First Choose HOPE, Then Spread It
H – Heart
We all have a heart. We all have feelings. We all care.
The only question is – to what extent. Wouldn’t it be great if other people truly cared about us? The quickest way to inspire others to care is to simply lead the way, and open our hearts to truly care for others.
Soon they will feel the love, and they just might spread it.
O – Open to Opportunities
Sometimes things go as planned, other times things just don’t go our way.
Sometimes: We don’t get the job. We don’t get the raise. We don’t close the sale. He or she is “just not that into us”.
Sometimes if we look up, we’ll notice another opportunity right around the corner; perhaps at our fingertips. We’ll see it, go for it, and probably even crush it, if we’re open to it.
If we’re open to new opportunities, those around us will soon be more open to new things as well.
When leaders are open to new things, others feel more comfortable getting uncomfortable. Soon that feeling of openness begins to spread.
P – PMA: Positive Mental Attitude
For every bad thing, bad day, bad decision, or bad circumstance, if we look hard enough, we’ll find something good in any situation.
Our jobs can get extremely annoying, but my old friend, Mary Poppins, gives great advice on this topic – for every job that must be done, there is an element of fun.
What if we looked for the fun part in every annoying job or situation? Better yet, what if we WERE the fun in every annoying situation? As leaders, when we choose to PMA the days, with positivity vs. negativity, soon people around us will feel encouraged instead of defeated.
Once they feel the positivity, they’ll spread it.
E – Energy
We all have energy. The only questions then are 1) How much energy do we have, and 2) How do we choose to use it? The encouraging thing about both of these questions is that we are in control of both.
I love the line from the 1994 Danny DeVito movie, Renaissance Man – “The choices we make dictate the lives we lead.”
When we choose to eat right, sleep well, and exercise, we will have more energy. Awesome start. Then when we choose to put our energy to good use, in productive ways, good things happen at work, cool things happen in life, and my favorite part about energy is that it’s contagious.
As leaders, when we 1) have energy and 2) use our energy to make a positive impact at work and in life, our neighbors, teammates, classmates, friends, family, coworkers, peers, and leaders will magically do the same.
Energy creates more energy…it spreads.
Hope is such a fascinating thing. With it, we feel amazing, yet without it we’re miserable.
All the more reason to lead with hospitality.
First choose HOPE, then spread it.
“I still believe in a place called Hope.” – William Jefferson Clinton, 42nd President of the United States.
Have a great day.
Taylor
One for the road:
This post is dedicated to my Dad, on his 64th birthday. He choses hope, and spreads hope every single day in his work and life. It’s an inspiration to many, and certainly to me.
He’s practiced law for over 40 years, serving his community, his family, and his clients day in and day out. Growing up, I witnessed person after person, family after family, and even business after business engage my dad for his services and legal counsel. Regardless of their situation, he always has and still does chose hope. Sooner vs. later, people feel and experience hope themselves.
He’s always chosen hope, and in doing so, he spreads hope to everyone who needs it. And that’s all of us, at one point or another.
I’m setting out to do the same. With hospitality…and all are welcome to join me.
