What's really important?

One of the most peaceful places for me is to be at the beach.  I become very introverted and introspective and it is where I can truly clear my head of all the stresses in life.

Living in Texas, there is so much to do, however, due to my fears of jellyfish, rattlesnakes (yes at the beach I have seen warnings for them), sharks, etc. I tend to stay out of the water.  Up until 3 weeks ago, I had never been to Galveston Island.  Over the last three weeks, I have been there twice. 

The first time it was with the family for a baseball tournament that my son's were playing in.  The games were OK, they both played well, but the important piece was the bonding time we had.  My oldest son is a Senior in high school this year, while my youngest son is a Sophomore.  They are the best of friends, period.  After the tournament we went over to the sea wall and the boys decided they wanted to feel the water.  It was really cool to see them really spend some bonding time with each other aside from being at home or on the ball field.  Next year will be hard on both of them.

 

 

My second trip to Galveston was for a work conference.  Like I said earlier, I get very introspective at the beach and spent some time on one of the jetty's.  The picture at the top of this post is one that really focused me on our first visit.  The statue is a family holding on to one other, looking for guidance from a higher power.  WOW! 

 

It is easy to get so focused on the hustle and bustle of daily life, but all of us really need to take that me time to remember what is truly important in our lives. Take the time to seek guidance, but hold on to those values and beliefs that are most important.

 

Hope this isn't too deep a post.  Usually I draw inspiration for my posts from reading others posts or based upon what is happening in my daily hustle and bustle.  Unfortunately, I have been away from reading and writing for a couple of weeks, but while these thoughts were in my head, I felt it best to share them.

 

Regardless of your situation, you should never get too busy to get back to the basics.  The basics will vary for each of us, but when you do, you will feel so much better.

 

Hope you all have a great weekend!  Let me know what getting back to the basics looks like to you.

Be the Difference!

What if?

In Garth Brooks song, "If Tomorrow Never Comes" he says, "Tell that someone that you love, just what your thinking of, if tomorrow never comes."

This is something that I have been thinking about a lot recently, both personally and professionally.

What if your business plans had to take an unexpected turn?
What if people that you expected to see each day, were no longer there?
What if skills you took for granted today, did not exist tomorrow?

Is the future of those around you secure?  Have you made sure that those that need to have the answers, actually have them?

I know I have asked a lot of questions, however, are you setting your legacy up properly?

I had the privilege of having a phenomenal leader work with me several years ago who made sure her legacy was a positive one.  She worked hard for her team on a daily basis.  I asked her one time why she put so much effort into what she did.  She replied that at the end of the day, it did not matter what she personally accomplished, but rather that when someone uttered her name many years in the future, that there would be positive thoughts associated with her name.  I can say that all who came in contact with her had both personal and professional respect for her.

Recently there have been several people who I knew personally and professionally that have passed away.  I regret that I did not get to know them better than what I did, because they truly left a positive legacy associated with their name.

As a leader, how are you going to be remembered?  Are your employees going to remember you as someone you genuinely cared about them, or someone that was more focused on achieving a number?  Make sure you have proper lines of communication in place to so that your organization can continue in your absence, or the absence of others.

Take time tonight, tomorrow, this week, next week, and as often as you can and tell people around you that you truly care about them.  I guarantee that it will have as much an uplifting effect on you, as it will on others.