Meaningful Mondays

We are witnessing an ever-greater movement toward polarity. The middle-ground options are being removed from us. Don't let it happen to you. Choices must be made. Not making a choice is a choice. Do not be seduced by the Four P’s of False Happiness: Popularity, Possessions, Power, and Pleasures. To go, you must first STOP four boulders that are in your way of authentic leadership: 1. Stop regretting your past. Stop fretting about your future. Stop looking for happiness in the 4 P's of False Happiness. Stop underestimating your immense inner strengths.

"Every act of kindness, no matter how small, creates a ripple that spawns endless waves."  - Lee Brower What do you think the flight attendant values most? She puts others above even her own needs - or better said - comfort. Her selfless act embodies the essence of what we refer to as an "Arrows Out" mindset. I like this quote by Princess Diana: "Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you."

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. + 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.

Embodied Cognition Theory - You laugh - We laugh

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!"