Good morning, Leaders! It’s Friday!

Somewhere between subtle and hyper-sensitive, lies a world within a world that I seldom pay attention to.

I’m caught up in my own…stuff. One big lump of distractions.
Not enough sleep, too much stress, something broke again at home when I was traveling, the car doesn’t sound right (but the dealer says it “A, OK!”). Clients are upset, coworkers are anxious, executives are impatient and soon I forget:
I have a roof over my head, food in my belly, money in my pocket, friends I can talk to, children I am proud of, family to lean on, a hobby or two to keep me from going insane. A God who loves me. I’ll be ok.

We focus on ourselves so much of the time. Studies say it’s over 80% of the time. (Dale Carnegie claims the number is at 95%.)

Life is funny. Ironic funny, not ha ha funny. It’s a series of loops.

•One loop that runs in your head, 80% of the internal audio soundtrack is complete by the time you’re 8 years old! Imagine how entrenched those beliefs are by the time you are considered an adult. How hard is it to record a new chapter?

•Another loop is the personal journey we are all on. Life teaches us lessons but if we don’t learn them along the way, life has a tendency to reintroduce us again and again until you get it. “Those who do not learn (from) history are doomed to repeat it.” George Santayana

•From a physical standpoint, we enter this world bare-assed naked, screaming and hungry looking for a warm, comfortable and safe place to take a long nap. When we take our last breath, we go with the same amount of fabric on our backs, the same amount of food in our belly and looking for a place to take a long nap.

I met a man this week for the first/third time. The previous introductions didn’t allow me to gather any personal details or tangible facts. This meeting was different. He explained his extensive responsibilities and quantitative industry experience. He explained how one of his significant efforts is bringing clean water to 80,000 people in West Africa. He’s cynical, jaded, and avoids the spot light. But he would classify himself as a Giver.* It’s a matter of perspective and opinion.

* I had a coworker who sold us his company a dozen years ago or so. He said, “Eric, there are two kinds of people; Givers and Takers.”

Pastor Jerry Carlson used to say at the end of each of his sermons, “As you go out into the world this week, remember that everyone is fighting a battle of some kind, so be gentle.”

Take away? Let me hit you over the head with it today.

You will be better off if you can change your internal recording by paying honest attention to others. Focus on what you can do to add value, not hoard it.

Life is short.

Despite every instinct and worldly force telling you differently, it ain’t about you.

Be a giver.

Be gentle.

Please, have a blessed weekend!