My Job

"If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well."

Martin Luther King, Jr. Minister - civil rights activist (1929-1968)

Not many workers sense that they have a calling for their particular job. However, think how wonderful it would be to do business with an organization in which every worker considered their job to be one in which they were called or designed to perform. In other words, their job mattered and they mattered in that job to the level that they performed above and beyond what was expected. Experiment for one week to work above and beyond (not more hours) as if you were called or designed just for your current job.

Attitude

"Attitude to me is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than success, than what other people think, say or do. It is more important than appearance, gift, or skill. It will make or break a company ... a church ... or a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you ... we are in charge of our attitudes."

Charles Swindoll - Pastor, author, educator

How we respond to our daily interactions with others quite often reflects the condition of our inner emotional health. What attitude did you choose to embrace this morning? Was it an attitude of the heart open toward understanding others or focused inward on self? Are you choosing to wrestle with an inner hurt rather than choosing to be available for others? You may be missing out on the greatest honor, that of helping others. To be available to others it helps to be content with ourselves. How I see myself is truly up to me. Begin today seeing yourself as your creator sees you, BEAUTIFUL, WORTHY, and ACCEPTED. What type of attitude will you choose to embrace? If you want to be warm, loving and caring, then today and everyday, be intentional and choose an outward attitude.

Situations

"You can turn painful situations around through laughter. If you can find humor in anything, even poverty, you can survive it."

Bill Cosby - American Comedian

Let's face it . . . Life can be a struggle . . . Or it can become our favorite comedy show. What lens are you using through which to view your struggle? We are not perfect and by human nature we make mistakes knowingly or unknowingly. How adept are you at laughing at yourself or your situation? When I work myself into a state of frenzy over something, God may send a funny picture to my mind, such as . . . me running around like a chicken with it's head cut off. How silly is that behavior? That 's just enough to make me laugh and diffuse my anxiety. The humor lens of life is so much more fun! Which lens will you choose?

Discovery

"The real voyage of discovery consists not in making new landscapes but in having new eyes."

Marcel Proust - French novelist (1871-1922)

How many of you absolutely love to travel? You probably love the magic of discovery as well. The thrill comes when you are willing to open your mind's eye and see the ordinary in a unique and interesting way. So one does not need to travel or create something in order to discover. One simply needs a willingness for new eyes meaning a new way of looking at the ordinary. The depths of discovery go only as deep as you are willing to dive. Don't be afraid to see differently and dive deeply toward exciting discoveries.

Building Mindset

Want To Build A Company, Or Make More Money? 3 Steps You'll Need To Take...

While I'm not suggesting you change who you are, I am telling you this: If you want to achieve more in life, it starts with increasing your confidence.  Everyone is born into this world with the same capacity to believe in themselves. It's up to you to make the most of it. Here are three tips to getting started:

Step #1 - Ask yourself, "What am I afraid of and why am I letting it hold me back?"You must address the fears and the negative self talk head-on.

Step #2 - Get a mentor. You need someone who motivates you. Someone who will hold you accountable.

Step #3 - Build up your GRIT. That stands for: Guts, Resilience, Innovation and Tenacity. You need to work hard and remind yourself that the more you step into the limelight, make mistakes, struggle, and learn from the experience, the stronger you'll become.

PS - Don't Be Afraid To Be Ambitious 

Think of what you could do for others if you were more successful? It's not a bad thing to be confident. You will not become all those negative traits just because you want more for yourself. Why not give it a try? A happier life could be yours if you are willing to tap into your confidence!

Perception

"The difference between greatness and mediocrity is how an individual views a mistake."

Nelson Boswell - American Author

Path: Excellence or Perfection. Result: Greatness or Mediocrity; Must my goal be perfection or could it be excellence? Could there be a difference? Have you ever considered how versatile humans are in the art of failure? We even shock ourselves at times with our brain glitches. We all have had a moment in time when our mind goes blank. How do you view mistakes? Let's look at our patterns. Why are many of us so driven for perfection and use negative talk? (Unrealistic) Do you suffer from "I must get a 100% or the world will end syndrome?" (Be Perfect) Are you obsessed with exactness or redoing a product? (Fearful) Notice: Are you a risk evader? (Avoider) "Guess I won't try because I'm not perfect." (Procrastinator) "It's best if I put off this task since I won't do a perfect job or get a perfect score anyway." (Stressed/Anxious) "I'll disappoint myself and others." This thinking leads to stress, failure, poor self-esteem. Turn your thinking around. Go for excellence instead. (Priorities) Just make your bed in the morning. Forget that the pillows are not positioned in just the right place. (Be Free) Your A- will not cause the Earth's orbit to freeze in place. (Be adventurous) Your first attempt at planting a garden might not produce food for your whole family, but it might entice some enjoyable family time together or lead to a new hobby. (Be intentional) Consider which items on your "To Do" list are top priority (something really crucial is at stake); (Be focused) then work your heart out to do your personal BEST. (De-stress) Chill out on the other items on your list. (Be optimistic) Talk positive to yourself; (Bounce Back) when knocked down by failure; get up fast and (Serve) put focus on doing good for others. That's "EXCEL"lence" in action. Select Excellence over Perfection. Choose to Stay healthy and stress free!

Discipline

"Discipline yourself, and others won't need to."

John Wooden - Basketball Coach (1910-2010)

We must all discipline ourselves in many areas of life: work habits, punctuality, hygiene, orderliness and organization, and money management, for example. Beyond that are areas of conduct that are just as important: honesty, work ethics, boundaries, relationships, etc. Paying attention to the business of discipline is our primary business. The world will discipline us in a much harsher way if we fail to control ourselves. Self-discipline is a right and responsibility that gives us freedom. Make the most of your self-discipline so that others are not impacted negatively. This type of discipline becomes a huge example of how to extend love and respect to yourself and others.