Meaningful Mondays - Arrows Out: Recent Episodes
Lee Brower
What if you’ve spent years looking for something that was never lost — only idle?
“Don’t wait for purpose to give you direction. Make a contribution—and let contribution reveal the direction.”
— Lee Brower
Maybe purpose isn’t something we find. Maybe purpose is something we activate.
— Lee Brower
“Happiness cannot be pursued; it must ensue.”
— Viktor Frankl
“In learning you will teach, and in teaching you will learn.”
— Phil Collins
“Wisdom held is inventory. Wisdom moved is a legacy.”
— Lee Brower
“A river doesn’t make its own water. Not one drop.”
— Lee Brower “Nobody is the river.
Everybody is a tributary.”
— Lee Brower
“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.”
– Cicero
“Don’t wait for answered prayers to become grateful. Let gratitude become your prayer.”
“What can I be grateful for today… before I know how today turns out?”
“Gratitude nurtures humility. It strengthens faith. It fuels generosity. It opens our hearts to compassion. It shapes our character.”
“Gratitude doesn’t change our circumstances. It changes us. How we see. How we choose. How we show up.”
“Character is what you do when no one is watching—and especially when no one is expecting.”
— Charles Swindoll (adapted)
“The true test of a man’s character is what he does when no one is watching.”
— John Wooden
“By small and simple things are great things brought to pass.”
Life doesn’t ask us to become someone new in moments of crisis. It asks us to remember who we’ve been becoming.
The greatest leaders don’t trust themselves to rise to the occasion. They prepare themselves to retrieve from a lifetime of intentional learning.
“This week, don’t ask yourself, ‘How will I handle the next crisis?’ Ask yourself, ‘What deposit am I making today that my future self will someday need to withdraw?’
“Extraordinary performance comes from ordinary moments that are intentionally harvested over many years.”
– Lee Brower
“Harvest the lesson before you leave the moment.”
– Lee Brower
I asked Warren Buffett what he considered the keys to his success. He shared three keys that reflect humility, gratitude, and stewardship.
“We don’t simply inherit freedom. We become stewards of it.”
– Lee Brower
The Unfinished Promise… America wasn’t finished in 1776, it was launched.
The Founding Fathers gave us the possibility of America. Whether that possibility continues to grow… depends on what you and I choose to do today. This Independence Day, don’t just celebrate freedom—participate in it. The possibilities envisioned by those who came before us won’t be realized by spectators. They will be realized by people like you and me, choosing every day to live with faith, character, courage, gratitude, and personal responsibility. That’s how possibility becomes legacy.
“The enemy of Freedom is arriving.”
– Lee Brower
“Possibility is God’s gift to us. Stewardship is our gift back.”
– Lee Brower
The Declaration of Independence declared possibility.
The Constitution organized possibility.
Every generation is invited to enlarge possibility.
Reposted on June 23, 2026: – The Miracle of Butterflies
Repost:
In the coming weeks, you are going to hear more about the miracle of butterflies, including something else your kids don’t know. To kick it off, listen to this Meaningful Monday almost 10 years ago and let me know what you think.
– Lee Brower
What can we learn about the change of a caterpillar into a butterfly?
Quote to remember: “If you don’t pet it, it won’t follow you home.”
Reposted on June 23, 2026: – The Miracle of Butterflies
“The people who believed in you before you believed in yourself weren’t wrong. They were just early.”
— Lee Brower
“Drifting, without aim or purpose, is the first cause of failure.”
“Life is never made unbearable by circumstances, but only by lack of meaning and purpose.”
— Viktor Frankl
“The more we let God take us over, the more truly ourselves we become — because He made us. He invented us. He invented all the different people you and I were intended to be.”
— C.S.Lewis
Prepare the child for the road, not the road for the child.
What if a child’s emotional needs become more dependent on a device than a parent?
“Am I giving my children and grandchildren more conveniences—or more opportunities?”
“Confidence is not taught. It is discovered one uncomfortable experience at a time.”
– Lee Brower
“The goal of parenting is not lifelong dependence; it is lifelong capability rooted in character.”
– Lee Brower
“Calmness is the rarest quality in human life. It is the poise of a great nature in harmony with itself and its ideals.”
– William George Jordan
“The strongest leaders are not those who control the storm, but those who remain steady enough to steady others.
– Lee Brower
“Gratitude is the trim tab that turns calmness into influence.”
– Lee Brower
People don’t need leaders who can predict every storm. They need leaders who can remain steady when nobody else is. Imagine a spouse who remains steady during financial uncertainty. Imagine a parent who remains steady when a child is struggling. Imagine a CEO who remains steady when markets are volatile. Imagine a community leader who remains steady amid contention. Their calmness becomes contagious. Not because they have all the answers. Because they create enough calmness for others to think clearly.
“A grateful nation is not measured by what it remembers once a year… but by how it chooses to live every day.”
– Lee Brower
“The greatest way to honor sacrifice is to create a future worthy of it.”
– Lee Brower
“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.”
– Ronald Regan
“The best storehouse of truth is the generations of the past.”
– Gordon B. Hinckley
“When sacrifice is forgotten, entitlement grows. When sacrifice is remembered, gratitude grows.”
– Lee Brower
“Gratitude does not remove pain. It gives pain purpose.”
– Lee Brower
“When we are grateful to God in our circumstances, we can experience gentle peace in the midst of tribulation.”
– Henry B. Eyring
“Wear gratitude like a cloak, and it will feed every corner of your life.”
– Rumi
“Few things are worse than running in the wrong way enthusiastically.”
— Lee Brower
“Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson, Circles, 1841
Emerson was right. But here’s what he didn’t say. “It is unfortunate, considering that enthusiasm moves the world, that so few enthusiasts can be trusted to speak the truth.”
— Arthur Balfour, 1900
Nearly sixty years later, Balfour named the problem. Enthusiasm without truth isn’t a gift — it’s a counterfeit. And counterfeits don’t just misinform. They crowd out the real signal.
The ancient Greeks called it en theos — God within. A quiet, persistent pull toward what you were made for. Not performed. Not manufactured. Received.
Which means the most dangerous thing we can do to someone we love is layer our enthusiasm on top of theirs — and drown out the voice already speaking inside them.
“Hype seeks applause. Enduring Enthusiasm develops people.”
— Lee Brower
This week’s Monday Morning Message is about learning to tell the difference — and asking an Empowering Question you may have never thought to ask before.
"You have power over your mind, not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength."
- Marcus Aurelius
"Conflict may visit us without permission... but contention only stays when we invite it."
- Lee Brower
Conflict is inevitable. Contention is a choice.
“When a person can’t find a deep sense of meaning, they distract themselves with pleasure.”
— Viktor Frankl
“The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision.”
— Helen Keller
"A grateful heart looks for light — and light is what keeps you walking straight." "Your Enduring Vision isn't a destination. It's the sun. Always there. Even when you can't see it." "Most people don't drift because they want to. They drift because the clouds rolled in — and they forgot to look up."
— Lee Brower
Where there is love, there is life. — Mahatma Gandhi "The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched — they must be felt with the heart." — Helen Keller
Watch the full press conference on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HacpRDfCbnw
“We do not learn from experience… we learn from reflecting on experience.”
— John Dewey
"Naming a moment radically improves the flow of wisdom across generations."
— Lee Brower
"A moment named is a moment that never stops living."
— Lee Brower
"Your most valuable assets have never appeared on a balance sheet."
— Lee Brower
"Go B.I.G. Begin In Gratitude. Not because life is easy, but because life is the gift."
— Lee Brower
"It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live."
— Marcus Aurelius
"Memento Mori"
"Amor Fati"
Dr. Marshall Duke, Emory University psychologist, found that adolescents who knew their family's stories — especially stories of resilience and moral choice — showed significantly greater self-esteem and lower anxiety. Science is validating what Larry's family proved in one conversation.
"An experience becomes Enduring Wealth only when it is shared — and unnamed, unshared assets die with you."
— Lee Brower
"What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others."
— Pericles
Take it to the Limit, one more time.
We don't build a meaningful life in the big moments. We build it in the quiet, often unseen choices to go "one more time"... when it would be easier not to.
"One more time..." is not about a destination.
There's no finish line. It's a commitment to the next moment."
It's about doing your best again -- not because the circumstances are easy, but because you've been given one more day.
A grateful heart doesn't ask, "When will it get easier?" It asks: "Since I've been given one more day -- who can I bless one more time?
The Brain You're Building
Are some of our most prominent leaders unknowingly diminishing the very capacities we most need from them?
"You don't have to wait for the rainbow to enjoy the rain."
-- Dieter F. Uchtdorf
"Gratitude doesn't deny the storm; it changes the mind we bring into the storm."
-- Lee Brower
This week's RIPPLE: "Knowing what you know now, if you had the chance (or opportunity) to do this over, what might you do differently to make it even better?"*
“Legacy isn’t built in the moments when it’s easy. It’s built in the moments when you’re the only one in the room who still believes.”
— Lee Brower
“Courage always looks desperate until it works.”
— Lee Brower
“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”
— Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
“It’s easy to stand in a crowd. It takes courage to stand alone.”
— Mahatma Ghandi
“You don’t need permission from the majority to do what’s right. You just need the courage to go first.”
— Lee Brower
The Most Dangerous Word...
"If you don't choose your focus, something else will."
"We rarely lose what matters through crisis -- we lose it through drift."
"Drift happens by default. Meaningfulness happens by design."
NIX one drift so you can proactively focus your FIX on what matters most.
"A lesson unnamed is a lesson unclaimed."
— Lee Brower
"The hill isn't the danger. Going down it without looking is."
— Lee Brower
“The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing.”
— Henry Ford
“Wisdom is not a product of schooling but of the lifelong attempt to acquire it.”
— Albert Einstein
“We do not learn from experience… we learn from reflecting on experience.”
— John Dewey
Cognitive Empathy is understanding what someone else is thinking.
Emotional Empathy is feeling what someone else is feeling.
Compassionate Empathy is taking action to help. It moves from: "I understand." to "I care." to "What can I do?" That is leadership.
"Empathy is not weakness. It's strategic alignment."
"Instruction may produce compliance. Empathy produces contribution."
Are you Intertwined? Or intertwinement. The hidden solution to enduring achievements.
“Where might my roots intertwine more intentionally?” “Belonging becomes enduring when people know what they can always count on us to do.”
— Lee Brower
“We are not put on earth to see through one another, but to see one another through.”
— Eric Butterworth
“Character is what you do when no one is watching.”
— John Wooden
“What holds us up is rarely what people see, but it’s always what matters most.”
— Lee Brower
“How proud moments become anchors for the next generation.”
“Every proud family moment is really a principle in action.”
— Lee Brower
“Those who have a ‘why’ to live can bear almost any ‘how.’”
— Viktor Frankl
“People will never forget how you made them feel.”
— Maya Angelou
While belonging has increased, the quality of belonging has declined.
When meaning weakens, belonging looks for substitutes.
The greatest gift we can give future generations isn’t comfort, it’s meaningful belonging with purpose.
Think of a moment you have felt proud to be a "_____" (insert your family name)
"When anchors weaken, substitutes take over."
- Lee Brower
Meaningful belonging requires anchors: faith, family, principles, and service to something larger than ourselves. When those anchors weaken, substitutes rush in—noise, pleasure, and distraction that promise connection but rarely deliver fulfillment. True belonging stretches us. It calls us to rise, to serve, and to strengthen one another across generations.
When a person can't find a deep sense of meaning, they distract themselves with pleasure."
- Viktor Frankl
“When men choose not to believe in God, they do not thereafter believe in nothing; they then become capable of believing in anything.”
- G.K. Chesterton
What strength might re-emerge if I stopped carrying junk that was never mine to begin with--for the sake of those watching me?
Most people don't struggle because they lack strengths; they struggle because their strengths are buried.
Acknowledging strengths isn't ego. It's responsibility. Real strength isn't pretending you can do everything.
Strength that only serves me stops with me.
Unacknowledged limitations isolate us.
Acknowledged limitations invite collaboration.
Self-reliance has value — but it has a ceiling.
I'm not the source--I'm the steward.
“Clarity doesn’t come from arriving somewhere—it’s revealed once you’re willing to move."
— Lee Brower
"Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.”
— Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"Life is a journey, not a destination."
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
“The road doesn’t guarantee clarity—but it’s where clarity most often appears.”
— Lee Brower
“The Lord loves effort, because effort brings rewards that cannot come without it.”
— Russell M. Nelson
“Gratitude doesn’t change the moment--it changes who's in control of it."
- Lee Brower
“When I NIX negative thinking and FIX gratitude, I take the wheel back.”
-- Lee Brower
“If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it.”
- Marcus Aurelius
“The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.”
- William James
“Progress doesn’t come from wanting better—it comes from choosing better, one moment at a time.”
-- Lee Brower
“Being deliberate means deciding what to remove, what to strengthen, and who to move forward with.”
-- Lee Brower
“Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do.”
-- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails.”
-- William Arthur Ward
"The future won't judge us by our plans--it remembers us by our presence."
— Lee Brower
"Recognize regret early enough to choose again."
— Lee Brower
“In the end, the memories we cherish most are not of the things we have done, but of the people we have loved.”
— Dieter F. Uchtdorf
“The day is short, the task is great, and the time is now.”
— Pirkei Avot
“Guilt is information. It’s your inner compass saying, ‘This matters to you.’”
- Lee Brower
"When we Begin In Gratitude, we stop judging ourselves and start asking better questions."
- Lee Brower
“Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be.”
- Coach John Wooden
"We are what we repeatably do."
- Aristotle
“That tiny shift—from got to get—is what helped my friend Steve move from obligation to opportunity and from bitterness to betterness.”
“Letters look small, but they shape legacies.
This is the quiet power that transforms experience into wisdom, and wisdom into Positive Generational Impact™.”
“Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.”
—John Wooden
What you complain about, you create more of.
Are you unknowingly shrinking your prefrontal cortex?
The world doesn't need more people pointing out what's broken. It needs people who are wired to see what's possible.
“What’s one small shift in my self-talk that would train my brain toward gratitude, courage, and better choices today?”
What is one thing you're grateful for right in this moment? I'd love to hear it.
"Purpose rarely reveals itself until you’re already in motion."
- Lee Brower
People spend years waiting for clarity before taking action. Waiting for certainty. Waiting for their “why” to magically appear. But purpose is not discovered at the dock. Purpose is revealed on the water. You can’t trim your sails when you’re tied to the pier. You have to be moving. Even a little.
Be the Bee. — B.E.E. — Brave Enough to Engage.
You don't need to know all the answers. You just need enough bravery to take intentional motion. “Nectar First.” Take the first step. Move toward something good. Your intention is the nectar. And your true impact — your “pollen” — shows up along the way.
“People may forget what you said, but they’ll never forget how you made them feel.” And how we make people feel is almost always the result of one small choice.
“You can’t do much about the length of your life, but you can do something about its width and depth.”
- Jeffrey R. Holland
"The fastest way to be liked is to like first."
- Lee Brower
"Judgement looks for flaws: leadership looks for value."
In the midst of the World Series, the fiercest competitors became teammates in a moment of compassion.
"Seek opportunities to show you care. The smallest gestures often make the biggest difference.”
— John Wooden
Where in my life could I let gratitude ripple, instead of needing to be right?
"Contempt divides. Gratitude connects. When gratitude moves… humanity wins.”
— Lee Brower
“Contention is a choice. Peacemaking is also a choice.”
— Russell M. Nelson
Not too hot. Not too cold. Just right
“We are not held back by stress itself, but by the lack of rituals that help us recover from it.”
- James Clear
“Rituals are the formulas by which harmony is restored.”
- Taoist Proverb
“In a world full of noise, rituals bring rhythm; in a world full of rush, they restore reason.”
- Lee Brower
What if the more we chase happiness... the faster it runs away?
The Horizon Time Map™. Follow the instructions in this video, and you will tap into a source of meaningfulness and wisdom that will bring you Enduring Joy.
“Happiness cannot be pursued; it must ensue… as the unintended side effect of one’s dedication to a cause greater than oneself.”
- Viktor Frankl
“You cannot make a choice without being responsible for its consequences. Even joy has a cost — and meaning is the price worth paying.”
- Lee Brower
"What you do should dictate how you feel. Not the opposite."
"Gratitude expressed is gratitude expanded."
Who did I make invisible today, and what will I do about it tomorrow?
You can't always change the world--but you can always change someone's world.
“Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.”
— Aristotle
"There is no app for building patience."
— Simon Sinek
"Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished."
— Lao Tzu
"You can't microwave trust. You can't instant-message intimacy."
“We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.”
— Anaïs Nin
“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I remember, involve me and I learn.”
— Benjamin Franklin
“Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”
— Viktor Frankl
When we judge too quickly, we risk missing extraordinary people, extraordinary lessons, and extraordinary opportunities.
Gratitude in the now. Choices for the future. Ripples for generations.
One small shift you can make this week to change the tone of your family, business, and/or community.
‘Losers assemble in small groups and complain about the coaches and other players. Winners assemble as a team and find ways to win.’
- Bill Parcels
Remember, "We rise when lifting others."
Each time we pause before reacting, we stack one more positive moment.
“Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.”
– Mark Twain.
Arthur C. Brooks once said, “Kindness and warm-heartedness are the antivenom for the poisonous contempt coursing through the veins of our political discourse.”
Just because you disagree doesn't mean you have to be disagreeable.
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
— Martin Luther King Jr.
“You don’t have to wait for the rainbow to enjoy the rain.”
— Dieter F. Uchtdorf“
"Love is the ‘why’ of the leaders that can bring America back together, and of all of us in our families and communities.”
— Arthur C. Brooks
"The Enemy of Thriving is Arriving."
– Lee Brower
"Live life deliberately- no finish lines."
– Lee Brower
"Knowing your 'So That' will inspire others to find their own 'So That'.
“Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction.”
– John F. Kennedy
We have God-given rights which bring with them obligations, which, when properly honored, become opportunities.
An indigenous elder of Cherokee descent, Stan Rushworth, reminded us of the difference between a Western settler mindset of "I have rights" and an indigenous mindset of "I have obligations." Instead of thinking, 'My rights entitle me,' what if we choose to think that we are born with obligations— not rights —to serve past, present, and future generations?
