Just a saying about inner strength that I liked:
You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have."(Source Graphic: Andy Blumenthal)
Showing posts with label Hard Work. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hard Work. Show all posts
August 21, 2018
Be Strong!
Just a saying about inner strength that I liked:
June 28, 2018
Chief Critic
They are the critics in chief.
You have to wonder what their own value-add is.
While other people are doing the work, the chief critic is saying everything is terrible, horrible, tragic, almost the end of the universe as we all know it.
Yes, there is nothing wrong with well-intentioned and constructive criticism, especially by a supervisor or people sincerely trying to help.
But then there are just those who just look to find something--anything--to fault others, almost as if they are bigger if others are smaller!
This is no good.
That is no good.
I would do it this way.
You need to do it that way.
It's almost like a hobby, but it comes with plenty of nastygrams and miserable monologues.
If only you would do X!
How come you didn't do Y?
Next time make sure you do Z!!!
OMG, yes we are not perfect angels, but most of us try to work smart, do good, contribute, and get positive results!
Even failure is acceptable if everyone gave it their best effort and it leads to learning and growth.
Maybe the people on the sidelines who are yelling at the players need to get off the bench and actually worry about what they need to be doing, and doing it, instead of criticizing those in the trenches.
Teamwork means we succeed or fail together!
Non-attribution is about not getting personal and blaming others, especially when they are working their butts off.
Rather, roll up your sleeves everyone and get in the trenches and start pulling your own weight instead of putting down and making fun of the others.
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
March 11, 2018
Three Legs of Quality of Life
Quality of life means perspective and balance.
When people go to the extreme and focus all their energies on any one area almost to the exclusivity of the others in their life, it usually means they are going wrong.
Some people are "party animals"--life is all about their fun, enjoyment, experiences (and even excessive partying, sleeping around, getting drunk and high), and their very immediate gratification.
Others are all about work--climbing that professional ladder and earning more money, material goods, and more power is the holy grail and also the bane of their existence.
And yet there are some people that are focused on faith, family, and community--they are mothers and fathers, religious students and
The problems is that people need multiple facets of their lives--yes, they need playfulness, interests, activities, hobbies, and fun and joyous times; at the same time, they need intellectual curiosity, professional contribution and achievement, and the wherewithal to be responsible and pay the bills; and very importantly, they need social, spiritual, and emotional fulfillment from family, friends, giving, and faith.
When a person stands on only one of these legs, like many seem to--they are on
Even on two legs, something is missing in their lives--they are standing tall, but not strong and stable.
On all three legs, a person can be grounded and able to not just stand for themselves, but able to bear weight like on a stool, and they are can play music and sing and smile, knowing that they have a genuine quality of life that few ever really achieve. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
March 5, 2018
Growing With The Challenge
"A man grows with the greatness of his task."
In Hebrew, there is a similar saying:
"Lefum Tzaara Agra." (Which translates roughly too: "As the suffering, so to is the reward.")
Adversity, hardships, challenges, pain, suffering--these all test our mettle.
Obviously, these are not fun, but in the end, we are forced to grow from these experiences.
- What doesn't kill us makes us stronger.
Sometimes though, they really can kill us.
So, push yourself as far and as fast as you can, but also you better know your true limits.
And we all have them, even when we think we're invincible. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
March 4, 2018
Living Your Values
Thinking about what I really value and whether I am living consistently with these...
For me, I was able to clarify for myself these critical values:
1) Being a good person and influence in the world (having a positive impact on people and ideas)
2) Being a good family man (a loving husband, father, and previously son)
3) Being spiritual and serving G-d (living selflessly for my Maker and not selfishly for myself)
4) Being a hard worker (living productively and not as a laggard or sloth)
5) Being a balanced person (living along the "golden path" or "middle of the road"--not an extremist)
6) Being a generally healthy person (living a lifestyle that includes activity, exercise, good nutrition, and no smoking, drugs, or excessive drinking)
What I realized is that when I need to let my values guide me every moment of every day.
This ultimately means my success and happiness!
Being what I think that I am supposed to be or what others would want me to be, just doesn't work--it's a strategy for failure.
My father used to tell me:
"Let your conscience be your guide" (that and the Torah, of course)
This is the answer to a lot of questions that I have in my life--about what to do with my life and what decisions to make.
Values--driven by conscience and integrity--that's where I want to go next and next. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
February 26, 2018
What's Free And What's Not
"The dream is free, but the hustle is sold separately."
Yes, this is the home of the free.
And we are all able to dream BIG dreams.
