- Eleanor Roosevelt (1884–1962)
American humanitarian and UN diplomat

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Give more list…

What are the most common "drag you down, get in the way of success" thoughts?

• Defeatist (accepting, expecting, or being resigned to defeat)
• Cynical (contemptuously distrustful of human nature and motives)
• Vindictive (seeking revenge)
• Blame/ Fault (who cares? what are we going to do now?)
• Wishful (do what you can to influence the deal/ project/ situation and keep moving)
• Self-pity (get over yourself… complain less… especially to yourself)

Get the complete list (5 more) and a printable reminder.

(Some definitions provided by Merriam-Webster. Most popular thoughts provided by your GiveMore team. They’re not our thoughts, you understand. We have friends with these thoughts.)
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If you’ve not seen it (outside the money hours or on a well-earned break)…

Be inspired to think more and fear less with this favorite clip from the film Defending Your Life (about 5-minutes). I love this one.
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Today’s quotation is the final thought from Eleanor Roosevelt’s article in Atlantic Magazine in April 1961… "What Has Happened to The American Dream?"

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- Lance Armstrong (1971 – )
American cyclist
7-time Tour de France champion

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Give more challenge…

Too many people are losing productivity on a particular day of the week because of a Flintstone-like mentality perpetuated by sitcoms and morning radio personalities. (Search Twitter for the word "Mondays" today for proof.)

It’s getting to the point where Tuesdays are the new week. (Wednesday is hump day, Thursdays are almost Fridays, Fridays are practically the weekend and Mondays… They’re for ramping up.)

It’s time for a little LUKSA (it’s Polish for "let us kick some @$$"… not really… just an acronym we made up).

Could you help inspire a "let’s kick some @$$" Monday morning start to the week? Could you spark a little positive revolution and help someone break out of the TGIF mentality (or yourself if it applies)?

Wouldn’t both be more fun (and profitable)? How about just starting it at home?

Get a LUKSA printable reminder here.
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1 minute from Nike to get you revved up. I watch this at least once every couple of weeks. I love how it builds and then pops at 0.38. Sick good. (That’s really really good.)

If you know a teenager who wants to care, pass it along. I shared it a few weeks ago at talk with some high school students and it seemed to connect nicely.
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In case we missed you last week… Here are our results to our "What’s the worst thing about meetings?" survey (and the solutions – whether you’re leading it or attending it).

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- Chinese proverb

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Give more reminder…

For those who depend on customers, clients, or patients…

Remember… It took a lot to bring those people in. Make sure you keep them by continually radiating a service culture internally. When you see an opportunity, seize it (for the good of everyone).

Through your interactions with other departments, help and encourage each other to embrace the fact that it’s the customer/ client/ patient who keeps the lights on (metaphorically and literally). Don’t encourage, condone, or contribute to negative discussions about them. Focus instead on how your organization helps people solve their challenges and/ or improve their business or personal lives.

This is what keeps the lights burning bright (and you shining bright).

(smile & move)
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To help you kick off the day… A beautifully shot and scored video of New York (5 minutes). I’ve found it puts me in a great state of mind to make good things happen. (Thanks to Mark Hurst for tipping us off. Surround yourself with good people, you’ll learn about good things.)

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- Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929–1968)
American civil rights leader
Nobel Peace Prize winner

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Give more inspiration…

What if…

John and Abigail Adams had been more concerned with themselves and work/life balance than creating a democracy (if you’ve not seen the HBO miniseries – great stuff)?

What if… Abraham Lincoln (born on 2/12… coincidence?) had quit trying after having a business go under and losing his first local legislative race (and then 3 congressional races and 2 senatorial races)?

What if… Martin Luther King didn’t have a dream and played it safe (and didn’t travel over 6 million miles giving more than 2500 speeches). What if he thought he was too young to have an impact (he did everything he did in a life of only 39 years)?

What if… Gandhi, Teresa, Roosevelt, Ford, Disney, Walton, Gates, Winfrey, Jobs, Stewart, and Ash hadn’t stepped up and worked hard. (What if the thousands of people who supported them hadn’t?) What if your police, military, firefighters didn’t?

What if… No one pushed it, risked it, and pushed it again (and again)?

Be obligated to your world (your people).

Give > Take.

(53 workdays remain in the first quarter. Printable calendars here. WorkDays here.)
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Today’s quote is from one of my favorite books by Martin Luther King called "Strength to Love." Heavy reading. Wonderful thinking. The complete thought is…

We must accept finite disappointment, but we must never lose infinite hope. Only in this way shall we live without the fatigue of bitterness and the drain of resentment.

The longer printable of the quote is below.

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- Owen Kosevich (2005 – )
American 6-year-old motivator

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Give more push…

Take action.

Make contact.
Ask the question.
Give the feedback (take the feedback).
Put it out there.
Go deeper.
Be real.