"Positivity attracts courage, solutions, and people who lift us higher. Who you believe yourself to be is who you become."
— Lee Brower
“Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.”
— Napoleon Hill
“I am not what happened to me, I am what I choose to become.”
— Carl Jung
“It’s not who you are that holds you back, it’s who you think you’re not.”
— Denis Waitley
Here is a hint- it is not your decisions!
"Character is the ability to carry out a worthwhile decision long after the decision has passed."
"Our thoughts determine our actions, our actions determine our habits, our habits determine our character, and our character determines our eternal destiny."
- David O. McKay
"Some people feel the rain. Others just get wet."
— Bob Marley
“It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.”
— Chinese Proverb
"If you deeply lean into gratitude, the mental 'light' it produces makes it harder for negativity to fully occupy your awareness."
— Lee Brower
"Negativity is simply the absence of gratitude."
— Lee Brower
"Recreational Anxiety feels like motion, but it is just emotion with no direction." And it's silently training our children —and us — to be reactive rather than reflective. Distracted, not discerning. Noisy, instead of noticing.
biPas™ is your internal circuit breaker. It reconnects you to clarity, calmness, courage, and control.
Outwitting the Devil, by Napoleon Hill.
Going BIG so that we can go BIG'R. When we go BIG Begin In Gratitude), it allows us to create even big'r "R"ipples
Do you want to be in more control of yourself each day, each hour, each moment? Would you like to build new neural pathways- mental shortcuts that bypass (biPas™) the reactive brain? “Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”
—Viktor E. Frankl
“The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.”
—William James
The Belief Switch
Can you imagine living in a world where the only satisfaction you got was from blaming and complaining?
“The brain is like Velcro for negative experiences..."
-- Dr. Rick Hansen
MRI studies show that the more you complain, the more those neural pathways deepen— until your brain defaults to that behavior.
It shrinks your prefrontal cortex—your center for logic, reason, and problem solving. It literally makes you less equipped to find solutions.
What is the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic dopamine production?
"Gratitude opens the heart. Self-belief turns the key."
-- Lee Brower
"Self-belief is gratitude in motion."
-- Lee Brower
"Communication isn't about what you say. Communication is the response you get."
"Anytime you use something that is 'true' to deceive, mislead, or be self-serving, it is a lie, not the TRUTH."
If people walk away confused, hurt, or misled- even if what we said was technically true- we failed as leaders (communicators).
"A reliable system turns guilt-driven ‘yeses’ into purpose-driven ‘no’s."
- Lee Brower
"Clarity about what matters provides clarity about what does not."
- Cal Newport, Deep Work.
"94% of all failures are the result of the system."
- W. Edwards Deming
When you say "yes" to something, what are you saying "no" to?
“Can I begin this day with the intentionality, confidence, and courage to say no—even to the very important—so that I can accomplish the essential yeses that move me closer to my most meaningful future?”
“This next year doesn’t have to be my best yet…it GETS to be.”
“If I ever go looking for my heart’s desire again, I won’t look any further than my own backyard… Because if it isn’t there, I never really lost it to begin with.”
—Dorothy, The Wizard of Oz
"Don’t just look back with gratitude. Look forward with expectant gratitude. Say no to the noise— So you can say 'yes' to what truly matters."
“The first job of a leader—at work or at home—is to inspire trust. You don’t manage people—you model trust, extend it, and grow together."
- Stephen M. R. Covey
“Trust is the one trait that consistently boosts happiness at every age.”
— Research by Utrecht University, 2025
“Trust doesn’t follow leadership. Trust is leadership.”
- Lee Brower
In Th'River, we believe in flow—in letting trust move through us, not just to us.
“You cannot overestimate the unimportance of practically everything.”
- John C. Maxwell
"Did my choices today reveal what I say matters most?"
- Lee Brower
“The key is not to prioritize what's on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.”
- Stephen R. Covey
"We don't drift into meaning. We don't stumble into legacy. We choose our way there--one moment, one choice at a time."
- Lee Brower
But here’s the thing—character doesn’t just show up in heroic moments. It shows up in keeping your word… even when it’s inconvenient and even when it is only to you.
Character is the ability to carry out a worthwhile decision once the emotion of making that decision has passed.
"A new identity doesn't erase the past. It reclaims the future."
- Lee Brower
"I am not what I used to be, not what I ought to be, and not what I am going to be, but I am thankful I am not what I used to be."
- Coach John Wooden
The image was fake. The "bias" was real. The truth was different.
"Bias is like a weed. It starts out small. But left to its own, it grows deep, spreads wide, and quietly chokes out better thoughts."
— Lee Brower
"We do not see things as they are, we see them as we are."
— Anaïs Nin
(our perspective is often colored by internal bias- unless we pause and we pivot.)
"The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge."
— Stephen Hawking
"Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate."
— Carl Jung
( e.g. biPas™-- pausing to recognize and redirect unconscious bias.)
"What is not named cannot be transformed."
— Dr. Edith Eger, Holocaust survivor and psychologist.
(Supports making 'Standby Moment' an asset, not just an anecdote.)
"Small choices make big ripples."
"What would your future self say about that choice?"
"Just this once" leads to convenience. "No matter what" leads to conviction. Conviction leads to character.
“It’s easier to hold to your principles 100% of the time than it is to hold to them 98%.”
— Clayton Christensen
Mothers are the nurturers of the world.
“Motherhood isn’t just about biology. It’s a calling to nurture, to comfort, to notice someone else’s need and do something about it.”
The Ripple of a "mother-hearted" life doesn’t ask, “Are you mine?” It simply says, “You matter.”
“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.”
– Viktor E. Frankl
“Comparison is the thief of joy.”
– Theodore Roosevelt
"Joy begins where comparison ends."
– Lee Brower
"You can't live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you."
--John Wooden
"Things turn out for the people who make the best of the way things turn out."
--John Wooden
"The meaning of life is to give life meaning."
-- Viktor Frankl
"Respect isn't earned from self-sacrifice. It is learned through self-respect." Genuine respect - both from yourself and others - begins with honoring your own worth first. Respect yourself first; everything else is attracted to that strength.
CHALLENGE: "What is one small choice I can make today -- when no one else is watching -- that strengthens the evidence of my self-respect?"
“The crowds on earth, they soon forget, the heroes of the past, they cheer like mad until you fall. And that’s how long you last.”
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
- Coach John Wooden
The world praises performance. God celebrates presence. The world gives you a spotlight. God invites you to serve in the shadows.
- Lee Brower
Let's stack the moments that really count. So, here’s the challenge this week:
What am I honoring above the chair rail of my life? What small act of character, compassion, or connection could I do today, even if no one else sees it?
Potential is the seed, motion is what makes it grow.
"Just" helps us get into motion. It turns resistance into willingness. It brings you into the "NOW". It is how "Arrows Out" begins: Just notice. Just ask; Just give. What is "just" one thing you can do today that will create ripples of impact?" Just...!
"You don’t become great in spite of failure. You become great through it." ... just ask Larry’s little brother.”
“I can accept failure. Everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying.”
- Michael Jordan
“Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened.”
- Helen Keller
“Trials are an evidence of God’s trust in you. He gives you experiences that stimulate growth, understanding, and compassion, which polish you for your everlasting benefit.”
- Elder Richard G. Scott
"WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT, YOU BRING ABOUT. WHAT YOU BROUGHT ABOUT, YOU THOUGHT ABOUT."
“Acts of kindness create a ripple effect of neurochemical uplift—benefiting the giver, receiver, and even the silent witness.”
RECEIVING kindness can:
- Increase oxytocin, which helps regulate serotonin and dopamine.
- Reduce cortisol (the stress hormone), which helps rebalance neurotransmitters like serotonin. Lead to feelings of social connection, safety, and worth, which are correlated with serotonin boosts and immune function.
GIVING kindness releases:
- Dopamine (pleasure/reward)
- Oxytocin (connection/love hormone)
- Serotonin (well-being, mood)
These positive neurochemicals reduce inflammation and boost immune cell production.
WITNESSING kindness can cause a release of oxytocin, leading to downstream effects on serotonin and immune function.
The observer experiences what's called 'moral elevation'--which includes a sense of warmth and inspiration. This is associated with Heart rate variability improvements, cortisol reductions, and positive neurochemistry shifts (dopamine, serotonin).
"...everybody is a genius, but if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid." Even though he said it - he proved it wrong-- because he didn't believe it.
"Struggles are stop signs -- they are stepping stones."
- Lee Brower
"Our response to struggle determines our future."
This week's Empowering Question: How can I see today's struggles as stepping stones rather than roadblocks?
Too many people live their lives hoping Einstein is in the room when the tough questions come. “The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.”
— Socrates
“Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.”
— John F. Kennedy
“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”
— Mahatma Gandhi
“Once you stop learning, you start dying.”
— Albert Einstein
“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”
— Jim Rohn
“Show me your friends, and I’ll show you your future.”
"We tend to become like those whom we admire."
— Thomas S. Monson
How do you measure your success? By chasing the next achievement?
"If you are paddling only for yourself, don't be surprised when no one else wants to get in your boat."
"You don't see rivers measuring themselves by the size of their banks. They measure themselves by the lives they nourish."
"Your horizon should move as you move. That's how you know you are growing."
“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”
— Winston Churchill
"Every man has a defining point in his character where success or failure begins. It is the moment he makes a firm choice and never looks back."
- William George Jordan.
Don't let your ESSENTIAL be at the mercy of the important. Knowing your 'ESSENTIAL' gives you the power to say "no" to even the very important.
Desires dictate Priorities. Priorities structure our Choices. Choices determine the course of our lives. "The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule but to schedule your priorities."
– Stephen R. Covey
- Step 1: Review your list of desires.
- Step 2: Choose ONE thing from each of these four quadrants. Select the one thing that, when accomplished, will have the greatest effect on your other listed desires:
- Core (Faith, Family, Health, Well-being) – If prioritized, what one desire would strengthen everything else in this area?
- Experience (Learning, Competencies, Alliances) – What experience, learning, or association will create the most significant long-term impact?
- Contribution (Arrows Out, Compassion, Impact on Others) – What act of service or generosity will amplify your influence?
- Financial (Dynamic Value, Nurturing Connections) – What financial priority, when accomplished, will support everything else?
- Step 3: Reflect on these four priorities. When you achieve your top 4 priorities, what is the likelihood that almost everything on your list will also be achieved?
We all have an “Obituary Moment” waiting for us.
A moment when we suddenly see clearly the ripples of our choices. But do we have to wait for an accident, tragedy, or mistake to have it?
What if we created our own Obituary Moment—right now?
The 'What do I Really Want" exercise to expand your authentic desires and creativity. Use paper and a pen - set timer for 10 min.- write without judgment, let it flow... everything you really want.
Look at it through the lenses of:
- Core Assets: Faith, Family, Health, Character
- Experience Assets: Moments, Growth, Learning, Alliances, Competencies
- Contribution Assets: Arrows Out™ (about others), Impact, Compassion, Giving
- Financial Assets: Value Creation, Resources, Stability, Security - Enduring Wealth™ not only the wealth you accumulate - but the wealth you circulate.
Do this exercise several times. Start over each time and see what your mind does. It only takes 10 minutes.
“Clarity isn’t about having all the answers; it’s about knowing what we value and what we’re working toward."
"Clarity of vision drives the courage to make bold choices."
"When we’re clear about our priorities, decisions become simpler. Without clarity, even small choices can feel overwhelming."
"Desires dictate our priorities; priorities shape our choices; choices determine our actions."
- Dallin H. Oaks
Would you agree that everything we do influences future generations?
Many decisions are aspirational: "I want to be in good shape, spend more time with family, or grow my business." But choice happens in the NOW. The simple choice of hitting snooze or staying up late can conflict with our worthy desires or aspirations.
Let's go Upward, Onward, Outward, one choice at a time.
"The enemy of thriving is arriving."
- Lee Brower
"Vision without motion is frustration. Don't let the finish line rob you of the joy in the journey."
"What does how I feel have to do with it? I was focused on what I did and how I could correct it."
- Kobe Bryant
Always make your future bigger than your past
- Dan Sullivan
Knowing what I know now, if I had the opportunity to re-live this moment, what could I do to make it even better?
"Failures and victories alike are tools for shaping us. Let's make 2025 a year where we embrace growth, create ripples of impact, and make our future bigger than our past."
- Lee Brower
"Do you want to be articulate and dangerous or vague and useless?
- Jordan Petersen
The ESSENTIAL tool for Th'rive in '25 is the VOCA Framework or mindset.
Make it a daily practice! VUCA = Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous vs. VOCA = Visionary, Ownership, Creates, Action Articulation is no longer optional -- it is essential! It is the bridge from VUCA to VOCA.
Articulation bridges a leader's intent with their audience's understanding.
The Christmas Day soccer game in No Man's Land. The Spirit of Christmas triumphed over conflict and fear, reminding us that light, hope, and love can unite even the most divided.
"Christmas reminds us to think of one another. We appreciate our families more. We renew contacts with old friends. We rise above the barriers that separate us at other times of the year. Strangers exchange greetings without embarrassment. Kindliness and consideration make a comeback. The spirit of Christmas brings out the best in us."
- Dallin H. Oaks
“Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least.”
– Johann Wolfgang von Goeth
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”
– Winston Churchill
“The past is behind; learn from it. The future is ahead; prepare for it. The present is here; live in it."
– Thomas S. Monson
"Character is the quiet discipline to stay true to the worthwhile commitments we've made long after the initial emotion fades."
- Lee Brower
An inspired purpose gives us the resolve to make decisions once and stick to them.
Challenge: This week, take one commitment you've made and bring it to life with small, consistent choices. Let your character define you, and watch the ripples of your actions inspire others.
"Character doesn't need emotion to thrive; it needs an inspiring purpose. An inspiring purpose will get you through most anything."
- Lee Brower
Have you ever stopped to ask yourself: Does how I spend my time restrict or enlarge my capacity to live, learn, love, and serve in meaningful ways?
Adversity? It’s either just left, it’s here, or it’s coming.
Warren Buffet reminds us that those who make it happen in life focus on three simple habits:
- Go to bed smarter each day.
- Surround yourself with people who inspire and challenge you.
- Invest in yourself—because YOU are your greatest asset.
"When you create a tradition rooted in gratitude, you’re not just celebrating the present—you’re choosing to invest in the future."
- Lee Brower
"By choosing gratitude and making it part of your family’s story, you create ripples of love and connection that will endure for years to come."
- Lee Brower
"What you don't change, you choose."
- Unknown
"Choices determine destiny."
— Lee Brower
"It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."
— J.K. Rowling
"Life is the sum of all your choices. So what are you doing today?"
— Albert Camus
My "I CHOOSE STATEMENT: "I choose to live with purpose, not by chance; to be inspired, not influenced; to serve others, not be served; to create ripples of change, not excuses; to thrive through milestones, not just to compete. I choose self-respect, not self-pity. I choose to honor my true self, guided by enduring principles, not the fleeting opinions of others. I choose to be an Arrows Out™ beacon of Positive Generational Impact."
— Lee Brower
The viral effect of one pilot’s behavior illustrates how a single person’s actions can set the tone for everyone else. This experience reminded me that true leaders stay transparent, express genuine gratitude, and model calm under pressure. In doing so, they create a ripple effect of grace and positivity, even in the most challenging circumstances.
"Leadership is not about being in charge. It is about taking care of those in your charge."
– Simon Sinek
"Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference."
– Winston Churchill
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”
— Martin Luther King Jr.
In the context of agency, this reminds us of the responsibility we carry to act with courage, to speak and do good in the face of challenges, and to show untiring love.
“We are not isolated beings. The power of one choice can ripple outward, touching countless lives.”
— Viktor Frankl
“Your beliefs don’t make you a better person; your behavior does.”
— Lee Brower
“The bee is more honored than other animals, not because she labors, but because she labors for others.”
– St. John Chrysostom
“No creature, not even bees, was made by God as unselfish as a human, yet bees teach us about giving more than we receive.”
- Unknown
“Like bees pollinating flowers, our small acts of kindness can spread life, gratitude, and growth.”
- Lee Brower
“Discipline is choosing between what you want now and what you want most.”
— Abraham Lincoln
“Discipline is the riverbank that channels our focus and energy, allowing us to flow toward Enduring Impact. Without it, distractions flood our path and dilute our purpose.”
— Lee Brower
“We must all suffer one of two things: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret.”
— Jim Rohn
“True freedom is impossible without a mind made free by discipline.”
— Mortimer J. Adler
The next generation is willing to learn and eager to make a positive impact.
What is one thing you can do this week to be more interestED rather than interestING - especially with younger people?
"The future is bright because those who are interested in others, instead of just themselves, are the ones who create the lasting change."
“Being curious is better than being interesting. When you are interested, people feel it—and they’ll remember you for it.”
"What we do repeatedly defines who we are. Small actions, taken consistently, create great impact."
- Lee Brower
Life isn't just about recognition of whether we win or lose in the traditional sense. It's about how much we learn from our experiences that we can use.
If we aren't learning, our experiences are empty.
"Turn your wounds in wisdom."
- Oprah Winfrey
"Always make your learning greater than your experience."
- Dan Sullivan
"Every experience God gives us, every person He puts in our lives, is the perfect preparation for the future that only He can see."
- Corrie ten Boom
We're building the kind of Enduring Wealth™ that strengthens relationships, deepens trust, and makes people feel seen. That’s the kind of wealth that lasts far beyond likes on social media.
"The roots of all goodness lie in the soil of appreciation for goodness."
- Dalai Lama
"We often overlook the immense power of a small Arrows Out™ gesture—a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, or a heartfelt compliment. These simple acts of care and gratitude can potentially transform lives."
Having a vision is not enough!
"Vision without motion is perpetual frustration. The first lift of the anchor may not set you free, but it sets you in motion. And once you’re in motion, the horizon is yours.”
In today's environment, where negative news often dominates, it’s important to remind ourselves that while we can’t always control what happens in the world, we can control how we choose to see it. As a leader, here's a way to inspire yourself and others to take control and "turn the spoon around".
