It's Tuesday at 2:00pm! (PST Time: I live and work from Southern California)
LEADERSHIP QUOTES
We're exploring some great quotes that will help us in our lives and leadership. If you'd like to share your favorite with me, please post on the comments section of the Blog. You can read these past posts HERE.
The format for this season is the following:
#1) LEADERSHIP QUOTE: I'm going to share a quote with you. I'd like to encourage you to think about it, respond to it, process it. You can stop here, or go to Section 2.
#2) A LITTLE BIT DEEPER: I'm going to share a couple of thoughts that come to my mind when I think about the quote. Just a short reaction from me. You can stop here, or go to Section 3.
#3) DEEPER STILL: I'm going to share something I've found from someone else: A quote, some tips, a challenge, a thought....
#4) RUSS' LIST: I'll continue to share some links, ideas, books or products that I think some of you might benefit from.
Russ
LEADERSHIP QUOTE:
"We have all known the long loneliness, and we have found that the answer is community." Dorothy Day
What does this stir up? Either write me HERE or comment at the end of the blog post HERE.
A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:
I was reminded this week of the power of COMMUNITY in a number of tangible ways...
Some of our friends gathered together to celebrate our daughters wedding and the depth of COMMUNITY was vibrant.
Community Members gathered together to pray for some of our friends in need... there was power in those prayers.
I watched my kids community come together around their wedding and was inspired by the depth of love, friendship and support.
Community is all around us, but sometimes we choose to remain isolated and disconnected from others, and today I simply want to tell you that you're missing out on so much.
We need COMMUNITY....
It FILLS us and REPLENISHES our soul
It brings JOY and LAUGHTER to our lives
It challenges us and reminds us that we're NOT ALONE
Community CHALLENGES us and reminds us that we're ALL on a journey
We need other people in our lives, and over the past few years, many of us have gotten too comfortable with being alone, or too content to connect with people virtually and not in person.
It's time to get back to your community.
Define what your community is and what you value from it, what you contribute to it, and what you're doing to strengthen and enrich these relationships.
DEEPER STILL:
I shared these verses from Ecclesiastes at my daughters wedding over the weekend, and I've been thinking about it for the past few days:
Ecclesiastes 4:9 - 10 (MSG)
"It's better to have a partner than go it alone. Share the work, share the wealth. And if one falls down, the other helps, but if there's no one to help, tough!"
We need others in our lives. I need people in my life.
I shared this classic Hellen Keller quote years ago, and it continues to inspire and remind me:
"Alone, we can do so little; Together, we can do so much."
Helen Keller
If you don't have an active, regular, close-proximity COMMUNITY in your life, it's time to develop that. Don't wait, don't come up with excuses, just start. Identify some people that you think you'd like to spend some time with and initiate the conversation. It's time to live in COMMUNITY.
I'm the best at making excuses... I'm tired, I don't want to drive, I have too much work to do, I need to recharge, I need to be alone and on and on. Some of these are valid, but when you use them all the time, they're just excuses. COMMUNITY is the answer to each of these excuses.... You'll Experience Life!
Things I'm Reading, Listening To and Watching This Week:
I've been using a Concept 2 Rowing Machine for the past couple of years, but since January I've increased my rowing by adding it to my morning routine. If you've never tried it, read this article on 9 health benefits from a rowing machine and give it a try. I feel it and enjoy it! READ HERE.
I read an interesting little book this past week that Hugh Jackman recommended on a podcast with Tim Ferriss. I read it once, and will read it again. Interesting thoughts from David Foster Wallace: This is Water.
This is a great playlist: John Mayer Essentials
Great podcast from Andy Stanley as he talks with Adam Grant on the Leadeship Podcast about "Organizational Languishing".
I've been using this company for the past number of years for shirts and printing. If you're in Southern California, check them out. Manhattan Stitching