Don’t waste a moment going through the motions. (no gomos in 2-12, people who go through the motions)

You’re here to make good things happen for other people.

(tic toc)

"Look around, leaves are brown
And the sky is a hazy shade of winter."

Paul Simon (1941 – )
American music artist

Printable WorkDays charts are here, wallpapers are here.
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1 minute from Owen who just learned how to ride a bike (inspired today’s quote).

50 seconds from Jessica on getting your mind right.

2 enthusiastic minutes of my boys getting lost in their work.

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- Sam Parker (1965 – )
Cofounder of GiveMore

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Give more thought…

Two years ago, I looked into the business of Christmas for the first time (after 44 years)… Why we celebrate it and where it came from.

I was pretty surprised (as I’m confident you might be).

Please understand, I’m not kidding…

It looks as if the early Christian church was looking for a way to compete with the pagan celebration of Saturnalia – a week-long festival that honored the god of agriculture, Saturn. Apparently, during Saturnalia (are you laughing at this word yet?) there was also a group of Romans who celebrated the birth of a sun god named Mithra (who was born from a rock).

Mithra’s birthday was December 25.

So… Bottom line… A fourth century Pope took over 12.25 and set it as the day the Christian church would celebrate the birth of Jesus (a day that wasn’t celebrated until that point).

Now… I bring this to our attention because I’m not a fan of going through the motions (no gomos, right?) as I’m sure you’re not.

I believe our focus every day should be on loving our people (our families, our friends, our colleagues, our customers). But what exactly does that mean?

• It means we need to give ourselves to the people around us more (giving them our attention and care).
• It means we need to help end someone’s suffering when we can (and then look for more opportunities).
• It means we need to be kind, compassionate, and patient.
• It means we need to be truthful, forgiving, and humble.
• It means we need to enjoy the hospitality and gifts of others.
• It means we need to be thankful.
• It means we need to connect (really).
• It means we need to be attentive and engaged with our work (to how we contribute).

To me… all of these holidays we celebrate allow us to more often compartmentalize our gratitude and care rather than encourage it to be a part of our daily lives (missing out on a daily celebration that might otherwise exist).

At Christmastime, we embrace getting together more and giving gifts to each other (things) yet at the same time complain about the busyness (and business) behind it all, changing nothing year after year. ("Let’s get together after the holidays when everything settles down.") Then we go into a New Year, pausing and reflecting at certain points over certain things dictated by our federal holiday calendars and those of our chosen faiths (and remember, a belief that there isn’t a god is also a faith).

But in our day-to-day (the bulk of our time here) opportunities for care (love), will we be awake enough not to go through the motions and make a positive difference to others whenever (wherever) we can… despite the particular day?

Can we remember (more often) that we’re here for each other – that that good feeling we get more often around our winter holiday of choice comes from a love that we can (and should) have every day?

"But then it won’t be special." (special (adj.): being other than the usual)

Wouldn’t that be great?

12.25 is arbitrary. Merry Today.

(Valentine’s Day? You can’t handle the truth.)

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Copyright © 2010 by Give More Media Inc. This was written by Sam Parker. If you’d like to tell people about it somewhere (e.g., blog, newsletter, Facebook, social media), please reference Sam Parker of GiveMore.com as the author and link directly to the article. Excerpts are great but please don’t publish the article in its entirety without advanced written permission (email Sam using the address at the bottom of this page).

- Buddy the Elf
from the film, Elf (2003)

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Give more smiles…

Smiling is where pleasantness begins. It costs nothing, makes you more approachable, and improves your looks (really).

I took this picture from my TV during Super Bowl 43.

Who would you rather have lunch with?
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Here’s the scene in Elf that’s the source for today’s quote (1 minute). Try not to smile after Santa’s arrival is announced.
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Glengarry Glen Ross fans: Saturday Night Live’s seasonal take on the classic scene, "Coffee’s for closers." Only worth the time if you’ve seen the film or actual scene more than twice (4.5 minutes).

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(unfortunately, I think I’d be the manager in this scene…
“work is your new favorite”)

Got a favorite? Email us.

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- Viktor Frankl (1905–1997)
Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist

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Give more challenge…

A simple challenge where everyone wins (you and those around you). No risk. No additional time required.

Within the next 3 weeks (or maybe the next 3 minutes), set a 2-day period as your days (or your team’s days) to inspire others. Two days where you’ll put on blinders to anything negative and be the one in the office who everyone else can count on for words and actions that inspire and encourage. Two days where you’re the light for other people – your colleagues, your customers, your patients, your students – no matter what.

Allow nothing negative and focus only on your service to others.

Once you set your 2 days, fully commit to the effort (Cross The Line, remember?) regardless of the inevitable challenges, regardless of the weather (please, never the weather). Fall off the inspirational horse at 2:11 on the first day? Get back on at 2:12 – no excuses.

