To Serve well

Serving with Excellence for a Life of Excellence

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This is one hero we need to emulate

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Today, Mother Teresa will be Canonized by Pope Francis and officially becomes a saint. I had to look that up as many of you might have as well.

Thankfully, it’s as simple as it sounds. Canonization is the process by which the Catholic Church solemnly proclaims that a holy person becomes inscribed on the list (i.e. the canon) of those persons who may be venerated publicly in the liturgy of the Catholic Church. In the case of Mother Teresa she will receive her own feast day with a Mass and a liturgical office constructed to offer due veneration to her.

Of course many of us already unofficially consider her at the highest level a human being could attain in displaying the virtues of a life of service to others. A true hero, a life to emulate.

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Mother Teresa is perhaps “the best” example for us of living a life in the real, postmodern world, and trying to serve as the “salt and the light” improving our communities, home, schools and workplace. Although she was clearly a holy person, her life service was primarily given to non-Christians and those not normally of the church. In fact, if you take a few minutes to study her life more carefully you will find that she often acted out her mission without the help we might expect a saint to have surrounded themselves with. She shared how she often found no encouragement in prayer and “had a bewildering sense of absence of God; finding little but dryness in her encounter with scripture.” (Cunningham, Vatican, 9/3/2016)

Many of my friends have confided this very reality to me and I can say prior to 5 years ago when I went deeper in my faith that this was often true of me as well. What’s important to me here is that she was doing ordinary life, and to her doing ordinary things, and had no idea that what she was doing was truly extraordinary. The message to me is to keep reading scripture, keep praying, keep serving, keep digging deep and God will reveal the EXTRAORDINARY IN YOUR LIFE.

Have a week that is blessed beyond. My bold prayers for you all!

(Photo creds: We Heart It, Ruthie Stark Photography)

Things the Olympics teaches us about UNITY

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International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach kicked off the games with an important message: “In this Olympic world, we see that the values of our SHARED HUMANITY are STRONGER than the forces which want to divide us.” His remarks focused on UNITY and how the games provide the setting for an attitude of peace and hope.

In 2010, I had the opportunity to attend the winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada, with my boys and my sister. (If the games are ever that close again, I recommend you stop what you are doing and make a plan to attend if at all possible.) What we witnessed firsthand was that every country we encountered were more than kind, generous and willing to thrive together during the games. I remember most the Netherlands and their enthusiasm toward their national sport, speed skating, and their jovial hugs as their team went ahead in the race. It was fantastic.

While I promise I won’t write about the Olympics every time over the next three weeks, I may use the opportunity as the games play out to share a story or insights that may be relevant to the blog. I definitely don’t want to miss this chance to SHOWCASE UNITY AT ITS BEST! Here are some thoughts I had as I worked through this blog…

  1. Unity happens when everyone lays aside their personal interests and races toward a common goal. Unity can get disrupted at home, in the workplace and of course we have seen the terror when unity is threatened during war. But what if we all truly did see the world from someone else’s viewpoint. You know, the “don’t judge until you have walked in someone else’s mocassins…” (Or something like that)  That’s pretty darn good advise. Lay your personal interests aside and remember we are here to use our best gifts. Don’t get tied up in someone else’s drama. The athletes don’t lay aside their goal to win the race, but no doubt during the month they live among those with cultural differences, they surely experience a host of differences and lay those aside to achieve peace
  2. Unity is possible. There are those that believe unity isn’t possible. “I can’t get a long with this guy at work, I cannot stand that lady, their religion really bothers me… etc.”  I was devastated when I saw the news this week of the young Muslim couple being asked to leave a Delta airline flight home from Europe.  We must all INVEST OURSELVES FULLY in the FACT THAT UNITY IS POSSIBLE. Watch the games over the next few weeks. These athletes are living in the Olympic village together and they are in full community together and they LOVE IT. The fun of the Friday ceremonies with all countries taking selfies together etc. was magical. Watch specifically for those moments. You’ll see what I mean!
  3. UNITY IS EVERYONE’S RESPONSIBILITY. I hear so many people right now due to the national election talking about how our country is in disarray and the concerns with ISIS and the refugee crisis and… You get the picture. Everyone is looking to a leader to solve our issues to somehow step in and create a world where we suddenly are all singing “kum ba ya” together in harmony. The reality is, every athlete, every volunteer, every leader of the games and every one of us is responsible. We have to realize that we can’t sit aside. We must use our voice and our time and actions to strive for unity in all things. I will spend some time again this month on some opportunities here locally to step in and use your voice.

Have a better than great day!

In the Pursuit: ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING!

blog_804354_2918997_1465438196(Photo credit: WE HEART IT – ISN’T THIS GUY AWESOME?)

