Meaningful Mondays - Arrows Out

Clapping Frozen Moments

Good morning, everybody. Lee Brower here. Welcome to this week's edition of Meaningful Monday. I am so grateful to be here. I am so glad to be here. Let's go big.

In this episode, Lee Brower shares his belief that we can learn from every experience in life, making the world the perfect school. He reflects on a recent event where he spent time with James Dixon, a motivational speaker, and the importance of developing habits of learning. Lee recounts a heartwarming experience with his granddaughters at a Frozen performance, coining the term "clapping frozen moment" to describe those instances of pure joy and excitement.

Lee encourages listeners to identify and cherish their own "clapping moments" in daily life, emphasizing the value of living deliberately and creating meaningful memories. He also shares a powerful quote from a masterclass he attended: "It's not what you leave to them. It's what you leave in them."

Join Lee in this inspiring episode as he challenges you to find and own your moments of joy. Live life deliberately and make every moment an asset.

What do biscuits, horse manure and focus have in common?

Welcome to this week's edition of Meaningful Monday with Lee Brower. In this inspiring episode, Lee shares a unique perspective on gratitude through a prayer about biscuits, emphasizing how life's individual components, both good and bad, can come together to create something wonderful.

Lee takes us back to 1898, illustrating how focusing on positivity can lead to innovative solutions, as exemplified by the transition from horse-drawn carriages to automobiles. He challenges us to shift our focus from negative to positive aspects in our daily lives, encouraging us to ask ourselves, "What is one good thing that happened today?"

Join Lee in this empowering journey to amplify the good and make a meaningful impact in our families, workplaces, and communities. Let's start the week with a positive mindset and a commitment to being the answer to someone's prayer. Have a meaningful week!

Cascade of Gratitude: Transforming the Diderot Effect

Good morning, everybody. Lee Brower here. Welcome to this edition of Meaningful Monday. I am grateful to be here. I am glad to be here. Have you ever heard of the Diderot effect? Few of you probably have. I had never heard about it until just reading recently, and I was able to link several things to it. So let's talk about where did the Diderot effect come from? It came from the 17th century from a man, French philosopher by the name of Denis Diderot. And what he did is he put together a book he called his encyclopedia, but had all All of the great philosophers, Voltaire, et cetera, brought together on how to run governments, how to put the, and it became well-known and kind of a guideline for a lot of the governments. And Catherine the Great saw it. She wanted to get it somehow. So happens that Diderot, after his fourth child, needed money. So she came in and bought it from him. She let him be the librarian for the rest of his life, but she was able then to access it and use it in her own governing and her enlightenment period going forward. word.

One of the things that he talked about later that he wrote about, he said, you know, it was really interesting because when I had that money, I thought, well, I need to buy something. So he said, and he went out and bought the most expensive gown that he could buy. They call it a gown back then. We'd wear it, you know, and it was silk. And once he had the gown, he said, well, I need some shoes. Can't wear these scrutty shoes with this. So he bought some nice shoes, but no, not just one pair, several pair. I need different colors to go in and I need other parts of my outfit, my leggings, my everything. So he just one thing bought another. And then he looked around his house. I need couch. How could I walk in like this when we got pretty furniture like this? And so this cascade of consumption, cascade of consumption starts to happen.

Has it happened to you? I think it's happened to all of us in some way. I mean, say you pick up a sport, you're going to golf. What happens is you don't just buy the clubs. Then you got to buy the outfit and then you got to do this outfit because this one is what this, and then you got to get the the right balls. And then this happens and you hear about this and you get a cascade of consumption. Buy a new car, things happen to it. Buy a new furniture, cascaded consumption. And so it's all arrows in because it forces you to think inward, not outward. So, you know, how can we turn that on its head? How can we use that to make ourselves better? How can we turn the arrows out with that?