Remember, you wake with an option for your daily attitude. Challenges will come up regardless.

Choose positive. Spread it for two days. Get Smoving.

& ~> (that’s Smile & Move)

Not only will it be contagious… it might become a habit.

(Who could do it with you? Forward this idea to them.)
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To help you kick off the day… A beautifully shot and scored video of New York (5 minutes). I’ve found it puts me in a great state of mind to make good things happen. (Thanks to Mark Hurst for tipping us off. Surround yourself with good people, you’ll learn about good things.)
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In case we missed you a couple weeks ago…

Have you seen Viktor Frankl’s (author of today’s quote, Holocaust survivor and author of the classic, A Man’s Search for Meaning – a GiveMore favorite) talk on inspiring others and ourselves (4.5 minutes)? The concluding thought on sparks and presupposing is great. Watch it here.

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I’m re-committing to Focus. I hope you’ll join me if you’re not already there.

You might be thinking I’m good at this given what I write and talk about, but (like many people) it’s a big challenge for me. (Can you imagine how difficult it’s going to be when our future generations get out here in the working world with us?)

My Distraction Diet Commitments…

Focus hours… Twice each work day, I will hold focus hours. From 9 am – 11 am and from 2 pm – 4 pm, I will become unavailable to anything but true emergencies. My phones will be off to anything inbound (no calls, no texts… airport mode on my cell). It’s only two 2-hour blocks of time where I’m unavailable to others. When I think I can’t do it and that people need to reach me because I’m so very important, I’ll remember that I’m not as important as I think I am.

Email… I will turn off email alerts and check it only twice a day (11:30 and 4:30). When I think that’s impossible because people need to reach me because I’m so very important, I’ll remember that I’m not as important as I think I am. (See below for letting people know how to get to you.)

Instant messaging… I will not do it. This would be like allowing someone to jump up on my desk anytime they want and interrupt my workflow (and I certainly don’t want to do that to anyone else). After all, I’m a grown-up.

Web… I will not use the web personally during my money hours (mine are between 8 am and 6 pm each work day with a break for lunch). When this gets tough because of my addiction to distraction, I’ll remind myself again that I’m a grown-up.

Phone… I will not give my attention to my iPhone when people I know are around me. If it vibrates (a ringtone? please) when I’m in a face-to-face conversation I will do my best to ignore it and give it attention when I’m alone. Fortunately, when I’m in an airport, I generally don’t know a lot of people so I can dig into my phone all I want there (although I might miss out on some of those serendipitous moments I’ve had in the past where I’ve met some very interesting people and learned new things… hmmmm).

Proximity… I will turn my desk facing away from my door.

Television… I will not channel surf. If I want to watch something, I will watch that thing and that’s it (and it will rarely, if ever, be something stupid). If I need downtime, I’ll read a book or something on the web (being careful here too, of course).

Commitment: When things get tough, I’ll remind myself that I want to succeed professionally, financially, and personally (better relationships, better knowledge). And, if I do these things, I’ll likely contribute more, make more useful things happen, earn more, and enjoy more as a result. (It’s a better bet.) When I make a mistake (break focus hours, check my email, look at the web, etc.), I’ll stop, re-commit, and remind myself I want to make good things happen (rather than living in a state of busy distraction).

These are for me and my workflow. If your work really requires more attention to email or a phone then adjust accordingly. As you make these commitments, be sure to let people know so they understand you’ll be responding to them, just at a different interval than you did before. Let them know that if they need you urgently, they should call you or visit you. If they don’t like that idea, remind them that you love them (only slight kidding here) and they’re important to you but you are trying to make good things happen and that requires hard work and focus (Cross The Line, right?). Maybe they’ll be inspired and join you in your distraction diet and we’ll all win.

Got another idea you’d like to share? I’d love to hear it. If I think it’s something everyone would benefit from, I’ll send it out in another email. Just email me at Sparker@GiveMore.com.

One last thing…

“Your business is to fix his attention on the stream. Teach him to call it ‘real life’ and don’t let him ask what he means by ‘real’.”

C.S. Lewis (1942)
from The Screwtape Letters

Here’s Louis CK’s version (funny, huh?). Warning: he’s got a bit of trash mouth.

Hang in their until the end… hilarious. Speaks to the Smile side of Smile & Move (Being awake and approachable).

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Copyright © 2011 by Give More Media Inc. This was written by Sam Parker. If you’d like to tell people about it somewhere (e.g., blog, newsletter, Facebook, social media), please reference Sam Parker of GiveMore.com as the author and link directly to the article. Excerpts are great but please don’t publish the article in its entirety without advanced written permission (email Sam using the address at the bottom of this page).

If you’re slightly more daring, call 804-762-4500 ext. 303.