.  Is there anything positive to come from it?   Will something be improved?  Anything gained?  Will the outcome or the next step change or become easier.  You feeling better is not a good enough answer.  We all need to vent.  But biting someone’s head off is not a good form of venting.  We should vent with close friends, confidants or mentors. 

Overreacting seldom has a positive benefit.  So why do it?   Save the energy.  Preserve the relationship.  Consider a more measured and appropriate response at a more appropriate time. 

Gratitude

Happy Thanksgiving week!  It is the time we designate each year to give thanks, to be grateful for all that we have.  Shouldn’t we be doing that all the time?  I had a conversation just last week with some friends about the things we take for granted, food and shelter, hot running water, a coat to wear when it cools down.  If you are reading this, you are likely blessed well beyond most people on this planet.  Be thankful for that!  Be thankful for that all year long!

These days there seems to be a lot written about gratitude, and the role that it plays in a positive outlook and happiness.  Expressing your thanks can really improve your overall sense of well-being.  Studies show that grateful people are more agreeable, more open, and less neurotic.  There are many ways to remind ourselves of our blessings and encourage gratitude.  I know people who maintain a gratitude journal.  Another friend recently reached a milestone birthday and created a list equal to his age of things he is thankful for.  Don’t take your blessings for granted, Willie Nelson doesn’t.

"When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around."

-       Willie Nelson

Be intentional about your gratitude.  You will feel better, I promise. 

Don’t wait…

"Do not wait; the time will never be 'just right.' Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along."     ~Napoleon Hill

Today’s MMM is a reminder to myself about the importance of simply getting started.  This is an area of weakness for me.  I want things to be just so.  I want to be totally prepared.  I want to feel like I have some control.  I want to be comfortable with a big step before I take it.  I will never get far if I continue to think like that.  Sometimes you just have to go for it.  You have to at least get started.  We cannot always wait until the stars are aligned perfectly in order to make change happen in our lives.  So I am reminding myself, and all of you, don’t wait.  The time may never seem perfectly right. The right tools will come along and you will be making progress. Just get started. 

Courage

The concept of being brave and courageous usually conjures up thoughts of physical strength and fearlessness in the face of danger.  It causes us to think of fighting for what is good and righteous, but it doesn’t have to be like a scene from The Gladiator.  The fight is often not a physical one.  Being brave and courageous may simply mean taking a stand for what is right.  It may mean being firm and resolute for what you believe.  It is odd, but this kind of bravery can be harder than physical courage.  It can be difficult to do the right thing given the pressures of society today.  However, the impact of doing so can be far reaching, even beyond the issue at hand.  As leaders it is critical that we have courage.  It breeds courage among our followers.  Consider this quote...

“Courage is contagious.  When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are stiffened”

-       Billy Graham

Have courage about what you believe in.  It will be contagious.