Inspiring Movies

This week's article is one person's list of the top 25 inspriational movies.  I haven't seen all of them but some of the most inspiring one's I could think of were on the list.  I love that each of these has a small quote so if you don't have time to watch the movies at least read the quotes to be inspired! 

Enjoy!

 25 Inspirational Movies

You know the movies.  The ones that make your heart grow ten times bigger, or the ones that give you the strength of ten warriors on your side.

These are the movies that inspire us.

They make the blood rush through our veins.  They make our soul sing.  They make us want to get up and give our best … until there’s nothing more to give … and then give some more.  They move us.

They make us laugh, they make us cry, they make us think.  But mostly, they remind us why we are alive and what’s worth living for.  They remind us that every day, is another day, to get up, venture into the world, and make a difference.  Our difference.  Whether that difference is to conquer a personal demon, or to make a difference in somebody’s life, or to make the world a better place.  It’s our story that we write each day.

Everybody, every day, has their own adventures, and their own unfolding story, but we’re all in this together.  And that’s why we identify with the movies that inspire us — to make the most of what we’ve got … to live more, learn more, laugh more, and love more … and, above all, to keep our spirit strong, and to go the distance.

Here are 25 motivational movies that inspire us to go the distance, and make the most of the journey of life along the way …

1. 300

No retreat, no surrender.

Inspirational movie quote:

“Children, gather round! No retreat, no surrender; that is Spartan law. And by Spartan law we will stand and fight… and die. A new age has begun. An age of freedom, and all will know, that 300 Spartans gave their last breath to defend it!” – King Leonidas (Gerard Butler)

2. Braveheart

If it’s worth it, fight for it.

Inspirational movie quote:

“Aye, fight and you may die. Run, and you’ll live… at least a while. And dying in your beds, many years from now, would you be willin’ to trade ALL the days, from this day to that, for one chance, just one chance, to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they’ll never take… OUR FREEDOM!” – William Wallace

Watch ta clip – Braveheart in Defiance of the English Tyranny

3. Coach Carter

The power to shine is in every one of us.

Inspirational movie quote:

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine as children do. It’s not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own lights shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” – Timo Cruz (Rick Gonzalez)

4. Dead Poet Society

Carpe Diem — seize the day!

Inspirational movie quote:

“They’re not that different from you, are they? Same haircuts. Full of hormones, just like you. Invincible, just like you feel. The world is their oyster. They believe they’re destined for great things, just like many of you, their eyes are full of hope, just like you. Did they wait until it was too late to make from their lives even one iota of what they were capable? Because, you see gentlemen, these boys are now fertilizing daffodils. But if you listen real close, you can hear them whisper their legacy to you. Go on, lean in. Listen, you hear it? – - Carpe – - hear it? – - Carpe, carpe diem, seize the day boys, make your lives extraordinary.” – John Keating

Watch a clip – Dead Poet’s Society – Carpe Diem

5. Don Juan DeMarco

Love conquers all.

Inspirational movie quote:

"There are only four questions of value in life, Don Octavio. What is sacred? Of what is the spirit made? What is worth living for, and what is worth dying for? The answer to each is the same – only love." — Don Juan DeMarco (Johnny Depp)

6. Freedom Writers

No excuses!

Inspirational movie quote:

“I don’t want excuses. I know what you’re up against. We’re all of us up against something. So you better make up your mind, because until you have the balls to look me straight in the eye and tell me this is all you deserve, I am not letting you fail. Even if that means coming to your house every night until you finish the work. I see who you are. Do you understand me? I can see you. And you are not failing.” – Erin Gruwell (Hilary Swank)

7. Good Will Hunting

Love something more than yourself.

Inspirational movie quote:

“They don’t know about real loss, because that only occurs when you love something more than you love yourself.” – Sean (Robin Williams)

Watch a clip – Good Will Hunting – They don’t know about real loss.

8. Hitch

Find the things that take your breath away.

Inspirational movie quote:

“Life is not the amount of breaths you take, it’s the moments that take your breath away.” – Hitch (Will Smith)

9. Into the Wild

Find the beauty in all things.

Inspirational movie quote:

“I will miss you too, but you are wrong if you think that the joy of life comes principally from the joy of human relationships. God’s place is all around us, it is in everything and in anything we can experience. People just need to change the way they look at things.” – Christopher McCandless (Emile Hirsch)

10. Lord of the Rings

Step up to the plate and write your story forward.

Inspirational movie quote:

“So do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. There are other forces at work in this world Frodo, besides the will of evil. Bilbo was meant to find the Ring. In which case, you were also meant to have it. And that is an encouraging thought.” — Gandalf (Ian McKellen)

11. Marley and Me

Do you make people feel rare, pure, and extraordinary?

Inspirational movie quote:

"It was really quite simple, and yet we humans, so much wiser and more sophisticated, have always had trouble figuring out what really counts and what does not. Sometimes it takes a dog with bad breath, worse manners, and pure intentions to help us see. Ask yourself, how many people in the world can truly make you feel rare, pure, and extraordinary?" –John Grogan (Owen Wilson)

12. Million Dollar Baby

Be relentless.

Inspirational movie quote:

“To make a fighter you gotta strip them down to bare wood: you can’t just tell ‘em to forget everything you know if you gotta make ‘em forget even their bones… make ‘em so tired they only listen to you, only hear your voice, only do what you say and nothing else… show ‘em how to keep their balance and take it away from the other guy… how to generate momentum off their right toe and how to flex your knees when you fire a jab… how to fight backin’ up so that the other guy doesn’t want to come after you. Then you gotta show ‘em all over again. Over and over and over… till they think they’re born that way.” – Eddie Scrap-Iron Dupris (Morgan Freeman)

13. Mulan

Be YOUR best, despite the odds.

