Meaningful Mondays - Arrows Out

Did you know guilt and worry light up our brain's reward centers? Does that mean it is a good thing to feel guilt and worry? Maybe, for a moment. But we all know that is not a long-term solution. So, what is the one thing we can count on to strengthen our emotional intelligence and stimulate our most powerful, long-lasting reward centers? Imagine leading a life where your quest leads you to feel more happiness and, shall we say, control.

"Character is Destiny."
- Heraclitus. (About 1500 BC)

"Character, in the long run, is the decisive factor in the life of an individual and of nations alike."
- Theodore Roosevelt

In 1835, Alexis de Tocqueville wrote, "America is great because she is good, but if America ever ceases to be good - America will cease to be great."

Knowing the Good (Head); Desiring the Good (Heart); Doing the Good (Hands)

"Pride must die in you, or nothing in heaven can live in you."
– Andrew Murray.

"Asking for help does not mean that we are weak or incompetent. It usually indicates an advanced level of honesty and intelligence."
– Anne Wilson Schaef

"The "Arrows Out™ philosophy is also a way of asking others for help, as it allows them the opportunity to give and share."
– Lee Brower

"A grateful person is rich in contentment. An ungrateful person suffers in the poverty of endless discontentment."
– David A. Bednar

What is more important the destination or the journey?
Actually, it is neither.

According to Tiny Dragon-- it is the "company"- the people we surround ourselves with who share our values and vision and inspire us to ascend to greater heights.

A vision that does not involve others is not a true vision.
A vision with a destination is not a true vision... it is a finish line.

Let's not forget the people we surround ourselves with as the big difference makers when we align with a true vision and virtuous values. Our life's journey will be most meaningful.

“Gratitude is the flowering of a seed of kindness; ingratitude is the dead inactivity of a seed dropped on stone.”
– William George Jordan.

1. “Have you ever taken a moment to think about the countless small acts of kindness you receive daily that go unnoticed or unacknowledged?”
2. “When was the last time you felt truly grateful for something someone did for you, but you never actually expressed it? What stopped you?”
3. “Can you recall a time when someone’s effort or kindness towards you went unrecognized? How might that have made them feel?”

 

1.  “Do you find yourself feeling disappointed or unappreciated when your acts of kindness or hard work aren’t acknowledged? Why do you think that is?”
2. “How often do you do something nice for others with the expectation of being thanked or recognized, and how does it affect your motivation to do good?”
3. “Have you ever caught yourself helping someone primarily for recognition or reward rather than from the heart? What does this reveal about our need for external validation?”

Gratitude, in its truest form, goes beyond a simple thank you. It is not merely a transactional acknowledgment.

How do you shift from a self-centered appreciation to a "you" - centered acknowledgment?

Let's challenge ourselves to truly see the person behind each act of kindness. When we put the "you" in "thank you" we do more than express gratitude; we create a current of appreciation that flows through our lives, nurturing everything it touches.

Choices are difference-makers.

The choices we make not only influence our future but also affect the futures of those we love and serve. What are the four R's of the best choice-makers?

What are the three questions you can ask yourself every day that will guarantee you will be a better choice-maker and consequently have better results? You are always free to make your own choices. But you are not free to choose the consequences of what choice you have chosen.

"Your voice matters; your silence condones."
- Lee M Brower

"Throughout history, it has been the inaction of those who could have acted; the indifference of those who should have known better; that has made it possible for evil to triumph."
- Haile Salassie

"I believe the first test of a truly great man or woman is their humility. I do not mean, by humility, doubt of their own power... All great leaders have a curious feeling that the greatness is not in them- but through them... And they see something Divine and God-made in every other person they meet, and are endlessly, selflessly, and incredibly giving."
- Lee Brower

1. Happiness is not the absence of problems. It is the ability to deal with them.
2. Don't let yesterday hold tomorrow hostage. Everything you have done informs everything you do. Wisdom comes only from the past.
3. Don't believe you are stressed because you are doing too much. You are stressed because you are not doing those things that help you feel most alive.
4. "Lead without Finish Lines"; embrace accomplishments and failures as milestones.

And the two words that just might have saved Steve Howe's life are (...___________...)

Our only limits are the ones we place on ourselves.

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure."
— Marianne Williamson.

"Adaptability is the key to unlocking our full potential; it's about being like a river—flexible, open to new ideas, and always in flow."