Life is Hard

When I hear somebody say that life is hard, I am always tempted to ask, "Compared to what?" 

       --Sydney J. Harris

This is a very thought-provoking quote.  Life may be hard.  I don’t think we have any real right to complain about that.  We are not promised otherwise, but it is not always hard.  Actually, most of us are incredibly blessed.  When we think life is too hard what exactly would we like it to be?  I know, there are a lot of easy answers to that... trouble-free, healthy, stable, happy, comfortable, and less challenging.  But that is not life, is it? 

Presidents’ Day

As we celebrate Presidents’ Day, I find myself thinking about the role of the President as a leader. The President of the United States is not only the official head of our nation and commander-in-chief of our military, but is also often called the leader of the free world. These titles carry immense responsibility and power, but a title alone does not make someone a great leader.

True leadership is not merely about holding an esteemed position or title. It is about vision, integrity, and the ability to inspire, influence and guide others. History has shown us that while some presidents, regardless of political affiliation, have exemplified remarkable leadership, others have struggled to move beyond their title. Leadership is not defined by status but by action, character, and the impact one has on others.

Remember that great leaders exist both within and beyond positions of power. Leadership is not about the title. It’s about the ability to lead with wisdom, purpose and clarity.

Happy Presidents’ Day!

Happy New Year

What will you do more of in 2025?

What will you do less of?

Think about it…

Happy Holidays!

 

May you and your family have a truly blessed Christmas and a very Happy New Year! 

The MMM will take off next week for the holidays and return on Monday, January 8^th of 2024. 

Nineteen Years of the MMM!

 

The Monday Morning Minute was born on November 21, 2004. This Tuesday will mark the nineteenth year of sharing leadership thoughts and challenges with you all on a weekly basis. I hope somewhere along the way you have found something motivating, encouraging or challenging, maybe all three.

 

Wishing you and yours a very Happy Thanksgiving and a great start to the holiday season.  Be blessed my friends…  

Happy 4th of July (tomorrow)!

 

We are truly blessed in this country with incredible freedoms.  Unfortunately, we often take those freedoms or granted; We should not.  These freedoms are not found in many countries.  What we do with these freedoms make us who we are… 

• The freedom to live, love and laugh
• The freedom to work hard and succeed
• The freedom to challenge ourselves mentally and physically
• The freedom to fail, and to recover
• The freedom to approach each day with a smile
• The freedom to make choices, some wise, some not
• The freedom to educate ourselves
• The freedom to worship freely
• The freedom to make mistakes and learn from them
• The freedom to honor and support those who protect these freedoms

…and those who lost their lives doing so

• The freedom to positively impact the lives of others
• The freedom to tell those that we love that we do!

 What are you doing with your freedoms?

Happy Holidays!

 

May you and your family have a truly blessed Christmas and a very Happy New Year! 

The MMM will take off next week for the holidays and return on Monday, January 2nd of 2023. 

Eighteen Years of the MMM!

 

The Monday Morning Minute was born on November 21, 2004.  Today marks eighteen years of sharing leadership thoughts and challenges with you all on a weekly basis. I hope somewhere along the way you have found something motivating, encouraging or challenging, maybe all three.

 

Wishing you and yours a very Happy Thanksgiving and a great start to the holiday season.  Be blessed my friends…  

Vote

 

Are you unhappy with your local or national government?  Do you wish you could weigh in on the direction of our country?  Would you like to be heard?  Your opportunity is now.  Voting is both a right and an obligation.  Although not uniquely American, voting is woven into the fabric of this great country.  We may not always like the options or the process.  We may not care for the party system or the outcome, however we have the opportunity to participate.  Voting is speaking up.  Voting is taking a stance.  Voting is a privilege.  Take some time to educate yourself on the issues and candidates and then exercise your right to vote!

We have the privilege….let’s take advantage of it and go vote!

Happy Labor Day

 

It is not just about football season starting…

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.

The First Labor Day

The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The Central Labor Union held its second Labor Day holiday just a year later, on September 5, 1883.

In 1884 the first Monday in September was selected as the holiday, as originally proposed, and the Central Labor Union urged similar organizations in other cities to follow the example of New York and celebrate a "workingmen's holiday" on that date. The idea spread with the growth of labor organizations, and in 1885 Labor Day was celebrated in many industrial centers of the country.

Happy 4th of July!

 

Happy Birthday USA!  Have a great 4^th of July holiday and may God bless America!