Inspirational movie quote:

"The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all." — The Emperor (Pat Morita)

14. Peaceful Warrior

Love what you do.

Inspirational movie quote:

“The warrior does not give up what he loves, Dan. He finds the love in what he does.” – Socrates (Nick Nolte)

“The accident is your training. Life is choice. You can choose to be a victim or anything else you’d like to be.” — Socrates (Nick Nolte)

Watch a clip – Peaceful Warrior – The warrior does not give up.

15. Rocky

Go the distance!

Inspirational movie quote:

“Ah come on, Adrian, it’s true. I was nobody. But that don’t matter either, you know? ‘Cause I was thinkin’, it really don’t matter if I lose this fight. It really don’t matter if this guy opens my head, either. ‘Cause all I wanna do is go the distance. Nobody’s ever gone the distance with Creed, and if I can go that distance, you see, and that bell rings and I’m still standin’, I’m gonna know for the first time in my life, see, that I weren’t just another bum from the neighborhood.” – Rocky (Sylvester Stallone)

Watch the clip – Rocky – Training and going the distance.

16. Rocky Balboa (Rocky 6)

Keep bouncing back, keep moving forward.

Inspirational movie quote:

“Nobody is gonna hit as hard as life, but it ain’t how hard you can hit. It’s how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. It’s how much you can take, and keep moving forward. That’s how winning’s done.” – Rock Balboa (Sylvester Stallone)

Watch the scene – Rocky Balboa – It Ain’t About How Hard You Hit.

17. Rudy

Every underdog has his day. Prove it to yourself, nobody else.

Inspirational movie quote:

“In this life time, you don’t have to prove nothing to nobody, except yourself. And after what you’ve gone through, if you haven’t done that by now, it ain’t gonna never happen.” – Fortune (Charles S. Dutton)

Watch the Clip – Rudy – Rudy and the Janitor.

Watch the Clip – Rudy – Rudy succeeds with sack.

18. Runaway Bride

It’s not gonna be easy, but it’s gonna be worth it.

Inspirational movie quote:

"Look, I guarantee there’ll be tough times. I guarantee that at some point, one or both of us is gonna want to get out of this thing. But I also guarantee that if I don’t ask you to be mine, I’ll regret it for the rest of my life, because I know, in my heart, you’re the only one for me. " — Ike Graham (Richard Gere)

19. Stand and Deliver

Want it and work for it.

Inspirational movie quote:

“There will be no free rides, no excuses. You already have two strikes against you: your name and your complexion. Because of these two strikes, there are some people in this world who will assume that you know less than you do. Math is the great equalizer… When you go for a job, the person giving you that job will not want to hear your problems; ergo, neither do I. You’re going to work harder here than you’ve ever worked anywhere else. And the only thing I ask from you is ganas. ‘Desire’.” — Jaime Escalante (Edward James Olmos)

20. The Bucket List

Find the joy and make it contagious.

Inspirational movie quote:

“You know, the ancient Egyptians had a beautiful belief about death. When their souls got to the entrance to heaven, the guards asked two questions. Their answers determined whether they were able to enter or not. ‘Have you found joy in your life?’ ‘Has your life brought joy to others?’” — Carter Chambers (Morgan Freeman)

Watch the clip – The Bucket List – Two Questions.

21. The Empire Strikes Back

Just do it.

Inspirational movie quote:

“Do, or do not. There is no ‘try’.” — Yoda

22. The Mighty Ducks

Stick together, win together.

Inspirational movie quote:

“Neither do hockey players. Have you guys ever seen a flock of ducks flying in perfect formation? It’s beautiful. Pretty awesome the way they all stick together. Ducks never say die. Ever seen a duck fight? No way. Why? Because the other animals are afraid. They know that if they mess with one duck, they gotta deal with the whole flock. I’m proud to be a Duck, and I’d be proud to fly with any one of you. So how about it? Who’s a Duck?” – Gordon Bombay (Emilio Estevez)

Watch the clip – Ducks fly Together.

23. The Notebook

Awaken your soul and reach for more.

Inspirational movie quote:

“My Dearest Allie. I couldn’t sleep last night because I know that it’s over between us. I’m not bitter anymore, because I know that what we had was real. And if in some distant place in the future we see each other in our new lives, I’ll smile at you with joy and remember how we spent the summer beneath the trees, learning from each other and growing in love. The best love is the kind that awakens the soul and makes us reach for more, that plants a fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds, and that’s what you’ve given me. That’s what I hope to give to you forever. I love you. I’ll be seeing you.” — Young Noah (Ryan Gosling)

24. The Pursuit of Happyness

Don’t let anybody tell you that you can’t do something.

Inspirational movie quote:

“Don’t ever let somebody tell you… You can’t do something. Not even me. All right? … You got a dream… You gotta protect it. People can’t do somethin’ themselves, they wanna tell you you can’t do it. If you want somethin’, go get it. Period." – Christopher Gardner (Will Smith)

Watch the clip – The Pursuit of Happyness – You want something.  Go get it.  Period.

25. Vision Quest

It’s the moments that matter.

