First a quote: ““Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That is why it is called the present.” ― Eleanor Roosevelt
Good morning and happy Monday!
I’m back and I have missed you! Thank you for the notes, emails, greeting cards, kind words, prayers, show of concern, and words of encouragement. My family and I are wrapping up our dad’s legal affairs and expect to have his home sold in the next couple of weeks.
As you might guess, the past several months have been a time of much reflection and introspection. I personally, am in a good place and ready to focus on the future and my life priorities: prioritizing my wife, family, friends, and my passion for helping others grow, learn, and succeed.
Sadly, last weekend, I was back in the same church where my dad’s celebration of life was held for yet another funeral. This time for a good friend. The last time I saw him was when he and his wife served refreshments for my dad’s service just the month before. He was a relatively young and healthy man. He went out for a bike ride and didn’t come home. He passed away of a heart attack while doing what he loved to do… bicycle. He was a wonderful husband, dad, granddad, and friend. We all miss him.
I don’t share another sad story to be a “major downer” on your Monday morning. Quite the contrary. I share my experience as an incentive for all of us to live our lives fully… today and every day after today! Simply waiting for happiness to arrive tomorrow, next week, or next year is not a good option!
Too many of us live on an island called “Someday Isle.”
Denis Waitley, a keynote speaker and Ph.D., wrote a poem called “Someday Isle” where he speaks of people who put their happiness on lay-a-way and live on an island he called “Someday Isle.” This is place where unhappy people believe they will be happy once their problems are solved, their mortgage is paid, or they’re married, or perhaps divorced, where their bills are paid, and their children are grown. They believe happiness will come when they arrive not at “Someday Isle” but rather “Someday I’ll.”
At one time, I had this poem memorized, it is worth a quick read. “Someday Isle”
“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant.”
– Robert Louis Stevenson
Every day we wake up is a gift. And like a gift, we can open it with gratitude, excitement, anticipation, and wonder, or with dread, gloom, and doom. Today is a gift… don’t send it back unopened!
What will you do with your gift of life today? The list is of possibilities is endless; under the heading of brainstorming, here are a few ideas:
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Send a thank you note to a colleague who is always there for you and your team.
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Identify a mentee and invite them to lunch to discuss their future/career.
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Write a letter to your mom or dad. Thank them for how hard they worked providing for your family.
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Throw a “we survived 2020 & 2021 party” for your team.
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Volunteer at a homeless shelter this weekend.
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Apologize to a sibling for a past misunderstanding that has continued on for far too long.
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Bake a neighbor a pie, loaf of bread, or help them rake their leaves.
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Call an old high school or college friend.
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Thank your boss and/or management team for the challenges they have faced over recent months. (It hasn’t been easy for them either.)
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Call a customer just to say thank you.
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Be a positive source of energy this week. See if you can get through an entire day without complaining, even a little, and even if justified.
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Insert your ideas here!! Better yet, share your ideas with others. I would welcome your thoughts.
Every day is a gift… even Mondays!!! Don’t let this one go to waste.
Thank you for reading this missive, I am grateful for you; perhaps I have known you for decades, maybe we spent a day or two together, or a handful of hours in a workshop, or perhaps we have never met in person… regardless, thank you!
How will you love, live, or lead, differently, or better, this week?
Bonus quotes below.
Sincerely,
Bryan Yager
208.376.1701
“Expanding Your Capacity for Success”
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Bonus Quotes:
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“Life is a gift, and it offers us the privilege, opportunity, and responsibility to give something back by becoming more.” ― Tony Robbins
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“The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.” ― Pablo Picasso
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“Each day provides its own gifts.” – Marcus Rurelius
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“Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” ― George Bernard Shaw
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“Each day is a gift. Receive it with eagerness. Share it with Joy.” – Unknown
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“The past should be left in the past or it can steal your future. Live life for what tomorrow can bring and not what yesterday has taken away. Every day is a gift.” – Unknown
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“There are only two days in the year that nothing can be done. One is called yesterday and the other is called tomorrow, so today is the right day to love, believe, do, and mostly live.” – Dalai Lama