When you feel overwhelmed by negative news, pause and "turn the spoon around." Find one thing, however small, that you can be grateful for or take positive action on. Note how this shift affects your mindset and actions throughout the week.
"The true power of a question lies not in the answer it seeks, but in the connection it creates."
— Lee Brower
"In the right moment, a single question can be more powerful than a thousand answers."
— Lee Brower
"Great questions make great answers."
— Oscar Wilde
"Questions can be like a lever you use to pry open the stuck lid on a paint can."
— Fran Peavey
"...We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven. We have been preserved, these many years, in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth and power, as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace, and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us!
It behooves us then, to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness."
One reason time seems to speed up as we age is that we experience fewer novel events.
Journaling helps create more vivid and accessible memories, making time feel like it's passing more slowly.
By recording daily experiences, thoughts, and events, we:
- Create "memory anchors" that distinguish one day from another
- Become more mindful and attentive to our daily lives
- Reflect on and process our experiences more deeply
Make your days feel fuller, more meaningful, and less rushed?
"Life will always be full of the unexpected. It's how we respond that defines our experience."
ASK:
- How can I shift from reacting to responding in challenging situations?
- What three things can I be grateful for right now, despite my/our challenges?
- In my life, who can I reach out to for support or to offer support?
"We don't have to wait for the rainbow to find joy in the rain."
- Dieter F. Uchtdorf
By cultivating gratitude and consciously choosing our responses, we can find joy and meaning even in life's most unexpected moments.
Let's embrace the journey!
Empowered Wealth Perspective
Entertaining new perspectives is a critical step in personal growth. By embracing new and diverse ways of thinking, we broaden our outlook and uncover innovative solutions to problems. You will see a new horizon, which generates deep appreciation for where you have been, where you are now and where you have the potential of going. This leads to new thoughts, new vision and new motion, as you continue to balance your approach and capture your progress as you go.
- Lee Brower, The Brower Quadrant
*DyVal Video from Feb 22, 2019, for Meaningful Monday
“Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.”
– Eleanor Roosevelt
- We are reposting this MM Video due to our Team’s schedule.
This Meaningful Monday video is a repost from July 2, 2018
“We must suffer from one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. Discipline weighs ounces—regret ways tons."
- Jim Rohn
You are what you say "yes" to. By saying "yes" to the right things, it will be easier to say no to the less important.
- Lee Brower
- We are reposting this MM Video due to our Team’s schedule.
This Meaningful Monday video is a repost from July 5, 2021
Who are you trying to please, and at what cost?
Who are you listening to, and how does that align with your enduring vision and your core principles?
"The difference between successful people and really successful people is that really successful people say no to almost everything."
- Warren Buffett
"It is easy to say no when a bigger yes is burning inside."
- Stephen R. Covey
Three essential keys to leadership in today's world.
- Go BIG (Be IN Gratitude), regardless of your circumstances.
- Challenge the traditional thinking- even if that is the way you have always done it or believed.
- Act and Adjust
The enemy of thriving is arriving.
Welcome to this week's edition of Meaningful Monday with Lee Brower. In this heartfelt episode, Lee reflects on the profound impact of Father's Day, expressing gratitude for his father, his role as a father, and as a grandfather. He shares a touching story about a cherished memory with his late father and emphasizes the vital role fathers and father figures play in the home.
Lee introduces the concept of "Involved Fatherhood," highlighting that fatherhood extends beyond biological ties to include stepfathers, single mothers, mentors, and community leaders. He underscores the importance of stability, wisdom, and integrity that fathers and father figures bring to future generations.
Through a personal anecdote, Lee demonstrates the power of expressing gratitude to those who have positively impacted our lives. He encourages listeners to commit to nurturing stronger families and creating a legacy of enduring principles, compassion, and deep connections. Join Lee in celebrating the essence of fatherhood every day, and let's work together to build a brighter future for the next generation.
Good morning, everybody. Lee Brower here. Welcome to this week's edition of Meaningful Monday. I am so grateful to be here. I am so glad to be here. Let's go big.
In this episode, Lee Brower shares his belief that we can learn from every experience in life, making the world the perfect school. He reflects on a recent event where he spent time with James Dixon, a motivational speaker, and the importance of developing habits of learning. Lee recounts a heartwarming experience with his granddaughters at a Frozen performance, coining the term "clapping frozen moment" to describe those instances of pure joy and excitement.
Lee encourages listeners to identify and cherish their own "clapping moments" in daily life, emphasizing the value of living deliberately and creating meaningful memories. He also shares a powerful quote from a masterclass he attended: "It's not what you leave to them. It's what you leave in them."
Join Lee in this inspiring episode as he challenges you to find and own your moments of joy. Live life deliberately and make every moment an asset.
Welcome to this week's edition of Meaningful Monday with Lee Brower. In this inspiring episode, Lee shares a unique perspective on gratitude through a prayer about biscuits, emphasizing how life's individual components, both good and bad, can come together to create something wonderful.
Lee takes us back to 1898, illustrating how focusing on positivity can lead to innovative solutions, as exemplified by the transition from horse-drawn carriages to automobiles. He challenges us to shift our focus from negative to positive aspects in our daily lives, encouraging us to ask ourselves, "What is one good thing that happened today?"
Join Lee in this empowering journey to amplify the good and make a meaningful impact in our families, workplaces, and communities. Let's start the week with a positive mindset and a commitment to being the answer to someone's prayer. Have a meaningful week!
Good morning, everybody. Lee Brower here. Welcome to this edition of Meaningful Monday. I am grateful to be here. I am glad to be here. Have you ever heard of the Diderot effect? Few of you probably have. I had never heard about it until just reading recently, and I was able to link several things to it. So let's talk about where did the Diderot effect come from? It came from the 17th century from a man, French philosopher by the name of Denis Diderot. And what he did is he put together a book he called his encyclopedia, but had all All of the great philosophers, Voltaire, et cetera, brought together on how to run governments, how to put the, and it became well-known and kind of a guideline for a lot of the governments. And Catherine the Great saw it. She wanted to get it somehow. So happens that Diderot, after his fourth child, needed money. So she came in and bought it from him. She let him be the librarian for the rest of his life, but she was able then to access it and use it in her own governing and her enlightenment period going forward. word.
One of the things that he talked about later that he wrote about, he said, you know, it was really interesting because when I had that money, I thought, well, I need to buy something. So he said, and he went out and bought the most expensive gown that he could buy. They call it a gown back then. We'd wear it, you know, and it was silk. And once he had the gown, he said, well, I need some shoes. Can't wear these scrutty shoes with this. So he bought some nice shoes, but no, not just one pair, several pair. I need different colors to go in and I need other parts of my outfit, my leggings, my everything. So he just one thing bought another. And then he looked around his house. I need couch. How could I walk in like this when we got pretty furniture like this? And so this cascade of consumption, cascade of consumption starts to happen.
Has it happened to you? I think it's happened to all of us in some way. I mean, say you pick up a sport, you're going to golf. What happens is you don't just buy the clubs. Then you got to buy the outfit and then you got to do this outfit because this one is what this, and then you got to get the the right balls. And then this happens and you hear about this and you get a cascade of consumption. Buy a new car, things happen to it. Buy a new furniture, cascaded consumption. And so it's all arrows in because it forces you to think inward, not outward. So, you know, how can we turn that on its head? How can we use that to make ourselves better? How can we turn the arrows out with that?
So I think about things that have cascade of events. And I think about our son, Bo, that I've told you about before, how he went through a drive-through, came back and said, I got up there to pay and the car in front of me was already gone and he paid for my hamburger. I said, what'd you do? Well, I paid for the car behind me. You see, there's a cascade now of gratitude, not a cascade of consumption. I had an experience recently on the plane. It's little tiny things, you know. I mean, it's just little tiny things. Sitting there, and the guy's late getting on the plane, and he's kind of one of these guys. You could tell he's stressed out, and he's charging up the aisle and looks up. There's hardly any room. He crams baggies this way, crams baggies, shoves his bag up in there, sits down, plops down, and off we go. And I prejudiced him. I thought, this guy's kind of a jerk, you know.
And when we landed, guess what? He's the first one up, wrestles this thing down, puts it down on the aisle right where I can't get out of my seat. You've been there before, right? So you can't move. You're trapped in there. Then he takes his briefcase or backpack, and he's trying to slip it on the handles to stack it. They won't go. So he's, uh, uh. So I'm just sitting there, and I reach over like that, and I grab it, and I move things, kind of adjust it, lift it up. Give me a second. And slid it down for him. Didn't think anything of it. So then I'm sitting there and I'm trying, I want to get my jacket on before we get off. And so you're wrestling with your coat to get it on because you're, you know, you're crammed in that spot. So as I'm wrestling with it, all of a sudden I feel a hand come down and somebody tugs it up and pulls it up over my shoulder and pulls it back the other way. And it was this man and he had a smile. So when I got up, you know, I said, well, thank you very much. Thank you. And we get off the plane and he's standing there. He says, you know, I didn't thank you for your help. I just wanted to make sure that I said, thank you. A cascade of gratitude. What a difference. What a difference.
And I think there's so many times in our lives when we have the opportunity to create that cascade. And where other people have created a cascade for us where maybe we didn't even know who they were or they did something for us that we in turn did for somebody else. So here's my challenge for this week. I challenge us. I challenge you. I challenge me to create our own positive Diderot effects through gratitude. A cascade of gratitude. How's that? A cascade of gratitude. Start with one small, meaningful action that's aligned with the mindset, aligned with the arrows out mindset, and watch to see if it doesn't, and even if it doesn't, but just know that it is making an effect on other people's lives. So the empowering question, what small action can I take today that will create a ripple of positive change? Maybe even a cascade of gratitude. Have a meaningful week. Live life deliberately. We'll talk next week.
Welcome to this week's edition of Meaningful Monday. Our discussion this week is centered on the wisdom of two exceptional thinkers, Viktor Frankl and Abraham Maslow. Their profound insights into human motivation can help us navigate even the most formidable challenges.
We talk about Frankl's experience during World War II, which was documented in his book "Man's Search for Meaning". Despite facing unimaginable suffering and hardship in a prison camp during the Holocaust, he managed to find meaning in small acts of kindness and maintained the will to live by looking forward to uniting with his wife and sharing his insights with the world.
We also delve into Maslow's famous hierarchy of needs, which underwent a revision after he was influenced by Frankl’s lived experiences. He added 'self-transcendence' at the top of his model to reflect that true satisfaction comes not just from fulfilling basic needs but also from surpassing oneself and finding a higher purpose.
This week's challenge is to identify a higher purpose in your daily activities. It's about posing vital questions to oneself – not just about survival needs but about what you are living for and how you can contribute positively to the lives of others.
Our empowering question this week: 'How can I use my current circumstances to find deeper meaning and positively impact those around me?' So let's go forth inspired by the enduring wisdom of Frankl and Maslow to find strength and fulfillment in a higher purpose. Remember, life isn't just about surviving, it's about thriving by living for something greater than ourselves.
Welcome to another edition of Meaningful Monday with me, Lee Brower. In this episode, I reflect on the significance of Mother's Day, an auspicious celebration of our mothers that goes back to 1908. To honor the occasion, I reminisce about my mother, a woman who played a pivotal role in shaping my life and lifting my spirits.
I remember my mother as a weightlifter, not in the literal sense but metaphorically. She carried the weight of my world on her shoulders, always encouraging, supporting, and elevating me. Throughout this episode, I share two stories from different periods of my life that reflect the positive influence my mother had on me.
The first story dates back to the time when she coaxed me into climbing a tree by holding my hand, showing me the way, and lifting me up. The second story is about our last moment together, where even though she was weak, she managed to extend her strength to me. The hand she held out to me symbolizes how she kept lifting me and continues to do so.
In honor of Mother's Day, I urge you all to reflect on the valuable lessons you've received from your mothers. How can you utilize those teachings to ascend the tree of life? Which piece of advice has given you the strength to accomplish new heights? Let's use this moment to cherish and learn.
Join me next week for another insightful session. Until then, take care and have a great week ahead!
Welcome to a brand new episode of Meaningful Monday with Lee Brower. This week, we're delving into our ability to adapt, improve, and most importantly, change. Join Lee as he narrates the exceptional story of 'Big Al,' a man who spent his latter days futilely fishing in a swimming pool. This anecdote serves as a metaphor and a poignant reminder - are we fishing in our swimming pools? Are we investing time and energy in habits, activities, and goals that are no longer meaningful or feasible?
In this episode, Lee underlines the idea that the 'producer of old age is habit.' While good practices indeed strengthen us, mindless repetition of routines, born from carelessness and finally settling into cowardice or inertia, can dangerously narrow our world. The empowering question posed is - Am I fishing in a swimming pool? What habits or routines can you eliminate or refine to break free from the mundanity of everyday life?
Join Lee in exploring how stepping out of our comfort zones fosters growth, vitality, and impactful change. This week's challenge encourages listeners to identify and modify a routine or habit to reignite their innovative thinking and avoid becoming victims of inertia or the ‘producers of old age.’ So, step up, dare to be different, leave that comfort zone, and start leading a truly meaningful existence. Let's embrace the extraordinary in our everyday lives and make this week a truly meaningful one.
Join us next week for another insightful episode of Meaningful Monday. Until then, break those routine chains, widen your perspective, and remember, never go fishing in swimming pools.
Welcome to this week's edition of Meaningful Monday. I am your host, Lee Brower, and today’s conversation is about the importance of gratitude and focus and how they play essential roles in making our future more meaningful based on the lessons from our past. In this episode, I question what makes a moment worthy of remembering and how we can make this week meaningful.
I present a thought-provoking query to you: Can you pinpoint a moment in the last week that is worth cherishing? Let's explore this by starting with a clean slate and allowing our gratitude to naturally cascade from there. I share my own experiences, from a helpful cashier to a motivated foundation co-founders I've crossed paths with.
This talk also reflects on the concept of going big – to begin in gratitude. We explore this by thinking of precise moments that are worthy of remembering rather than taking a broad look at the things we have to be thankful for. Also, I share a personal story of my collaborative work in building The Rivers, contrasting a river mindset with a reservoir mindset, and how my late son Nick once used the metaphor of a river to describe challenges in life.
In conclusion, we end the talk with an empowering question we each need to ask ourselves every day for the coming week: "What one distraction can I eliminate from my life so I can stay focused on where I am going?" It involves taking stock of our lives and mindfully minimizing distractions to achieve a focused, purposeful life. Join us next week as we continue to explore these profound thoughts that make life more meaningful. Have a meaningful week.
Welcome to another edition of Meaningful Monday! In this episode, our host Lee Brower shares insightful content on the transformative power of lifelong learning. He discusses how continuous quest for knowledge not only keeps us intellectually stimulated, but also fuels a vibrant, meaningful life.
Lee brings into focus four vital elements that are crucial for a balanced life; energy, balance, focus, and confidence. He emphasizes that from the time we are born, we are innate learners, but as we age, we often sideline our inherent thirst for new knowledge. He probes into the possible consequences of stopping to learn and advocates for the continuous pursuit of knowledge as a path towards a richer life.
The first key element, energy, is discussed as the driver for action and a direct outcome of clarity. Lee emphasizes that clarity is transformative and a vital contributor to the energy that feeds us. Balance, the second element, is likened to harmonic motion, seen as a requirement in life that facilitates growth and propels us forward. Focus, the third key, necessitates commitment to unique abilities and concentration, to yield efficiency and lasting impact. Finally, confidence is presented as a natural result of clarity, balance, and focus. It attracts greater opportunities and relationships into our lives.
The episode contains actionable insights and thought-provoking questions to ponder, such as - ‘Are there areas in my life that I feel off-balance’, ‘Am I allowing distractions to dilute my energy’ and ‘Which of my choices will make my future self thank me’. Host Lee concludes by challenging his listeners to energize their lives with more clarity, to assess their balance, sharpen their focus, and see how these elements can further bolster their confidence.
Celebrate another week of a meaningful journey to lifelong learning filled with energy, balance, focus, and confidence. Get ready to make this week a great stepping-stone towards a happy, fruitful and meaningful life.
In this week's edition of Meaningful Monday, Lee Brower talks about the powerful effect of kind words and actions, and the joy of inclusion. He recounts the inspiring story of a young boy named Jim Abbott who, despite having only one arm, was determined to play baseball as well as anyone with two. Abbott's influencer was his third-grade teacher who was instrumental in boosting his confidence and teaching him the practicalities of life, such as tying a shoe with one hand.
Brower shares his personal experience visiting a trampoline park with his daughter Natalie and her two daughters, one of whom, Sloan, has Spina bifida. Amidst the hustle and bustle of the park, Brower observed a simple yet profoundly heart-warming moment of kindness - an interaction between Sloan and a four-year-old named Nora.
Despite the seeming indifference of others, the perceptive Nora offers kindness and companionship to Sloan, proving that small acts of kindness indeed create waves of goodwill. Brower marvels at the wisdom and compassion of a child that made the handicapped Sloan feel included and loved.
Brower concludes with an empowering question: "Who can we see that normally is invisible to us that we may be able to extend a hand to, a smile to, but make a difference in their lives?" He encourages us to acknowledge the struggles of others and to perform acts of kindness without expecting anything in return. According to him, these "Nora moments" can have far-reaching effects, potentially impacting generations.
Acknowledging and learning from such acts of kindness, Brower encourages us to live more compassionately and inclusively, suggesting that we too can become catalysts for change and goodwill. He signs off, bidding us to have a meaningful week, and promising more inspiration in the next episode.
Welcome to this edition of Meaningful Monday with Lee Brower, a widely known sports enthusiast who celebrates the inspiring story of Jim Abbott. Jim Abbott, a major league baseball player for the California Angels, has never let his one-armed condition deter him from achieving his dreams.
Constantly challenged by his disability, Jim faced difficulty in even tying his shoelaces. It was at this juncture that his third-grade teacher, Mr. Clarkson, stepped in. Mr. Clarkson showed him not sympathy but a solution, teaching him how to tie his shoelaces with one hand. This single act of kindness and thoughtfulness brought about a significant change in Jim's life, leading him to break barriers, achieve the deemed impossible, and make it to play in the esteemed Yankee Stadium while demonstrating an unyielding spirit of determination.