However, without the hard work and hustle, dream are not made, but rather they die on the vine.
So dream big--imagine the very best.
Reach for the stars...
And then work your butt off to make it happen.
Choose carefully.
No one can have it all.
You have to prioritize.
Also, you need to balance.
In the end:
Dreams + Hard Work + Blessing From G-d
That's success by whatever standards you measure.
(Source Graphic: Andy Blumenthal)
January 19, 2018
The View From Upfront and Behind
Thought this was a smart saying from a colleague:
"If you ain't the lead dog, the view doesn't change."
What the dogs upfront and those behind them see are quite a different view.
It's important for the lead dogs to guide the other dogs in a good direction and stay clear from obstacles.
We may not all see the same thing, but whatever our viewpoints are, we all have to work together and pull our hardest towards progress.
It's a race to the finish--and finish strong and together we all must. ;-)
December 15, 2017
Slow Build - Rapid Demise
Or as they say:
"Rome wasn't built in a day."
But it's not always easy to have patience.
We all have to start somewhere and usually it's at the bottom.
And then we have to claw our way up (like Rocky).
Unless of course, you're one of those people born with a "silver spoon" in your mouth.
The funny thing about building and climbing is that it can all be destroyed in a split second.
One silly mistake, one stupid word, one indiscretion, one lackadaisical moment, a turn of bad luck...or a series thereof.
It takes so much time and effort to build as we lay one brick of success upon another.
And it takes just a split second to destroy it all.
So watch-watch-watch your steps, because they can so easily turn into a rapid, spiraling, and even most deadly a fall. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
November 27, 2017
Motivation, Hard Work, and Blessings
So I am incredibly impressed at how talented so many people are.
And I'll tell you, people are motivated to get ahead and they are working hard to do it.
I took Lyft to a couple of destinations down here in Florida.
Two drivers that I had just yesterday were both from relatively poor backgrounds in Jamaica.
And both were incredible in what they've been able to accomplish for themselves.
One was a senior communications technologist with a large cable company.
Another was a pretty impressive and successful Reggae music star.
Both had come to this country and made amazing lives for themselves.
In meeting these incredible people, I learned that everyone is driving Uber and Lyft now-a-days. :)
Both were driving as they told me just to keep busy on their days off--because they "hate being bored!"
More importantly, I learned that despite whatever background, hardships, or adversity you come from or have experienced, you can make it in your own way!
Motivation and hard work coupled with mercy and blessings from, and faith in the Almighty Above are an incredible combination that can propel people towards incredible levels of success in life that maybe many would've never even really dreamed of.
There is no easy road--just one filled with trying your best, plenty of obstacles, stumbles, and falls, and then picking yourself up and trying again and again until hopefully and with G-d's help you break the bonds and chains keeping you from your amazing levels of potential and contribution to this world. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
November 13, 2017
Inspiring Greatness
Muhammad Ali believing that he's the greatest boxer.
And the child sitting in front with these huge red boxing gloves on--presumably dreaming about becoming the next Muhammad Ali!
The butterfly sitting on the boxing gloves in front of the child adds an interesting dimension, where the child dreams of developing into the "next great one," just like a butterfly morphs from a caterpillar into a beautiful flying creatures with colorful and expansive wings.
This child wants to fly and soar to greatness like Muhammad Ali did.
We all need an inspiration that has overcome adversity to make it against all odds.
For me, this inspiration was Rocky who rose from the streets to become a fighter and winner not only in the ring, but in life as a person of integrity and a mensch.
If we dream it, it can be--with G-d's blessing and plenty of hard work. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
June 5, 2017
What A Climb!
I like the image of climbing and overcoming--with G-d's help--whatever obstacle is in our path.
It's not easy to climb and keep climbing, because the higher you go, the thinner the air, the more tired you get, and the further you have to fall!
But what I also realized about the image of the climber is that if you turn it on it's side, then the same person who is climbing...is now crawling.
What at times in life can be a beautiful climb up, at other times can be any of us on all fours.
There is no easy path straight up, although there is definitely one that can go straight down!
Sometimes, we are vertical--living and working hard trying to achieve something.
And other times, we are horizontal--resting, asleep, or even in a hospital bed fighting for our lives just to survive another moment or day.
When we climb, we may literally be trying to conquer mountains.
But when you crawl, you may literally be on the ground begging for mercy.
Climbing and crawling are really not that far apart in terms about 90 degrees and how quickly change can happen and a person goes from an upward trajectory to a more devastating one.
Some things to keep in mind...anchor your feet solidly and hold on to that rope tightly and even for dear life. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
April 24, 2017
Steak or Peanut Butter
But that's not the point here.
