Four years ago today…

 

In my mind, today is the four-year anniversary of the start of the pandemic in the United States. On this day in 2020, both the Houston Rodeo and the NBA shut down entirely. Not long after that the entire country was pretty much in a lock down. For some of us it was a few weeks, for others it was much longer. Every single person, business, organization, and activity in our world was impacted. Many are still feeling that impact. Our world is not the same four years later.

 

What have we learned? I will stay away from medical, political, or socio-economic lessons. What have you learned as an individual? I have shared these questions before. They are worth considering again. Actually, they are worth considering frequently, not just in the wake of a pandemic.

 

·         Are you going to have better family relationships?

·         Have you learned a new craft or skill?

·         Are you growing in your faith?

·         Have you discovered new ways to give back in your community?

·         Will you be more serious about saving 2-3 months of living expenses?

·         Has your perspective about work/life balance changed?

·         Do you have new goals and objectives for the balance of the year?

·         Will you bring a new level of commitment and energy to your job or your business?

·         Have you read a business or self-help book you have been putting off?

Undivided attention

 

As humans one of the greatest gifts we can give is our undivided attention. While that sounds simple, consider what it really means. With deadlines, meetings, email, texts, social media, and cell phones, how often do you really give someone your undivided attention? It is incredibly easy for our thoughts to drift to something we consider more urgent. There really should be nothing more urgent than what we are being told by our friends, peers and subordinates. 

 

Giving someone our attention allows them to speak and truly be heard. It allows them to feel positive about our relationship with them. It allows you to focus on what you are being told and learn something from their perspective. It is a foundational piece of the relationship between leader and follower. Loyal associates deserve your undivided attention. It is so vital in personal relationships. This principle is even more true at home with spouses and children! 

 

Try it out, you might learn something you and you will be appreciated!

Fill in the Blank!

I am a good ______________.

What comes to mind when you consider how to complete the above sentence?  Are your first thoughts about your career?  Maybe, they are about a hobby or a sport.  I believe that we are all basically good.  It is important for us to remind ourselves of that, and to remind ourselves to strive to be good in the different roles in our life.  What if you had to complete the sentence and it could not be about your profession, a sport or hobby?  Think introspectively about yourself as a person.  What about things like friend, listener, and advocate?   Or what about family roles like parent, daughter or sibling?  What does it mean to you to be good in these roles?  What about just using the word person?

Think about it.  Fill in the blank about yourself and strive to live out that statement!

Thanksgiving 2020 in Perspective

Here we are headed into another major holiday still under the “wet blanket feeling” of the pandemic. This holiday, and Christmas soon to follow, will certainly look and feel different.    We may not be able spend time with loved ones like normal, nor will we have the excitement of public gatherings that we enjoy during the holiday season. We might be  lonely or feeling depressed. Possibly we are frustrated and overwhelmed. Whatever the case, it will be a different and potentially challenging holiday season.

As tough as things may seem, let’s keep things in perspective.  We are still blessed.   If you woke up this morning in good health with a roof over your head, you should be thankful.  If you and your family know you will  have three meals today, be grateful.  If you have the ability to see and read this message, don’t take that for granted.  If you have family and friends who love you, even though you might not get to hug them this Thursday, you are blessed.  If you have all of these things you are in a very small percentage of the world from a wealth and comfort perspective.  We may not get the holidays that we are used to, but we are blessed and should remain grateful for the things we have. Consider the real meaning of Thanksgiving and maintain perspective.  Happy Thanksgiving

Critical

Have you ever described someone as being “too critical” or “always criticizing”?  People can be very critical.  It is almost second nature to many.  Criticizing is considerably easier than being positive and participating in a solution.  People should be better for having been around you. It is especially easy to criticize via email or social media. The challenge is to not just consider when others are being too critical but to monitor our own tendencies as well.  Don’t automatically be judgmental or critical.  Seek to provide positive feedback and constructive suggestions.  Individuals who are always critical are difficult to be around and can be de-motivating.  Strive to always be positive and participate in a constructive manner in your work life as well as your home life.

 Have a blessed week…

How do you treat others?

What do you think about when you hear that question?  There are basic considerations like opening doors for others and letting people go first in line.  There are also daily pleasantries like saying “how are you” and “thank you”.  In my mind there is one true measure of how we treat people that ranks above all others; the way we speak to someone.  What we say, and often more importantly, how we say it, is the key to how we treat people.  Our words are powerful.  Our tone can be harmful.  Our decision to talk or listen sends a message. 

Never underestimate the power of the spoken work.  Unfortunately, that spoken word is easy to use in anger and retaliation. It is the first thing we use without thinking when responding to someone.  It can be made hurtful by the words we choose and the tone with which they are said.  However, the spoken word can also be used to lift someone up, to show true love and support, to encourage and to teach.  It can communicate our deepest feelings and share our most private thoughts.  The power is ours.  We make the choice about exactly how to use the power of a spoken word.  How we talk to people is the true barometer of how we treat them. 

So, when you open your mouth today think about how you really treat others?

Choices

Life is made up of a series of choices.  We make choices each day of our life by prioritizing activities and choosing courses of action.  It is often frustrating and challenging to make those choices.  The alternatives are equally appealing, and the ramifications of the decisions seem so serious.  The best we can do at any one point in time is to make a choice with the information and knowledge available to us at that point in time. Consider your alternatives, study your options, seek spiritual guidance and make an educated decision.  Once a choice has been made, go on down the road of life.  There is no value to be gained from beating ourselves up over past choices and poor decisions.  Sure, we should learn from past decisions, but there really is no need to re-live poor choices or to constantly second guess ourselves.  Learn from those choices and grow. Make the best choice you can with the information available to you at the time. 

Have a blessed week making choices…

Problems

Problems, we all have them.  Anyone who tells you they have no problems is lying.  How we deal with our problems is the challenge.  It is often a natural reaction to want to avoid and ignore the obstacles in our lives.  Unfortunately, most of them don’t simply disappear when ignored.  That would be nice right?  So we have to face our challenges.  We must tackle our challenges.  We need to overcome our obstacles.  Understandably, it is easier said than done, but there is no benefit to avoiding them!  Consider this quote…

Avoid problems, and you'll never be the one who overcame them.

-       Richard Bach

Man up!  Go tackle a problem…

The Spoken Word…

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

The problem is that we are often too quick to spout something off 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 all of the above options.  That means we leave a trail of anger, disappointment, and hurt feelings around us. 

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

Have a blessed week…

Words

What if the words you spoke appeared on your skin like tattoos, would you still be beautiful?

Wow.  Think about that.  I totally stole this from a social media post, but I did so because it really struck me.  What about the words I yell during a Longhorn football game?  Then there are words that run through my mind and out of my mouth when frustrated in traffic.  There are so many examples of words that I think and say that I would hate to have tattooed to my arms.  Words are powerful, but so easy to throw around.  We should think about this more, consider our choice of words before we open our mouths.  Next time you are about to embark on a cursing rant just envision all those lovely words tattooed on your skin!  Scary…