What's heartening is that Jim treasures not his staggering accomplishments but the memory of Mr. Clarkson - the teacher who cared enough to make a difference. Today, Jim passes on this kindness by teaching kids that every challenge can indeed be met with a solution.
The crux of the story emphasizes the need for more acts of kindness, no matter how small they may seem. These are the arrows we put out into the world, without even knowing where they might land or how many lives they might touch and transform along the way. So, let's make a difference today, just like Mr. Clarkson did, and let's inspire someone to overcome their challenges and hit their own no-hitter in life. Go out there and keep those kindness ripples moving!
Stay tuned for the next episode of Meaningful Monday. Thank you for joining us!
Hello everyone, and welcome to this week's Meaningful Monday with me, Lee Brower. I'm thrilled, as always, to join you at this most wonderful time of the year. It's the perfect time to reflect on the power of gratitude. Its transformative effects permeate our daily lives, often in ways we don't fully appreciate. Whether it's the spirit of renewal from Easter celebrations or the reflections of freedom symbolized by Passover, these occasions are powerful reminders to appreciate and share our gratitude.
Gratitude is often underestimated. A simple 'thank you' has far-reaching effects. The problem lies in our tendency to limit the expression of this powerful emotion, especially in our workplaces despite its potential to nourish our personal and professional relationships, much like a river irrigating our fields. Gratitude fuels productivity, personal growth, and enriches our communities.
A study once showed that by simply expressing gratitude, a group's productivity increased by 50%. This goes to show that gratitude is more than just a courteous gesture - it's a catalyst for growth and self-improvement. Authentic gratitude enhances our virtues such as patience, honesty, self-control, determination, kindness, and compassion.
Leadership and gratitude hold a deep relationship. At the core of authentic gratitude is humility. Effective leadership is contingent upon the ability to express sincere gratitude. Through celebrations like Easter and Passover, we are reminded to appreciate and recognize the strengths of others. It's less about ourselves and more about the collective - less 'me' and more 'we'.
So, I challenge us all to start each day by asking ourselves empowering questions like 'Who can I express gratitude to today?' or 'How can I express gratitude in a unique way today?' Let's create a transformative wave of gratitude and positive change. It's not just about the small ripples we create but the potential of creating a tidal wave of change.
Start your week with the power of gratitude. It is, after all, the willpower of the heart. Let's carry this forward and make a difference in our everyday lives. Join me again next week for another Meaningful Monday. Until then, have a gratifying and transformative week!
In this week's installment of Meaningful Monday, Lee Brower explores the difference between being a garbage truck, filled with anger and frustration, versus being a gratitude truck, driving around filled with light and seeds of growth. Brower challenges the listeners to dissect the instinctive reactions they have when confronted with negativity, and urges to strengthen a personal growth-centered perspective, rather than picking up the garbage — disappointments and frustrations — scattered by others. He underscores the omnipresence of 'garbage trucks' in our society, including social media and news agencies, that incessantly spout any forms of negativity.
Brower then shifts the focus onto the idea of being gratitude trucks or garden trucks, laden with seeds, sunlight metaphorically speaking, that are vehicles of enhancing positivity and nurturing growth. Through this discussion, he asserts that gratitude and negativity cannot coexist, emphasizing the power of a single spark of light to pierce the engulfing darkness.
Further, Brower shares some illuminating insights imparted by the legendary Coach John Wooden on pursuing growth. To shed light on these ideas, he cites three principles — focusing on self-improvement, learning from others, and continually striving to be the best version of oneself. He cautions against getting embroiled in what's not within one's control, while accentuating the elements one could nurture and develop.
Seeing life through the lens of gratitude is not only beneficial for ourselves but also has a ripple effect on those around us. Brower challenges his listeners to be gratitude trucks, spreading light and positivity, and not succumbing to the garbage — the negativity and pressures surrounding us.
In this week's episode of Meaningful Monday, we delve into the fascinating world of our brain. Presenter Lee Brower shares mind-blowing facts about this vital organ, such as its weight representing about 2% of your body weight and it using 20% of your total energy and oxygen intake. With 400 miles of blood vessels and 86 billion cells, the brain is an intricate system that stores one apostrophe followed by six and a half miles long of zeros of data bits in a lifetime. While the average person has 50,000 thoughts a day, 95% of our decisions are made in our subconscious brain.
The second brain, the intestines, functions with 100,000 neurons and produces 30 essential neurotransmitters, even producing serotonin, the happy molecule. Nothing ever gets erased from your brain - everything stored in your subconscious lasts a lifetime, even if we can't voluntarily access it.
But how can we best use our subconscious mind? Brower compares it to a flower pot, something that does not decide on what seeds (thoughts) to nourish or hinder. Our conscious mind, however, does have somewhat of a control over what we allow into our subconscious mind. The interesting part? Our subconscious mind can't ignore a question.
This leads us to reconsider how we plant our ‘seeds.’ Turning statements into questions may yield better outcomes. For instance, instead of saying "I need to strengthen the relationship with so-and-so," ask "How can I strengthen the relationship with so-and-so today?"
Brower emphasizes the importance of consciously guarding what we plant in our subconscious. The movies we watch, the language we use, the people we associate with - these all play a crucial part in molding our subconscious, and ultimately, 95% of what we do, say, and think. He encourages us to become the 'gardeners of our minds,' nurturing our conscious thinking and subconscious influences.
The challenge for this week is to consciously think about what we allow to inhabit our subconscious mind. How can we nurture it and make it stronger? Can we be better decision and choice-makers by carefully selecting the seeds we allow in? Brower is keen to hear your thoughts and challenges you to have a meaningful week focusing on the seeds planted in your subconscious mind.
Welcome to this week's episode of Meaningful Monday Message. In today's discussion, I delve into a universal concept that transcends various boundaries - the significant role of preparation. This episode is majorly inspired by the wisdom of the esteemed Coach John Wooden, a man I had the privilege to learn from during the last years of his life. His definition of success revolves around self-assurance and knowing you have done your best to bring out the best version of yourself.
The journey to becoming the best isn't an instant achievement. It is a sum of our continuous past efforts, the work we did yesterday, and the build-up to the present moment. Our past endeavors inform and build our confidence. The essence of this journey isn't just about reaching a destination but also fostering growth and character.
Coach John Wooden never prioritized the victory; instead, he emphasized the journey towards it. According to him, genuine success lies in the peace of mind you gain from being optimally prepared. This ethos of preparation became the underlying theme of a key philosophy Coach Wooden put forth in 1997 - his eight keys for success.
These keys centered around advancing various life aspects like respect, attention to detail, hustle, character, composure, diligence, self-analysis, and hard work. Embracing this preparation mindset implies committing to your journey, not just the destination. It redefines the narrative around the phrase ‘doing your best’, which isn't about the result, but lies in the good position you put yourself in when you show up.
So as we delve further into these principles in the subsequent episodes, remember that good preparation is instrumental in positioning yourself for success. It isn't about accolades or scores, but the satisfaction and self-assurance of knowing you’ve made your best efforts to reach your potential. Remember, preparation is the key to unlocking your best self. Here's to a meaningful week, and see you in the next episode.
Welcome to another edition of Meaningful Monday with your host, Lee Brower. In this refreshing episode, Lee discusses the profound concept of a spontaneous legacy, emphasizing that a legacy is not something we leave behind, but rather something we live every day.
This episode begins with a compelling story about Mr. Big, a high-paced businessman, illustrating the domino effect of negativity and the sometimes unseen impact our actions may have on others. Lee uses this narrative to press the importance of the ripple effects we create daily, both negative and positive.
Focusing on the transformative power of positive actions, Lee shares personal experiences about "paying it forward." From surprising people by paying for their meals anonymously to small acts such as placing a quarter in someone else's parking meter, Lee encourages us to create a spontaneous legacy by appreciating what we have and sharing it with others. He emphasizes these relatively small actions, when done without expectation or need for acknowledgment, can trigger a chain of positivity and appreciation.
With this concept of a spontaneous legacy, Lee urges us to create a ripple effect of positivity and kindness that can change thought patterns and inspire others to pass along the joy. He concludes the episode with an inspiring call to action: to live deliberately, meaningfully, and create spontaneous legacies that will continue to live on. Join Lee Brower next Monday for more insights on how to live a meaningful life!
In this week's edition of Meaningful Monday, host Lee Brower shares a moment from his childhood where the word 'stop' played a significant role in his life. He shares an incident when he, a curious explorer, strayed too close to a busy highway and the frantic moment his mother experienced realizing he had ventured into a dangerous area. A 'stop' lesson was learned that day, but its value extended into his later life.
Life, as it mimics the busy highways, often goes by in a rush. Brower encourages us to stop and appreciate the moments, for it is in those pauses that we can truly be present. By pausing, we give ourselves a chance to 'stop' and savor the experience of 'here and now'.
The word 'look' goes beyond mere seeing - it implies observing the wonders around us, the comfort of our homes, the smiles of our loved ones, and the miracles that subtly mark our everyday lives.
'Go' is not just about moving forward but doing so full of gratitude. It embarks upon the appreciation of the moments in our lives which are priceless gifts offered to us each day. Brower emphasizes the importance of gratitude, viewing it as a secret ingredient which transforms everyday moments into meaningful memories, connections into bonds, and life itself into a joy-filled masterpiece.
Brower inspires us to stop amidst life's chaos, look around with eyes brimming with gratitude, and equip ourselves with a renewed purpose of joy. Let gratitude be a constant reminder in our pockets of the endless gifts that life has to offer. Embrace every moment with gratitude; for life has presented them to us as beautiful opportunities.
Join us next week for another episode of Meaningful Monday, filled with lessons, reflections, and reminders to make your week even more special.
Welcome to a new edition of Meaningful Monday's with Lee Brower. In this episode, we delve into some insightful content aimed at sparking reflections about our life and the unique journey we each embark on. Lee shares some thought-provoking questions brought forward by Earl Nightingale in his book "Your Success Starts Here". These enquiries challenge us to reflect on whether we're content with our lives as they are, or if we secretly wish to walk in another's shoes.
Lee recounts a touching and impactful story involving his son, Nick, during his battle with cancer, which ties into a poignant quote by Regina Brett. The experience and Brett's quote combine to probe the human tendency to compare our circumstances with those of others. The underlying message is about developing a deeper appreciation for our own unique path in life and finding a sense of contentment and gratitude amidst our struggles.
Lee sets a challenge for listeners to ponder about their burdens and to find within themselves the strength to say, "I would take mine back," in relation to their problems, signifying acceptance and gratitude. Can we live life with constant gratitude regardless of our situation? Hard as it may sound, Lee believes it might indeed prove to be a force that propels faster growth and greater influence on others.
To aid in this journey, Lee shares a personal tradition of starting each day with a moment of gratitude and inspires listeners to do the same. Embrace the challenge. Live life deliberately. Get ready for a meaningful week as you tune into this week's episode of Meaningful Monday.
Welcome to this week's episode of Meaningful Monday with Lee Brower where we discuss the idea of how stepping out of our comfort zones can lead to great personal growth. This episode challenges the traditional idea we hold about pain and discomfort - far from being solely negative experiences, they can be powerful catalysts for our personal, relational, and societal development.
In our fitness journeys or while competing in sports, we often encounter pain and discomfort along the way. However, we push through it due to the vision of the gain we hope to achieve. We use examples of enduring the pain of going to the dentist or running a marathon to illustrate this idea. Through these examples, we invite listeners to view moments of discomfort as opportunities for growth rather than signals to retreat.
We share an inspiring story about a man who overcame his physical exhaustion to keep pace with an older hiker, motivated by his strong vision of the future. This is a perfect example of how our perspective on pain can transform our experiences and outcomes. The episode urges us to choose our pain wisely because if the vision is strong enough, it can trigger a mindset shift that can bear rewarding fruits in the long run.
Finally, the episode ends with a meaningful question for our listeners - "What discomfort are you willing to endure today for a better tomorrow?" This question invites our listeners to reflect on their current situations and consider where they might avoid discomfort that could lead to personal growth. Embark on this journey with us as we use our shared experiences and wisdom to make our weeks more meaningful.
Enjoy this week's edition of Meaningful Monday with Lee Brower, and do not forget to tune in for our next episode. Wish you all an impactful and meaningful week!
Join Lee Brower in this week's Meaningful Monday as he shares incredibly valuable insights he gained from a one-on-one interaction with world-renowned billionaire investor, Warren Buffett. Brower reflects on an inspiring lifetime experience where he had the opportunity to sit with Buffett and ferret out the secrets behind his enormous success.
In a fascinating conversation with the Oracle of Omaha, Brower learned about Buffett's unique ability to see opportunities where none apparently exist and his strategy of strongly saying 'no' to anything that doesn't align with his main objectives. Here he discusses how Buffett's secrets are less about financial acumen and more about possessing the right mindset.
Brower shares that Buffett attributes much of his success to building and cherishing his cheerleaders; the leaders within his 62 companies. Brower further reflects on an incidental expression of profound gratitude from Buffett who claimed that one of the reasons behind his astounding success is being born in America.
The discussion takes a deeper dive as Brower shares three practical lessons extracted from the life of Warren Buffett: going to bed smarter every day, associating with people who are better, and investing in oneself. Brower masterfully elaborates on these three tenets, explaining how they can lead a more meaningful life, full of learning, growth, and continuous improvement.
Brower ends the episode with an motivating challenge for listeners: to make the upcoming week a time of intense learning and growth. He encourages the audience to live deliberately and to make life more than just meaningful - to make it truly exceptional. Join us in unleashing your potential and becoming the best version of yourself.
"I don't look to jump over seven-foot bars; I look around for one-foot bars that I can step over."
- Warren Buffett
"You've gotta keep control of your time, and you can't unless you say no. You can't let people set your agenda in life."
- Warren Buffett
"The most important investment you can make is in yourself."
- Warren Buffett
In this episode of Meaningful Monday, Lee Brower dives deep into the concept of reflecting upon our past and the experiences that have shaped and defined us. The first essential question he opens with is "Who owns your past?", indicating that oftentimes we consider our pasts as an inherent part of our individual identities. However, the more weighted question he brings up is whether we approach our past as an asset or a liability. The key lies in how we utilize our past experiences and reframing it can transform our past into an impactful asset.
Lee shares an inspiring story about Larry, a hardworking friend who grew from poverty to prosperity. Despite his family's previous financial instability, Larry worked relentlessly to support them, which eventually led to him owning a successful chain of retail stores. Yet, Larry's children were unaware of their father's journey and struggles, thus, they only perceived him as being a workaholic. Upon Lee’s advice, Larry shares his life journey with his children, turning the “under the porch” experience into a valuable narrative, a bridge of understanding between him and his children. This story sheds light on how the past can be transformed into an asset when it is shared and becomes a component of the legacy we leave behind.
Therefore, the podcast concludes with a thought-provoking challenge: Is it more valuable to leave a monetary estate or the capability to make wise decisions based on lived experiences? The Cardinal message is the potency of capturing and capitalizing life experiences and employing them to positively impact the future generations by sharing profound life lessons. This is how one turns the past experiences into an invaluable asset.
"Our potential is one thing. What we do with it is quite another."
- Angela Duckworth
"Every choice we make today is either a deposit or withdrawal from our future."
- Lee Brower
"Grit is sticking with your future, day in, day out, not just for the week, not just for the month, but for years, and working really hard to make that future a reality."
- Angela Duckworth
What two words are way more important than "I love you"?
"The gift of gratitude does not diminish our own happiness; it amplifies it." The more we give it away, the more we possess.
"Thank you" conveys a level of humility and appreciation that is foundational to strong, enduring relationships. It implies a recognition of the other's contribution to one's life, whether big or small. This can be particularly powerful in the context of enduring wealth, where the focus is not just on material success but on the richness of relationships and gratitude for the non-material aspects of life.
While "I love you" is a powerful expression of emotion, "Thank you" can sometimes speak even louder, carrying with it the weight of gratitude, recognition, and an acknowledgment of the value of others in our lives.
Yes, we are passing the torch, after 16 consecutive annual WACKY charitable softball tournaments filled with love and hope. Over those years thousands of young softball girls have played in the tournament, and each team is assigned a cancer Cutie (a young boy or girl living with cancer- which may include those that become angels). These girls love on those Cuties... they play their hearts out and often stay in touch year-round.
A quote was shared at a banquet we held before the tournament and so many have asked for a copy. We share that quote with you:
"This is what passes for hope: Those we have lost invoke in us feelings of love that we didn't know we were capable of. These permanent changes are their legacies, their gifts to us. It is our task to transfer that love to those who still need us. In this way, we remain faithful to their memories."
- Gordon Livingston, MD Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart
The average adult makes 35,000 choices a day.
Socrates said, "An unexamined life is not worth living."
What are the 5 keys to better choice-making? Can you "kidify" those keys to help your "kids" become better choice-makers?
- "Decide" where you are going. Reduce your options. Will this choice move me closer or farther away from my decision?
- Make "Gratitude" your companion. A grateful heart brings clarity, filtering distractions and magnifying purpose.
- Adust- reflect and review. Regularly review your choices. Are they in line with your decisions and aspirations? Adjust if necessary.
- Seek Wisdom- From God, family, friends, and mentors. Gathering perspectives can help guide your choices.
- Action over Perfection. Perfection is elusive. Prioritize action. Remember, it's the flow of choices that moves us forward. Be the River, not the pond.
Having unwavering confidence in your future will drastically change your reaction to present challenges. - Lee Brower
"Gratitude is a profound appreciation for the present moment." - Lee Brower
"To travel hopefully is better than to arrive." - Robert Louis Stevenson
"Embrace your challenges with the grace of someone who knows the ending." - Lee Brower
"The simplest acts of kindness are by far more powerful than a thousand heads bowing in prayer." - Mahatma Gandhi
"To give and not expect return, that is what lies at the heart of love." - Oscar Wilde
"Faith does not fall upon us by chance or stay with us by birthright. It is, as the scriptures say, 'substance, the evidence of things not seen.' Faith emits a spiritual light, and that light is discernible." - Boyd K. Packer
"The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision." - Helen Keller
"Time is more than money. You can get more money, but you can't get more time." - Jim Rohn
"Time is the most valuable thing a man can spend." - Theophrastus
“Life offers you two precious gifts. One is time; the other is freedom of choice—the freedom to buy with your time what you will." - Richard L. Evans
"Gratification is the fleeting thrill of receiving, while gratitude is the enduring warmth of appreciating." - Lee Brower
"Gratitude allows us to connect deeply with our past, appreciate our present, and cultivate a positive outlook for the future." - Lee Brower
Just because it's true doesn't mean it is the truth.