Most people who have worked with me or lived with me, know that one of my top mottos in life is “Attitude is everything,” or in the work place, “Hire for attitude, train for skills.” It doesn’t matter what area of your life, or the time of your life, whatever “playing field” you find yourself on, ATTITUDE IS THE DIFFERENCE MAKER.

I’m never one to to re-create great content if I can find it. Today I wanted to share Jon Gordon’s writing on the power of ATTITUDE.  Jon is the author of the Energy Bus and the No Complaining Rule and you can find out more about him at www.jongordon.com.

My favorites are 2 and 7. I would love to hear yours! Have a strong wrap to your week!

11 Benefits of Being Positive – posted by Jon Gordon

Over the years I’ve done a lot of research on the positive effects of being positive and the negative affects of being negative. The research is clear. It really does pay to be positive and the benefits include enhanced health and longevity, order happiness, online career advancement, athletic performance, team building and financial success. Being positive is not just a nice way to live. It’s the way to live. In this spirit here are 11 benefits of being positive.

1. Positive People Live Longer – In a study of nuns, those that regularly expressed positive emotions lived on average 10 years longer. (The Nun Study)
2. Positive work environments outperform negative work environments. (Daniel Goleman)
3. Positive, optimistic sales people sell more than pessimistic sales people. (Martin Seligman)
4. Positive leaders are able to make better decisions under pressure. (Heartmath.org)
5. Marriages are much more likely to succeed when the couple experiences a 5 to 1 ratio of positive to negative interactions whereas when the ratio approaches 1 to 1, marriages are more likely to end in divorce. (John Gottman)
6. Positive people who regularly express positive emotions are more resilient when facing stress, challenges and adversity. (Several Studies)
7. Positive people are able to maintain a broader perspective and see the big picture which helps them identify solutions where as negative people maintain a narrower perspective and tend to focus on problems. (Barbara Fredrickson)
8. Positive thoughts and emotions counter the negative effects of stress. For example, you can’t be thankful and stressed at the same time. (Several Studies)
9. Positive emotions such as gratitude and appreciation help athletes perform at a higher level. (Heartmath.org)
10. Positive people have more friends which is a key factor of happiness and longevity. (Robert D. Putnam)
11. Positive and popular leaders are more likely to garner the support of others and receive pay raises and promotions and achieve greater success in the workplace. (Several Studies)

Get out there and bring others with you!

blog_792239_2894125_1461621496Jeep ran a campaign I believe in 2007 that had the tag line “Have fun out there.” Nature Valley ran one “Get out there” a few years earlier. Honestly, I got them confused and thought “Get out there” was Jeep, which I think is absolutely BRILLIANT!

Regardless of who gets credit for the idea, my vision is that WE NEED TO GET OUT “THERE” to realize the fullness of life.

Sunday I talked a bit about being as strong as “Caleb” at 85 years old. In order to live a strong life we have to get out and explore the world. I had the opportunity to take my first bike ride of the season yesterday and honestly, we have some pretty cool places to explore right in our own neighborhoods. We need to model this for our families, in the workplace and wherever God has placed us. No matter your age or situation, get OUT!

Here’s another thought… Do you know someone that perhaps can’t necessarily get out there? If so, do everything in your power this week to get them out if at all possible. Even if it means pushing them around the block in a wheelchair or visiting a park, the zoo, or anything really. Help get others out who may not feel they have that ability. If you don’t know anyone in that situation, just give me a call or a message, I’ll hook you up!

Let’s all be AMBASSADORS in this category this week both for ourselves and for others. I promise your life will be richer for the effort.

(Photo credit: We Heart It)

Cheers to a “long line of friends” today

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Today is my birthday – WOOT WOOT!

A few years back I decided that birthdays are really about celebrating those people in your life that lift us up and become the threads and ultimately the beautiful fabric of our lives.

TODAY, I celebrate ALL OF YOU and the many that have crossed my path and been a part of my story. I cannot even begin to tell you the impact of teachers, grandparents, neighbors, fellow “PTA” and “SOCCER” family, workplace colleagues turned life-long friends, sorority sisters, “fellow” Belton Pirates, WWMB friends and mentors, cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and of course my immediate family.

To my lovely sister and handsome brother, Mom, Dad and my incredible boys, a special CHEERS TO YOU! Through, the amazing days, crazy years, and always thrilling and/or education adventures, you are a huge part of who I am today and I AM DEEPLY BLESSED.

I RAISE MY GLASS TO YOU ALL!  Have an amazing week wherever life may have you out making a difference!

3 reasons being loyal will improve your year

blog_754715_2832370_1452747244Loyalty! Why be loyal? It seems obvious in some categories, such as relationships.