Inspirational movie quote:

“I was in the room here one day… watchin’ the Mexican channel on TV. I don’t know nothin’ about Pele. I’m watchin’ what this guy can do with a ball and his feet. Next thing I know, he jumps in the air and flips into a somersault and kicks the ball in – upside down and backwards… the ... goalie never knew what ...It ain’t the six minutes… it’s what happens in that six minutes.” – Elmo (J.C. Quinn)

What are the movies you draw from for insight and inspiration when you need it most?

Lessons From a Janitor

As I drove into work this morning I noticed a few flags being flown at half mast.  I wondered who had died.  A few moments later my radio reminded me of the reason,  that today is the 70th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor incident. 

I remembered an interview of a Pearl Harbor survivor I saw several years ago.  The reporter asked the survivor if he was a hero.  He said, "No, the heroes are all out there."  He pointed out to the ocean, and with a tear in his eye he continued, "Freedom isn't free."  I am sure he was remembering friends he had lost in the fight.  Even though it was long ago I saw this, it has really stuck with me as an appreciation for those that serve our country and a constant reminder that freedom isn't free.

This week's article shared great wisdom learned from a true hero a medal of honor winner.

From Wikipedia...
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her life above and beyond the call of duty while engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States."^[1] Due to the nature of its criteria, it is often awarded posthumously (more than half have been since 1941).^[


The wisdom of this article applies to those in the military and those that are not.  It is linked here.  The article is pasted below...

LESSONS IN LEADERSHIP: From a Janitor

Wharton Leadership Digest, December 2001

By Colonel James E. Moschgat, Commander of the 12th

Operations Group, 12th Flying Training Wing, Randolph

Air Force Base, Texas

William “Bill” Crawford certainly was an unimpressive figure,

one you could easily overlook during a hectic day at the

U.S. Air Force Academy. Mr. Crawford, as most of us

referred to him back in the late 1970s, was our squadron

janitor.

While we cadets busied ourselves preparing for academic

exams, athletic events, Saturday morning parades and room inspections, or

never-ending leadership classes, Bill quietly moved about the squadron mopping

and buffing floors, emptying trash cans, cleaning toilets, or just tidying up the

mess 100 college-age kids can leave in a dormitory. Sadly, and for many years,

few of us gave him much notice, rendering little more than a passing nod or

throwing a curt, “G’morning!” in his direction as we hurried off to our daily duties.

Why? Perhaps it was because of the way he did his job-he always kept the

squadron area spotlessly clean, even the toilets and showers gleamed. Frankly,

he did his job so well, none of us had to notice or get involved. After all, cleaning

toilets was his job, not ours. Maybe it was is physical appearance that made him

disappear into the background. Bill didn’t move very quickly and, in fact, you

could say he even shuffled a bit, as if he suffered from some sort of injury. His

gray hair and wrinkled face made him appear ancient to a group of young cadets.

And his crooked smile, well, it looked a little funny. Face it, Bill was an old man

working in a young person’s world. What did he have to offer us on a personal

level?

Finally, maybe it was Mr. Crawford’s personality that rendered him almost

invisible to the young people around him. Bill was shy, almost painfully so. He

seldom spoke to a cadet unless they addressed him first, and that didn’t happen

very often. Our janitor always buried himself in his work, moving about with

stooped shoulders, a quiet gait, and an averted gaze. If he noticed the hustle

and bustle of cadet life around him, it was hard to tell. So, for whatever reason,

Bill blended into the woodwork and became just another fixture around the

squadron. The Academy, one of our nation’s premier leadership laboratories,

kept us busy from dawn till dusk. And Mr. Crawford...well, he was just a janitor.

That changed one fall Saturday afternoon in 1976. I was reading a book about

World War II and the tough Allied ground campaign in Italy, when I stumbled

across an incredible story. On September 13, 1943, a Private William Crawford

from Colorado, assigned to the 36th Infantry Division, had been involved in some

bloody fighting on Hill 424 near Altavilla, Italy. The words on the page leapt out at

me: “in the face of intense and overwhelming hostile fire ... with no regard for

personal safety ... on his own initiative, Private Crawford single-handedly

attacked fortified enemy positions.” It continued, “for conspicuous gallantry and

intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty, the President of the

United States ...”

“Holy cow,” I said to my roommate, “you’re not going to believe this, but I think

our janitor is a Medal of Honor winner.” We all knew Mr. Crawford was a WWII

Army vet, but that didn’t keep my friend from looking at me as if I was some sort

of alien being. Nonetheless, we couldn’t wait to ask Bill about the story on

Monday. We met Mr. Crawford bright and early Monday and showed him the

page in question from the book, anticipation and doubt in our faces. He starred

at it for a few silent moments and then quietly uttered something like, “Yep, that’s

me.”

Mouths agape, my roommate and I looked at one another,

then at the book, and quickly back at our janitor. Almost at

once we both stuttered, “Why didn’t you ever tell us about it?”

He slowly replied after some thought, “That was one day in

my life and it happened a long time ago.”

I guess we were all at a loss for words after that. We had to

hurry off to class and Bill, well, he had chores to attend to.

However, after that brief exchange, things were never again

the same around our squadron. Word spread like wildfire

among the cadets that we had a hero in our midst-Mr. Crawford, our janitor, had

won the Medal! Cadets who had once passed by Bill with hardly a glance, now

greeted him with a smile and a respectful, “Good morning, Mr. Crawford.”

Those who had before left a mess for the “janitor” to clean up started taking it

upon themselves to put things in order. Most cadets routinely stopped to talk to

Bill throughout the day and we even began inviting him to our formal squadron

functions. He’d show up dressed in a conservative dark suit and quietly talk to

those who approached him, the only sign of his heroics being a simple blue, starspangled

lapel pin.