Even with its amazing capabilities, walking with technology should never be confused with walking with truth.
B.A.T. + U:
- Beware of biases.
- Apply critical thinking.
- Trustworthy sources.
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- Update.
"I feel more like I do now than I ever have!"
Our Treasured Mentor (PAST): Every experience, every encounter, every success, and every setback is wisdom that can inform the present moment.
Our Beacon of Inspiration (FUTURE): Each vision we harbor, each dream we nurture, shapes our responses/choices today.
Our Empowering Moment (NOW): Gratitude elevates our past and the moment;
Choice empowers us to craft our path, Action is the bridge that turns yesterday's lessons and tomorrow's dreams into today's realities.
"Do not wait until the conditions are perfect to begin. Beginning makes the conditions perfect." - Alan Cohen.
"There is no tomorrow to remember if we don't do something today, and to live most fully today, we must do what is of greatest importance." - Thomas S. Monson.
"Action is the foundational key to all success." - Pablo Picasso.
"Try not to become a man or woman of success, but rather a man or woman of value." - Albert Einstein
Reservoirs stagnate. Rivers F.L.O.W... Forever Learning, Optimizing Wisdom!!!
Be The RIVER!!
Challenge: Go see Sound of Freedom before it is gone!!
"Have we now forgotten that powerful friend? Or do we imagine that we no longer need His assistance?... I also believe that without His concurring aid, we shall succeed in this political building no better than the Builders of Babel: We shall be divided by our little partial local interests, or projects will be confounded, and we ourselves shall become a reproach, and a bye word down to future age." - Ben Franklin, June 28, 1787
Why typical self-talk does not help you. Listen to the end to change the way you talk to yourself forever.
"Encourage yourself in the second person, for your mind receives advice better from a trusted companion than from the self."
"No success in the world can compensate for failure in the home." - David O. McKay
"You haven't failed until you have stopped loving them." - N. Eldon Tanner
"Success is peace of mind, which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to do your best to become the best you are capable of becoming." - Coach John Wooden
"Authentic leaders love, teach, protect, and empower at home AND within the communities they serve." - Lee M Brower
"You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today." - Abraham Lincoln
"While we try to teach our children all about life, our children teach us what life is all about."
- Capture the experience.
- What is the lesson?
- Name the experience. That puts a handle on it so you can share it.
- Use the lesson. Share the experience so others can use it.
At its core- leadership is expressed through observable behaviors that create ripples that others can carry forward over time.
Leadership is like love... it doesn't just happen with a title or with one event. It is a series of acts of service that become one's character.
Commit yourself to the daily practice of an act of service.
"Learn from the past, prepare for the future, live in the present."
- Thomas S. Monson
"The best way to predict your future is to create it."
- Abraham Lincoln
"Your future is created by what you do today, not tomorrow."
What choices will I make today that my future will say, "Thank you!"
"Excellence is not a skill. It is an attitude."
- Ralph Marsden
"The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor."
- Vince Lombardi
"If you want to be successful, you must be willing to do the things others won't do."
- Michael Phelps
"Let your efforts to become your best self be your defining moments—not your mediocre ones."
- Russell M. Nelson
Success is the peace of mind that comes from the self-assurance of knowing you are doing the very best you can do to become the very best you are capable of becoming.
- John Wooden
Do you know what the greatest attractant is?
"A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way."
- John C. Maxwell
"Confidence is contagious. So is lack of confidence."
- Vince Lombardi
"Confidence is the companion to success."
- Gordon B. Hinckley
"Self-confidence comes from living a life consistent with our values and principles."
- James E. Faust
"True success is not measured by our wealth, power, or popularity, but by the way we use our talents and abilities to serve others."
- Russel M. Nelson
"Harnessing the Power of Focus to Triumph in Life and Business."
“Never listen to other people’s expectations. You should live your life and live up to your own expectation.”
– Tiger Woods
“The greatest thing about tomorrow is I will be better than I am today.”
– Tiger Woods
“All that really matters is I have two beautiful kids, and I’m trying to be the best dad I can possibly be, and that’s the most important thing of all.”
– Tiger Woods
Want to eliminate Wobble in your life? Nimblicity has Gratitude as the keystone. Clarity is the first pillar, and Harmonic Balance is the 2nd Pillar.
"The purpose of human life is to serve, and to show compassion and the will to help others."
- Albert Schweitzer
"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others."
- Mahatma Gandhi
"As we lose ourselves in the service of others, we discover our own lives and our own happiness."
- Dieter F. Uchtdorf
"If one doesn't know to which port one is sailing, no wind is favorable."
- Seneca
"Great leaders are those who are able to communicate their vision in a way that inspires others to act."
- Simon Sinek
Clarity of Vision gives you the freedom to "choose" where you spend your T.E.A.R.'s.
What are the Four Pillars on the path to NIMBLICITY™ and SUSTAINABLE PROSPERITY™?
What is the Keystone characteristic that can cultivate a positive and resilient mindset that can enhance our personal and professional lives in many ways?
This week's energy boost Challenge: Begin each day by asking, "Who can I see today that is normally invisible to me and express gratitude for the service they provide?"
"There are no haves and have-nots. We are all haves, and our assets are diverse. In the alchemy of collaboration, we become equal partners; we create wholeness and sufficiency for everyone."
We must be the student and the teacher.
What makes time valuable? What is an energy designer?
Discover the formula that is guaranteed to make you even more efficient and experience more meaningfulness.
"Time is a scarce resource. Energy is a renewable resource. Focus on building your energy."- Robin S. Sharma
"Give someone clarity, and you give them energy. The outcome of clarity is always energy."- Lee Brower
Seven Rules of Life.
This week is about #1: Being Grateful IN is to live life as if everything is a miracle.
Would you have more control over the outcomes of each day? Would you develop stronger connections? Would obstacles become opportunities for growth and learning? What role could prayer/meditation play? Why do I carry a rock in my pocket every day?
When I grab my rock in the morning, it brings me to my knees and then lifts me up for the day. Taking time each morning to express gratitude through prayer and/or meditation, like a rock, is a powerful tool for cultivating stability, durability, and strength in our lives.
6 Quotes from Warren Buffet revealing basic principles for financial stability:
- On Earnings: "Never depend on a single income; Make investments to create a second source."
- On Spending: “If you buy things you do not need, soon you have to sell things you need.”
- On Savings: “Do not save what is left after spending - but spend what is left after saving.”
- On Taking Risk: “Never test the depth of a river with both feet.”
- On Investments: “Do not put all eggs in one basket.”
- On Expectations: “Honesty is a very expensive gift. Do not expect it from cheap people.”
"In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock."- Thomas Jefferson
"It is our behavior, more than our beliefs, that defines our character."- Russell M Nelson
"Nearly all men can withstand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character - give him power."- Abraham Lincoln
Join me in my story of a humbling moment and a life lesson. Imagine you are interviewing the great Coach John Wooden.
By framing a situation as a choice rather than a constraint, a person is taking control of the situation and expressing their agency and determination.
By changing your language, you (your child, and colleagues) can learn to view obstacles as opportunities for growth, rather than insurmountable barriers.
Examples:
- A former couch potato who transformed into a marathon runner. He used to say "I can't run a mile without getting winded," but changed their mindset to "I won't let being out of shape hold me back."
- A person who overcame a fear of public speaking. He used to say, "I can't speak in front of a crowd," but changed their mindset to "I won't let my fear control me."
- A person who quit smoking. They used to say, "I can't quit smoking," but changed their mindset to "I won't let nicotine control my life."
- An individual who changed careers from a dead-end job to their dream job. They used to say, "I can't change careers because I have bills to pay," but changed their mindset to "I won't let financial instability hold me back from pursuing my passion."
- A student who replaced "I can't pass this exam" with "I won't give up on studying until I understand the material" and was able to overcome their academic difficulties and achieve their goal.
The words we use can shape our thoughts, so choose them wisely.
"Live doesn't get better by chance... it gets better by choice."- Jim Rohn
Gratitude should never lead to complacency. It should be a spark to action.
"You do not find the happy life . . . you make it.”- Thomas S. Monson
"The joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our lives.”- Russell M. Nelson
"Happiness begins where selfishness ends."- Coach John Wooden
"Gratefulness arises when we experience something that is valuable and freely given."- Brother David Stendl-Rast
ARE YOU GOING TO LIVE TODAY?
What are your rocks? The things you can count on. Those things that are constant, consistent, and always reliable!
Rocks don't float! You choose if you are going to "live" today by where you Devote your TEARs Devote: "...to give all of something, especially your time, effort, or love, or yourself, to something or someone you believe in.
THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE: use your gratitude rock or find a similar reminder to ask yourself, "Are you going to LIVE today?" Then... go live!
Let your hopes, not your hurts shape your future.
“'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'”– Jeremiah 29:11
“We have always held to the hope, the belief, the conviction that there is a better life, a better world, beyond the horizon.”– Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Watch this Video, Or Search YouTube: Dave Ramsey: You only need to know these 5 rules. "If you sow corn, don't expect beans to grow." It just might change your life. It could change your family tree.
TransforMOTION... TIME HAS NO QUALITY!
Success is peace of mind that is a direct result of the self-satisfaction that comes in knowing you are doing your best to become the best you are capable of becoming."- Coach John Wooden
M.O.T.I.O.N. = Moments, Opportunities, Things, Inspiration, Others, New.
I knelt to pray when day was done and prayed, “Oh Lord, bless everyone. Lift from each saddened heart the pain and let the sick be well again.” And then I woke another day and carelessly went on my way. The whole day long, I did not try to wipe a tear from any eye. I did not try to share the load of any brother on the road. I did not even go to see the sick man just next door to me. Yet once again, when day was done. I prayed, “Oh Lord, bless everyone.” But as I prayed into my ear, there came a voice that whispered clear. “Pause now, my son, before you pray, whom have you tried to bless today? God's sweetest blessings always show by hands that serve him, hear me lo.” And then I hid my face and cried. “Forgive me, God. I have not tried. Let me live another day. And I will live the way I pray.”
Gratitude requires making more of the good we have than the good we don't.
Gratitude celebrates blessings received. As long as we're consumed with blessings we haven't received, we'll never possess it.
Think to Thank.
We owe a debt of gratitude to those who give so much of themselves, so we might have so much for ourselves.-- Think Family
"Take things with gratitude rather than for granted."
"We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we get."- Winston Churchill
"Make your intentions clear. The universe does not respond well to uncertainty."
"What you do today can improve all your tomorrows."- Ralph Marston
What two daily questions can you ask that will empower future generations that follow you?
Even in difficult times, perhaps especially in difficult times, we need the blessings of gratitude. The blessings come from acknowledging and vocally sharing.
“Our first noble deed of the morning should be a humble prayer of gratitude." - Russell M. Nelson
What if you were 16 years old and you could have any car in the world, but it would be the last car you could ever own?
When you have true gratitude (arrows out), you are more inclined to exercise regularly, sleep better, eat better, and live a fuller more meaningful life.
People who display gratitude have:
- 16% fewer physical symptoms
- 10% less physical pain
- 25% increased sleep quality
An "attitude of gratitude" generally falls short when it comes to considering how to seed and nurture this attitude.
"It is a foundational trait upon which all else can be built as it allows you to be open to continuous improvement and learning and to win the trust, support, and effort of everyone you work with." - Richard Shrapnel
Achieve -- Creating a Life of Enduring Success.
Humble people are great leaders!
Stop - Look - Go!!
Before you get out of bed do this... "Lift the corners of your mouth" Before you get dressed do this... Express Gratitude to... God, self, and... Before you leave your room do this... be intentional consciously and unconsciously.
In Bhutan, they say contemplating death 5 times daily brings happiness.
"The unexamined life is not worth living." - Socrates
Time without energy is nothing. Time does not have quality. Energy does.
"If you think that finding your purpose is about you, you will never find it."
FROGG - Fully Rely On God's Grace
"Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies."
Those seemingly insignificant small decisions influence how we use our time, what we view on the internet, what we read, the art and music with which we surround ourselves, what we seek for entertainment, and how we apply our commitment to being honest and truthful. Another seemingly small and simple thing is being civil and cheerful in our personal interactions. None of these desirable small and simple things will lift us to great things unless they are practiced consistently and continuously." - this excerpt is from a quote from former Senator Dan Coats of Indiana.
“The army needs leaders like the foot needs a big toe.” - Bill Murray
“Empowering stability is true gratitude aligned with a vision supported by principle-based leadership that leads to predictable results.”
Is happiness the ultimate goal?
"Like fear, anger, worry, and other fleeting emotions, happiness is an emotion that comes and goes, but cannot last."
Happiness is more externally driven, leaving us at the mercy of outside forces or changing circumstances.
Fulfillment is internally driven. It is the process of living a valued life, where the pursuit is about BECOMING, not arriving. We determine what is meaningful to us and then we have the power to live our lives in a manner that is consistent with what we value.
Is happiness the ultimate goal?
"Like fear, anger, worry, and other fleeting emotions, happiness is an emotion that comes and goes, but cannot last."
Happiness is more externally driven, leaving us at the mercy of outside forces or changing circumstances.
Fulfillment is internally driven. It is the process of living a valued life, where the pursuit is about BECOMING, not arriving. We determine what is meaningful to us and then we have the power to live our lives in a manner that is consistent with what we value.
"How you choose to invest your time is either a deposit or withdrawal from your future." - Lee M. Brower
"The key is not spending time - but investing in it." - Stephen Covey
"The way we spend our time defines who we are." - Jonathan Estrin
"How you choose to invest your time is either a deposit or withdrawal from your future." - Lee M. Brower
"The key is not spending time - but investing in it." - Stephen Covey
"The way we spend our time defines who we are." - Jonathan Estrin
"Looking for the good in others doesn't make you naive. It means you're not cynical. Recognizing people's strengths doesn't deny their flaws. It reveals their potential to overcome their flaws. Those who refuse to see the good in others fail to bring out the best in others." - Adam Grant
"What the human being is best at doing is interpreting all new information so that prior conclusions remain intact." - Warren Buffett
"Looking for the good in others doesn't make you naive. It means you're not cynical. Recognizing people's strengths doesn't deny their flaws. It reveals their potential to overcome their flaws. Those who refuse to see the good in others fail to bring out the best in others." - Adam Grant
"What the human being is best at doing is interpreting all new information so that prior conclusions remain intact." - Warren Buffett
We were bombarded with love, kindness, selflessness, and joy. What a weekend!
Darkness cannot drive out darkness. Only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate. Only love can do that. - Martin Luther King
We were bombarded with love, kindness, selflessness, and joy. What a weekend!
Darkness cannot drive out darkness. Only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate. Only love can do that. - Martin Luther King
"Gratefulness arises when we experience something that is valuable and freely given." - Brother David Steindl-Rast TED Talk
"Helping one person might not change the world, but it could change it for that one person."
"By becoming the answer to someone's prayer, we often find the answers to our own." - Dieter F. Uchtdorf
In January 2015, seven-year-old Sailor Gutzler and her family were flying from Florida to Illinois in a private airplane. Sailor's father was at the controls. Just after nightfall, they developed mechanical problems and crashed in the pitch-dark hills of Kentucky, upside down in very rough and isolated terrain. Everyone but Sailor died in the accident. Her wrist was broken and she also suffered many cuts and scrapes and lost her shoes. The temperature was 38 degrees - it was cold and rainy - and Sailor was wearing only shorts, a T-shirt, and one sock.
What can we learn from how she survived? "My vision of the future is that there is a light- and knowing that light is there inspires me to be in and stay in motion." Sailor chose not to let fear paralyze her, but to be in motion and seek the light - and it saved her life. Likewise, we must give place for the hope that we will find the light by embracing belief rather than choosing to doubt. Our actions are the evidence of our belief and become the substance of our faith.
Your vision of the future can sustain you through your present agonies.
"A bird sitting in a tree is never afraid of the branch breaking because her trust is not in the branch, but on her own wings." - Anonymous
"On particularly rough days when I'm sure I can't possibly endure, I like to remind myself that my track record for getting through bad days so far is 100% and that's pretty good." - Anonymous
"Worry doesn't empty tomorrow of its sorrow. It empties today of its strength." - Corrie Ten Boom
Decisions without a vision are just suggestions; Vision-inspired decisions lead to confidence and motion; Hold yourself Accountable EVEN if you aren't to blame; Resilience enables you to think, act, and move consistently--making small, incremental corrections along the way; Humility is freedom from pride and/or arrogance. Less focus on self and more an ability to see the strengths and value of others.
Becoming a truly good person demands more of us than merely checking items off a to-do list. It also has a lot to do with what we "choose" to do. Does your to-do list match your to-be list?
How might the person we are at the end of the day be a little different (in a good way) from the person at the beginning of the day?
Fun is not an activity, it is a feeling.
Fun unites us.
We live in a polarized world with lots of dissension. When we have fun with people, we don't see them as different political parties, or nationalities, or religions. We connect with them as human beings.
Fun makes us healthier.
Fun in energizing.
Treat fun as if it is important. Because it is!
When it comes to our T.E.A.R.'s, there is a cost in our choices and we get what we pay for. It is important to pay attention to what we pay attention to.
What is the keystone that connects wisdom from your past with the inspiration and faith in your future?
What does "a constant curiosity" have to do with my past and my future? "Creative people must have a constant curiosity." - Robert D. Hales
"Curiosity urges us to ask questions, to seek out a range of resources and perspectives, to seek answers to those questions. And, to critically evaluate our experiences as we synthesize all information into a new understanding. These skills allow us to open our thoughts and experiences to new ways of thinking." - Rachel Wadham, Educational and Juvenile Literature Librarian.
