Motivation Monday© for President’s Day February 18, 2013

Feb. 18, 2013 - PRLog -- Or, if you are satisfied with yourself and where your life is heading, what have you done to keep growing, personally and professionally?

Today is President’s Day and we celebrate great Presidents in American history.  We have heard the State of the Union address and have celebrated Valentine’s Day and this weekend marked the beginning of Lent for millions of people.  Lent has traditionally been seen as a time to “give up” something.  In recent years, the discussion has been not as much of what you are going to “give up,” but also, what can you begin to do, to fulfill the Lenten promise.

When you listen to The State of the Union and State of the State addresses all across America, the discussion is about “give and take.”  The discussion should be, what are people willing to “give” in order to “get” what they want.  Instead, people are more willing to point at others and tell them that they have to sacrifice, rather than making their own sacrifices?  Just like Lent.  We are asked to think about what we are willing to “give up” or add to our personal choices and behaviors in order to make our lives and the lives of people around us better.  Just like Valentine’s Day when we profess our “love” for others.  Would we tell them they have to do without or do we do what we can and sacrifice for them? When we “love” are we more willing to give than receive?  Are we more willing to sacrifice or tell the ones we love that they should sacrifice for us?

All of these themes and holidays have something in common.  It’s about personal integrity.  It’s about character.  It is not about pointing fingers at others.  It isn’t about blaming people for being rich or poor.  It’s not about blaming people for their religion.  Those that encourage such accusations and have opinions that divide people are not leaders.  They are dividers.

Motivation Mondays© are about “motivating and inspiring” you to think differently and “take action to make things happen” in order to make positive changes in your life.  This week is no different.  

As politicians and many other “leaders” are encouraging people to point fingers at each other and divide people, like some religions have done for thousands of years of turmoil, I would like to challenge you to show your character.  It’s easy to point at others and blame them.  It is much harder to look at ourselves and our own personal accountability and make difficult choices of how to change our behavior and either add things that make us better human beings or stop doing things that we know detract from ourselves and the people we love and our society.

Please, take the time this week to think about the things that you can do to make your life and the lives of the people around you better.  Not by asking others to sacrifice, nor to blame others for your woes in life.  This week.  Take control of your life and hold yourself accountable for your own personal choices that have lead you to where you are today. Don’t demonize or blame anyone else.  Just look into your own heart and judge yourself.  If we could all do this more often, there would be less violence and fewer allegations and accusations and more “give and take,” cooperation and mutual respect.