Almost overnight, Bill went from being a simple fixture in our squadron to one of

our teammates. Mr. Crawford changed too, but you had to look closely to notice

the difference. After that fall day in 1976, he seemed to move with more

purpose, his shoulders didn’t seem to be as stooped, he met our greetings with a

direct gaze and a stronger “good morning” in return, and he flashed his crooked

smile more often. The squadron gleamed as always, but everyone now seemed

to notice it more. Bill even got to know most of us by our first names, something

that didn’t happen often at the Academy. While no one ever formally

acknowledged the change, I think we became Bill’s cadets and his squadron.

As often happens in life, events sweep us away from those in

our past. The last time I saw Bill was on graduation day in

June 1977. As I walked out of the squadron for the last time,

he shook my hand and simply said, “Good luck, young man.”

With that, I embarked on a career that has been truly lucky

and blessed. Mr. Crawford continued to work at the

Academy and eventually retired in his native Colorado where

he resides today, one of four Medal of Honor winners living in

a small town.

A wise person once said, “It’s not life that’s important, but

those you meet along the way that make the difference.” Bill was one who made

a difference for me. While I haven’t seen Mr. Crawford in over twenty years,

he’d probably be surprised to know I think of him often. Bill Crawford, our janitor,

taught me many valuable, unforgettable leadership lessons. Here are ten I’d like

to share with you.

1. Be Cautious of Labels
Labels you place on people may define your relationship to them and bound their potential. Sadly, and for a long time, we labeled Bill as just a janitor, but he was so much more. Therefore, be cautious of a leader who callously says, “Hey, he’s just an Airman.” Likewise, don’t tolerate

the O-1, who says, “I can’t do that, I’m just a lieutenant.”

2. Everyone Deserves Respect

Because we hung the “janitor” label on Mr. Crawford, we often wrongly treated him with less respect than others around us.  He deserved much more, and not just because he was a Medal of Honor winner.  Bill deserved respect because he was a janitor, walked among us, and was a

part of our team.

3. Coutesy Makes a Difference
Be courteous to all around you, regardless of rank or position. Military customs, as well as common courtesies, help bond a team. When our daily words to Mr. Crawford turned from perfunctory “hellos” to heartfelt greetings, his demeanor and personality outwardly changed. It made a difference for all of us.

4. Take Time to Know Your People

Life in the military is hectic, but that’s no excuse for not knowing the people you work for and with. For years a hero walked among us at the Academy and we never knew it. Who are the heroes that walk in your midst?

5. Anyone Can Be a Hero

Mr. Crawford certainly didn’t fit anyone’s standard definition of a hero. Moreover, he was just a private on the day he won his Medal. Don’t sell your people short, for any one of them may be the hero who rises to the occasion when duty calls. On the other hand, it’s easy to turn to your

proven performers when the chips are down, but don’t ignore the rest of the

team. Today’s rookie could and should be tomorrow’s superstar.

6. Leaders Should be Humble

Most modern day heroes and some leaders are anything but humble, especially if you calibrate your “hero meter” on today’s athletic fields. End zone celebrations and self-aggrandizement are what we’ve come to expect from sports greats. Not Mr. Crawford-he was too busy working to

celebrate his past heroics. Leaders would be well-served to do the same.

7. Life Won't Always Hand You What you Think You Deserve

We in the military work hard and, dang it, we deserve recognition, right? However, sometimes you just have to persevere, even when accolades don’t come your way. Perhaps you

weren’t nominated for junior officer or airman of the quarter as you thought you

should - don’t let that stop you.

8. Don't Pursue Glory, Pursue Excellence

Private Bill Crawford didn’t pursue glory; he did his duty and then swept floors for a living. No job is beneath a Leader. If Bill Crawford, a Medal of Honor winner, could clean latrines and smile,

is there a job beneath your dignity? Think about it.

9. Pursue Excellence

No matter what task life hands you, do it well. Dr. Martin Luther King said, “If life makes you a street sweeper, be the best street sweeper you can be.” Mr. Crawford modeled that philosophy and helped make our dormitory area a home.

10. Life is a Leadership Laboratory

All too often we look to some school or PME class to teach us about leadership when, in fact, life is a leadership laboratory. Those you meet everyday will teach you enduring lessons if you just take time to stop, look and listen. I spent four years at the Air Force Academy, took dozens

of classes, read hundreds of books, and met thousands of great people. I

gleaned leadership skills from all of them, but one of the people I remember most

is Mr. Bill Crawford and the lessons he unknowingly taught. Don’t miss your

opportunity to learn.

Bill Crawford was a janitor. However, he was also a teacher, friend, role model

and one great American hero. Thanks, Mr. Crawford, for some valuable

leadership lessons.

Dale Pyeatt, Executive Director of the National Guard Association of Texas,

comments: And now, for the “rest of the story”: Pvt William John Crawford was

a platoon scout for 3rd Platoon of Company L 1 42nd Regiment 36th Division

(Texas National Guard) and won the Medal Of Honor for his actions on Hill 424,

just 4 days after the invasion at Salerno.

On Hill 424, Pvt Crawford took out 3 enemy machine guns before darkness fell,

halting the platoon’s advance. Pvt Crawford could not be found and was

assumed dead. The request for his MOH was quickly approved. Major General

Terry Allen presented the posthumous MOH to Bill Crawford’s father, George, on

11 May 1944 in Camp (now Fort) Carson, near Pueblo. Nearly two months after

that, it was learned that Pvt Crawford was alive in a POW camp in Germany.

