Labor Day Lessons from Mom.
First a quote: “Without labor, nothing prospers.” – Sophocles
Hello and happy Labor Day weekend , (From the shores of New Jersey)
I have always enjoyed the Labor Day holiday weekend. I associate Labor Day with the beginning of another college football season and the arrival of fall… my personal favorite of the four seasons. I love everything about fall.
In some ways, however, the holiday is also a source of mild melancholy for me.
For many of us, Labor Day serves as an “in-your-face” reminder that summer is coming to an end, the vacation season is over, and families are sending their children back to school and/or college.
For me, personally, the holiday is also an opportunity to remember how hard my parents worked to raise a family of six. For my siblings and me, hard work was a core value taught in our home and a significant part of our upbringing.
When I began my corporate career, my mother frequently reminded me to remember what she called “the little people,” those people who labor everywhere on the front lines of construction, restaurants, hospitals, retail, schools, farms, and factories. The people who matter most in every company and in our society
A short side story: Many years ago, I took my mother on a cross-country road trip to visit our family in the Midwest. One morning, after checking out of our hotel, I sat impatiently waiting for her in the car, anxious to get on the road.
When I went to see what was taking her so long, I found her sitting in her hotel room writing a very nice thank you note. She wanted the room attendant to know how much she appreciated a clean room, fresh bed, and sanitized bathroom.
Learning from her, I have left a gratuity and thank you note in almost every hotel room I have stayed in since that trip with my mother in the early 80’s.
Isn’t that the fundamental purpose of Labor Day… remembering and appreciating the people who make our country run day after day, and year after year?
Labor Day, first celebrated in New York City in 1882 (and became a national holiday in 1894) is an annual tribute to the unsung heroes of our society. It acknowledges the dedication and hard work of countless individuals who contribute to our nation’s economic growth and prosperity. From teachers shaping the future, to doctors saving lives, and construction workers building our infrastructure; every profession plays a crucial role in our lives today.
The holiday can, of course, also serve as a time for reflection. It prompts us to consider the rapidly evolving nature of work with advancements in technology and automation that will reshape entire industries in the years ahead.
As I gaze into my own very cloudy “not-so-crystal ball,” I see massive amounts of change ahead in the not-to-distant future… a future that will be both challenging and exciting for most of us.
So, no matter where you’re enjoying the Labor Day holiday, let’s all take a few brief moments to pause in gratitude for the people who labor to make our lives a little bit better every day. You may even choose to write someone an unexpected note of gratitude for their hard work in all that they do.
I know it would make my mom smile.
Happy Labor Day Weekend!
How will you live, love, or lead, differently, or better, this coming week?
Bonus Quotes Below.
Sincerely,
Bryan Yager
“Expanding Your Capacity for Success”
** Revised and updated; originally published on September 4, 2023.*
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Bonus Quotes:
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“ Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” – Thomas Edison
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“Nothing will work unless you do .” – Maya Angelou
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“The big secret in life is that there is no big secret . Whatever your goal, you can get there if you’re willing to work .” – Oprah Winfrey
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“Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work.” – Aristotle
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“I learned the value of hard work by working hard.” – Margaret Mead
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“All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity. ” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
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“Dare to be honest and fear no labor .” – Robert Burns
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“ There is joy in work. There is no happiness except in the realization that we have accomplished something.” – Henry Ford
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“There is more to life than making a living. Do not work more than you live.” – Mokokoma Mokonyane
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“The highest compliment that you can pay me is to say that I work hard every day, that I never dog it.” – Wayne Gretzky
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“Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration. The rest of us just get up and go to work.” – Stephen King
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“The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary.” – Vince Lombardi
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“Thunder is good, thunder is impressive; but it is lightning that does the work.” – Mark Twain
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“Nothing ever comes to one that is worth having except as a result of hard work .” – Booker T. Washington
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“Take rest. A field that has rested gives a bountiful crop.” – Ovid