I was talking to a workman who has a seasonal business.
"Business is doing well," he said.
During the busy time...they can work 80 days straight without a break.
And also work until midnight.
But the flip side is that for many months in the year, they have very little work at all.
It's literally feast or famine.
As we were talking about this, he says to me:
"We really have to make it during the busy season, because that determines whether we eat steak or peanut butter the rest of the year!"
It struck me how difficult this must be too depend on a few months for how you live all the year round.
Sure, it must be nice to have a slower season and have some rest, relaxation, and maybe some fun.
But if, G-d forbid, you're not earning enough to support yourself for the duration of the year and you're stuck eating peanut butter because you can't even afford a steak anymore, then that must be pretty darn tough.
Just something to think about and be grateful for if you can eat what you want and when you want to. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
February 17, 2017
The Success Iceberg
Under the tip of the iceberg of success lay all the factors that most people don't see.
The vast mass of persistence, failures, sacrifices, disappointments, good habits, hard work, and dedication.
Success really is an iceberg!
Don't be jealous of the success at the tip of the iceberg of others unless you put in all the ingredients beneath--plus a prayer to the Almighty Above for his blessings.
Have a Shabbat Shalom!
(Source Photo: Michelle Blumenthal)
January 31, 2017
Born Or Forged To Lead
Some people definitely seem to have innate leadership characteristics:
- Charisma
- Integrity
- Decisiveness
- Passion
- Determination
- Agility
- Intelligence
- Inspirational
- Confident
- Articulate
Other people maybe weren't born with it, but they learn to become great leaders through:
- Hard Work
- Willingness to learn
- Continuous improvement
- Motivation to advance
- Finding a meaningful mission
- Belief that they can make a difference
- Faith that G-d is guiding them
Like with most things in our life, it's a combination of nature and nurture.
Good raw material starts us off on the right track and then forging it with fire and a hammer and polishing it off into a great sword with hardness, strength, flexibility, and balance.
As Joanna Coles, Chief Content Officer at Hearst Magazine says:
"I'm an overnight sensation 30 years in the making."
Birth is just the beginning... ;-)
(Source Photo: Dannielle Blumenthal)
June 11, 2016
Break-Fix After Breakfast
So I learned something new about being Mr. Fix It.
First of all, depending on how you look at things, you are either the guy who miraculously arrived on the scene and fixed what was so horribly broken and dysfunctional for way too long.
Or
You are the one who broke what was working so well before you came along and messed things up.
Second, just because you want to fix things, doesn't mean that the system or actors want it fixed.
Often, they are used to it that way and are comfortable in their managed chaos. Objectively better is not necessarily better to those who like to fly below the radar and aren't looking for change or perceived trouble.
Dealing with what's wrong means not only admitting something is broken, but also committing to putting in the substantial effort to fix it. To some people, why even go there?
You may be getting up after breakfast energized to take on the dysfunction, but the organization is frozen in it's own sickness and the fever isn't going down or away.
Be careful what you try to fix, because rather than kudos for a job well done, you may be walking into the blame game where after all, pretending that there is no problem to begin with is the greatest shenanigan to hide behind of them all.
(Source Photos: Andy Blumenthal)
June 6, 2016
Get Out Front Leadership
Thought this was a good photo of leadership.
I've seen other depictions of this such as when the commanding officer leads the charge of his advancing troops versus the other guy yelling orders from way behind the front lines.
Here the idea of the leader is of being one with his people and helping pull his own weight!
Much more inspiring and effective than "the boss" who is yelling/barking orders at the others from on top the mound of work that the others are trying to move forward, and he is just adding to the weight of the load being pulled.
To really understand the mission or business, the leader has got to get out of his/her ivory tower perch and see things up close and personal on the front lines.
You can't really know the enemy you're fighting or the hill your trying to take if you never even seen it firsthand.
Leaders aren't above the job or over the staff, they are effective when they are part of the solution (and not part of the problem) with the people that they are attempting to successfully lead. ;-)
(Source Photo of Comic: Andy Blumenthal)
April 10, 2016
Success Is Not A Silver Spoon
It is by Christopher Chabris and Joshua Hart in "How Not To Explain Success."
They attempt to dispel the explanation of 2 Yale law professors Amy Chua and Jed Rubenfeld that various ethnic and religious minorities (e.g. Cubans, Jews, Indians, etc.) "had achieved disproportionate success in America" because of three things:
1) "A belief that their group was inherently superior to others"
2) "A sense of personal insecurity"
3) "A high degree of impulse control"
But Chabris and Hart claim this is falsehood and instead attribute the success to the people's innate higher intelligence and superior socioeconomic background.