Several ways to ask the same question that will change your approach to life and impact the invisible.
Discover how being an EGGhead will make you more resilient to stress; your physical health and your mental health will be better -- And, you will be more apt to learn and grow from difficult experiences.
“I see the challenges that are in front of me, but they don’t need to overwhelm me. Just like the river, I can move along with peace in my heart, with a quiet place inside myself where the trouble of the world cannot come.”
Years ago I was asked if I could in one sentence describe why family wealth rarely succeeds into future generations. I said I could do it in ONE word! Since that day, research has absolutely proven that ONE activity, when exercised, can make you even healthier, more productive, and happier in so many other ways.
"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader." - John Quincy Adams
"You cannot give all the good the world needs- but the world needs all you can give."
"If you want to change the world, go home and love your family." -- Mother Teresa
"Share the things most important to you with those who are most important to you." -- LMB i. e. (Don't delegate the transfer of your values and wisdom to social media, Hollywood, or other influencers outside the family to do it for you)!
As the scripture teaches, `Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.' - (Prov. 22:6.)
"Peace in society depends upon peace in the family." -- Augustine
"We must restore the sacredness of the family as a bedrock of humane values everywhere, in peace as well as in war." -- Kofi Annan
"To put the world right in order, we must first put the nation in order; to put the nation in order, we must first put the family in order; to put the family in order, we must first cultivate our personal life; we must first set our hearts right." -- Confucius
"Anyone can be a Chief Problem Finder. Leaders are Chief Problem Solvers. Inspired leaders fix the problem before it emerges." - Randy Glenn
Motivation is all about obtaining (the carrot or the stick). Inspiration is all about becoming. Motivation is temporary. Inspiration is eternal.
What are you grateful for right now, right here?
"I believe that things turn out best for those that make the best of the way things turn out." - Coach John Wooden
As you consciously practice principles of gratitude, these acts of gratitude evolve into habits; as you nurture those habits, those habits evolve into traits that become your true character. Gratitude then becomes the light that unconsciously illuminates others, giving them the inspiration to do the same.
"By becoming the answer to someone's prayer, we often find the answers to our own." - Dieter F. Uchtorf
"You cannot give all the good the world needs. But the world needs all the good you can give." - Lee M Brower
"Helping one person might not change the world, but it could change the world for that one person." - Anonymous
"No misfortune is so bad that whining won't make it worse." - Jeffrey R. Holland
Change your language - change the world!
My mom passed away Jan 4, 2015. But, she gave me the greatest advice just a few days ago. Hugs are the universal medicine!
“I have learned that there is more power in a good strong hug than in a thousand meaningful words.” – Ann Hood
"A plowed garden can't determine what it will grow. It simply waits for the seeds to be planted, eager to nourish them and turn them into the gardener's desire." - Lee Brower
The subconscious mind makes no distinction between constructive and destructive thought impulses. It works with the material we feed it, through our thought impulses. The subconscious mind will translate into reality a thought driven by fear, just as readily as it will translate into reality a thought driven by courage or faith. - Napoleon Hill
“Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live.” - Norman Cousins
“We lived for days on nothing but food and water.” - W.C. Fields
“We should be taught not to wait for inspiration to start a thing. Action always generates inspiration. Inspiration seldom generates action.” - Frank Tibolt
Want to see good in the world? Then ask for it.
Those who live only for themselves eventually shrivel up and figuratively lose their lives, while those who lose themselves in service to others grow and flourish-- and in effect save their lives.
Don't give up on an uncertain future.
Focus on those things that you have control over.
When you give up, you surrender your choice. Your story is the choices you make.
The choices you make, make you! Yes and No lead in opposite directions and determine the "story" of your life.
Ask this question mid-choice (in the moment) "What story do I want to tell."
To be offended is a choice we make. It is not a condition inflicted upon us by someone or something else.
"Our choices determine our freedoms." - Lee Brower
"The joy we feel has little to do with the circumstance of our lives, and everything to do with the focus of our lives." - Russell M. Nelson
"Life begins at the end of your comfort zone." - Neale Donald Walsch
"The enemy of thriving is arriving." - Lee M. Brower
What does your "future self" possess that you don't? - Dr. Benjamin Hardy
Can "Pringling" be the way to victory over even our most pesky personal and business ambitions? Pringles = aggregating small but steady marginal gains. i.e. The more you are in motion, the more you tend to stay in motion.
"It's just the beginning" ... 85-year-old lifetime learner.
"A man who carries a cat by its tail learns something HE CAN LEARN in no other way." - Mark Twain
"Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty." - Henry Ford
"Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner anywhere." - Chinese Proverb
"There are only two ways to influence human behavior. You can manipulate it, or you can inspire it." - Simon Sinek
In other words... "Arrows Out" is all about getting someone motivating you to do it. "Arrows In" is all about you being inspired to do it.
"I am not what I want to be; not what I am going to be, but I am thankful that I am better than I used to be." - Coach John Wooden
Don't be too quick to judge someone.
Over 30 family/friends/and families battling cancer celebrate Nick's birthday.
"Dark cannot drive out darkness. Only light can do that." - Martin Luther King
Regardless of your circumstances (horrible or great), when you focus on gratitude, your eyes will see opportunities the would have never seen otherwise.
"Gratitude illuminates the lessons from our past and inspires us with hope for our future so that we can make better choices in the moment."
"Gratitude unexpressed is ingratitude perceived." - LMB
“Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” - Melody Beattie
UNGRATEFUL - is being unaware or oblivious. SOCIAL - is about respect. APPRECIATIVE - is about acknowledgment. EMPOWERED - is all about sustainability.
"Suffering has been stronger than all other teaching, I have been bent and broken, but--I hope--into a better shape." - Estella from "Great Expectations."
We all face challenges that shape the course of our lives. But that shape and that course are still ours to choose.
“The best gifts aren’t bought from the store... The best is gifts of kindness given from the heart.” - Charlie Brown
"Kindness is a language the deaf can hear and the blind can see." - Mark Twain
"Our society does a reasonably good job in the course of daily life of taking off the moral lens and helping us see life through an economic lens, making us morally numb." - David Brooks
"Train your mind to see the good in everything. Positivity is a choice. The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts." - Marcandangel
When you choose to see the good in others, you end up finding the good in yourself.
When you focus on the good, the good gets better.
The one thing you can't delegate is your influence.
Choosing to smile or to do a good deed today changes your mindset from the inside out.
Discover what 3 things you can do to capitalize on the human tendency to seek progress.
Fear of losing induces inaction. The thrill of gain induces action.
Rationalization is lowering your standards down to your level of behavior.
Wisdom is pure intelligence before the contamination of thought.
Apple seeds only produce apples. Good thoughts produce good fruit.
You may not be able to stop a bird from landing on your head, but you can stop him from making a nest there.
"See the good in others and treat them as if their good is all you see."
“Try to see the good in others. When you're tempted to judge someone, make an effort to see their goodness. Your willingness to look for the best in people will subconsciously bring it forth.” - Marianne Williamson
Success is determined through the performance of a few small steps of daily achievement that stack up over time to produce results far beyond anything we could have ever planned for.
Self-trust is the firm reliance on the integrity of yourself.
When we buy into the negative voice, we diminish our self-trust.
MKR = MAKE and KEEP one small commitment and then another, then another, and REPEAT it.
Let's face it - some things in life are out of our control. So, what is it that we can always control?
What is the one thing that will get you UNSTUCK?
Have you ever focused so hard on finding the rainbow that you lost the opportunity to enjoy the rain?
Do you ever feel like you have your foot on the gas but you are not going anywhere?
"The enemy of Thriving is Arriving." - LMBrower
Why protecting and expanding your vision is your 2nd most important responsibility as a leader in your family and your business.
How does your vision of the future keep you UNSTUCK?
If you wait to arrive at happiness, you shall be sadly disappointed. Happiness must be experienced as you journey- a minute here, an hour there, a day here, and maybe even a week or more there.
True happiness comes from spending our TEAR's (Time, Energy, Attention, Resources) to create happiness for others. i.e. "Arrows Out!"
"More than anything else, the world needs the healing influence of a great surge of simple Kindheartedness, to rid humanity of jealousy, selfishness, and greed. Such a surge must start with us, as individuals; it is beyond the power of the world's rulers or statesmen. Could there be a more opportune time for all of us to try giving ourselves away? Could anything else we might do as individuals contribute so much toward the peace of the world, or earn us so much personal happiness? I don't think so." - David Dunn September 1947
"More than anything else, the world needs the healing influence of a great surge of simple Kindheartedness, to rid humanity of jealousy, selfishness, and greed. Such a surge must start with us, as individuals; it is beyond the power of the world's rulers or statesmen. Could there be a more opportune time for all of us to try giving ourselves away? Could anything else we might do as individuals contribute so much toward the peace of the world, or earn us so much personal happiness? I don't think so." - David Dunn September 1947
Don't you hate it when you go to bed feeling like you could have been more productive? Well, STOP IT!
Get a piece of paper and write down the 2 questions that can make your days even better-starting today!
"There is no tomorrow to remember if we don't do something today." - Thomas Monson
If you don't control your day, someone or something else will. A lesson for the ages from John Wooden.
"All you can control is today. Yesterday is gone, and the future has not arrived yet. When you make the most of today, tomorrow will automatically be better." - Jamaal (Silk) Wilkes
If you don't control your day, someone or something else will. A lesson for the ages from John Wooden.
"All you can control is today. Yesterday is gone, and the future has not arrived yet. When you make the most of today, tomorrow will automatically be better." - Jamaal (Silk) Wilkes
Thank you, Anonymous How different would our world be if we all did frequent acts of kindness without expecting anything in return?
Imagine Th’Ripples!
This week’s Empowering Question:
- Who can I see today that I normally don’t see?
- What small act can I do today, that can be anonymous, for somebody else?
AWE is a profound reverence, a personal, unexpected reaction to seeing God at work. - John Bingham, Associate Dean, Marriott School of Management.
Remember... Record... Reflect ... your brain will change how you interact with the world.
POTENT- People, Opportunities, Things, Experiences, Nature, Thoughts.
Ask yourself can I see or experience what I would normally take for granted and/or perhaps not even see?
This week's Empowering Question: What can I do to consistently remember, reflect, and record those moments of AWE?
A person is poor when he is friendless, but even poorer when he ceases to be a friend.
"We are poor when we think that getting by is doing our best. Virtue, action, and truth properly blended in life make a person rich." - Marvin J. Ashton
Neuroplasticity is so exciting because it means that you're not stuck with the brain you currently have.
Create a new view of the world around you by joining all those that have already signed up in the 2 Minute, 21 Day Gratitude Boost."If it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't improve you."
Because you construct a world based upon the facts that you have, and if you're looking at all the negative facts, you've got a negative world. But if you're looking for the things you're grateful for, you've got a world that your behavior matters - you are constructing a positive world. Your behavior matters.
Words are just like the wind... they are everywhere.
"Life is all about the conscious training of the mind and body to respond unconsciously in alignment with those things you value most." - William George Jordan
"Worrying is a form of negative visualization, that actually helps create the scenario you see happening in your mind." - Joshua Medcalf
“We must suffer from one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. Discipline weighs ounces—regret ways tons." - Jim Rohn
You are what you say "yes" to. By saying "yes" to the right things, it will be easier to say no to the less important. - Lee Brower
"Children have a much better chance of growing up if their parents have done so first." - Susan Peters
"Inexperienced leaders are quick to lead before knowing anything about the people they intend to lead. But mature leaders listen, learn, and then lead." - John C. Maxwell
"At the heart of misery, you will find the love of wrong things. At the heart of every joy, you will find the love of good things." - Dieter Uchtdorf
Love should be our walk and talk. Ask yourself, "What one thing can I do today to bring more love into the world?"
Try replacing "I'm sorry" with ... "Thank YOU!"
When you start to communicate appreciation you will improve confidence in yourself and gratitude in others. They, then, are inspired to repeat the good qualities you acknowledge.
Can you instill these motivators in your team? How about in your family?
"Human beings are not things needing to be motivated and controlled. They are four-dimensional: body, mind, heart, and spirit." --Stephen Covey
"You don't build a business, you build people, then people build the business." --Zig Ziglar
"Never in the field of conflict was so much owed by so many for so few." - Winston Churchill
"It's better to fight for something in life than to die for nothing." - Gen. George S. Patton
Dark is not the opposite of light. It is just the absence of light. Be the light.
"We all walk in the dark and each of us must learn to turn on his or her own light." - Earl Nightengale.
"I fear the day that technology will surpass our human interaction. The world will have a generation of idiots." - Albert Einstein
As far as this business of solitary confinement goes, the most important thing for survival is communication with someone, even if it is only a wave or a wink, a tap on the wall, or to have a guy put his thumb up. It makes all the difference." - John McCain
"If you could only love enough, you could be the most powerful person in the world." - Emmett Fox
"Don't insist on remembering things that the Lord is willing to forget." - Hugh B. Brown
Thank you to Rand McCullough, Realtor.
Leaders are the people who elevate, motivate, inspire, and drive things forward, regardless of where they find themselves.
"Silent gratitude isn't of much use to anyone." - Gertrude Stein
"Nothing else can quite substitute for a few well-chosen, well-timed, sincere words of praise." - Sam Walton
"The joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives, but more to do with the focus of our lives." - Russell M. Nelson
Before our kids (we) EXPRESS appreciation, they (we) should EXPERIENCE appreciation.
It's like sprinkling the leaves of a plant when what's needed is to water the roots.
The intention is to guide them (and us) from recognizing kindness to valuing kindness. A x A x A = AG Awareness x Appreciation x Acknowledgement = Authentic Gratitude
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light... that most frightens us... You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world... We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And, as we let our light shine, we unconsciously give permission for other people to do the same."
- Marianne Williamson
“Our priorities are most visible in how we use our time.
Someone has said, “Three things never come back—the spent arrow, the spoken word, and the lost opportunity.”
"We cannot recycle or save the time allotted to us each day. With time, we have only one opportunity for choice, and then it is gone forever.” - Dallin H. Oaks
"The best things in life are often waiting for you at the exit ramp to your comfort zone." - Karen Salmonson
"A comfort zone is a beautiful place, but nothing ever grows there." - John Assaraf
Everyone should have an M.B.A. Can you guess what M.B.A. stands for? M__ B_____ A_______
"You could spend your life serving others or you could spend it on yourself." - Coach John Wooden
Want more time to finish your To-Do List? Make a Don't Do List.
Can saying "No" really help me to say "Yes"?
"A leader's lasting value is measured by succession." - John C. Maxwell
"Success is Succession"
"We take responsibility to create legacies of leadership that will take those that follow to levels of "Sustainable Prosperity®" previously unimagined." - Lee M Brower
"A nation will rise no higher than the strength of its homes. If you want to reform a nation, you begin with families." - Gordon B. Hinckley
"Political polarization is interfering with the fuel of happiness, which is love." - Arthur C. Brooks
"A family doesn't have to be perfect; it just needs to be united." "If you want to change the world, go home and love your family." - Mother Teresa
An attitude of gratitude shifts our focus from what we lack or strive for to what we already have.
"At the crux of ingratitude is ego. Ingratitude turns us inward, inviting us to focus only on ourselves and our own needs. It leads us to feel entitled and to resent when at some point or other the world fails to meet one of our expectations. And it causes us to be blind to those who helped us achieve our successes." - Arbinger Institute
Two words that open the door to deliberate gratitude.
"Deliberate gratitude when practiced becomes a light that unconsciously illuminates others, giving them the courage to do the same."
Don't be a moth... Why do people huddle around streetlights rather than looking where they might be able to find the truth?
How much time is spent huddling around the streetlight of bitterness and blame rather than where the truth is more likely to be?
"It's difficult to look for what's working when it's so much easier to look for what is not working."
"What is your Streetlight?"
Can hatred and gratitude dwell in us at the same time?
Science shows that by practicing gratitude and celebration, we prime our brains to be more open to new ideas... to be more creative, and efficient.
How many times will you use the word "celebrate" this week? Try it.
There is nothing wrong with this country that what's right with this country can't fix.
"Discovering what works and doing more of it is generally a positive, enjoyable, and empowering activity for all concerned." - Dr. Mark Mckergow
"My intention is not to focus on what we want to fix. Rather, let's focus on what we want to become."
"Use your smile to change the world, don't let the world change your smile." - Chinese Proverb
"Sometimes your joy is the source of your happiness, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy." - Thich Nhat Hanh
- Is your future destination-driven? Or, is your future contribution-driven?
- People do not experience your intentions, they experience your actions.
- If your habits are not aligned with your dreams (future), you can either choose to elevate your behavior or lower your dreams - your choice.
What is the power we all have, that if we made the commitment to use kindness every day, we would live in a more meaningful world?
Which future are you giving courage to?
What would happen if you had just one major goal and one clear path in each key area of your life?
Three questions as you plan for a year from now:
- How will I be different?
- What will say "no" that I said "yes" to in 2020?
- What will I possess in 2021 that I didn't have, or wish I would have had in 2020?
Don't catch yourself saying, "I can't believe this year is almost over!" Do this instead.
Will I be better or worse for having gone through this experience?"
- By going, I learn where to go.
- By doing, I learn what to do.
- By BE'ing, I learn what I am capable of BEcoming.
"To learn and not to do is really not to learn. To know and not to do is really not to know." - Stephen R. Covey
How might I....... so that I can.....?
- What are the possible reasons I am noticing this symptom?
- What isn't happening that, if it didn't happen, would cause the perceived symptom to either narrow or disappear?
- What is happening, that if it stopped happening, would cause the perceived symptom to either narrow or disappear?
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure." - Marianne Williamson
Can I manage my perceptions so that I can develop the characteristics of even greater leadership?
The most common way you surrender your power is by thinking you don’t have any.
"The way to make a difference is to quit talking and begin doing." - Walt Disney
"Step back into those things you value most before you step into the day."
"It's the little things that are vital. Little things make big things happen." - John Wooden
"Can I begin this day with the intentionality, confidence, and courage to say "no" to even the very important, so that I can accomplish the essential "yesses" that move me closer to my most meaningful future?"
"Communication is the Response you Get."
