The Past is the Past…

 

There is value in reflection. The past holds lessons for us. It can remind us of how far we’ve come. It gives us moments to celebrate and be grateful. But it is still the past. We cannot rewrite it. We cannot relive it. We cannot change it. What we can do is write what comes next.

Each day is a blank page. Every hour is an opportunity. The future is not something that simply happens to us, but is something we shape with the decisions we make today. While yesterday is written in ink, today is still being drafted in pencil. The days, minutes, and moments ahead of you are unwritten pages in your book of life. Choose your words carefully. Act intentionally. Lead purposefully.

Make it a great week by creating it. Happy Presidents Day, enjoy the quote below…

“The best way to predict the future is to create it.”

-       Abraham Lincoln

Kindness

 

 Some great reminders about the importance of the simple art of heartfelt kindness…

 

“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”

-          Plato

 

"Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around."

-          Leo F. Buscaglia

 

"The measure of a truly great man is the courtesy with which he treats lesser men."

-          Anonymous

 

"If you can't feed a hundred people, just feed one.”

-          Mother Teresa

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!

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. 

Courteous

I was recently reminded about the lost art of courtesy.  See the definition below:

courteous

adjective - Characterized by gracious consideration toward others. 

1: exhibiting courtesy and politeness; "a nice gesture" [synonyms: gracious, nice]

2: characterized by courtesy and gracious good manners.

When was the last time you thought about this word?  More importantly when was the last time you thought about being courteous at work?  Think about it this week.  Consider the words used in the definition, gracious, politeness and good manners.  Being courteous is a really simple behavior that can positively impact relationships in the business world.  It is perhaps even more important at home.  For some reason we can easily forget to be kind and courteous to those we love.  How will you be more courteous this week?