A holiday message of optimism

Thursday December 22, 2011 #379

“No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new doorway for the human spirit.”

~Helen Keller

This is a call for optimism and hope.  In a time when so much negativity rules the media and many human interactions, it is often difficult to maintain one’s positivity.  This week, as we enjoy the positive and hopeful nature of the holiday season, I ask you to reflect on these feelings and plan now on how you will push away the negativity and pessimism which so often dominates our lives.  Only by maintaining your optimism and hope will you achieve your potential.  I choose hope.  And I am optimistic that you will too!

Happy Holidays to you and yours no matter your faith or customs.  We are all one human spirit and we can make our lives and the lives of those around us a little better every day.  Thank you for sharing a bit of your journey with me twice each week.

Don’t allow success to stop progress

Tuesday December 20, 2011 #378

 ”Whenever an individual or a business decides that success has been attained, progress stops.”

~Thomas J. Watson Jr

It is a strange truth that nothing kills success like success, because the normal human reaction to success is to become complacent.  The only way to continue or to replicate success is to maintain the level of passion and interest and focused activities that led to the original success.  This does not necessarily mean repeating the exact formula.  One must remain curious and determine what adjustments must be made to ensure new factors are taken into account.  What mustn’t change, however, are your passion, interest and focus.  These factors will always serve you well.