Spending Quality Time

Today is the birthday of one of my best friends.  Although, like you, I sometimes get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life, today I was reminded that there is nothing more important than relationships … relationships with God, family, co-workers and friends.  I believe that life is a journey and that we get to choose where, how and with whom we travel.   Our lives are really the sum of the things we prioritize.  Today, I choose my relationship with my friend, whom I am taking to lunch.  Remember to take time today to express the value of your relationships. 

Following is a message that helps me to keep things in perspective.

To realize
The value of a sister/brother
Ask someone
Who doesn't have one.

To realize
The value of ten years:
Ask a newly
Divorced couple.

To realize
The value of four years:
Ask a graduate.

To realize
The value of one year:
Ask a student who
Has failed a final exam.

To realize
The value of nine months:
Ask a mother who gave birth to a stillborn.

To realize
The value of one month:
Ask a mother
Who has given birth to
A premature baby.

To realize
The value of one week:
Ask an editor of a weekly newspaper.

To realize
The value of one minute:
Ask a person
Who has missed the train, bus or plane.

To realize
The value of one second:
Ask a person
Who has survived an accident.

Time waits for no one.
Treasure every moment you have.
You will treasure it even more when
You can share it with someone special.

To realize the value of a friend or family member:
LOSE ONE.

Hospitably,
Fred Cerrone

Tools of a Leader: Leaders Take Action

I often find inspiration in reading stories of the lives of others and the lessons learned.  Take for example Sir Edmund Hillary, the first man to reach the summit of Mt. Everest along with Sherpa Tenzing Norgay. 

Hillary shared some excellent leadership wisdom about the importance of taking action when he said, "Once you've decided what it is you're going to do, start right now."

In an interview not long before his death, he talked about taking action versus procrastination that has caused failures in people who could have achieved great things. He said, “Today, I'm eighty-eight years old and there are six projects I will never be able to do.”

He shared that in 1955, he was exploring Antarctica and came to a mountain range. He climbed to the top of the range, looked across the glacier and saw animal life and sea life. He thought, “I will climb down this mountain, crawl across the ice of that glacier and I'll climb the other mountain range."

But then another thought took hold of him. “No, that's not necessary, I'm still a young man.  I'll come back another day to climb the next mountain.”  But the years passed and Hillary never got back to Antarctica. 

The lesson for leaders is this.  In every person's life there are two seasons. There is a season when time and energy work for us and there is a season when time and energy work against us. I have learned, over the years, that there is never an ideal time to begin a great work.  The choices are NOW and LATER.  Leaders are made to take action. Whatever you've decided to do, don’t procrastinate, take action and do it now.

Hospitably, 
Fred Cerrone