In other words, Chabris and Hart would have us believe that the ethnic and religious minorities they speak of were somehow "born with a silver spoon in their mouths"-- which is complete NONSENSE.
While Chabris and Hart (of Union College) themselves claim vastly superior empirical evidence from their survey of a whopping 1,258 adults, they dismiss others' arguments such as Yale University professors, Chua and Rubenfeld, as mere "circumstantial evidence."
Well I and many of my family and friends that I grew up with must be part of that silly circumstantial evidence, called PERSONAL EXPERIENCE.
You see, we are part of the generation of Holocaust Survivors and Children Of Holocaust Survivors, who came to America, as my grandmother said "without a chair to sit on" or a dime in their pockets.
My father worked long, hard hours in a factory eventually becoming its manager and he and my mom provided for our family. Both my parents lost most of their education due to the War and the need to "go out and earn a living."
Similarly, one of my best friends grew up also the child of survivors. His father came from the Holocaust and ended up working blue collar work as an electrician, eventually owning his business.
Neither family started with much--I ended up managing technology in some awesome agencies for the Federal government and my friend as an executive in the cruise industry.
Virtually, the entire generation of Jews who fled to America as refugees from the Holocaust came with nothing...yet the people and their children worked hard, very hard, and they were blessed, and become successful.
So, I have no surveys to back me up, but I do have my life and that of almost an entire generation of real life facts from people's lives--not made up of speculative survey questions and their interpretation of results.
So from my perspective, it is Chabris and Hart that are 100% WRONG!
You see they don't know from where we came and under what horrible conditions and how we arrived here as immigrants with nothing but our faith in G-d Almighty and the love of our families and community.
And for the record, Chua and Rubenfeld are right:
Point #1, we were clearly taught a sense of superiority--but not what people mistakenly think--it is not based on intelligence, looks, or on physical strength, but rather based on that we were Biblically expected to behave differently as Jews and live more stringently.
And that goes clearly to point #3, which is impulse control...the Jewish religion is based on 613 commandments--we are expected to eat a certain way, dress a certain way, keep Shabbat and holidays a certain way, raise a family a certain way...there is a huge amount of impulse control involved and in fact, not all of us are successful meeting all those stringent requirements--but it is a precondition upon which many of us grow up.
Finally, in terms of point #2--personal insecurity, I am not sure how much more insecure you can be when your people just got slaughtered in the Holocaust, the world's worst genocide ever known, and you are one of the survivors who has to rebuild--Yes, that is an incredible motivator!
If Chabris and Hart believe that we made it here based on pure intellect or positive socioeconomic factors--they are either complete idiots or sickly delusional.
While people's personal success is highly subjective for them, as a whole group though, I most certainly believe that G-d blessed the Jewish people after the horrors and unbelievable suffering of the Holocaust.
No level of intelligence or falsely perceived socioeconomics can explain what only G-d's infinite mercy can endow. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
April 1, 2016
Getting Zinged
And then there is the behind the scenes people stuff that goes on.
And anyone who has been around the block long enough in organizations know that the people stuff is where all the "craziness" happens.
A friend told me a story about their colleague.
The colleague sends a trash-talking email about the person at work, but instead of sending it to the presumed audience they instead send to the person himself....oops.
So the veneer of "how your doing today?" and "hope you have a nice weekend!" is revealed by something else.
Awkward, no?
Email is generally a positive method of communication, but also can be treacherous and revealing.
No matter at work, the main thing is stay focused on the mission and not to get sidetracked by the zinger of the day.
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
March 25, 2016
Cherry Blossom Sky
Just loved this gorgeous Cherry Blossom tree with the white leaves against the pale blue sky.
Almost looks like snow flakes, but thank G-d those are gone now.
All this nature is sort of the opposite of work, but on my mind is this quote that I heard this week:
_____________
"Plan the work
AND
Work the plan"
_____________
It's simple, but gets right to the point of the necessity of planning and then executing on the plan.
I like the gorgeous nature and this smart saying. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
March 8, 2016
Meeting the Boss, John Kerry
What an awesome day today getting to meet Secretary of State, John Kerry.
It is truly very cool to work for the Federal government and to be part of something much bigger than ourselves.
Meaning, purpose, contribution, service, and constant learning--that is a lot of goodness and opportunity to receive in one's career.
Thank you G-d for the amazing moments as well as the daily grind to work through it all. ;-)
(Source Photo: Colleague)
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