All growth depends upon activity. There is no development physically or intellectually without effort, and effort means work. – Calvin Coolidge

Our passion for growth requires work. It’s simple . . . we don’t get better just by doing, it takes discipline and effort.

There are some people who look for shortcuts or the easy way out. The easy way doesn’t have the same value on our journey. The path to growth isn’t easy . . . the path to growth requires hard work and determination.

We develop and grow when we work. From personal fitness and working to keep ourselves healthy, to intellectual reflection and discipline to build skill, all growth depends on activity.

 

We convince by our presence.  – Walt Whitman

 

When we have a positive energy, when we have a sense of purpose, when we serve others we convince others simply by our presence.

 

Have you ever been in a room or meeting when one individual is able to lead a positive conversation simply through his or her presence?  When we lead with conviction of purpose and in alignment with our values, we are able to accomplish great things.

 

It isn’t about flashy presentations or complex data tables . . . it is about being present.  It is about leading from the heart, with courage, and with optimism.  No one has ever been inspired by a PowerPoint or Excel Spreadsheet alone . . . it takes the optimistic leader with heart and passion.

 

When you practice gratefulness, there is a sense of respect toward others.  – Dalai Lama

 

Great leaders make those around them better.

 

Great leaders recognize the strengths and contributions of every member of the team.

 

When we are grateful for our blessings . . . when we live a life of gratitude . . . we naturally serve others with respect.  As leaders – and we are all leaders – we serve others best when we are grateful for the opportunity to be together.

 

Today, intentionally practice gratefulness.  When you do, your relationships will be deeper and your connections will be stronger.

 

We need to make the positive so loud that the negative is impossible to hear.  – George Couros

 

Combating negative isn’t about becoming negative ourselves; that is hypocritical.  We combat the negative by doing two things:

 

• We intentionally act and create positive energy. We know that words are important – and actions are even more important.  We choose our words with purpose and our behavior reflects our values.
• We choose to empower other optimistic people. We know we are stronger as a team.  Optimism is contagious.  Optimism spreads because our group and organization are dynamic.

 

Don’t permit negative people to monopolize your time or overpower the agenda.  Yes, we will all encounter negative people.  Listen and respond, but do so with positive behavior.

 

Challenges are just part of the journey.  There’s no accomplishment without struggle.  No triumph without tests and failures along the way.  – Jon Gordon

 

Simply stated, this is why optimists get things done.  Optimistic, positive people are more naturally persistent.  Positive people don’t let the struggle, don’t let the failures along the way, get them down.

 

There is great energy in optimism.  There is also energy in negativism.  Negative people are like a vacuum; they can suck the energy out of a group.  Positive people bring light and energy to any situation.  Positive energy is contagious; optimism is the impetus to succeed in challenges.

 

Yes, where there is a will there is a way . . . it starts with persistent optimism.  Don’t permit negative energy to enter into your space . . . create a positive energy field that pushes out negative energy.

One person can make a difference, and everyone should try. – John F. Kennedy

You matter. You can make a difference. You can make the organization better; you can be part of changing the world.

No one does it alone, but it starts with one person. It starts with one voice.

You have a responsibility to use your skills, your talent, and your dedication to make a difference. Be positive and optimistic – these are the leaders that are successful. Live your life in service to others, live your life with purpose, and live a life that makes a difference.

The best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing. – Teddy Roosevelt 

We can acquire wealth and possessions.

 

We can earn titles and gain power.

 

We can travel the world and lay on the beach.

 

Life can’t simply be about buying things and going places. Life must be about our purpose . . . about leaving worthy evidence of our time, effort, and dedication.  

 

I couldn’t imagine coming to work each day simply as a means to retirement when I get to do nothing. I don’t have a passion for excellence so I can stop doing what I love when I get old.

 

Why do you do what you do? Is the work you are doing, worth doing? If not, how can you bring worth to your work. How can you live your life claiming the prize day after day?

The best way to predict the future is to create it. – Abraham Lincoln 

You are in control . . . no one else controls your attitude, your effort, your behavior or your actions. The future is yours to create . . . each chapter on the journey is yours to write.

 

If you let others create the future – or worse if you leave the future up to chance – you abdicate any right to own it. If you permit others to control your actions, you are nothing more than a puppet. To own the future, you have a responsibility to create it. To own the future, you must take ownership of your attitude, your behavior, your effort, and your actions.

 

Our values are predicated on a growth mindset, on personal responsibility, and on teamwork. The future is entirely up to you. Will you allow others to write each chapter of your future or will you step-up, take ownership, work as a team with others, and create a bright, optimistic future.

Lost time is never found again. – Benjamin Franklin 

Time is a precious resource. Every moment is an opportunity to make a difference, to grow, or to recharge. Rest and relaxation isn’t a waste of time . . . it is essential to being at our best at other times.

 

Lost time . . . time that is spent simply without purpose or progress . . . is a wasted resource. Time spent being negative is lost time. Time spent complaining or placing blame on others is lost time.  

 

Be cautious with your time. Don’t wish time away or waste time in the cesspool of negativity. Be positive, make a difference, and take care of yourself. Time lost today can never be recovered.

None of us can control our emotions. We can only control our reactions to our emotions. – Neil Pasricha, The Happiness Equation 

The start of the new year is often a time for creating resolutions and pursuing opportunities for self-improvement. I have long belonged to a local gym; it is part of my morning routine. Every year I marvel the first couple of weeks of the new year. The gym is crowded with people fulfilling their resolutions to “get up and exercise every morning.” By mid-January the crowd has started to thin-out and my Valentine’s Day, it is back to the regulars.  

 

We often resolve to control our emotions. We want to control our stress, our anger, our frustration . . . we strive to change who we are. You can’t change you. You can’t change the triggers and drivers of your inner-core. What you can change is how you respond to the triggers.

 

Don’t start 2017 by trying to change you. Start 2017 by changing how you respond. Be purposeful, be prepared, for how you will respond to your emotions. Don’t change the emotion, manage the reaction.