During his captivity, a German guard clubbed him with his rifle. Bill overpowered

him, took the rifle away, and beat the guard unconscious. A German doctor’s

testimony saved him from severe punishment, perhaps death. To stay ahead of

the advancing Russian army, the prisoners were marched 500 miles in 52 days

in the middle of the German winter, subsisting on one potato a day. An allied

tank column liberated the camp in the spring of 1945, and Pvt Crawford took his

first hot shower in 18 months on VE Day. Pvt Crawford stayed in the army before

retiring as a MSG and becoming a janitor. In 1984, President Ronald Reagan

officially presented the MOH to Bill Crawford.

William Crawford passed away in 2000. He is the only U.S. Army veteran and

sole Medal of Honor winner to be buried in the cemetery of the U.S. Air Force

Academy.

: Co. James Moschgat can be contacted at

james.moschgat@randolph.af.mil

. A profile of William Crawford is available at

http://www.homeofheroes.com/profiles/profiles_crawford.html

Honor citation can be found at , and his Medal of http://www.texasmilitaryforcesmuseum.org/36division/archives/moh/mohcraw.htm

Note

The Power of Thanks

This week's artticle

Hi, 

This time of year it is good to give thanks for all that you are thankful.  It feels pretty good to do so.  As this article (linked above and pasted below) shows an "attitude of gratitude" can go a long ways.  I am thankful to work at an organization with an "attitude of gratitude".  I am thankful my coworkers have put up with me for another year.  Enjoy the article below and go tell someone thank you!

Tap Into The Power Of Thanks: Six Ways To Improve Your Organization’s Morale, Motivation And Bottom Line by Todd Patkin, author of Finding Happiness

If you’re like most Americans, you’re gearing up to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday with your loved ones. Chances are, you’ll probably participate in the annual ritual of listing the things for which you’re grateful. For most of us, that includes our family, our friends, our homes, and our possessions, for example. We might also list our jobs — after all, they allow us to put food on the table (and in this economy, we’re lucky to be drawing a steady paycheck in the first place). But does your organization inspire its employees to add anything else to that gratitude list? Are your people thankful for each other, for their leaders, and for the actual work they do? If not (and odds are, that’s the case), you’re also risking low morale, a negative culture, and less-than-optimal productivity.
If your organization hasn’t made a conscious effort to instill an ‘attitude of gratitude’ into your organization, you’re ignoring one of your most useful and lucrative tools. The good news is, there’s no better time than right now at Thanksgiving to start showing your employees or coworkers that you appreciate their efforts and care about them as individuals.
In so many organizations, employees go through their days assuming that their coworkers, and especially their bosses, don’t notice or appreciate all of the hard work that they do. And if that’s the way you feel, you will just go through the motions. You won’t have any true motivation or dedication, and your productivity will be mediocre at best.
In the midst of an already-tough economy, this is the absolute last thing you want for your organization. In a very real way, tapping into the spirit of Thanksgiving can tip the balance between success and growth or stagnation and failure.
Meaningful workplace gratitude is easiest to spark when it comes from leaders, but eventually that attitude will start to also spread between employees; from there, it’ll even trickle down to customers. All of that is great for business. In other words, gratitude is a motivator and catalyst for growth that money can’t buy.
If you’re a leader who wants to tap into the power of thanks (or even an employee who wants to start a grassroots movement), read on for some how-to tips:

Always say “thank you.”

If you have a job that allows you to twiddle your thumbs, you’re definitely in the minority. Most of us have a deskful of things that should have been done yesterday, and it’s easy to use the excuse that we don’t have time to hand out compliments and thanks like candy. But there’s no better way to use your time. By taking just thirty seconds longer to get back to your office, you have improved another person’s mood, day, and productivity level. You’ll also be making yourself more approachable and likeable, and over time your team will begin to relate to you more positively.
Always, always recognize it when someone does something well or does something nice for you. No one ever gets tired of hearing compliments about themselves; in fact, I have found that consistent and heartfelt recognition — when it is deserved, of course — is a better long-term motivator than money. Even something as small as ‘Thanks for always showing up on time’ can make someone feel great all day long.
I will say that as a leader, I was somewhat unique in my company because I was a big hugger. Once my people recognized this as a sign of my appreciation and esteem, they would start to worry if I saw them and didn’t end our conversation with a hug! Yes, it’s somewhat countercultural, but I encourage you to incorporate hugs or literal pats on the back into your own repertoire, assuming you can do so safely and comfortably. Lastly, remember to acknowledge it when someone else gives you a compliment or a thank you — it’s important for others to know that their gratitude is noticed and appreciated in order for it to continue.

Take intent into account.

The fact is, when you’re in a position to make a grand gesture of gratitude, your intentions may be consistently good… but your plans might not always be as successful as you’d hoped. I tried to show employees just how much I appreciated them; I came up with many show-the-love schemes. I’d send high achievers to sports games, highlight various employees in company newsletters, plan lavish company parties, and hold raffles, to name a few examples. Sometimes those plans were well received; other times they weren’t.
Inevitably, there will always be someone who says, ‘I wish the boss had sent me to a concert instead of to an NBA game,’ or, ‘Gosh, the food at this party tastes horrible. On a smaller scale, maybe no one eats the cookies you baked and set out in the break room. Remember, these people are selfishly (or maybe even unwittingly) overlooking the thank-you gesture’s intent. I’m bringing this up because you need to remember that despite negative feedback, showing gratitude is always the right thing… and the majority of non-complainers probably loved your gesture. And also, if the shoe is on the other foot and an expression of gratitude that’s aimed at you misses the mark, say thank you for the thought and go on about your day.

