Motivational Minute
April 10, 2000
Hello
Friends!
Here is a message of POWER and PASSION to get your week started with
ENTHUSIASM!
Please feel free to share it with your friends and associates.
Only the weak show emotion, right?
WRONG.
For generations young boys have been told that, if
you allow yourself to show vulnerability
you are soft or pathetic or frail. So,
consequently we have millions of men who think they cannot cry or tell
anyone that they might be scared.
Women have worked very hard to get the respect they
deserve in the workplace. Unfortunately, in some cases they still don't
receive the level of respect they have worked so hard to achieve. So,
consequently we have spawned a new generation of women, traditionally
the more sensitive gender, who believe that showing emotion and
vulnerability minimizes their impact in the world, both personally and
professionally.
The truth of the matter is that those people who
can unashamedly express emotion are
among the strongest human beings on earth. Expressing your
feelings and having the ability to show genuine compassion is healthy.
It cleanses your body and your soul. When you can express emotion and
allow yourself to show that you care, you can be a more whole person
with a more sensitive, inner focus.
Well this is getting pretty schmaltzy isn't it? I
mean no person who has ever held a powerful leadership position would
ever show emotion in public, right?
Well, let's see, how's General Norman Schwarzkopf
for a man who has held some power? This amazing gentleman commanded more
than 500,000 ground troops during the Gulf War, planned and executed one
the most brilliant military campaigns in history AND is unashamed to
show his emotions.
During a nationally televised interview, Barbara
Walters asked General Schwarzkopf about the men and women that died
under his command over the years. He paused for a moment, unable to
speak as tears welled up in his eyes and ran down his cheeks. Barbara
said, "Aren't you afraid to cry?" General Schwarzkopf looked
her in the eye and said, "I'm afraid of any person who won't
cry."
Lets face it - It's an incredibly competitive world
in which we live. So often
in both our business and personal lives, nothing seems good enough.
We are in an endless contest to accumulate more things, win more
awards and be at the top of the heap.
All too often our competitive world tells us that showing
kindness, crying, or exhibiting "soft" emotions is a sign of
frailty -- an Achilles heel.
But is it really?
Even those with the most competitive spirit have
learned it is truly possible to also show compassion, love AND
vulnerability. It never makes them fragile; In fact, it has the complete
opposite effect on a person's ability to feel contentment and true
happiness.
Look at Jayson Williams, star point guard in the
NBA. As a professional basketball player he is tough, and gained a
reputation early on as a rowdy, difficult player who liked to party.
He had scrapes with the law, issues with team members and
confrontations with coaches. He
has had fights on and off the court.
He makes a lot of money, and cannot show weakness.
After all, the public expects this of him -- big, tough as nails
superstar.
But did you also know...when Jayson was twelve
years old, his oldest sister was attacked and contracted AIDS from a
blood transfusion while being treated for the assault.
Years later when both she and another sister died from the virus,
he adopted their children and raised them as his own. At 27 years old, he was raising a family and dealing with the
tragic loss of his sisters. His
love and dedication to his family is beyond what words can describe.
He shows sensitivity and compassion in raising children to have
strong ethics and integrity. Does this make him weak?
Having a heart and not being afraid to show it will
make you a stronger, more well-adjusted person.
It provides you with a warmth and wholeness that money and
notoriety cannot replace.
It gives you the power to understand, and to relate.
This, in turn, makes you even more capable of handling anything
in life - at work or at home.
Everyone is gifted with compassion, but not
everyone dares to show it. You don't have to be a multimillionaire
sports star or a powerful General to gain that type of courage.
Don't feel that by giving someone a hand, showing support or
expressing emotion that you are being less than strong.
Let your emotions out and make a habit of
practicing the proverbial "random acts of kindness." These are simple, yet profoundly meaningful ways to
help other people that make you feel great about yourself. Just by allowing yourself to really be YOU in any
environment and showing true thoughtfulness, you'll feel your
self-respect grow to new levels. From renewed self-respect comes amazing
self-confidence and an intensity that will make you even more
successful. Then from all that comes growth in all aspects of your life.
HAVE THE COURAGE TO BE WHO YOU ARE AND HELP OTHERS
TO BE WHO THEY WANT TO BE!
LAUGH-A-DAY
Some actual label instructions on consumer goods observed by Dan Poynter:
On packaging for a Rowenta iron: "Do not iron
clothes on body".
(But wouldn't it save time?)
On a bar of Dial soap: "Directions: Use like regular soap."
(THANK YOU for the insight!)
On Nytol Sleep Aid: "Warning: May cause drowsiness".
(You would hope!)
On Sears hair dryer: "Do not use while sleeping."
(REALLY? I was just going to bed to style my hair.)
QUOTE-OF-THE-DAY
"It is neither wealth nor splendor, but tranquility and occupation
which give happiness."
Thomas Jefferson
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