We Choose ...

Every day we make choices, we choose to:

• be patient or impatient
• be kind or unkind
• actively listen or passively wait to voice our view
• act with humility or behave arrogantly
• be selfless or selfish
• be forgiving or resentful
• be honest or deceitful
• be loving or not to love
• smile or frown

Notice that I stated, “we choose”.  I did not say we “can” choose.  We do make these choices every day, whether consciously or subconsciously, intentionally, or unintentionally.  How do you choose?

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Aim Lower?

 

Aim Lower?

Tough circumstances often call for smaller, less lofty goals.  A lot is made of setting stretch goals both personally and in business.  The theory being that they encourage overachievement and far-reaching success.  In good times, with momentum and confidence that may be true.  In more challenging times, when we feel overwhelmed, such lofty goals just add to that feeling.  The problem is that the dread is often worse than the dreaded.  We can dread a goal or task so much because of its perceived enormity that we never get started.  The size of the goal can actually cause paralysis, and no action is taken at all.  Smaller, manageable, less daunting goals can be confidence builders.  They can be the antidote for the paralysis.  This is certainly true in difficult times.  Stretch goals may not be appropriate in all circumstances and can prove demoralizing. 

It may sound strange to say but…  Pick one thing and aim lower this week.

* Some of this content was taken from the “Made to Stick” column in Fast Company magazine written by Dan Heath & Chip Heath.

 

Never Stop Learning

 

Never Stop Learning

Do you think people really mean it when they say that they learn something new every day? They should. Too often we treat the learning process as something with a specific end. We tend to say we "went to school" or "received an education". That sounds like we think we are done learning! Often in fact we hardly begin learning about life until after we are finished with our formal education. Perhaps we need to think of our education as an ongoing process not something that we have completed in the past. We really can learn something new every day and we should.

Seeking Approval

 

Seeking Approval

I touched on this a few weeks ago but here are some more thoughts on the problem with being focused on the approval of others … 

·         Edit yourself for approval and you become a minority shareholder in your own life.

·         Aim for accuracy, not approval.

·         It’s better to have the sting of honesty than the blindness of flattery.

·        You cannot be true to yourself while focused on the approval of others.

The Advantage

 

The Advantage

Someone always has an advantage. If you do not know who, it is not you!

Think about it.

Happy Labor Day!

 

Happy Labor Day!

It’s not just about BBQ and the start of football season…

Labor Day: What it Means

Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.

Positive Feedback

 

Positive Feedback

 Are you complimentary when you receive good service?  Do you provide a lift to someone by acknowledging their smile or positive outlook?  You might be surprised by the difference you can make in someone’s day, and their job performance, by simply being complimentary.  When a hotel clerk greets you with a smile and helpful attitude make sure they know you noticed.  When the dry cleaner’s employee is prompt and professional genuinely thank them.  When your dining wait staff is especially efficient give them a compliment and maybe even a larger tip.  People that serve others for a living are often mistreated, do your part to change that.  If they are doing an exceptional job go out of your way to let their boss know.  Positive feedback is a great motivator and can change someone’s day, maybe even their future! 

Pay someone a genuine compliment today and have a blessed week!

Wisdom

 

Wisdom

The MMM has often addressed wisdom and our (my) ongoing pursuit of it.  I have also written about how impatient we are as humans.  Impatience and wisdom don’t play well together.  Consider the following which addresses both points…

Wisdom is not proven by argument or debate.  Wisdom is proven over time.  Some people adamantly proclaim that their opinion is best.  Regardless of how convincingly these people defend their viewpoint, time is the best judge of their wisdom.  The result of a practice proves its validity, not how loudly it is promoted. ¹

Be wary of those who seek to have their own wisdom acknowledged before it can be proven over time.  Volume does not equate to wisdom.  Also, be patience with your own understanding of wisdom. 

Have a blessed week.

1 – Taken from: Experiencing God Day-By-Day, Henry T. Blackaby and Richard Blackaby

Interesting

 

08.17.2026

Interesting

I like meeting genuinely interesting people, the kind that come by it naturally. It is fun to listen and learn from different viewpoints and life experiences. But some people just want to be interesting. They strive to command a room or be the life of the party. They often do not stop talking, likely about themselves. They may be fun for a few minutes at a party, but beyond that …

The people who chase being the most interesting person in the room are rarely the most useful. Being interesting entertains, being useful adds value. In the business world we have to add value. Solving problems and removing pain points adds value.

Being entertaining is great for happy hour, being useful is great for business.

Distractions

 

Distractions

“Modern life pulls at the mind from every direction. Even on quiet days, the volume of choices, cues, and opportunities for distraction is unlike anything evolution prepared us to handle.”                                                       

- Steven Kotler

The quote is a statement of fact. It does not offer a solution, nor suggest a method of coping. This is the world we live in. We are bombarded with information, opportunities, rabbit holes, and data. There is no answer nor solution. It is constant. This is not going to change. The key is to understand that, and deal with it. Know that if you let them, distractions will ruin progress and productivity. Seek quiet time and stillness, but know it is hard to find.

Should you care?

 Should you care?