Start being more open.

In your average office, communication is far from completely open. No one wants to bug the boss unnecessarily or meddle in a coworker’s projects (unless, perhaps, that person’s intent is negative). This sort of “keep-to-yourself” culture doesn’t tend to foster total understanding or genuine gratitude. Think about it this way: If a leader is dissatisfied with an employee’s performance, that employee will probably sense that he’s not highly appreciated, and he’ll have no reason to work any harder than necessary. The leader’s bad opinion of the employee will continue and grow worse, further eroding the employee’s motivation. It’s a negative cycle, but it can be easily broken with a little openness and honesty.
If you’re a leader, constructively tell your people how they can improve their performances. If you’re a team member, be proactive about asking your coworkers and boss how you’re doing and how you can get better at your job. And no matter where you fall on your company’s hierarchy, learn how to receive constructive criticism. I have seen this at all levels — if you don’t accept advice and requests well, you’ll stop getting them and you’ll stop improving… and you’ll essentially be stuck right where you are. However, when everyone is committed to openness and to sparking growth, there will be more improvements, more success, and more opportunities to show genuine gratitude. Plus, showing others that you care enough to either help them or to improve yourself is a form of gratitude in and of itself, because you’re demonstrating that your team is worth the investment of your time, energy, and advice.

Learn to graciously accept thanks.

Yes, giving thanks is a very important building block when it comes to cultivating a gratitude culture in your organization. But it’s not the only one. How you respond to appreciation is also important. If you brush off compliments or ignore expressions of gratitude — even if it’s because you’d rather stay out of the spotlight — you’ll eventually stop hearing “thanks!” altogether, and you’ll be discouraging the person complimenting you from reaching out to others in the same way.
Showing gratitude to others in very lavish ways comes naturally to me, but accepting compliments for my own performance isn’t as easy. Over the years, though, I have learned that a response like ‘Oh, it was nothing’ tends to make the person thanking you feel foolish for giving you so much praise. This is especially true when a team member reaches out to a leader who’s higher in the organizational pecking order. Whenever someone thanks you or notices something positive about you, try to truly engage with them and let them know that their words have been meaningful.

Keep the gratitude going outside of your organization.

Once you notice that those two important words — thank you — are being uttered on a regular basis in your office, make an effort to extend them outside of the people on your payroll. Thank your customers or the people you serve for choosing your organization, and for trusting your team with their money, health, products, or publicity, to name a few examples. This is something that many clients don’t hear, so when they do, their loyalty to your company is strengthened.
Just as employees respond well to gratitude, so do customers and clients. A simple ‘Thank you for your business’ is easy and free, and there’s no excuse not to make use of this tool. You might also consider offering discounts, coupons, or promotions to show customer appreciation. Especially in a tough economy, it’s vital to let those whom you serve know how much they mean to you so that they don’t take their business elsewhere. I used to encourage my store managers to treat their clients like kings — I’d ask them to write thank-you notes after big sales and to send birthday cards to loyal customers, for example. Autopart International also frequently sent drivers with coolers full of sodas around to our accounts when it was especially warm out. One year, we even rented an ice cream truck to visit all of our best customers so that they could have a free frozen treat on a hot day. Over time, this strategy of appreciation brought us more business and it caused our customers to be less price-conscious.

Use gratitude to reinforce stellar performances.

No, your employees and/or coworkers are not pets. Remember, though, that just as a Labrador Retriever will learn to repeat or refrain from a behavior because she is given a treat, a worker will do the same thing based on his boss’s feedback. Using gratitude to shape your team’s habits and priorities can be every bit as valuable as training programs and industry conferences… at a fraction of the time and cost.
Whenever I saw an employee going out of her way to make sure that the product a client purchased was the best possible value, I thanked her for doing it. If a store manager made a mistake and came clean to me about it, I thanked him for that, too. Never forget that whatever you acknowledge positively will be repeated.

Throughout my years of leadership, I became more and more amazed by just how strong the power of thanks really is. Gratitude is an amazing motivator, it strengthens employee and customer loyalty, and it really can allow you to see a positive change in your company’s bottom line. And especially in today’s not-so-stellar economic environment, it’s extra-important to give your people something to be positive about and thankful for.

Todd Patkin grew up in Needham, Massachusetts. After graduating from Tufts University, he joined the family business and spent the next eighteen years helping to grow it to new heights. After it was purchased by Advance Auto Parts in 2005, he was free to focus on his main passions: philanthropy and giving back to the community, spending time with family and friends, and helping more people learn how to be happy. Todd lives with his wonderful wife, Yadira, their amazing son, Josh, and two great dogs, Tucker and Hunter.

Attitude is Contagious

This week I am sharing two short articles instead of one.  The point of both is that your attitude has alot to do with the perception you have of how things are going.  A good attitude can make things go well.  A bad attitude can make things go poorly.   Not only for yourself but for those around you. 


The first article is a short story about a monk living between two travellers.  It is interesting to see the monk's wisdom as to how attitude can make or break the situation.  It is pasted below and linked here.

The second article is also pasted below and it comapres a bad attitude to polluted air.  A bad attitude can ruin a good work environment so please don't be a polluter.   Be a purifier.  This article is pasted below and linked here.

The Monk and the Traveler.