Before you speak, let your words pass through the 3... no, 4 gates: Is it true? Is it necessary? Is it kind? AND, Can I begin in gratitude?
"Every person I meet is my master in some point, and in that I learn of him." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
"God uses our trials (struggles) to shape us into the kind of people we have to be in order to fully enjoy the future opportunities He has prepared for us." - Hank Smith
Only our internal moral compass in each individual that can effectively deal with the cause and the symptoms of societal incivility.
"What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make." -Jane Goodall
“The joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our lives.” - Russell M. Nelson
"Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality." - Dalai Lama
"Experience teaches only the teachable." - Aldous Huxley
"Lessons learned from experiential moments captured, named, and shared... will be the legacy that outlives us." - Lee Brower
"Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light." - Albus Dumbledore
I stopped looking for the light. Decided to become it instead,
"I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And, I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do." - Edward Everett
“As we lose ourselves in the service of others we discover our own lives and our own happiness.” - Dieter F. Uchtdorf
"Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom." - Aristotle
Then seek understanding-- Tell Me More...
Imagine a teammate with Alzheimer's in the World's Toughest Race Eco-Challenge Fiji (Amazon Prime)
Being Connected, Feeling Safe, and having a Shared Vision with Gratitude as the Keystone - equals a winning culture.
"Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes." - Carl Jung
"If you want results, begin with what is on the inside instead of pushing to control what's on the outside."
"To change ourselves effectively, we must change our perceptions." - Steven Covey
"There are things known and there are things unknown. And, in between are the doors of perception."
- Aldous Huxley
"Ignorance leads to fear. Fear leads to hatred. Hatred leads to destruction. Honest education eliminates fear."
- Daryl Davis.
"If you are not doing, you are not learning. Everybody makes mistakes. It's what you do with them that counts." - Coach John Wooden
"Mistakes are events on the timeline of your life. But they don't define your life..." - Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Despair is the state we fall into when our imagination fails... - George Monbiot
It's not what we go through, it's how we come through. - Lee Brower
"Faith is taking the first step even if you don't see the whole staircase." - Dr. Martin Luther King.
Is what I am doing right now actually harming or helping me?
What are 3 things that are needed to create a great culture in your family, as well as your business?
- Are We Connected?
- Are We Safe?
- Do we share a Vision?
Freedom:
- We are free to DECIDE our aspirations;
- We are free to CHOOSE in each moment;
- We GET to enjoy the fruits of our choices.
Our choices are our greatest teachers.
Are you a trim tab?
The Trim Tab Principle... if a person maintains their focus on what they know to be right, they might be able to move the world in a better direction, despite being just one small individual.
To make choices, a president must be ruthless in setting priorities and maintaining them, or risk being unprepared and delaying vital action.
What about you?
"Deliberate Living is the art of strategizing our choices before they happen." - Lee Brower
Imagine leading without the benefit of mistakes.
Imagine leading without a clear vision of the future.
Imagine leadership that takes responsibility and lifts where they stand.
I deserve this! vs. I am responsible!
A sense of entitlement is the corrosive enemy to meaningfulness and fulfillment.
Reach for what you aspire to achieve while celebrating what you currently have.
"All that I ever am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel mother." - Abraham Lincoln (and Lee Brower)
"Aspiration"- one of the greatest gifts a "leader" can give.
Can animals make mistakes?
"Knowing what I know now, what might I do differently in the future to achieve a better outcome?"
The choices we make, make us.
Yes and No lead in opposite directions and determine the course of our lives.
Gratitude unexpressed to others is gratitude gone to waste.
True Gratitude is Gratitude IN Action. It must be given.
Balloons, Happiness, and Experiences.
"Happiness is not something to be pursued. Happiness ensues."
"Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to an all-knowing God." - Corrie Ten Boom
Crises expose leadership moments. Captured moments, when named and shared, will teach/inspire you and others to make better decisions in life.
"Pay attention to what you are paying attention to." - Ameeta Dudani
"Pain and suffering don't come from what happens to us. Pain and suffering come from the stories we tell ourselves."
"Gratitude, when joined with consistent action, fills the heart with kindness, the mind with understanding, and the soul with peace and love."
"There is nothing in this life you can't learn from. Our most valuable learning comes from experiences we never sought. As we share with others, it actually becomes more valuable for all." - Lee Brower
2 minutes of gratitude per day is a spark that can eliminate the darkness.
The answer to this crisis is to get back to the virtues of good character in every part of this great nation. It starts with you!
"The very act of making choices of who you want to become requires setting aside, other choices you might have made. You do it willingly because the greater goal is worth the greater sacrifice." - Dieter F. Uchtdorf
When we pay attention to the shameless purveyors of negativity and fear (i.e.) the politicians, etc., then we amplify the negative. And, while the media tries to focus us on what is wrong to get our attention, how can we focus on what is right and good?
Want to simplify your financial life? Check out these great quotes from Warren Buffet.
My favorite? "Never test the water with both feet."
"Civility does not...mean the outward gentleness of speech cultivated for the occasion, but an inborn gentleness and desire to do the opponent good." -- Mahatma Gandi
Gratitude is the beginning of civility, of decency and goodness, of a recognition that we cannot afford to be arrogant." -- Gordon B. Hinckley
"Aspire to decency. Practice civility toward one another. Admire and emulate ethical behavior wherever you find it. Apply a rigid standard of morality to your lives; and if, periodically, you fail as you surely will, adjust your lives, not the standards." -- Ted Koppel
Kindness is as much about the future as it is the "now".
"Anyone who says customers are #1 has lost their mind. Employees are #1. Employees are the source of all value creation." - Keith Cunningham (The Road Less Stupid).
"The most important thing in the world is family and love." - John Wooden
“Some of our most important choices concern family activities. There is no easy formula for that contest of priorities. However, I have never known of a man who looked back on his working life and said, “I just didn’t spend enough time with my job.” - Dallin H. Oaks
The enemy of thriving is... "What"?
Don't let your choices ambush your decisions.
Watch Video for an explanation to this: - Stay at "attention" by creating "tension"... and then celebrate it.
Make 2020 Unforgettable...
If you wait until you are not scared to try new things, then you will never get to try them at all. You can never know what your are fully made of, until you start to do the things you fear most.
Happiness is not something that you can pursue. Happiness is something that ensues, when you make the most out of every moment.
Four questions that just might make 2020 unforgettable!
- What makes this year (2019) unforgettable?
- What surprised you the most this year?
- What FIRST(s) did you have this year?
- What are you not going to bring with you into 2020?
"The same God that placed that star in a precise orbit millennia before it appeared over Bethlehem... has given at least equal attention to the placement of each of us in precise human orbits so that we may, if we will, not only lead others but warm them as well."
- Neal A. Maxwell
“We end up stumbling our way through the forest, never seeing all the unexpected and wonderful possibilities and potentials because we're looking for the idea of a tree, instead of appreciating the actual trees in front of us."
- Charles De Lint
Would you be willing to take the Gratitude Challenge? “Gratitude is the greatest of virtues and the parent of all the others.” - Cicero
...It's deciding how you will go about achieving them. It is all about the journey- not the destination. “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” ― Abraham Lincoln“ "If you don't know where you are going, you'll end up someplace else.” ---Yogi Berra
“This is not happening TO me. It’s…” – Sean Stephenson “It’s not the destination, it’s the journey.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Sometimes we become so focused on the finish line that we fail to enjoy and learn from the journey.” – Lee M Brower
"...One of the central elements of the word charACTer is A, C, T. How one acts reveals in a powerful way his or her true character."
“Gratitude is the beginning of civility, of decency and goodness, of a recognition that we cannot afford to be arrogant." - Gordon B. Hinckley
"Genuine tolerance does not mean ignoring differences as if differences made no difference. Genuine tolerance means engaging differences within a bond of civility and respect." - Richard John Neuhaus
“For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue..." - Victor Frankl, "Man's Search for Meaning."
What holds the "We" in your family and/or Business? - A Common Vision... of what your trying to achieve and how your going to achieve it.
"Life is about the journey- not the destination. Live the journey right and the destination takes care of itself." - Lee Brower
“Instead of life dictating its terms, you are choosing what is remembered, what matters, and what will be attainable to future generations.” - The Brower Quadrant, pg. 55
"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity… Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow." —Melodie Beattie
"The culture of any organization is shaped by the worst behavior the leaders are willing to tolerate." - Gruenter & Whitaker
Compete: To work alongside; to strive together.
"The world today is so full of information which tries to not only inform, but sometimes to misinform us. Just as the capacity to defer gratification is a sign of real maturity, likewise is the willingness to wait for deferred explanation is the sign of real faith and trust." - Neal A. Maxwell
"Anyone who stops learning is old, whether twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young." - Henry Ford "I have no idea when I might graduate to the next life. All I know is that when I do, go, I don't want it to be my fault" - Lee Brower
"A bad attitude is like a flat tire. You can't go anyplace until you change it." Problem or Solution... your choice.
What does your wrinkly brain have to do with your future?
"The brain is the most complex thing we have yet discovered in our universe." - James D Watson
"Sometimes it is better to lose and do the right thing than to win and do the wrong thing." ...Tony Blair "Knowing the right thing is not the problem. Doing the right thing, that is the challenge." ... LMB
What can In-N-Out Burgers teach you about character? "Character, in the long run, is the decisive factor in the life of an individual and of nations alike." Theodore Roosevelt "America is great because she is good, but if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great." Alexis de Toqueville (1835)
What consumes your mind controls your life. "NEGASITES" a term used by Dan Sullivan
"Wise men speak because they have something to say. Fools speak because they have to say something." - Plato
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”
― Martin Luther King Jr.
Has modern society (a very reactive society) really extinguished the creative spark among our youth?
Opportunities are like sunsets- wait too long and you will miss them. We were slowly drowning under the words we weren't saying.
Live beyond “What if”… and find joy in “What is”. “Storms make a tree’s roots grow even stronger.” Nick’s favorite quote given to him by the girls from Strategic Coach, Toronto.
More Room
Create “More Room” in your life… “Getting to the next level always requires ending something, leaving it behind, and moving on. Growth itself demands that we move on. Without the ability to end things, people get stuck, never becoming who they are meant to be, never accomplishing all their talents and abilities should afford them.” Dr. Henry Cloud, Necessary Endings
Trust what you do and your influence will be even greater.
Freedom.... it is ours to lose. Protect it and celebrate it.
Happy Meaningful Monday from Amsterdam! “Comparison is the thief of joy.” -Theodore Roosevelt
Do you remember the 9-word question that will change the way you experience life?
Reactive people make gratitude a feeling.
Proactive people make gratitude a verb.
True gratitude is something you do: the sacrifices you make, the giving of self...
You know you've done your best when your opponent cannot tell by looking at you after the game whether you won or lost.
Empowered Freedom...
We can choose our choices. Can we choose our consequences? What never sleeps nor sickens nor dies? Yet works every day with no love nor sympathy?
"Use your values as a gift, not a weapon." - Arthur C. Brooks
"Love Your Enemies: How Decent People Can Save America from the Culture of Contempt."
Is there a difference between being disagreeing and being disagreeable?
"I am not what I want to be; not what I am going to be; but, I am grateful I am not what I used to be." - John Wooden
"Legacy is to be lived, not left." - Lee Brower
Is there a relationship between Gratitude and Trust? “The ultimate act of leadership is to extend trust.” – Stephen M. R. Covey
Like gratitude, trust blesses twice- both he that receives it and he that gives it.
"All limitations are self-imposed." - Icarus
"Argue for your limitations and sure enough, they're yours." - Richard Bach
“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorns have roses.” ― Alphonse Karr“
I will love the light for it shows me the way, yet I will endure the darkness for it shows me the stars.” ― Og Mandino
“In all affairs it's a healthy thing now and then to hang a question mark on the things you have long taken for granted.” ― Bertrand Russell
"Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow." - Melody Beattie
How Gayle Sayers gave me GOY (pronounced JOY)
“True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.” ― C.S. Lewis
My question for you is, "How would you have handled it?" if you had been Brian Piccolo or Gayle Sayers?
“Truly appreciate those around you, and you’ll soon find many others around you.”
“Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.” -Voltaire
"Appreciation can make a day, even change a life. All that is needed is the willingness and courage to express it."
“What separates privilege from entitlement is gratitude.” – Brene Brown
“We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.” – Thornton Wilder
Would you be willing to take a Challenge?
Start the 21 Day Challenge today... with P.O.T.E.N.T Gratitude
"Don't give up what you want most for what you want now." Do something so great, that if God didn't intervene you would fail. What is that need doing that you know something about, that probably won't happen unless you take responsibility?
"Joy is found in the moment." "In the absence of wanting, then we find true happiness."
Culture is not Blue Jeans Friday. "The decisions we make, make us." Want to know how you can make even better decisions?
"True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less."
- C.S. Lewis
What is the most common response when people are asked how many confidants they have?
"If you want a friend, be a friend."... Ralph Waldo Emerson
"Peace begins with a smile." ... Mother Teresa "A smile is a decision, why not make the choice?" ... Lynn G. Robbins
Did you really say, “I can’t believe it is Thanksgiving already?” Eliminate finish lines from your life and experience more meaningfulness and fulfillment.
Is there a checklist for even better decision making? Lori reminds me of 5 to Thrive + 1.
Look for the Stacey Moment (s)... I was the plumber with the leaky faucet. And, Stacey set me straight. Thank you!
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” — Aristotle
“Once you have experienced excellence, you will never be content with mediocrity.“ — Thomas S. Monson
“The past is behind, learn from it. The future is ahead, prepare for it. The present is here, live it.” ― Thomas S. Monson “Forever is composed of nows.” ― Emily Dickinson
What three one-syllable words, when used with humility and gratitude, will shift the way you respond to life’s toughest challenges?
What should you name the intersection of your past and your present? "Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving."
Albert Einstein
Where is the Dollar? How do you handle the "unexplainables? If you worry too much about what might be, and wonder too long about what could have been, you will ignore and completely miss WHAT IS.
The WHY of WACKY Warriors.
"Life's most persistent and urgent question is, What are you doing for others?"
"Can we remain curious enough to look for and humble enough to recognize when we have found the next exception that teaches us what we don't already know."
Dr. Kevin Jones
Sisyphus is alive and well... After listening, ask yourself "Is it because you don't have enough time? Or...?"
What are the two principle things a leader can influence when it comes to producing results?
I am saddened because we lost a friend. The choices we make today are either a deposit or withdrawal from our future.
What is it that informs your Exchange zones? What is your favorite Track & Field event and why?
"Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people." - Eleanor Roosevelt
Imagine if everything you planned went exactly as you expected. How many opportunities would you never experience?
Decide = "Kill the alternatives!" Do you hang onto "stuff" way too long? A Decision Not to Buy is a Decision to Sell.
The WACKY Grand Canyon Challenge of the Rims Four things I learned that will benefit you. Is it easier to be 100% committed that it is to be 98% committed?
Lessons...We can Learn from everything. We can learn from our misfortunes and from our fortunes.
“Being challenged is inevitable; being defeated is optional.”
“If you live with a lame man, you will learn to limp.”
"Willpower is for those who haven't decided." - Benjamin Hardy
"Let us not be satisfied with just giving money. Money is not enough, money can be got, but they need your hearts to love them. So, spread your love everywhere you go."
- Mother Teresa
"94% of failure is the result of the system." - W. Edwards Deming
When you become indispensable, you disrupt the system.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAVE. thanks for not being indispensable!
Just Because You Look Dumb, Don't Mean You Ain't... Whaaat? ..and a couple of other things I learned from my late father.
When you fight for your limitations, you get to keep them. I’ll bet you fight for some of your limitations. I have!
Confidence vs Gratitude
Does gratitude instill confidence or the other way around? How would you answer this intriguing question? This question is from a regular viewer of Meaningful Monday... Thank You, Dr. Cheri Ong
"You only have one thing and one thing only in your life that is ever guaranteed." - David Frey Founder, AdventureVet & Veterans Charity Ride (WHAT IS IT?)
How can you be a Game Changer? Step out of your comfort zone and do something for someone else. Is there something out there that is more for me? Do something for someone else... serve.
How do YOU stay afloat in troubled waters? “Ships don’t sink because of the water around them. They sink because of the water that gets inside.”
"But this I know: if all mankind were to take their troubles to market with the idea of exchanging them, anyone seeing what his neighbor's troubles were like, would be glad to go home with his own."
Storms make roots grow deeper. In the midst of life storms we are reminded of how strong our roots are.
Do you have a Whip Cream Mindset?
"Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that." -Martin Luther King Jr.
"It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness." - Eleanor Roosevelt
The ability to carry out a worth while decision, once the emotion of making that decision has past.
"Freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what we ought." Pope John Paul II
Can we enable the desire for the Freedom that enables us to Do?
Turn Your Lights On!
"When we carry the burdens of the past, we can not live joyfully now." - Lloyd Newell
"Turn your face to the sun, the shadows fall behind you." - Maori Proverb
"Those you influence are greatly influenced by what influences you." - Lee Brower "He who influences the thought of his times influences the times that follow." - Elbert Hubbard
"EAT THE MEAT, THROW AWAY THE BONES!" This will be my longest Meaningful Monday of 2018. Don't miss a simple, yet proven, formula that will guarantee you an even more meaningful 2018.
What can I do today (before the end of the year) to create a milestone into 2018? Let's get a movement going, to find ways to show kindness.
"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart." - Helen Keller
Why do seeds grow down before they grow up? Over time, great traditions become the roots that strengthen families, and create stability in a world of volatility and uncertainty.
"Happiness comes and goes. But, when life is really good or life is really bad, having meaning gives you something to hold on to." - Emily Esfahani Smith
Some groups offer a cheap form of belonging. That is not meaningfulness.
Is there a relationship between gratitude and self-control? "Man's greatest enemy is himself. Man, in his weakness is the creature of circumstances. Man, in his strength is the creator of circumstances." - William George Jordan, 1905
"How much of life do we miss by waiting to see the rainbow before thanking God that there is rain?"
- Dieter Uchtdorf
Hands on the tablecloth that keep on helping.
What is the #1 question I get asked from highly successful leaders? And, how does the answer to the following question lead to the answer to their question: "What is the you that makes you-- you?"