So I think about things that have cascade of events. And I think about our son, Bo, that I've told you about before, how he went through a drive-through, came back and said, I got up there to pay and the car in front of me was already gone and he paid for my hamburger. I said, what'd you do? Well, I paid for the car behind me. You see, there's a cascade now of gratitude, not a cascade of consumption. I had an experience recently on the plane. It's little tiny things, you know. I mean, it's just little tiny things. Sitting there, and the guy's late getting on the plane, and he's kind of one of these guys. You could tell he's stressed out, and he's charging up the aisle and looks up. There's hardly any room. He crams baggies this way, crams baggies, shoves his bag up in there, sits down, plops down, and off we go. And I prejudiced him. I thought, this guy's kind of a jerk, you know.

And when we landed, guess what? He's the first one up, wrestles this thing down, puts it down on the aisle right where I can't get out of my seat. You've been there before, right? So you can't move. You're trapped in there. Then he takes his briefcase or backpack, and he's trying to slip it on the handles to stack it. They won't go. So he's, uh, uh. So I'm just sitting there, and I reach over like that, and I grab it, and I move things, kind of adjust it, lift it up. Give me a second. And slid it down for him. Didn't think anything of it. So then I'm sitting there and I'm trying, I want to get my jacket on before we get off. And so you're wrestling with your coat to get it on because you're, you know, you're crammed in that spot. So as I'm wrestling with it, all of a sudden I feel a hand come down and somebody tugs it up and pulls it up over my shoulder and pulls it back the other way. And it was this man and he had a smile. So when I got up, you know, I said, well, thank you very much. Thank you. And we get off the plane and he's standing there. He says, you know, I didn't thank you for your help. I just wanted to make sure that I said, thank you. A cascade of gratitude. What a difference. What a difference.

And I think there's so many times in our lives when we have the opportunity to create that cascade. And where other people have created a cascade for us where maybe we didn't even know who they were or they did something for us that we in turn did for somebody else. So here's my challenge for this week. I challenge us. I challenge you. I challenge me to create our own positive Diderot effects through gratitude. A cascade of gratitude. How's that? A cascade of gratitude. Start with one small, meaningful action that's aligned with the mindset, aligned with the arrows out mindset, and watch to see if it doesn't, and even if it doesn't, but just know that it is making an effect on other people's lives. So the empowering question, what small action can I take today that will create a ripple of positive change? Maybe even a cascade of gratitude. Have a meaningful week. Live life deliberately. We'll talk next week.

Enduring Wisdom: The Power of Purpose

Welcome to this week's edition of Meaningful Monday. Our discussion this week is centered on the wisdom of two exceptional thinkers, Viktor Frankl and Abraham Maslow. Their profound insights into human motivation can help us navigate even the most formidable challenges.

We talk about Frankl's experience during World War II, which was documented in his book "Man's Search for Meaning". Despite facing unimaginable suffering and hardship in a prison camp during the Holocaust, he managed to find meaning in small acts of kindness and maintained the will to live by looking forward to uniting with his wife and sharing his insights with the world.

We also delve into Maslow's famous hierarchy of needs, which underwent a revision after he was influenced by Frankl’s lived experiences. He added 'self-transcendence' at the top of his model to reflect that true satisfaction comes not just from fulfilling basic needs but also from surpassing oneself and finding a higher purpose.

This week's challenge is to identify a higher purpose in your daily activities. It's about posing vital questions to oneself – not just about survival needs but about what you are living for and how you can contribute positively to the lives of others.

Our empowering question this week: 'How can I use my current circumstances to find deeper meaning and positively impact those around me?' So let's go forth inspired by the enduring wisdom of Frankl and Maslow to find strength and fulfillment in a higher purpose. Remember, life isn't just about surviving, it's about thriving by living for something greater than ourselves.

The Weightlifter of my Life, my Mom

Welcome to another edition of Meaningful Monday with me, Lee Brower. In this episode, I reflect on the significance of Mother's Day, an auspicious celebration of our mothers that goes back to 1908. To honor the occasion, I reminisce about my mother, a woman who played a pivotal role in shaping my life and lifting my spirits.

