Givers Gain!

In November 2017, I was allowed to participate in a wonderful and unique networking experience called “Women Making Waves.” This occurred on a cruise ship departing from Galveston, TX that brought together some brilliant female speakers and entrepreneurs who theoretically needed some body-guard types to protect them during this adventure (at least that was the story that I was telling myself as I attempted to justify why I was a participant in this adventure).

I was blessed in meeting many new acquaintances, including Angel Tuccy, who introduced me to a powerful phrase that she used…”givers gain.”  It resonated with me, and took me back to one of my mentors, fellow Dallasite Zig Ziglar, who professed that “if you will just help other people get what they want,”  you may ultimately benefit as they will tend to help you with achieving the things that you want.

This aligns with Stephen Covey’s “emotional bank account deposits” theory from his seminal book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Covey professed that if you helped people out when they were in need, either reactively or proactively, then eventually, if you ever needed something in return from them, the likelihood of them reciprocating would be greatly enhanced.

Most importantly, neither one of these brilliant role-models meant for these theories to be used or manipulated in a self aggrandizing manner. Rather, they approached these philosophies from the unselfish perspective that …”givers gain.”

 

Attitude of Gratitude (Reminder)

Attitude by definition is a settled way of thinking or feeling about someone or something, typically reflected in a person’s behavior.

Over the years, I have intentionally experimented with attempting to behave in an “optimal” fashion, primarily driven by my interpretation, and consequent attitude, toward any given situation.

My personal endeavor toward consistently demonstrating a constructive, energetic attitude dates back to initial engagements with Tony Robbins, via his “Personal Power“ program. Robbins challenges us to improve our lives by asking daily quality questions, such as “What am I grateful for?” or “What could I be grateful for?” That process moved me toward the pursuit of living my life with “an attitude of gratitude.”

Genuinely appreciating the good things we do have certainly beats spending time wallowing in pity about “What’s not great yet!”  There will always be someone else who is wealthier or healthier.  An honorable mission is to live in the moment, cherishing what we have been blessed with, and pursuing life with enthusiasm and energy.

The ultimate lesson that was reinforced throughout my experiment was that I, and only I, have the ability to choose and control the way I think, feel, act…and ultimately impact others. Doing so with that “attitude of gratitude” has certainly made the journey much more enjoyable…for myself and those around me!

 

 

 

Personal Recalibration

Maintaining a positive work environment goes a long way toward improved productivity, energy, employee retention…and having fun at what you’re doing.

Leadership includes an obligation to create enthusiasm, despite what may be occurring in either your personal life, professional world, or both!  On some days, you may have life challenges that potentially drain you and make it hard to “plug it in” as that high energy role model.

When I find myself approaching a less-than-desirable emotional state, realizing the negative effect that has on myself as well as those around me, I attempt to catch myself and quickly “recalibrate.”

This entails a simple ten second “time-out” where I relax my body, take a few deep breaths, and change my thought pattern toward all that I have and all that I am blessed with.

The quote below is a good reminder for anyone when they find themselves going in a negative direction.