Mike's Monday Message
Veteran's Day
Lessons Learned
This Monday Message is dedicated to those who have served in the Armed Forces or are still serving and their loved ones. In my mind I think of Veterans as those who have served and those still serving. I have a high degree of respect for these men and women who have chosen a selfless life to serve others. There are many great lessons and ideas we can discuss and learn about when we honor our veterans. Patriotism, freedom, dedication, respect, and honor to name a few of the more common ones. All great topics for discussions, essays, and presentations for sure. I'd like to pass on three ideas I think about when I think of Veterans. Setting one's life aside for another, teamwork and communication.
Laying Our Life Aside
Most of us will never know what it is like to take the oath of military service where they promise to defend the U.S. and the Constitution. What they are promising is to put their life on the line for our country. A great act of courage that helps make our world a better place to live. Now, most likely we will never have the opportunity to sacrifice our life for another. But, how can we set our life aside for others? The answers are endless of course. To do a good job raising healthy children certainly means setting our life aside. How about when that two year old wants you to read her a book...during the Seahawk game? Or that guy merging on the freeway going 45 miles and hour and has no idea you are there. Do you give the friendly wave or the other kind? How about having your 92 year old mother-in-law coming to live with you? I can go on and on and so can you. Endless opportunities, but nothing compared to our service men and women.
Teamwork
We've all been part of good teams and bad teams whether it's in work, sports or clubs. Being on a good or bad team in the Armed Service is a matter of life and death. In work, sports or clubs it can mean the difference of being productive or not. The life of your work team depends on everyone participating and carrying their share. Everyone knows what a complainer or a slacker can do to a team. What kind of team member are you? Do you add to the productivity and positive culture on your team? Do you work together to solve problems and make progress or do you create problems? The life of your team depends on your positive and professional collaboration.
Communication
It's not always easy to pinpoint what makes communication good, but we sure know when it isn't good. Things can become real messy. Once again, in the midst of a conflict in the field, poor communication can mean someone's life. Poor communication in our professional or personal life can certainly mean the life of that relationship will at least be damaged in some way. I can often trace back any problems I experience in work or family to poor communication. What if we took communication as serious as our service men and women? What if we knew we had to get it right the first time or serious consequences would occur? How would that change our behavior?
Thank You!
Veterans,
Thank you! You inspire and motivate me to lay my life aside for kids, to communicate clearly and efficiently and to be a valuable member of the team.