As a friend, we really need our friends to be loyal and honor our story and support us no matter what happens. As an employer, we really cannot succeed at the top of our game without employee and customer loyalty.  =Starbucks thanks many of us for our loyal support, as do thousands of other businesses nationwide.  Why does it matter?

The statistics in the workplace are pretty astounding. According to the authors of Leading on the Edge of Chaos, the ability for businesses to keep their customers can increase profits 25-125%. WOW! The reliable 80/20 rule is also true in this category according to Gartner from Forbes.com – “80% of your company’s future revenue will come from just 20% of your existing customers.”

For employers, the cost of turnover is dramatic, but we won’t be delving in that category. The purpose of this post is to share not only what I believe to be true about loyalty, but to offer you some facts that may make a difference in your thinking and year! We need to be loyal to our role for own success and happiness. Here are three reasons why:

1. Full value: If we aren’t loyal, we don’t show up with our full value. I can’t imagine not showing up with full value. (Well actually, I had a temporary summer job one year doing something like making boxes…it was awful, and probably scarred me for life on tedious and boring jobs that appear to have no meaning.)  We must find a path that supports our values, passions and enables us to maximize our talents. Our world is counting on us to all come to the table with our full value.

2. Strong & better: When we are truly loyal, we become stronger and better employees, leaders, moms, dads, friends, volunteers, neighbors..I’m always game for getting stronger and better in any category.

3. Healthier: Finally, it’s January and most are focused on their health. Guess what? Scientists have documented that loyalty in relationships and in our career, offer benefits of reduced illness, longer life, higher compensation, more productivity and creativity. Even being loyal to our sports team, (GO KC CHIEFS!), helps reduce anxiety according to the Wall Street Journal! Who knew?

Who needs your loyalty?  Who needs their story honored by your support & loyalty? If you aren’t feeling loyalty to any of your key roles, stop and evaluate if it’s a good role or relationship and begin creating a game plan to up your game or get out!

3 ways to improve your energy at work!

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I love reindeer (otherwise known as caribou in case you need a game winning trivia question)! I have just now realized this – why it took 47 years I have no clue – they are just flat out cool!                __________________________________
So, how in the world do we get more energy? We have the obvious: Fueling our body with healthy foods, getting enough rest… We will hit some of those on Thursday, but for today, I am talking about energy at work (work being loosely defined, whether you are in the workplace, the community or home). Energy at work is defined by what activities that you work on that give you positive energy? What could you do all day? What activities make you feel at the end of the day fulfilled and if tired, a “good tired.” The goal of today’s blog is to encourage you to figure out what those are and play to them regularly! You’ll be better for it, I promise!

I wanted to figure this out in 2015, and so I found this really great Executive coach, Mike Miller, who works with Forte.  Their consulting firm focuses on a great tool called “Strengthscope” which is all about finding out what your top seven areas are that give you energy at work. After you take the assessment you get a great review that outlines the strengths that give you energy.

If you head over to their website you’ll find a few fun facts: People who use their strengths every day are …

  • 6X more likely to be engaged on the job
  • 3X more likely to be happier with their lives.  (I’LL TAKE THAT!)

Teams with leaders who take a “stength” based approach are…

  • 86% more effective than teams which don’t.

For those that know me, they won’t be surprised at my seven: collaboration, decisiveness, developing others, optimism, relationship building, self-confidence, self-improvement. So essentially, if I’m “playing” in areas that allow me to be doing these things, I am one happy camper. If I’m not on a consistent basis, I may be drained!  A key learning from my time with Mike this year, is that I can “over play” to these. For example, if I’m playing in the collaboration/relationship building space and the colleague I’m working with doesn’t have that in their top seven (or maybe even in their top 25 – haha) that I may be draining them, creating conflict. I need to shift to one of my other top seven deciveness for example, to work better with them, therefore giving me energy. Pretty interesting stuff!                          __________________________________________________________________________________________

So this is longer than my normal post, but worthwhile information! Here are the top three posted in the blog title to wrap it up! I encourage you all to find out in 2016 what gives you energy, and play to those! You will improve your “game” and your life! Top 3 ways to improve your energy at work:

  1. Find out what give you energy and play to those. Use Mike’s tool, or stengthfinders, or even make a list. If you don’t think you know, ask your closest colleagues at work, or friends… they will know!
  2. Get organized! Yep, sorry to the folks who may not like this one, but honestly, you have to have a gameplan and that includes making a list and reviewing and editing ofte. I do this at least one time a day and often twice a day. Priorities change quickly, at work and in life, and I have to ensure the top items stay at the top of the list, otherwise I’m drained of energy! You will gain energy only by achieving what you know you need to achieve.
  3. Make time for fun. I talk a lot about culture, and my friends, no matter if your leader is a culture builder or something more like a culture hit man (or woman) you can influence the culture in your area! Make a decision that you will be the difference within a reasonable radius around your area! Schedule time to walk around and be a culture guru wherever God has placed you! It will give you energy and those around you as well! DOUBLE BONUS!