I remember my mother as a weightlifter, not in the literal sense but metaphorically. She carried the weight of my world on her shoulders, always encouraging, supporting, and elevating me. Throughout this episode, I share two stories from different periods of my life that reflect the positive influence my mother had on me.

The first story dates back to the time when she coaxed me into climbing a tree by holding my hand, showing me the way, and lifting me up. The second story is about our last moment together, where even though she was weak, she managed to extend her strength to me. The hand she held out to me symbolizes how she kept lifting me and continues to do so.

In honor of Mother's Day, I urge you all to reflect on the valuable lessons you've received from your mothers. How can you utilize those teachings to ascend the tree of life? Which piece of advice has given you the strength to accomplish new heights? Let's use this moment to cherish and learn.

Join me next week for another insightful session. Until then, take care and have a great week ahead!

The Worst Place to Fish

Welcome to a brand new episode of Meaningful Monday with Lee Brower. This week, we're delving into our ability to adapt, improve, and most importantly, change. Join Lee as he narrates the exceptional story of 'Big Al,' a man who spent his latter days futilely fishing in a swimming pool. This anecdote serves as a metaphor and a poignant reminder - are we fishing in our swimming pools? Are we investing time and energy in habits, activities, and goals that are no longer meaningful or feasible?

In this episode, Lee underlines the idea that the 'producer of old age is habit.' While good practices indeed strengthen us, mindless repetition of routines, born from carelessness and finally settling into cowardice or inertia, can dangerously narrow our world. The empowering question posed is - Am I fishing in a swimming pool? What habits or routines can you eliminate or refine to break free from the mundanity of everyday life?

Join Lee in exploring how stepping out of our comfort zones fosters growth, vitality, and impactful change. This week's challenge encourages listeners to identify and modify a routine or habit to reignite their innovative thinking and avoid becoming victims of inertia or the ‘producers of old age.’ So, step up, dare to be different, leave that comfort zone, and start leading a truly meaningful existence. Let's embrace the extraordinary in our everyday lives and make this week a truly meaningful one.

Join us next week for another insightful episode of Meaningful Monday. Until then, break those routine chains, widen your perspective, and remember, never go fishing in swimming pools.

A Note from Nick

Welcome to this week's edition of Meaningful Monday. I am your host, Lee Brower, and today’s conversation is about the importance of gratitude and focus and how they play essential roles in making our future more meaningful based on the lessons from our past. In this episode, I question what makes a moment worthy of remembering and how we can make this week meaningful.

I present a thought-provoking query to you: Can you pinpoint a moment in the last week that is worth cherishing? Let's explore this by starting with a clean slate and allowing our gratitude to naturally cascade from there. I share my own experiences, from a helpful cashier to a motivated foundation co-founders I've crossed paths with.

This talk also reflects on the concept of going big – to begin in gratitude. We explore this by thinking of precise moments that are worthy of remembering rather than taking a broad look at the things we have to be thankful for. Also, I share a personal story of my collaborative work in building The Rivers, contrasting a river mindset with a reservoir mindset, and how my late son Nick once used the metaphor of a river to describe challenges in life.

In conclusion, we end the talk with an empowering question we each need to ask ourselves every day for the coming week: "What one distraction can I eliminate from my life so I can stay focused on where I am going?" It involves taking stock of our lives and mindfully minimizing distractions to achieve a focused, purposeful life. Join us next week as we continue to explore these profound thoughts that make life more meaningful. Have a meaningful week.

Fueling a Meaningful Life through Lifelong Learning

Welcome to another edition of Meaningful Monday! In this episode, our host Lee Brower shares insightful content on the transformative power of lifelong learning. He discusses how continuous quest for knowledge not only keeps us intellectually stimulated, but also fuels a vibrant, meaningful life.

Lee brings into focus four vital elements that are crucial for a balanced life; energy, balance, focus, and confidence. He emphasizes that from the time we are born, we are innate learners, but as we age, we often sideline our inherent thirst for new knowledge. He probes into the possible consequences of stopping to learn and advocates for the continuous pursuit of knowledge as a path towards a richer life.

