Might As Well Jump

The holidays are over. The two-month haze of food comas and forced togetherness give way to the drab realities of your normal daily life. I found myself this morning earnestly repeating the phrase "Lord give me strength." This is purely a pep talk for me, but if I need one, then perhaps you need one, too.

You must remember nobody owes you nothin'.

Attitude makes or breaks you, and everyone around you.

Do not burn yourself out.

Do not burn out those who work for you.

Be kind to the extent it is possible, thereafter be patient and direct.

You must identify what you want so you know where to find it. It will not come to you.

People will screw up. You will screw up. Let's all move on.

Today, you will be asked to do impossible things under unprecedented circumstances with no assistance, tools or guidance. This is your job. Do it to the best of your ability until you find another job that will expect the same thing from you. Expect for tomorrow to be no different.

Someone is always watching you.

Each time you interact with another human being it is another chance to pass or fail that challenge. Break your day into individual challenges. Be proud of your success, honest about your failures and vigilant for challenges to come.

God is with you, always.

A happy life is not a life without struggle or tests of faith. A happy life is a life well lived under the circumstances.

You do not need to be rich to have all you could ever need.

Your family is there to help you.

Thank people for the criticism they offer, even if they offer it in a way that is upsetting to you. Assume they mean well and they want you to succeed.

Offer criticism to others in a way that lets them know you want them to succeed. Do no harm to them and make them feel good about their prospects.

Don't forget to hug your pet goodbye.

Don't forget to kiss your spouse/significant other and tell them you love them.

Drive safely. People you don't even know are out to kill you.



Happy New Year, friends, colleagues, mentees and casual readers. Let's make it a good one!