Do you care about what people think about you? I think we all do to some degree. In certain aspects we probably should care, at least to some degree. But when we let that caring drive our decisions, or shape our outcomes, it can be dangerous. Caring what others think is one thing, letting it dictate to you is another. Consider this . . .

“You have to decide the degree to which you’re gonna care what other people think about you because that becomes your prison.”

                                                                        Dr. Gio Valiante

The Liars

 

The Liars

Great new song out by the Red Clay Strays, “Demons in Your Choir”.  Check it out. One of my favorite lines is . . .

“You know the devil keeps us company with all his bright and shiny things.”

Think about it. How true is that. But there is a higher meaning to the song as well. It is about the liars we all have in our lives. As the song title suggests, there are demons in places we don’t expect. Maybe the bigger point is that people and places are not always what they say they are!

Think about it and give a listen to “Demons in Your Choir”.

Be blessed.

Impact

 

Impact

Do you think about the impact you have on those around you? Do you seek ways to positively impact others? Are people whose lives cross paths with you better off for having met you? Challenging questions, no doubt.

What does impact really mean? What does it look like? How do you know if you have made an impact? There are lots of ways to serve and volunteer our time and talents. Great causes benefit from that. But we should want to make sure we are making an impact.

Not long ago, I heard a great statement about the concept of service and impact. I was at the graduation ceremony for Leadership Montgomery County, and a graduate included a very wise comment in her talk.  

           Service makes someone’s day better

           Impact makes someone’s life better

-       Rikki Wiggs, LMC Class of 2026

Go make an impact!

Character

 

Character

Our world is quick to praise people and accomplishments. Athletes are praised. Accomplished executives are praised. Leaders are praised. We praise talent, and there is nothing wrong with that. But what about character? Is it overlooked? Does it receive the same amount of attention and praise? I suggest not. Consider…

In a world quick to praise talent, don’t forget to honor character.

What are you telling yourself?

 

What are you telling yourself?

 

-       Your inner monologue determines your outer actions.

 

-       The most powerful story in the world is the one you tell yourself.

 

(I am not good at this)

 

We are halfway through 2026. Can you believe it? I really cannot. But it is a great time for a pulse check on where we stand for the year. What have we accomplished? What is left to be done? What should we change? Are there things we need to stop doing? Interesting questions for us personally and professionally, and critical for our businesses. Consider this …

 

“If you want something different, do and think something different.”

-       Chad Patterson

 

Change does not happen without action. There is still time to change 2026.

Who am I?

 

Who am I?

 

I lost my dad way too early,

Who am I to doubt it was part of God’s plan?

 

His mother lived to age 98, why couldn’t he?

Who am I to question God’s timing?

 

He loved my mom and all of us so dearly,

Who am I to ask God why we don’t have him anymore?

 

He was married for 50 years, had nine grandchildren and a great grandchild,

Who am I to not thank God for the time we did have?

 

He had wood to carve, golf to play and trips to take,

Who am I to ask God why not?

 

He was kind, loved and respected,

Who am I to ask God why him?

 

For his disease there were no more options,

Who am I to ask God why no cure?

 

There were things I had not done or said,

Who am I to ask God for more time with him?

 

I never heard a bad word spoken towards him,

Who am I to ask God why not someone else?

 

He deserved so much more,

Who am I to question that God knows what he truly deserved?

 

I lost my dad far too soon,

Who am I to question God’s plan?

           

Barry D. Blanton

In loving memory of Don Blanton

January 6, 1935 – June 23, 2007

 

This MMM was originally written in 2007. I will repeat it as long as I write MMM’s on a Monday near the anniversary of the passing of my father.

What are you known for?

 

What are you known for?

Certain cities are known for specific things, like food, culture, and architecture. Celebrities and politicians are often famous for specific good deeds, or maybe more often, certain indiscretions. Years in history are known for what happened during that year. What are you know for?

It is a question often discussed in real time about public figures, but for a lot of us it does not come up until someone leaves this earth. We tend to discuss legacies only once someone passes away. But we are known for who we are now, and what we do while we are alive! Our regular daily behavior leads us to have a certain reputation. Our legacy is being built daily as we speak and act. It can be changed before we die!

How will you be remembered for “the dash” of your life? What will you be known for during the years between your birth and death? If you don’t like the answer, get to work on how to change it while you still can!

Consistency

 

Consistency

I have long supported the concept of consistency. It is important in what I do for a living, but it is important in our personal lives and relationships as well. Don’t you know people whose lives seem to be a roller coaster of their own making? Consider this…

Intensity makes for a good story. Consistency makes for good results.

Word Power!

 

Word Power!

The spoken word is so much more powerful than we know. Words can both hurt and heal. They can destroy but also build up. What we say can educate or simply berate. Words can sting but they can also soothe. We can use our words to encourage or deflate. Our words can make someone’s day or…

The problem is that we are often too quick to spout something without thinking of its impact. As the saying goes, we speak before we think. This often results in our words coming out on the negative side of the above options. That means we can leave a trail of anger, disappointment, and hurt feelings around us.

Consider the power of your words. Choose them carefully. More to the point, consciously choose to be positive with what you say.