The first key element, energy, is discussed as the driver for action and a direct outcome of clarity. Lee emphasizes that clarity is transformative and a vital contributor to the energy that feeds us. Balance, the second element, is likened to harmonic motion, seen as a requirement in life that facilitates growth and propels us forward. Focus, the third key, necessitates commitment to unique abilities and concentration, to yield efficiency and lasting impact. Finally, confidence is presented as a natural result of clarity, balance, and focus. It attracts greater opportunities and relationships into our lives.

The episode contains actionable insights and thought-provoking questions to ponder, such as - ‘Are there areas in my life that I feel off-balance’, ‘Am I allowing distractions to dilute my energy’ and ‘Which of my choices will make my future self thank me’. Host Lee concludes by challenging his listeners to energize their lives with more clarity, to assess their balance, sharpen their focus, and see how these elements can further bolster their confidence.

Celebrate another week of a meaningful journey to lifelong learning filled with energy, balance, focus, and confidence. Get ready to make this week a great stepping-stone towards a happy, fruitful and meaningful life.

The Power of Kindness and Inclusion -A Nora Moment

In this week's edition of Meaningful Monday, Lee Brower talks about the powerful effect of kind words and actions, and the joy of inclusion. He recounts the inspiring story of a young boy named Jim Abbott who, despite having only one arm, was determined to play baseball as well as anyone with two. Abbott's influencer was his third-grade teacher who was instrumental in boosting his confidence and teaching him the practicalities of life, such as tying a shoe with one hand.

Brower shares his personal experience visiting a trampoline park with his daughter Natalie and her two daughters, one of whom, Sloan, has Spina bifida. Amidst the hustle and bustle of the park, Brower observed a simple yet profoundly heart-warming moment of kindness - an interaction between Sloan and a four-year-old named Nora.

Despite the seeming indifference of others, the perceptive Nora offers kindness and companionship to Sloan, proving that small acts of kindness indeed create waves of goodwill. Brower marvels at the wisdom and compassion of a child that made the handicapped Sloan feel included and loved.

Brower concludes with an empowering question: "Who can we see that normally is invisible to us that we may be able to extend a hand to, a smile to, but make a difference in their lives?" He encourages us to acknowledge the struggles of others and to perform acts of kindness without expecting anything in return. According to him, these "Nora moments" can have far-reaching effects, potentially impacting generations.

Acknowledging and learning from such acts of kindness, Brower encourages us to live more compassionately and inclusively, suggesting that we too can become catalysts for change and goodwill. He signs off, bidding us to have a meaningful week, and promising more inspiration in the next episode.

Who's Your Hero? The Ripple Effect of Kindness and Positivity

Welcome to this edition of Meaningful Monday with Lee Brower, a widely known sports enthusiast who celebrates the inspiring story of Jim Abbott. Jim Abbott, a major league baseball player for the California Angels, has never let his one-armed condition deter him from achieving his dreams.

Constantly challenged by his disability, Jim faced difficulty in even tying his shoelaces. It was at this juncture that his third-grade teacher, Mr. Clarkson, stepped in. Mr. Clarkson showed him not sympathy but a solution, teaching him how to tie his shoelaces with one hand. This single act of kindness and thoughtfulness brought about a significant change in Jim's life, leading him to break barriers, achieve the deemed impossible, and make it to play in the esteemed Yankee Stadium while demonstrating an unyielding spirit of determination.

What's heartening is that Jim treasures not his staggering accomplishments but the memory of Mr. Clarkson - the teacher who cared enough to make a difference. Today, Jim passes on this kindness by teaching kids that every challenge can indeed be met with a solution.

The crux of the story emphasizes the need for more acts of kindness, no matter how small they may seem. These are the arrows we put out into the world, without even knowing where they might land or how many lives they might touch and transform along the way. So, let's make a difference today, just like Mr. Clarkson did, and let's inspire someone to overcome their challenges and hit their own no-hitter in life. Go out there and keep those kindness ripples moving!

Stay tuned for the next episode of Meaningful Monday. Thank you for joining us!