Monday Morning Match is a quick post – maybe a quote, inspirational story or idea – intended to spark some motivation inside each of you so your week gets off to a fantastic start on Monday morning.
Happy 57th birthday today to American singer/songwriter Sheryl Crow. She has released 10 studio albums and earned 9 Grammy awards. I’m a big fan of many of Crow’s albums and have many of her hit singles on playlists or on my phone but one of my absolute favorites is her hit “Soak Up the Sun” from the 2002 album C’
Wow! That’s a powerful reminder about the importance of gratitude and perspective, isn’t it?
We all have dreams and these dreams help us create a vision of where we want to go this year, or in five years, or by the end of our career. For some of us, it might seem like a lifetime away while others can almost see the finish line. Most of us have some sort of business plan that incorporates goals and depends on executing activities and tasks on a daily and weekly basis to achieve the levels of success we desire. Yet, when was the last time you stopped and took a look around? When was the last time you took a 10,000 foot view from above and looked for the “X” that shows “You are here”?
Do you think there might be someone who would be envious of your place right now? Do you think there might be someone who would trade places with you today? Are there others who look back at where you are today and, knowing what they know now, would appreciate and enjoy the journey and people a whole lot more?
We all see people in our offices, companies, local associations or communities that we consider are at a different level than us. Perhaps these are some of the people who drive us to do what we do to become better. Do we want what they have, where they live, and what they do? Or are we just seeing the glamorous cover photo without reading the detailed stories on the pages inside to see if they are even happy or remotely close to as successful as they look?
At the same time, there is probably someone somewhere, looking at us and thinking “look at how good they are doing.” We smile and say “no way,” but deep down inside we know it’s true.
Look around at what, and more importantly, who you have in your life right now. What do you need to do today to move a little closer to where you’re trying to be? Let the sun brighten your attitude and shine some light on your perspective.
As Sheryl Crow sings, “Soak up the sun…while it’s still free!”
This week remind yourself of the relationships you’ve built, the problems you’ve helped solve, and the fun you’ve already had. Remember, “getting what you want” is in the future but “wanting what you’ve got” is about today. It’s about right here, right now. Soak it up!