"What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others." - Pericles "Legacy is not what you leave. Legacy is how you live." -LMB Why do you you needlessly torture yourself with comparison and competition? There is no such thing as low self-discipline!
WE The People.. Are we losing the concept of society-- where all sorts of people come together in the common aim of pursuing the common good? Has the We become Me?
Is there a relationship between Meaningfulness and Happiness?
If so, which one drives which?
4 Pillars of Meaningfulness: Belonging; Purpose; Transcendence; Story Telling.
"The "truths" we cling to shape the quality of our societies as well as our individual character." ... Dieter Uchtdorf The "AmaGoogleFace" Dilemma.
Little Sloane and Natalie say Hi!!
When entitlement is founded in Grattitude, might we call that EMPOWERMENT? Entitlement versus Empowerment Would you like to know two easy practices that will convert your sense of entitlement into a powerful presence of empowerment? It is not by humbling yourself!
What distracts you from what matters most? What is the difference between True Wealth and False Wealth?
15,220,770 texts sent each minute. Trillions each day! "The irony of our time is that we have guided missiles but misguided men." - Martin Luther King. Have you ever found it perplexing that we can go all the way to the moon and back, yet, we struggle to start a conversation across the road or across the aisle?
What is True Legacy? Am I saying you can find ways to be grateful FOR Harvey, Erma or Cancer? NO!!! But you can be grateful IN. Being IN gratitude creates True Legacy.
Adversity does not build Character, it reveals it." ... James Allen
"Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired, and success achieved." ... Helen Keller
"America is great because she is good. But, if she ever ceases to be good, she will cease to be great. Alexis de Toqueville
Knowing the Good, Desiring the Good, Doing the Good.
I REALLY BLEW IT!!! "True happiness is ... to enjoy the present, without anxious dependence upon the future." - Seneca "Unfortunately, I chose to limit my gratitude. Being truly present magnifies the joy of our gratitude." - L M Brower
"Losers gather in small groups and complain about the coaches and players. Winners assemble as a team and find ways to win." Mother Teresa: "What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family"
"If you hold an anti-war rally, I shall not attend. But if you hold a Pro-Peace rally invite me"
Frustrated? Overwhelmed? Exhausted? What is one very simple thing you are afraid to do because you fear you don't deserve it? Learn how that one thing can bring you intentionality, clarity and empowerment. Attract don't chase.
"Motivation follows action." Motivation without action is a "Someday". If it doesn't serve your future; make you better and/or benefit society - find a better "Someday".
MAY I BE A GUARD FOR THOSE WHO NEED PROTECTION A GUIDE FOR THOSE ON THE PATH A BOAT, A RAFT, A BRIDGE FOR THOSE WHO WISH TO CROSS THE FLOOD MAY I BE A LAMP IN THE DARKNESS A RESTING PLACE FOR THE WEARY A HEALING MEDICINE FOR ALL WHO ARE SICK A VASE OF PLENTY, A TREE OF MIRACLES AND FOR THE BOUNDLESS MULTITUDES OF LIVING BEINGS MAY I BRING SUSTENANCE AND AWAKENING ENDURING LIKE THE EARTH AND SKY UNTIL ALL BEINGS ARE FREED FROM SORROW AND ALL ARE AWAKENED - SHANTIDEVA, INDIAN BUDDHIST SAGE 700 A.D.
“Never forget that you are one of a kind. Never forget that if there weren’t any need for you in all your uniqueness to be on this earth, you wouldn’t be here in the first place. And never forget, no matter how overwhelming life’s challenges and problems seem to be, that one person can make a difference in the world. In fact, it is always because of one person that all the changes that matter in the world come about. So be that one person.” - Buckminster Fuller
Can you have courage without fear? What commitments are you afraid of?
"Courage is the ability to carry out a worthwhile commitment once the emotion of making that commitment has passed."
The Last Freedom: the ability to chose one's attitude in a given set of circumstances.
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead
PAYDAY: a richly rewarding day of those things that matter most.
"Daily Routine leads to habit which leads to a trait which develops your character." - Lee Brower
Can just one letter make the difference between success and frustration; gratitude and scarcity?
"In just a couple of years, your children will never be able to lie to you again!"... world renowned authority on exponential growth. "Trust founded in gratitude creates a culture of immense momentum, possibility and power." Lee Brower
"We see the world, not as it is, but as we are--or, as we are conditioned to see it." -- Stephen R. Covey
"Trust begins by searching for and seeing gratitude in our relationships, conditions, and circumstances." -- Lee Brower
True freedom is only available by making choices that align with our highest purpose. If you don't know your highest purpose, how can you make the best choices?
-- Lee Brower
Gratitude when joined with action fills one with kindness, understanding, peace and love."
"Experiences you recall are recollections. Experiences you feel are memories. Memories you name and share become wisdom that guides the choices that deliver our best future." - Lee Brower
Strong minds discuss ideas; Average minds discuss events; Weak minds discuss people. - Socrates
Are you an Arriver or are you a Thriver? "NOBODY IS GUARANTEED TOMORROW, THAT'S WHY WE HAVE TODAY."
What am I doing today, so I can have a brighter tomorrow?
Life is not about doing something, life is about becoming something.
"What is the one thing you believe in that others see it in everything you do? What is worth investing your Time, Energy, Attention and Resources (TEARs)? "Unlike investments you are familiar with, Growth does not come with time-- Growth comes with choices." Gratitude in not merely one of the 88 keys on the piano of life; "Gratitude is a major chord in a compelling melody that needs to be played everyday of our lives.
What do you say when someone asks how to stay in gratitude when their close friend is diagnosed with cancer?
Could I suggest that we see gratitude as a disposition, a way of life that stands independent of our current situation? In other words, instead of being thankful for things, we focus on being thankful in our circumstances—whatever they may be.
Can I share a personal moment with the great Coach John Wooden? He is in God's Hall of Fame.
"It is now highly feasible to take care of everybody on Earth at a higher standard of living than any have ever known. It no longer has to be you or me. Selfishness is unnecessary. War is obsolete. It is a matter of converting the high technology from weaponry to livingry." - Buckminster Fuller
"What is my job on the planet? What is it that needs doing, that I know something about, that probably won't happen unless I take responsibility for it?" - Buckminster Fuller
Ask yourself what mask do you wear?
Dr. Seuss... how can we re-discover the eyes of a child? "When you look into the eyes of a child you see untarnished love, hope, self esteem, forgiveness and determination. For the world to have a bigger future, we must rediscover the eyes of a child."
"When you look into the eyes of a child you see untarnished love, hope, self esteem, forgiveness and determination. For the world to have a bigger future, we must rediscover the eyes of a child."
Knowing our "ESSENTIAL" How Nick said "NO" to the very important. "It's easier to say No when you have a bigger Yes burning inside."... Stephen Covey
What if I told you the quality of life is not determined by the quality of our positive experiences?
Life is about the conscious training of the mind and body to respond in alignment with our values.
- Lee Brower
What can elevation do for you? "Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow."
- Melody Beattie
"All you can take with you is that which you've given away." Framed quote in George Bailey's office... "It's a Wonderful Life."
What holds families together? Traditions are deep roots that protect families through the storms.
If you were going to invest now in your future "best self", where would you put your TEAR's (time, energy, attention & resources)? What if I told you in the STARs?
"How wonderful that no one need wait a single moment too improve the world." ... Anne Frank
What is your Gratitude Action Plan? "The secret to happiness is to count your blessings while others are adding up their troubles." William Penn
Frustrated by all of the negativity? Can "triboluminescence" help you bring light to eliminate darkness in a disagreeable world?
When did we give away our moral agency?
"Now more than ever, the people are responsible for the character of their Congress. If that body be ignorant, reckless and corrupt, it is because the people tolerate ignorance, recklessness and corruption."
--James Garfield July 4, 1876
“The scarcity of time is the reason we have to concentrate on one thing at a time.”
- Matt Perman
The decisions you make, make you. Yes and No lead in opposite directions and determine the course of your life. It is easier to say "No" --even to the very important-- when you have a bigger ESSENTIAL burning inside.
Look at the one dollar bill with me... do you see what I see?
"True Gratitude is the Elevator of Life... always going up, never going down."
Listen to Lee Brower's Meaningful Monday Message to understand the importance of True Gratitude.
“If we do an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, we will be a blind and toothless nation.”
― Martin Luther King Jr.
"To do the best we can and then to choose to be happy about our circumstances, whatever they may be, can bring peace and contentment …We can’t direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails."
- Thomas S. Monson
You Just Won 86,400 Per Day, for Life!
What are You Going to do with It?
Don't let those things that are essential be at the mercy of the important.
Can umpires, coaches and parents really get along?
"The art of love is largely the art of persistence."... Albert Ellis
Yes, you are entitled... good or bad?
“What separates privilege from entitlement is gratitude.”
― Brené Brown
In this weeks Meaningful Monday Message, Lee Brower, talks about how each of us can undergo a metamorphosis similar to a caterpillar that changes into a butterfly.
How can you immediately increase gratitude and meaningfulness? Listen to this weeks Meaningful Monday Message.
Who would you be if you didn't have a title?
Discover Four Examples of Your Natural Power
What did I learn as a delegate to the Novus Summit at the United Nations?
"The future does not belong to the faint hearted. It belongs to the brave."
- Ronald Reagan
"You can't preserve the future without preserving the family." ...LMB
"No problem can withstand the onslaught of constant thinking." ...Voltaire
Life Coach and Leadership Guru, Lee Brower, talks about how a weed can teach us about finding light, in total darkness.
The Third Annual WACKY Warriors golf tournament.
Lee tells us that “Our THOUGHTS take us where we are going— but, they come from where we have been.”
Instead of saying, "I don't have enough time, try saying, "It's not a priority."
Life Coach and Leadership Guru, Lee Brower, discusses how our T.E.A.R.s (Time, Energy, Attention, Resources) help us with our priorities.
"The culture of any organization is shaped by the worst behavior the leader is willing to tolerate." ... Gruenter and Whitaker
Authenticity is the degree to which one is true to one's own personality, spirit, or character, despite external pressures.
The Future is in Your Imagination, The Present is Now.
Life Coach and Leadership Guru, Lee Brower, discusses how being in the present will help you be a better leader.
Self Actualization is a great characteristic of Leadership, but it is not the lonely road. If you want to get to a destination fast, go by yourself... if you want to get to a GREAT destination, then you better go together. - Lee Brower
Mothers know the struggles of the caterpillar, the loneliness of the cocoon, and enjoyed the beauty of the butterfly.
- Lifelong learning:
a. Einstein: “The important thing is to not stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.”
b. Curiosity is more important than knowledge.” - Einstein
c. “The mind is not a container to be filled; it is a fire to be kindled and stoked.” - LMB
- Responding – The Green R.
a. Red R versus Green R
b. Curiosity is the opposite of choosing sides. - LMB
- Growing—
a. “I think, at a child's birth, if a mother could ask a fairy godmother to endow it with the most useful gift, that gift would be curiosity.” - Eleanor Roosevelt
b. Misfortunes make us wise… when we ask why… not why did this happen to me.
“Nothing is worse than when curiosity stops. Nothing is more repressive than the repression of curiosity. Curiosity begets love. It weds us to the world. People die when curiosity goes.” - Graham Colin Swift
What are the two greatest responsibilities of a leader?
"My vision of the future sustains present agonies."
"True gratitude expressed becomes the light that unconsciously illuminates others, giving them courage to do the same."
- Lee Brower
"When you look into the eyes of a child you see untarnished love, hope, self esteem, forgiveness and determination. For the world to have a bigger future, we must rediscover the eyes of a child."
"When you look into the eyes of a child you see untarnished love, hope, self esteem, forgiveness and determination. For the world to have a bigger future, we must rediscover the eyes of a child."
The parents paradox: How can I prepare my children to stand on their own and at the same time make life easier for them?
Unhappiness is the hunger to GET... Happiness is the hunger to GIVE.
Do good things daily and eventually you'll become great.
Change will happen. Change will be disruptive.
"Discovery consists of seeing what everyone has seen and thinking what no one has thought." ---Albert Szent-Györgyi
"The exponential progress over the next year will surpass all of the progress over the last 100 years by at least 2,000 times!" - Ray Kurzwell
The choices we make- make us. Yes and No lead in opposite directions and determine the course of our life. Can you RIG life?
First we "boil", then we are "Quick", then we are "Authentic". Being authentic is being honest with yourself about whether your actions reflect your values.
Focus on your Energy and Diction, stay on course, to be where you want to be now, and in 2016.F
"When you look into the eyes of a child you see untarnished hope, self esteem, forgiveness and determination. For the world to have a bigger future we must re-discover in ourselves- the eyes of a child.”
- Lee Brower
"Success is the peace of mind that comes from the self-satisfaction of knowing you are doing the best you can do to become the best you can be.” - John Wooden
Named traditions deepen roots that link generations and provide a safe haven that is steady and reliable in a confusing world.
Great leaders provide the visionary light that inspires others to summon up the courage to endure daily struggles to reach a bigger future.
“To 'express' gratitude is gracious & honorable; to 'enact' gratitude is generous & noble; but to 'live' with gratitude ever in our hearts is to touch heaven.” ...Thomas S. Monson.
Your only job while you are here on planet earth is to be you and to be as good at being you as you can possibly be.
"Legacies built on financial wealth are like bridges built on sand-- eventually washed away & forgotten. Families built on the bedrock of Gratitude and True Wealth withstand the challenges of time."
Focus on things you can do, not the things that you can't do.
If unhappiness is the hunger to get... then happiness would be the hunger to ____?
“Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it: the tree is the real thing.” - Abraham Lincoln
How do we bring 'em home? "He who allows his day to pass by without practicing gratitude is like a blacksmith's bellows-- he breathes but does not live."
“Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least”... Goethe How do you do that? You focus on the WHY.
There is nothing as unequal as the equal treatment of unequals. Turn your Organizational Chart upside down!
You must take the time to ask yourself questions. Knowing what makes you happy is the first step to actually being happy. So, take the time to ask yourself.
Procrastination means making an appointment with opportunity that we could have had today, to "call again tomorrow."
As you commit to excellence and aim high, there will be times when you fall. The higher you climb, the bigger the fall. That can hurt. A those times, when you talk to yourself, it is important that you do it with love and cut yourself some slack. Be comfortable with your mistakes as long as you lean from them. -- But don't stop climbing and falling! Falling and the lessons learned often precede our greatest successes.
When you relate something in a way that intends to deceive, whether it is true or not, should that be considered a lie?
Ingratitude (the lack of gratitude) reflects the intellectual dishonesty of those who can enumerate their grievances but cannot count their blessings." - Neal A. Maxwell
What do think is in the gold silk pouch? "Look for the Good not bad; for the Happy not sad; for the Gain not the pain, and what makes you Grateful not hateful."
We should begin it today. Today is the only real day of life for us. Today is the tomb of yesterday, the cradle of tomorrow. All our past ends in today. All our future begins in today.
- William George Jordan
Don't wait until the last note to enjoy the song. Don't wait until the Amen to enjoy the prayer. Don't wait until you cross the "finish line" to enjoy the race.
A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles. ...Christopher Reeve
You have to Learn and Experience, then Understand. How Much Light does it take to Eliminate Darkness?
What can you do about World Peace? You can go home and love your Family - Mother Teresa
We have the Right to Lie, otherwise we will not learn to tell the truth.
The 3 A's: Appreciation... Attentiveness... Accountability
"Success is created through the performance of a few small daily disciplines that stack up over time to produce achievements far beyond anything you could have ever planned for." -Robin Sharma
Be grateful for your learning opportunities in your life. Be grateful for experiences that seem like setbacks. Major Setbacks can become Major Come Backs.
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead.
-A person without a vision is a person without a future. And, a person without a future will always turn to the past.-
"I am not what I ought to be; not what I want to be; not what I am going to be; but I am better than I used to be."
Granddaughter Weekend, gratitude and "I do not believe that sheer suffering teaches...."
A cement foundation without rebar is like a family without traditions. It is true in companies as well. Listen to two examples of traditions within companies.
Life is not a sprint nor a marathon. Families don't cross the finish line together. Life is a relay -- one generation passing their "True Wealth" to the next. Will you accept this weeks challenge?
The 5 most important lessons learned in Moab: * Unconditional Gratitude * Disconnect * Trust and Surrender * Fully Commit-- never quit! * Joy is available to all
First Descents High Adventure Camp. -Clarity always increases energy; Harmonic Balance eliminates 'wobble'; Focus eliminates waste; = Increased Confidence which attracts greater relationships and opportunities.
Is Character the ability to carry out a worthwhile decision once the emotion of making that decision has passed?
Is Character the ability to carry out a worthwhile decision once the emotion of making that decision has passed?
Is Character the ability to carry out a worthwhile decision once the emotion of making that decision has passed?
"Your relationship with money can be a place where you bring your strengths and skills, your highest aspirations, and your deepest and most profound qualities." - Lynne Twist
Invest in You! Be SPICE Fit! - Spiritually, Physically, Intellectually, Culturally and Economically FIT! (Forever Interdependently Thriving)
"When you live in the past, you can't see a bigger future. When you learn from the past, you create your bigger future."
Just because everyone is doing it, doesn't make it right. And, just because nobody is doing it doesn't make it wrong.
What is the one characteristic in those that live longer with greater happiness and joy?
The Event does not determine the Outcome. Your Response to the Event determines the Outcome.
Inventory Your Resourses (The What) Evaluate Your Processes (The How) Understand Your Priorities (The Why)
"Do the Right thing, at the Right time, in the Right order, for the Right cost." Jim Katsur
What if we measured our lives not by our titles, possessions and net worth and instead, by how many lives we have influenced?
"Legacy is not what you leave. True Legacy is how you live."
"Givers oft times receive greater joy than the receivers."
-Success is the peace of mind that comes from the self satisfaction of knowing you have made the effort to do the best you can do to become the best you can be.- adapted from John Wooden
Does how I spend my time restrict or enlarge my capacity to live, love, learn and to serve in meaningful ways?
It's about loving, learning and sharing. Meaningful Monday - May 12, 2014 with the Lipsitz Family in Buffalo, NY