My Riffs

Furthermore to yesterday’s post about assumptions… just talk about it. Instead of assuming, reach out and talk about it. You may just find out you’re wrong or there’s more to the story. 

We operate off so many assumptions. And we often need to. But the mistake is we take all our assumptions as fact when we should hold our assumptions very loosely. 

Dare yourself to be great. Don’t be afraid to take calculated risks. Don’t be afraid to get outside your comfort zone. Take some risks. 

Many things land outside our control. But the truth is, we can control a lot more than we think. We can't control other people and circumstances, but we can control our response. And that response is ultra important, mores than the event itself. So you're in control, you get to decide the next move.

To persevere when things get difficult. Thats what separates winners from quitters. Quitters look for a reason to stop, winners find a way. Perseverance is a quality that sets apart successful from unsuccessful. 

Less is actually more. With so much digital clutter less is more. We take in too much information in a given day. Use the unsubscribe button. Unfollowing is fine. Muting is okay. Your peace isn’t worth taking in more. 

If someone asks you to do something for them, ether personally or for your job, go beyond. Always pleasantly surprise people with doing more than they’re expecting. 

We give up before we even try. There’s a thousand reasons why it won’t work. It’s easy to find reasons why it won’t work. It’s a lot harder to find ways to make it work. It works for those who try. Trying is the way to get through life. You don’t truly live unless you actually do things beyond the easy or common. 

Each day has 24 hours. That's the best gift you can receive. If you get that gift, be grateful and make the most of it. Don't waste time complaining. Don't waste time looking for faults or finding the negative things.

Doing hard things is tough. But that’s why they’re valuable. If something was tough, there was something to gain from it. If something was easy, you didn’t likely gain much (unless you had already done hard work). 

Anything you do half hearted is a waste of time. Either give it your best or don't' do it. Doing something half hearted will not accomplish what it should. That energy could be used on something you can give your best at. Say no to things you don't want to do. And when you say yes, give it your best!

Point out the good, and just watch, it will grow. If you keep harping on the faults, the good may never grow as it should. But if you keep watering and cultivating the good, it’s going to flourish. 

You will never receive respect unless you give it. Respect isn't given, it's earned and reciprocated.

What does worry accomplish? Mostly it just steals your joy. There’s things to be concerned about, but dwelling on them more than necessary becomes worry. Worry never helps. 

Think, but don't overthink. There comes a time where you may be thinking too much. You start getting diminishing returns on your investment once you are overthinking. You may actually get worse results the more you think. Be careful and slow down, think things through. But don't overthink!

So many things we don’t get simply because we don’t ask. Just ask. You may just get what you want or need. 

Often we don’t even try to understand other people. We enter a conversation already making our minds up about them. But what if we tried to actually understand other people? Not agree with them, but to understand them. When people feel understood they’re much more apt to respond positively. 

It doesn’t take grand gestures to make people feel appreciated. It just takes small, thoughtful gestures. Making meaningful connections and showing appreciation and support goes a long way in helping us make people feel appreciated. 

The bad thing about being negative is it’s a spiral. One negative thing only naturally leads to another negative thing until you have to forceful break the cycle. It’s best to never even follow a negative thought. Every negative though can be followed by finding the silver lining. If you do that, you can acknowledge the perceived bad but always leave it on a positive. 

Be thankful for what you already have. Too many people are thankful only once they lose what they have. 

 Everything you receive, both good and bad, you can pass it along or drop it. If somebody shares something negative with you, you have a choice, pass it along and keep it going or let it drop. Or if someone shares something good with you, you also have a choice. Keep the good thing going or let it stop with you. You're important in either breaking a bad chain or keeping a good one going. 

Did I do good today? Who did I connect with? What differences did I make? What did I build? Doing good involves output, and positive output at that. 

Listen to what people say. You don’t have to be the judge of everything you hear. Be a good listener. People just need to be heard, they don’t always need to be told if they’re right or wrong. There’s a time and place for that but most often they just need to get out what’s causing them internal discomfort. 

Strength is kindness and gentleness. So if you don’t feel strong, you can always be kind and gentle. Being rough and hard isn’t strength. It’s a sign of weak self control. Be strong by putting your base nature down and being a better person. 

It’s somewhat easy to divide. It’s much harder to bring together. People who can unite are doing a good work. People who unite are doing a valuable job. People who unite are using their influence the right way! Do what’s difficult and not easy, bring people together instead of divide. 

You can usually understand someone if you ask enough questions and get enough honest answers. You may not agree with them, but you can understand. Try to understand someone and give them grace before jumping to conclusions. 

Everything we say builds or destroys. Speak life into people. Sometimes the best way to destroy something bad is to speak life into something better. 

Being love means being patient. Being kind. Being forgiving. Being generous. Being love requires us to be less selfish and more considerate of others. So be love.