Chester Elton

To celebrate this holiday break together, I took the family to see the new movie Invictus. I highly recommend it! There was so much to gain from the story that is so wonderfully told in film by Clint Eastwood and portrayed on-screen by Morgan Freeman as Nelson Mandela.

Two things really struck me as life lessons in treating others well:

First: Every time President Mandela greeted one of his staff members, he had a wonderful smile and a kind word.  He was genuinely glad to see everyone that came to work. It made everyone smile and started their day on a positive note. What a perfect way to start work!

Second: When he decided to throw all his support to the national rugby team, a sport he knew little about, he started by learning all the players names. Isn’t that interesting? He wanted the players to know that he cared about them not just as a team, but as individuals by greeting them by name to show he cared. It’s the ultimate compliment when someone takes the time to learn your name and then uses it to praise your efforts.

One line in the movie that I particularly loved is when some security guards are talking to each other about the differences between the last president and Mandela. One stated, “To the old president everyone was invisible, but to this president NO ONE IS INVISIBLE.” The movie shows what a difference inspirational leadership can make, even to the extent of transforming a nation.

As an aside, the movie is titled from the poem that inspired Mandela during his 27 years in jail for fighting apartheid. For those interested, it reads as follows:

Invictus: By William Ernest Henley

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
 
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
 
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.
 
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

Happy Holidays!

What did your mother always tell you? You make time to do the things you want to do. If it is important, you will find the time to do it. If you want to inspire someone and show real appreciation, you will find the time. (And, when you think about it, how much time do you need to write a thank-you note or say “thanks!” Not much!)

Here is a link to a great article from the Wall Street Journal. It’s a good reminder to all of us that after all the presents have been given, there’s something we still need to do in graciously receiving a gift. Geoffrey Parker, of Parker Pen Co. reminds gift recipients of “a ‘critical’ aspect of the gift-giving season: thank-you notes.“ Check out how to make your notes more impactful and take a moment to pause and write your thank-you notes!

We know a guy who keeps in his wallet a few short notes from his wife. Sweet nothings, really. He tells us that sometimes, when searching for a membership or business card, he’ll stumble upon them.
   
“Or, on a really bad day at the office, I might purposely dig them out,” he says.
   
No matter the occasion, reading them always puts him back on top of the world. A little thing, yes. But what an amazing impact!
   
The same thing goes for recognition at the office. It doesn’t have to be big, flashy, or expensive. A hand-written thank-you note, or a few words of praise in front of an employee’s peers at staff meeting. These small things can mean the world to employees. And the simple memory of that recognition might be just what is needed to push an employee’s performance over the top.
   
On second thought, this may not be so little after all.

When the holidays arrive, we naturally reflect on the past year and all the happenings and people that made it memorable. Just a few days away from Christmas, I am grateful for more things than I can count. How about you?

I once knew a man* that had a wonderful tradition with his wife. They would sit in the backyard on a bench and count their blessings. They would count children, friends, family and people they worked with and for. They would count the fair weather, their good health and their good fortune. They would remember good times and not so good times and the tradition kept them grounded in the best parts of their lives.

I have often thought on this time to give thanks and pondered what I am thankful for; what has meant the most to me?

I have a wonderful wife that makes my life better than I could have ever dreamed. Four exceptional children that delight me in their talent and smiles and good grades! I work at the world’s greatest recognition company that has allowed me to grow and develop in ways I could have never imagined possible and make lifelong friends.

My youth was blessed with an incredible mum & dad that taught me the value of work, family and faith, how to love and how to laugh. A tradition I am trying to pass on to my children.

Friends from all over the world have blessed my life as well as a co-author Adrian Gostick who is not only a talented writer but an even better friend. A team that surrounds me with talent and hard work every day; it is a joy to work with them all.

I truly do have more blessings than I can count.

So in this holiday season, what are you thankful for? Are there blessings in your life to be counted? I hope so, and I hope that you will take the time to tell all those wonderful people in your life how much they have meant to you.

In a season of giving, my hope is that it will be a time where you can count your blessings and lose count.

*The man was Obert C. Tanner and his wife Grace, the founders of the company that I am lucky enough to have worked for over the last 19 years.