They say a person can pretty much determine their own attitude or outlook on life. Many dispute that fact as they feel circumstances determine those critical factors. A quick journey back to your high school days or even as recent as a previous job and you can probably recall a number of instances that may better clarify this age-old dispute. Simply take a moment to visualize two contrasting personalities who were somewhat consistent in their views of people, places, policies or politics. Take the role of the non-judgmental monk in the following scenario and see which side of the dispute you may favor as you determine which village you seek.
One day a traveler was walking along a road on his journey from one village to another. As he walked he noticed a monk tending the ground in the fields beside the road. The monk said “Good day” to the traveler, and the traveler nodded to the monk. The traveler then turned to the monk and said, “Excuse me, do you mind if I ask you a question?”

“Not at all,” replied the monk.

“I am traveling from the village in the mountains to the village in the valley, and I was wondering if you knew what it is like in the village in the valley?”

“Tell me,” said the monk, “what was your experience of the village in the mountains?”

“Dreadful,” replied the traveler. “To be honest I am glad to be away from there. I found the people most un-welcoming. When I first arrived I was greeted coldly. I was never made to feel part of the village no matter how hard I tried. The villagers keep very much to themselves, they don’t take kindly to strangers. So tell me, what can I expect in the village in the valley?”
“I am sorry to tell you,” said the monk, “but I think your experience will be much the same there.”
The traveler hung his head despondently and walked on.
A few months later another traveler was journeying down the same road, and he also came upon the monk.
“Good day,” said the traveler.
“Good day,” said the monk.
“How are you?” asked the traveler.

“I’m well,” replied the monk. “Where are you going?”

“I’m going to the village in the valley,” replied the traveler. “Do you know what it is like?”
“I do,” replied the monk. “But first tell me—where have you come from?”
“I’ve come from the village in the mountains.”

“And how was that?”

“It was a wonderful experience. I would have stayed if I could, but I am committed to traveling on. I felt as though I was a member of the family in the village. The elders gave me much advice, the children laughed and joked with me, and people were generally kind and generous. I am sad to have left there. It will always hold special memories for me. And what of the village in the valley?” he asked again.

“I think you will find it much the same,” replied the monk. “Good day to you.”

“Good day and thank you,” the traveler replied, smiled and journeyed on.

Attitude is contagious – What are people catching from YOU?

By John C Maxwell

Several things on a team are not contagious. Talent. Experience. Willingness to practice. But you can be sure of one thing: Attitude is catching. When someone on the team is teachable and his humility is rewarded by improvement, others are more likely to display similar characteristics. When a leader is upbeat in the face of discouraging circumstances, others admire that quality and want to be like her.… People have a tendency to adopt the attitudes of those they spend time with – to pick up on their mindset, beliefs, and approaches to challenges.

One of my mentors, Fred Smith, once told me there are two kinds of people in any organization: polluters and purifiers.

Polluters are like smokestacks, belching out dirty smoke all the time. They hate clear skies, and no matter how clear the air is, they can find a way to poison it with gloom. When the people around them “breathe” their toxins, they feel sicker and sicker.

Purifiers, on the other hand, make everything around them better. It doesn’t matter what kind of rotten atmosphere they encounter. They take in the toxic words of polluters in the organization just as everyone else does, but they filter the words before passing them on. What goes in may be gloomy and negative, but when it comes back out, it’s fresh and clear.

When you spend time with others, do they walk away feeling better or worse? Do you clear the air, giving them a fresh perspective and positive encouragement? Or do they go away feeling gloomy? Watch how people respond to you, and you’ll know which kind of person you are.

More on attitude and teamwork can be found in Today Matters, and The 17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork.

Time is Happiness

Sorry,  I have missed the last few weeks. 

This week's article is a study that shows that happiness is directly related to how well you manage your time.  It is worth noting that once again a study shows that money really has no correlation to happiness.  It is all about spending your time wisely.  Time is not money.  It is far more valuable than that. 

Here is a link to the article pasted below.

Also here is a link to a pdf poster that shows 10 things  to do achieve happiness.

If Money Doesn’t Make You Happy, Consider Time

Apr 19th, 2011

STANFORD GRADUATE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS — Our search to understand what makes humans happy (or happier) goes back centuries. As does our enduring belief that if we just do the right thing, happiness will follow — that additional happiness will be doled out to us because we earned it, not due to the largess of a benevolent being. “Happiness is not a reward — it is a consequence,” instructs Robert Green Ingersoll, a Civil War-era orator. Many notable others, from Aristotle to the Buddha to Ursula K. LeGuin, agree with this sentiment.

New research takes a fresh look at this topic. Jennifer Aaker and Melanie Rudd at Stanford University, and Cassie Mogilner at the University of Pennsylvania, published “If Money Doesn’t Make You Happy, Consider Time,” in the Journal of Consumer Psychology, 2011. They discuss how happiness is indeed a consequence of the choices people make. So what can people do to increase their happiness? Their answer is surprisingly simple: spend your time wisely. Careful though. Some of the ways people should spend their time are, in fact, surprising.

Although happiness is clearly relevant for individuals, businesses should also pay attention. Building a workforce of highly qualified, hard-working, and loyal employees is an essential aspect of staying competitive in today’s global markets. Therefore, being concerned about employee happiness is not just a moral thing to do, but it makes smart business sense as well.

