Thank You, Happy Holidays & Good-Bye 2021

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My work continues all the way deep into Christmas week. I guess it’s the hazards of operating retail companies for so many years. I struggle to wind things down and do my best to serve clients up to and for as long as they need my help. The week between Christmas and New Year’s – that’s a different story. Partly because on January 2nd my wife and I have our anniversary. This coming January 2nd will be number 44 for us. 

This week and next are a hard push toward the finish line, but I wanted to take a few minutes to say “thank you.”

First, thank you to all my clients and the people who have entrusted me to help them figure things out. Make no mistake, the clients do the work. They put in the effort – and the courage, which is really humility – to look inside themselves and challenge themselves to get better. Without their personal commitment to personal and professional excellence, nothing happens. Thank you for allowing me to serve your growth.

Next, thank you to my podcast listeners. This podcast has morphed over the past 20 years and many of you have stuck with me throughout that entire time. The objective of this podcast remains as it began – to help you feel, think and do. Your time and attention are valuable. I appreciate you giving me chunks of both and I have high hopes to keep improving. Please let me know what I can do to make the podcast more valuable to you.

The holidays are joyous for some but challenging for others. We likely know some who are enduring some tough times right now. In recent weeks I’ve encountered some who have lost family members to a tragic death. Some endure ongoing health difficulties. Others are grinding through some professional challenges. Life’s problems are boundless – and I’d like to take just a second to acknowledge that none of us are living true Instagram moments. Our lives are roller coasters. It’s up to us to navigate it and to lean on the people who can best help us do that. Don’t get discouraged by comparing your circumstance with others. We’re all going through something. Things aren’t always as they seem. Push forward. Grind it out. Mostly, figure it out.

I wish all of you happier days than not during the holiday season – and every other season of your life. The struggles help define us – more accurately, our positive response to our struggles define us. As we wind down 2021 let’s commit ourselves to put in the work to overcome the problems we can and to endure the ones we can’t overcome. Let’s elevate our expectations with optimism that we can do our part to make our lives better tomorrow – better than ever before. 

Gratitude is the path forward. A focus on what we have, rather than a focus on what we lack. I appreciate you. I appreciate being a small part of your life and trying to make you stronger for the lift necessary to tackle your challenges. 

One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed a boy hurriedly picking up and gently throwing things into the ocean. Approaching the boy, he asked, “Young man, what are you doing?” The boy replied, “Throwing starfish back into the ocean. The surf is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them back, they’ll die.” The man laughed to himself and said, “Don’t you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish? You can’t make any difference!” After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it into the surf. Then, smiling at the man, he said, “I made a difference to that one.”

Be well. Do good. Grow great!