Present

The wave of bad news seems to have reached a new level of intensity.   It does force us to pause and take stock in what truly matters.  Gratitude is defined as, “The quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.”  A few years ago, I made the conscious decision to spend my discretionary time with people that are gracious, trustworthy and fun.  The reason I picked “gracious” is that I want to spend time with people that are givers, because we all spend too much time with takers.

The best way to attract givers is to practice being present.  If we’re not “present,” we can’t listen, learn, empathize, support, or show appreciation.  There is a lot of talk about leveraging strengths these days, but without balance, strengths can become derailers as well.  There is no such thing as perfect equilibrium, but we can all use the season to renew our commitment as leaders to mental steadiness, and emotional stability to create a habit of calm behavior and sound judgment.

In the movie “Harvey,” the character Elwood P. Dowd said, “Years ago my mother used to say to me, she’d say, “In this world, Elwood, you must be” – she always called me Elwood – ‘In this world, Elwood, you must be oh so smart or oh so pleasant.’ Well, for years I was smart. I recommend pleasant. You may quote me.”