Blessings

 

It is crazy the materialistic society we live in.  The United States is the richest country in the history of the earth and individually we are very wealthy compared to people in many parts of the world, yet we are often not happy with what we have.  That feeling is exaggerated by the barrage of advertising that promotes materialism. Think about wanting what you already have.  Most of us are truly blessed, no matter what our consumerism society would have us think.  Besides, there is a lot less stress in wanting what you have got than in not having what you want!

 

Count your Blessings, they are right in front of you!

’22 and You

 

Happy New Year! Welcome to the first Monday of 2022. Are you excited for the new year? I like this time of the year, not necessarily for making resolutions, but for refocusing. It is a great time to assess where you are professionally and personally and, to set new goals accordingly (call them resolutions if you like).

What will you change, accomplish or improve in 2022? Nothing changes if nothing changes, and it all starts with a plan. Start by choosing one or two things, not thirteen or thirty. Make them realistic, reasonable and significant. Focus on them and plan on how to accomplish them. Everyone sets goals and plans differently, but those with no plan at all never seem to change or accomplish anything.

What will you do for you in 2022?

Happy Holidays!

 

May you and your family have a truly blessed Christmas and a very Happy New Year! 

The MMM will take off next week for the holidays and return on Monday, January 3rd of 2022. 

Life is Hard

 

When I hear somebody say that life is hard, I am always tempted to ask, "Compared to what?" 
       --Sydney J. Harris

This is a very thought-provoking quote.  Life may be hard.  I don’t think we have any real right to complain about that.  We are not promised otherwise, but it is not always hard. Actually, most of us are incredibly blessed.  When we think life is too hard what exactly would we like it to be?  I know, there a lot of easy answers to that... trouble free, healthy, stable, happy, comfortable, and less challenging.  But that is not life, is it?   

Hello 2021!

What a year was that? Unfortunately, January 1^st was not like a like switch on 2020. We are still in the midst of a pandemic, but there is hope on the horizon. The vaccine distribution is well underway, and I feel like we can see a light at the end of the tunnel (You know what they say about that).

What does the new year have in store for you? What have you learned from the craziness of 2020?  How will you and your business emerge stronger?

Happy New Year! Bring it on…

People need loving the most when they deserve it the least. -- John Harrigan

I do not know John Harrigan or the context of this quote, but it is a challenging thought.  It is so easy to love people who are easy to love!  Cute kids, loving spouses and lifetime friends are easy to love.  They make us happy; we enjoy being around them and loving them.  More challenging to love might be the demanding and unfriendly boss or the self-centered co-worker.  And then there are the homeless, the sick, the chemically dependent, and the criminals.  What makes them deserve love?  Possibly those who need it the most are those who we truly do love, but because of the current circumstances we might not feel them to be deserving.  Consider the misbehaving teenager, the angry friend, and the betraying spouse.  It may be the hardest to love those close to us when they have wronged us or misbehaved.  Biblically we are called to love, not just those that are easy to love.     

Happy Independence Day!

We live in a great country!  Sure, we are currently facing some challenges, but freedom, independence, and opportunity abound in the United States of America.  This past weekend we celebrated independence.  What does independence mean to you?  Obviously, we were not around when this country was under the rule of the British.  So, what does it mean to us to have independence today?  Consider the ability to speak your mind freely.  What about our freedom to worship as we choose?  We can also live, work and travel wherever we want in this great land.  These are fundamental liberties that we often take for granted.  You do not have to spend much time in other parts of the world to truly understand the meaning of independence and more specifically freedom.  The few freedoms that I mentioned above, are not available in many parts of the world and those are just a few that we enjoy.  We are free because of the foresight of our founding fathers 240 years ago, and because of the protection provided by our armed services for all those years.

I hope you enjoyed your Independence Day! Do not forget what it really means.   

Important versus Urgent?

I don't know about you, but I am not very good at taking care of the important things in life as opposed to the urgent things.  I seem to I focus on urgent issues of the day, often just to put a check mark in the box.  There are things that are urgent that we all have to take care.  There are also things that are very important that we should take care of.  It always seems urgent to answer emails, return calls, go to the grocery store, and do the laundry.  Granted those are mostly necessities and they need to be addressed.  However, there are more important things like consoling a troubled neighbor, spending quality time with your kids, mentoring a young associate, or visiting an elderly relative.  There are important things in life that we should prioritize above the urgent issues of the day.  As you plan your day, think about the important versus the urgent...

Happy Monday Morning!

Fifteen Years of the MMM!

I wrote the first Monday Morning Minute on November 21, 2004.  This month marks fifteen years of sharing thoughts and challenges with you all on a weekly basis.  I hope somewhere along the way you have found something motivating, encouraging or challenging, maybe all three.

Wishing you and yours a very Happy Thanksgiving and a great start to the holiday season.  Be blessed my friends…