31 Observations to Consider

Recently, I’ve read several articles where the author has shared their perspectives on life and business. They were thought-provoking.

Coupled with those articles, many of my clients and followers have asked me: ‘what have you learned, given all the challenges during the pandemic, etc., in the past 24 months? Hmmm….we’ve all been tested and stretched, for sure. The past two years have not been for the faint-hearted – that is for sure.

So, this month, I wanted to offer a few observations which came to my mind this past weekend, and I hope may be helpful to you and/or your teams.  As we get older, much of what we have experienced sheds light on what is really important AND where the gold can be found. The wisdom of my parents is ‘front and center’ in many of these thoughts. These are not ‘new musings’ for me – nor were they conjured up during the pandemic. They are actually validations made even more clear over this hard period of time. I was consistently reminded of these truisms throughout the past 24 months.

So – here you go:

• You are the company you keep. Choose your friends, mentors, coaches, partners, clients, etc. wisely. You most definitely mirror those with whom you spend the most time. Surround yourself with folks you want to be like….and learn and grow from them. Choose those who want only the best for you. Your posse is vital to your health and happiness.

• Your word is your bond. Period. My dad built a significant business with significant clients and large, complex projects almost 100% on a handshake.

• Your intuition is your True North. Nurture the ability to listen to it, listen closely, and heed the message.

• If you do what you love, you will never work a day in your life. Learn what you love – and tie it to something greater than yourself. That combination will provide renewable energy. I call this Alignment.

• A leader’s number one responsibility is to grow more leaders. Everything else follows – including the results.

• The market will apply the value which you assign to yourself. Stand tall. Know your worth.

• Never work for someone you don’t respect AND that you would not want to emulate.

• You can learn from everyone. EVERYONE. Watch. Listen. What you may be learning is how you don’t want to be.

• Say what you need to say – confidently, humbly, passionately, and empathetically. Never cower from fear. Speak the truth with kindness.

• Thank anyone and everyone who has impacted and affected your life. Yes, that list is long. Never leave gratitude unspoken. Make that call today.

• Habits will define our destiny. Small tweaks promise tremendous transformation.

• Rise 15 minutes earlier each day. This is your time to pray, meditate, and center yourself with your Higher Power. The difference is palpable.

• Always leave a place better than when you found it. (And yes, this can be a job, a house, a team, a company, a neighborhood, a dinner party, a relationship, etc.)

• Listen to your biorhythms. If you are a morning person – then front-end load your day. Try to plan your ‘critical meetings’ when you know you will be at your best.

• Money is not the only measure. Sure – we need it to live on this planet; yet, no one, and I mean no one, shifts lives solely with money.

• Follow The Four Agreements in life and business – this book was (and is) the foundational antidote for every dysfunctional team I turn around. They are: “Take nothing personally. Always do your best. Make no assumptions. Be impeccable with your word.” (Thank you, Don Miguel Ruiz.)

• Four of the most generative and unifying words are: Please, thank you, and ‘and’. Lose ‘but’ in your vocabulary and replace it with ‘and’ – you will experience collaboration like never before.

• Control is a mirage. As my daddy always said: ‘all we control is how we respond to our situation. We control our ABCs – our attitude, our behaviors, and our choices’. The circumstances do not make the person, they reveal the person. (Paraphrase of James Allen.)

• A career is not a linear path. A person’s career becomes a combination of hard work, insatiable curiosity, desire for contribution, and to make a difference in the world. The magic formula? Having the ability to compound your experiences – building brick by brick with all efforts being tied together by a golden thread of the impact you want to make in the world.

• When people show you who they are – believe them. (Thank you, Maya Angelou).

• Find out what you stand for – what you value. Your VALUES are your compass. Pay attention.  When/if you find yourself ‘out of sync’ with a company’s values, philosophies, and culture – you will be out of alignment. In Every. Single. Way.

• Love has EVERYTHING to do with everything….including and most importantly in business. Relationships are the glue in life and business. Never let anyone tell you that love does not have a place in business.

• Define success on your terms. Success comes from within, it is not awarded from the outside.

• Incidental encounters are not incidental at all. You must be ‘present to win’. There simply are no accidents.

• You always have the power of choice. “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” (Thank you, Victor Frankl.)

• Treat others the way you would want to be treated…if you were them.

• Ambiguity reveals opportunity. Lean into the unknown – you will sprout wings on the way down.

• Show grace to others and yourself.

• Intentions, like thoughts, undoubtedly become ‘things’. And a person’s character is a sum total of both.

• If we are alive, we have a purpose.  It is never too late to make the contribution we want to make – as long as we have breath.

• There is power in living with questions. “Our lives find their purpose – not in answers but in living large questions that are worthy of the soul’s magnitude.” (Thank you, James Hollis.)

Let me know what resonates with you.

And if you are curious about my 12-week Alignment at Work™ program (which has been getting rave reviews) – check it out here: https://www.alignmentatwork.com/align.