Today's minimotivator #35-2010: Kindness

Joann C. Jones wrote, "During my second year of nursing school our professor gave us a quiz. I breezed through the questions until I read the last one: "What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?" Surely this was a joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank.

Before the class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our grade. "Absolutely," the professor said. "In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say hello." I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy."

What a great lesson and one to teach your kids.

Today's minimotivator #34-2010: Peace

Indira Gandhi once said, "You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist."

Over the weekend I got to read an amazing book called Century by Bruce Bernard and really got the feeling that as a race we feel clenched fists will get us what we want.

They won't.

If you remember you can only shake hands with an open hand I think we would all be better off.

Today's minimotivator #33-2010: Fishing

Roderick Haig-Brown said, "There will be days when the fishing is better than one's most optimistic forecast, others when it is far worse. Either is a gain over just staying home."

Fishing is like everything else you really like doing. No matter whether you win or lose, or don't catch anything, you are still doing it.

What can be better than that? Winning of course but as much as I like winning you cannot win all the time and that is when wanting to be there no matter what really helps.

YourMondayMotivator: Hmmmmm

I'm a bit late this morning sorry. After the weekend we had a lot to do this morning and I am probably a bit deflated / tired after the amazing, hectic time I have had.

As the morning ticked on it started to get even harder to figure out what to write about and my shoulders sagged. It was then I read this quote from Charlie Brown.

Charlie Brown said, "This is my "depressed stance." When you're depressed, it makes a lot of difference how you stand. The worst thing you can do is straighten up and hold your head high because then you'll start to feel better. If you're going to get any joy out of being depressed, you've got to stand like this."

This is so true. How you stand betrays, or portrays, how you feel. If you're feeling a bit low because it's Monday take note of how you're standing.

I just have and so my shoulders are now back, my head is high and I'm cracking into the day.

Have a successful week and keep your chin up. See the old ones do actually mean something.

Today's minimotivator #32-2010: Marriage

Rita Rudner said, "I love being married. It's so great to find that one special person you want to annoy for the rest of your life."

Today I'm getting married and having found the person I want to annoy for the rest of my life I wanted to wish the same to you.

Have a great day, smile at the person who lets you annoy them, or if you haven't got some like that find someone and give them a hug.

You're special but letting someone else know they are too is even better.

Today's minimotivator #31-2010: Dream sticks

Dr SunWolf said, "Give crayons. Adults are disturbingly impoverished of these magical dream sticks."

What a great name for crayons, dream sticks. Give some today, or buy some yourself, grab huge pieces of paper and scrawl.

Create, scribble and laugh. What joy that will be and who knows the result might be good enough for you to frame for yourself.

Today's minimotivator #31-2010: Optimism

Robert Brault said, "The average pencil is seven inches long, with just a half-inch eraser - in case you thought optimism was dead."

I have read similar quotes to this but when I read Robert's version today I finally understood it. It's very optimistic because it says you will make way less mistakes than you will write words or draw pictures.

This has changed the perspective with which I will look at pencils from now on. Maybe we should all keep one close at hand to remind us we do more good things than make mistakes.

Today's minimotivator #30-2010: The meaning of patience

In 1680 John Dryden wrote, "Beware the fury of a patient man."

Have you ever got to the absolute end of your tether and then been told you have to hold on for dear life because you could say or do something out of anger?

What do you do when you get there? Do you hang on or do you do something that makes you feel amazing but could be detrimental to your business or a relationship.

Patience to me can mean giving people enough rope to hang themselves when really I would like to tie the noose. Doing this can cost you money and time so like pulling of a plaster it's better to get things over with quickly with a short sharp pain and then relief.

What does patience mean to you? Tell us here.

Glenn

YourMondayMotivator: Are you committed?

How committed are you to what you do? Will you do whatever it takes to get your goals or aspirations. This week I'm making the biggest commitment of my life, I'm getting married.

Someone once said, "Marriage means commitment. Of course, so does insanity."

However, Peter F. Drucker said, "Unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes; but no plans."

My life has always been based on Druckers quote because I realised at a very young age, 5 1/2 years old to be exact, that if I wanted to be good at something I had to commit to it and give it my all. Until I did I wouldn't be as good as I wanted to be.

When you commit to something it is like getting married. You make plans and you have someone to help to stick to them. Many fences have been built and lights changed because of this.

So this week think about what you are committed to as a marriage. Have hopes and dreams but plan and do whatever it takes to make a success out of it.

Have a successful week.

Glenn

Today's minimotivator #29-2010: The meaning of life.

Robert Louis Stevenson said, "Anyone can carry his burden, however hard, until nightfall. Anyone can do his work, however hard, for one day. Anyone can live sweetly, patiently, lovingly, purely, till the sun goes down. And this is all life really means."

If you do these things every day, and rest at night, you will be happier, healthier and richer than most.

Living one day at a time with an eye on your legacy seems to be the meaning of Life. It's as simple and as hard as that.