Good Morning,
Welcome new recipients!
Last week my friend Dr. Hope Stith and I enjoyed lunch to celebrate the completion of my MBA. During the conversation, Hope asked me if there were any trends in the books I had read over the years. You would figure after reading some 240 self help, business, leadership, spiritual, religious, management, economics, etc., books that there would be some patterns in the message they give. And after reflecting on this for a few days here is what I have learned (in no particular order):
1. Don’t fear failure. Failure is learning opportunities for future growth. All great people have failed in the past. It is those folks who have not known failure in their lives who are in more danger than those who have failed often, yet learned and grew from those opportunities.
2. Honesty is still the best policy. If you cannot walk your talk, then fewer and fewer people will be willing to listen and follow you, no matter what you do. Another term for this is Do What You Will Say You Will Do. And if you cannot follow through, let someone know as soon as possible and why.
3. Emotions are good. Understand how you feel in all situations. Your emotions are more accurate than a lot of scientific equipment (ye old gut check). Don’t let your emotions run rampant, but don’t hide them or ignore them either.
4. Help others. There is no better way to improve yourself than by helping others. Teach others and you will learn more. Serve others and you will feel the greatest high and boost in morale and self esteem. Giving is better than receiving. The self centered folks who want others to serve them are usually bitter inside or grow to be that way over time.
5. Have fun. Laugh a lot. Gut wrenching laughs and ear to ear smiles help you live longer. People who laugh and can laugh at themselves are better able to enjoy life and take on the challenges that it throws at them. Have a sense of humor. Not everyone is out to get you (unless they are, but smile about it when it happens, and then deal with it).
6. Continual learning. Read a book, or many. Go to class, read articles, listen to people, go to museums. Do something to keep your mind active and growing. The more that you learn, the better you become in life. Most skills and knowledge are transferable across your life. What you learn will help you in many areas of your life. The moment you stop learning and growing is the moment you start shrinking and dying.
7. Be yourself. There are no molds to fill. You can follow heroes and try to be like great figures in history and religion, but ultimately, you can only be yourself. Focusing too much on being someone else will only fail in the end, as you can only be you. In religion, it is said to be Christ-like, not to be Christ. So be yourself.
It is amazing, but as I go through these books, these lessons seem to come through again and again, even in economics books and religious books. So many authors saying ultimately the same message in many different ways. It is kind of profound.
I look forward to the different twists on these messages as they add to my knowledge and skill and help me grow. This is what I have learned.
Enjoy!
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