This weekend is Mother’s Day. It is also the time for a funeral for a neighbor of mine. For both of these events, people will bring flowers. I was having a chat with a good friend of mine last week about how sometimes we give the least to those who matter most. He shared a story about a friend of his who died before he really was able to express his love and appreciation. “Give em flowers while they’re living!” is Dino’s advice. What a gift our life and relationships are. Don’t be so caught up in the stuff of your life, that you fail to connect with the ones who mean the most to you.
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In biblical times, people were often warned of the evils and perils of idol worship. While I think that we have tendencies toward that in today’s world as well, another problem that saps the strength of some of our best people is “idle” worship. The allure of easy money, or of sitting idle and relying on the productivity of others has enticed many to pursue a course that actually creates more captivity. Industry, creativity, and good old fashioned hard work are time-tested principles that can breathe the life back into a struggling economy.TRIVARIS.COM/PIU/ Make something today!
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I shared this poem a few years back, but ran across it again this week. I have recently been able to identify the author as Charles Benvegar - originally published in 1967. A great perspective as we figure out which side we are on! Wreckers or Builders I watched them tearing a building down, A gang of men in a busy town. With a ho-heave-ho and lusty yell, They swung a beam and a sidewall fell. I asked the foreman, "Are these men skilled, As the men you'd hire if you had to build?" He gave me a laugh and said, "No indeed! Just common labor is all I need. I can easily wreck in a day or two What builders have taken a year to do." And I thought to myself as I went my way, Which of these two roles have I tried to play? Am I a builder…
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I saw a sign at a construction site this past week that advertised, “Finishers Wanted”. This reminded me of a talk I heard years ago by Thomas S. Monson about how much this sign is really saying. On any job or in any story, there is a beginning, a middle, and an end. It is the ending that gives meaning to the start. My wife even skips ahead when she is reading a book to see how it will end before she decides to spend the time wading through all of the getting there. This world is in great need of more finishers. Your value to other people will include the extent to which you can get it done, not just get it started. Be a finisher.
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I read an inspiring message this week about how the shallow waters are compared to living a life focused on yourself – your job, your money, your house, your rights, your needs, your opinions, your ideas, and your comfort. The deeper waters, in comparison, are about others – family, friends, community, faith, country, and commitment. “Almost every dimension of your life can be held to the shallows or taken into the deeper water. Your career, your involvement with others, your spouse and your children, your politics – each can be lived with you comfortably at the center. Or, they can draw you out of yourself, into service and sacrifice, into selflessness.” – Mitt Romney. I am so impressed with those who are fully immersed in life – doing all they can to add value to the lives of others. These are the producers who also harvest huge returns for…
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I want to put a warning out there to all of my friends. The warning has to do with a deception that is creating a lot of havoc in the lives of unsuspecting people everywhere. This deception is the most prevalent and potentially dangerous of any I know, and a major part of your energy should be dedicated to identifying and combating it – for if you are deceived by it, your life will predictably become miserable as a result. The deception of which I speak is the belief that you have no choice. This is the most damaging part of a victim paradigm. What happens to you or around you in your life is not nearly as important as what happens within you. You can’t always control what is happening, but you will always retain what Viktor Frankl called “the last of human freedoms” – to choose your attitude…
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There are times when my kids have some kind of a choice to make among a variety of options, and faced with the difficulty of deciding they may ask, “Dad, which kind should I get?” My response is predictable as I say, “Whatever kind you want.” It seems so obvious to me that it is just a matter of choice and preference. Well, recently my wife called her dad, who was unavailable to answer the phone. She got the routine message of, “I’m not available… please leave a message…” etc., but then the ending took her by surprise. Just before the beep Vicki heard, “Have whatever kind of day you want!” It is, after all, just a matter of choice and preference. We’ve been getting a lot of mileage out of this one as we encourage each other now to do just that. I’m trying to give up the selfishness…
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I’ve been thinking a lot about our key relationships as I prepare for our couples retreat this weekend. Obviously we are emphasizing the relationship with a spouse for this event, but there are five key relationships in our life – they are: Your Relationship With Your Creator Your Relationship With Yourself Your Relationship With Your Family Spouse Children Extended Family Your Relationship With Other People Your Relationship With Things I have found that the happiest people I know have these relationships prioritized and in this order. Getting them out of order tends to throw things out of whack. Get them lined up and start realizing the happiness you were meant to enjoy.
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The weather has been changing a lot here along the Wasatch Front in Utah, with Spring making a definite appearance. I read a post today by Mark Sanborn who made some comparisons between the weather and our moods. He writes, “The wild and varied weather swings of Colorado remind me much of what business and life are like. One day we’re figuratively lying on the beach and the next we’re freezing in a hail storm. Which is your “normal” weather? Over time it is easy to become discouraged and let snow and ice become our normal emotional weather. We still get sunny and warm some occasionally but look at those days as the exception rather than the norm.” Unlike the weather, we have a little “Climate Control” we can do with our lives. Keep a close eye on those prevailing patterns, and see what you can do about a little sunshine…
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loans at home for youThis week’s message is coming a day late because I spent yesterday in my Strategic Coach meetings in Santa Monica California. While I was there I realized that sometimes I am hesitant to admit or reveal my weaknesses to others. This is a common factor for most people, probably because we see it as a sign of weakness or something. The realization I had is that if I refuse to share my weakness, I prevent others from sharing their strength. This is the whole reason why we all have different strengths and weaknesses. Because of this we can exchange with each other and improve each other’s lives. Serve others through your strengths, and give them opportunities to serve through your weaknesses.
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