Showcase ‘merry and bright’ at work and home

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I’m a sucker for anything that generates the spirit of the season. Twinkly lights? Check. The idea of being merry? Check. And oh to be bright? Check.

I hesitated to put this out there at the begining of the month, because somehow it seems like we sure do have a lot of December left to get work done and finish our to-do lists. It’s not quite time to be merry and bright, is it?

I’m just going to say that yes, for this year, for this week, I am going to try to showcase merry and bright. There is a lot of pain and a lot of struggle at every turn, and we flat out need each other to capture the positive and live it!

Live it in the unexpected places. Be kind to every person your encounter, create a home of merry and a workplace that grows a culture of ‘bright.’

Use this month as an excuse to be the light… every day! 

Train your mind

blog_734618_2805536_1447168536Most every American knows Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos quarterback, NFL Super Bowl champion and MVP. To many, the best quarterback of all time.

Regardless of where he lies in the final stats, there is no doubt that he has demonstrated that training your mind is critical to great success. In fact, when he had potentially career-ending surgery in 2011, he did what many thought couldn’t happen and made a decision to seek the best training of his mind and physical body to step back into the game again. And he has done so with sheer greatness.

The first step in his decision: train your mind.

Most everyday we are hit with an array of challenges, decisions, problems, etc that have the potential to take us down. A simple action or reaction can send us reeling and quite often those are left whirling in our minds, often creating a life of their own. What if he meant that? Did that text she sent mean what I think it meant?

The National Science Foundation estimates that a human brain produces as many as 12,000 to 50,000 thoughts per day, depending on how deep a thinker a person is. Most of the so-called random daily thoughts are about our social environment and ourselves.

As you can see, with our brain on overdrive, we simply must train our minds to think positive and focus on the best of ourselves, our abilities, our intentions and of course, people.

One of the interesting things about the brain is that it is methodical. In my research, I read that a thought actually becomes a physical pathway in the brain. According to life coach Tim Brownson, the more you have a thought, the more you groove that path and the easier it is to have it again. That’s why having the thought “Why do I suck?” is never a great idea.

That’s where the training part comes in. I don’t want to overcomplicate this, but instead give you this to contemplate today. We are all champions in one way, shape or form. Peyton Manning just does it on a national stage. When troubles come our way, we have a choice to train our minds to go into what I’ll callexcellence mode.

What pathways have been etched into your mind due to constantly thinking or focusing on them? It could be a person in the workplace that has driven you to drink or at the very least you have hit your head against the wall so many times trying to navigate the situation. It could be a family member (Thanksgiving is a few weeks away in case you want to get prepared now…), that always seems to say the most life-draining things that leave you wondering where they came from or where you came from. It could simply be that you are really hard on yourself for pick your issue: over spending, not doing enough charity work, not working out enough, never picking up the phone and calling your best friend… You get the picture.

Let’s “groove” some new paths in our minds today and put our minds on excellence mode.

Diversity Makes Us All Better!

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“If we can change our mindset from “Hey, our goal is simply to put the best person in the job” to “Hey, our goal is simply to put the best team in place,” we will have accomplished a great deal on improving company performance. And we will have accomplished a great deal on increasing opportunity and diversity.”

– Sallie Krawcheck, Chair of Ellevate Network, Former President of Global Wealth & Investment Management, a division of Bank of America. (In other words… IMPRESSIVE BACKGROUND)

This is a topic near and dear to my heart!  I know first hand that Sallie is right! No matter if you are talking intelligence, social ability, income, or race, we all tend to run to the part of the room where folks look and act like ourselves. Science shows that humans are not the only creatures that do this. It’s pretty much every species! If you think about it, no one has probably seen a roly poly hangin’ with a group of ants. It doesn’t happen naturally my friends!

The clear problem with that is it doesn’t allow for the push and pull needed to grow and to make us our best. Spending time with folks from all walks of life is what gives us a more clear point of view in order to optimize our thinking and be our best selves. Things always appear different when you stand back a few feet.

God gave us humans the amazing capabilities to THINK!  So, while the roly polys and the ants likely won’t change, we can, and have a CHOICE and PRIVILEGE to do just that.  I am providing a terrific link below that sums up nicely the top 10 positive RESULTS we can expect from making this a part of our everyday mindset!   This is a work focused list but make no mistake about it, this is true in our personal lives, communities, and homes! We need to make DIVERSITY a priority!  Later this week I will focus on DIVERSITY as a priority outside of the workplace so stay tuned!

https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/labor/news/2012/07/12/11900/the-top-10-economic-facts-of-diversity-in-the-workplace/