Daily Inspiration 11-22-12

"Believe that giving up is the same thing as being realistic. . . Reject the tyranny of picked. Pick yourself." -- Seth Godin    Seth Godin Week This week I will explore his marketing and business wisdom      [This piece was pulled from the archives in 1998 and seemed appropriate] Since I was just a kid, I've wanted to change the world. You too? Wow, I thought I could, then I tried and became very frustrated. Then I finally decided to just give it up and join the world. That didn't change anything and the frustrations didn't go away either. The frustration might have even expanded, because I knew that I had thrown in the towel. Finally in the past couple of years, I've been going through a change, and I think I'm finally seeing how to change the world. Call it a bit of wisdom, but the only way that I have seen to change the world is to change me. After all, the world is a huge challenge that would consume my life span easily. I've tried changing others-I've tried real hard-to no avail. There's only one thing left: me. Call it deductive reasoning, wisdom or enlightenment, but what else is left? I can only change me and how I think; how I respond; how I act and interact with others. In giving a short speech to a group of employees, I said that all of my life I have wanted to work for the perfect company where everything works well for every one. Where the boss cares about us and we care about each other. Where we encourage each other and help each other. Where it is satisfying and even fulfilling to be a part of a whole. I then said that the perfect company is wherever you are currently working because the perfect company starts with you. Until we each start treating each other with love, respect, dignity, the perfect company will continue to be an illusive dream. We must start and we must change, then the company will change. A company is a non-entity without people, so the people create the company. It is not what happens to us that matters, it is how we react to it that matters. At work this last week I reacted to a co-workers conclusion that another employee was sabotaging our efforts with an account. It was easy to agree with this conclusion because this person has been known to be less than helpful; however, after my reaction, I later found this supposition to be without merit. Indeed, I once again felt ashamed at my quick judgement based on rumor instead of fact. Once again, I get the learning opportunity of being humbled. Once again, I get the opportunity to choose a different reaction next time I'm offered a situation. If I am to continue on my journey of changing the world, I first must change me.

Accepting Responsibility For My Own Thinking And Actions Is Not A Burden, It Is Move Toward Power.   Spread Some Joy Today--Choose joy today. Give plentiful thanks. Start with speaking of it to yourself. Selfish joy is a wonderful things. Selfish gratitude is a life changer.