A friend shared a story with me a few years back called,  How Much Is That $20 Pair Of Shoes? It was written  many years ago, when a $20 pair of shoes was considered fairly expensive.  It suggested that the cost of spending $20 on a pair of shoes far exceeds the $20. The author was not referring to the taxes imposed at the point of the sale. What he was referring to is that the decision to spend the money on that pair of shoes, literally cost you everything and anything else you could have done with that money. Once the money has left your hand, you have effectively deprived yourself of all other options.

The same principle holds true in terms of our time, our thoughts and our actions. For example, if I decide to exercise because I desire physical health, energy and stamina, I must determine what I am willing to deprive myself of to accomplish this. Obviously, I will need to set aside some time. This could mean giving up a little sleep, or perhaps my lunch time, in addition to any other activity I could be doing with that time.

It is very important to choose our deprivations wisely. Once you have decided what you really want for yourself and others, dive in with everything you’ve got. Don’t deprive yourself of great relationships; time for doing things you love, with those you love; health; vitality; peace; spirituality, or any other quality, attribute or experience you truly desire.”

Remember to make it a great day, it’s your choice!

Kirk Out

   Sometimes all I need to perk up my spirits is a smile from someone…heck anyone. Other times it needs to be a smile from someone I know. Somedays a short quote from one of you, does for me what many of you tell me the T4D does for you. Other days rather than a short quote to remind of what’s most important, or to invite me back to that higher ground, I need a little bit more.

MORE  -As I read this article in fast company magazine that I really found to be quite wonderful. It invited me to reflect, remember, repent, recommit, and really inspire me to seek greater self awareness. I share it with you for your journey of leadership and self development.

The Fall and Rise of David Pottruck
One day, David Pottruck was CEO of a major company. The next, he was out on his ear. What’s it like to lose it all — and how do you get is back again?

http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/98/pottruck.html

If perhaps you don’t need a story today but just a quick quote…well here you go!
It’s time to start living the life you’ve imagined. — Henry James

Kirk out

“If you define a company by its products, it dies.  You have to define it as a great culture that can create great products.”  Jim Collins, author of Good to Great

Kirk out

In life you’re either a passenger or pilot … It’s your choice.   Flying Magazine

Be a pilot or be a passenger.  Just don’t be baggage! (and don’t have have too much either)

Kirk out

Recommended Read!! == Man’s Search for Meaning

Victor Frankl, a psychologists by training was imprisoned in the Jewish death camps where he was in a position to witness behaviors of people in the most extreme circumstances. In this wonderful book he recounts numerous stories from the camps of how hope for the future kept him and his comrades alive. Frankl describes how the prisoners were able to create dreams and plans for the future in order to stay sane and keep their will to live in an environment where it was very easy to give up. What I got out of his recounting of the horrors of the death camps was that even though the Nazi’s took away almost all of the basic human necessities we are used to in life, and brutalized their prisoners, they weren’t able to control the minds of those imprisoned.  The great battle of life, is a battle for the mind…and more specifically for the spirit of hope that can only be kept alive there and no where else.  A wonderful read…a classic.

Last night I watched the 2003 version of Peter Pan with my 2 girls.  It is by far my favorite telling of the classic story and last night I heard heard a great line that I had never really caught before.  (not sure how I missed it, but I did)  It was from the opening of the film where Wendy’s Mom explained to her and her brothers that even though their father had never fought pirates or used a sword  he was still very brave.  She explained it saying, “There are many different types of bravery… thinking of others before oneself is just one form of it.”

 And I might add… an increasingly rare and highly treasured form of it. 

Wouldn’t the world be better if there were more “brave” people in it?

Make it a great day and weekend…and remember to …”BE BRAVE”

Kirk

A friend of mine whose name is Ella jokingly maintains that “The masses tend to stay stuck on stupid.”   There are some days when I think she may be right and there are other days, after I do something stupid, that I am sure she is right.  We all make mistakes, sometimes really stupid mistakes…. but we don’t have to stay stuck there.

It may have been stupid to quit college… don’t stay stuck there…go back and finish.

It may have been stupid to say what you did to someone you care about… don’t stay stuck there…go apologize.

It may be stupid to treat your body like a garbage disposal… don’t stay stuck there… feed your body living food today instead of processed pretend food.

It may be stupid that you haven’t exercised in 10 years…don’t stay stuck there…go for a walk at lunch today.

It may be stupid to spend so much time on facebook or the internet…don’t stay stuck there… get up, get out and connect with the world in a more visable and valuable way. (Not saying it’s bad…so don’t send me a bunch of flaming e-mails)

So you made a mistake… do all you can to make it right and move on…. because it would stupid to let yourself get stuck there.

Kirk out

 

Will and I could hardly wait for the morning to come to get at something that interested us. That’s happiness.  — Orville Wright, co-inventor of the airplane

I remember years ago hearing Tom Peters suggest that “If you need an alarm clock to get you out of bed in the morning, you are most likely not pursuing your passion.”  ( And I just barely set mine for tomorrow…whoops. Well maybe it doesn’t count if you have kids and stuff

Kirk Out

“If things are not going well with you, begin your effort at correcting the situation by carefully examining the service you are rendering, and especially the spirit in which you are rendering it.”  ~Roger Babson - 1875-1967, Statistician and Columnist

In service as in life… it’s the spiritual intent behind it that matters most.

Kirk Out

   “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” -Aristotle

“Greatness is not measured by what a man or woman accomplishes, but by the opposition he or she has overcome to reach his goals.” -Dr. Dorothy Height

“The common denominator of success — the secret of success of every man who has ever been successful — lies in the fact that he formed the habit of doing things that failures don’t like to do.” - Albert Gray

A Question-Able Habit.   My friend Rick Stewert told me that at the end of every workday he will deliberately ask himself this question.  “If I repeated my actions today for the next 100 days… what would be the results?” 

The implication of the question was other questions ….such as ….Would my business be better? Would my customers be happier or my employees more valuable and productive? 

We could ask a similar question at the end of the day with regard to our families… “If I repeated my last 4 hours at home with my spouse and children for the next 100 days…would my relationships with my family be stronger, would our memories together be richer.  It’s a great question and a great habit to consider.

The Habit of Excellence… it isn’t even taxable…yet. 

Kirk Out