“People often make career choices based on how much money they envision they can make now or in the future. Surprisingly little thought goes into how they will be using their time — whether they can control their time, who they will spend their time with, and what activities they will spend their time on,” said Aaker, General Atlantic Professor of Marketing at the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
“We spend most of our time at work. So understanding how we should be spending our time at work is much more important than people think. It has been interesting to observe which companies are doing a good job of creating opportunities for employees to manage their own time. This goes beyond providing opportunities for flexible hours, telecommuting, and independent contractor relationships. Which companies are allowing opportunities for employees to fundamentally design how they spend their time both at work and outside of work — in ways that are creative and innovative? As Millennials enter the workforce, these types of demands will become even more common.”

Over the years, there has been relatively little research on the relationship between the resource of time and happiness. Perhaps not surprisingly, it is another resource — money — that has been investigated much more thoroughly as a potential key to happiness. Yet, very little research corroborates the idea that more money leads to more happiness. Some research suggests that perhaps people just aren’t spending it right. In fact, even the mere mention of money can result in individuals being less likely to engage in behaviors linked to personal happiness, such as helping others, donating to charity, or socializing with friends and family. After being prompted to think about wealth, individuals work more, and their ability to enjoy small moments becomes significantly compromised.

“We know that people with meaningful social connections are happier than those without them,” said Mogilner. “The more time that individuals spend with their partners, best friends, and close friends, the happier they are. When they spend time with people who they dislike or when they spend time alone, their happiness levels drop. Loneliness is a relatively good predictor of unhappiness.” Further, Mogilner has found that encouraging people to think about time (vs. money, for example) tends to foster those social connections. So thinking about time has a fundamental impact on how people behave.

Why might concentrating on time get us closer to our centuries-long search for happiness? One reason is because time spent doing something, especially when compared to owning something or spending money, is associated with personal meaning and evokes emotionally laden memories.

You might not recall how much money you had in your bank account when you were 20 years old, but most people remember their first kiss. Time also fosters interpersonal connections: the camaraderie that people get from attending a baseball game with friends, for example, would be more conducive to happiness than watching it alone in front of the television.

Drawing from their research and that of others, Aaker, Rudd, and Mogilner extracted five time-spending happiness principles:

Spend time with the right people. The greatest happiness levels are associated with spending time with people we like. Socially connecting activities — such as hanging out with friends and family — are responsible for the happiest parts of the day. However, work is also an essential element in the time-happiness relationship. Although spending time with bosses and coworkers tends to be associated with some of the lowest degrees of happiness, two of the biggest predictors of people’s general happiness are whether they have a ‘best friend’ at work and whether they like their boss. Therefore, people should try to reframe relationships and workplace goals such that colleagues become friends so that time spent at work becomes happier.

Spend time on the right activities. Certain activities are energizing, and others make us feel drained and defeated. To increase happiness, people should avoid spending time on the latter activities in favor of the former whenever possible. Of course, the bills have to be paid, the bathroom cleaned, and it’s sometimes a challenge to get through the day. But people need to reflect on how they are spending their time — the extent to which they mindlessly move from activity to activity without considering what they would really prefer to be doing. For instance, when deciding how to spend the next hour, simply asking yourself the question, ‘Will what I do right now become more valuable over time?’ could increase the likelihood that you behave in ways that are more in line with what will really make you happy.

Enjoy experiences without spending time actually doing them. Research in the field of neuroscience has shown that the part of the brain responsible for feeling pleasure — the mesolimbic dopamine system — can be activated when merely thinking about something pleasurable, such as drinking a favorite brand of beer or driving a favorite type of sports car. In fact, this research shows that people sometimes enjoys anticipating an activity more than actually doing it.
For example, reading guidebooks in advance of a big vacation and anticipating the food you’ll eat and the activities you’ll do while there could actually give you more pleasure than the vacation itself. In short, research suggests that we can be just as well — if not sometimes better — off if we imagine experiences without having them. So to increase happiness, spend plenty of time happily daydreaming.

Expand your time. Unlike money, time is inherently scarce. No one gets more than 24 hours per day. In fact, there is a bidirectional relationship between time’s scarcity and its value: not only does having little time make it feel more valuable, but when time is more valuable, it is perceived as more scarce. To increase happiness, it can make sense to focus on the here and now —because thinking about the present moment (vs. the future) has been found to slow down the perceived passage of time. Simply breathing more deeply can have similar effects.
In one study, subjects who were instructed to take long and slow breaths (vs. short and quick ones) for five minutes not only felt there was more time available to get things done, but also perceived their day as longer. And even though feeling time-constrained makes people less likely to take the time to help someone else, doing so actually makes people feel as though they have more spare time and gives them a sense of a more expansive future. Therefore, if you can’t afford to “buy” more discretionary time (e.g., by hiring a maid), focus on the present moment, breathe more slowly, and spend the little time that you have in helpful and meaningful ways.

Be aware that happiness changes over time. As we age, we experience different levels of happiness and how we experience happiness changes. Recent research found that younger people are more likely to experience happiness as excitement, whereas older individuals are more likely to experience happiness as feeling peaceful. Therefore, you should be aware that basing future decisions on your current perceptions of happiness may not lead to the maximum levels of happiness in the long run.
Finally, although the meaning of happiness may change, it does so in predictable patterns. Therefore, it is possible to anticipate such changes, and you should allow yourself to shift how you spend your time over the course of your life — as the meaning of happiness shifts.
Aaker points out that “the experiences people accumulate over the course of spending their limited time, quite literally makes up each person’s life. So, if you take away anything from this research, it should be that spending time with the people you love doing the things you love is the best road to happiness.”

— Alice LaPlante