Recently, I had the honor of attending a presentation from the Medal of Honor recipient James A. Taylor who is a Vietnam Veteran. He risked his life in gunfire to save many wounded soldiers…and, he did this courageous act five different times while suffering wounds himself. His profound message is “freedom is not free…it comes with a price. Honor all the men and women who fight for our freedom.” James wants folks to support the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation who perpetuates a legacy of courage, sacrifice and patriotism. It is imperative that we continue to teach character development in the areas of citizenship, commitment, courage, integrity, patriotism and sacrifice. What an inspirational message from a true hero!

What is success and what does it mean. After contemplating what it means to me, I came up with the thought that success is in the eyes of the beholder. If you are focused on money, then, when you have a lot of money you may feel that you are successful. If you are focused on power, then, when in a powerful position you believe that you are successful. If you are focused on relationships, then, when you have a lot of meaningful relationships you feel that you are successful. If you are against material things and want what’s good for the environment, then, you are successful when you believe you are one with the environment. In other words, success is very personal to each of us. Even though I believe the environment is important, my success comes to me in the form of relationships…my family, friends and associates. My goal is to nurture and maintain these relationships, such as helping when I can and offering support when required. What is YOUR meaning of success?

According to Wikipedia encyclopedia, Honesty is the human quality of communicating and acting truthfully related to truth as a value. This includes listening, and any action in the human repertoire, such as body language and tone used while speaking. The meaning of the word truth extends from honesty, good faith, and sincerity.

Honesty means simply stating facts and views as best one truly believes them to be. It includes both honesty to others, and to oneself and about one’s own motives and inner reality. Dishonesty, at times, has the ability to cause misfortune to the person who displayed it.

Isn’t it interesting that we judge ourselves by our intentions and judge others by their actions. Now go seize the day with truth and honesty!

Any obstacles to knowing the right course of action are within each of us, and so is the right course. Sometimes it seems as though a decision truly hangs in the balance, with such equal values on both sides. You can hear yourself saying, “I was so close to saying no, or yes.” We hold our thumb and forefinger a quarter inch apart. That close may not be close at all; we knew all along what was appropriate. If we let ourselves be still and listen to our inner voice, we usually know what is right for us to do. If we find ourselves faced with a lot of decisions that seem so close apart, maybe we are not acting according to our ideas of what’s right. It might be time to reappraise our values. If we believe one way and act another, we are not being true to SELF.

Caring and compassion for others as well as serving others is important in our life. After reading “Water for Elephants” by Sara Gruen, Jacob experiences the disappointment of his children not showing up for an important event in his life. He also experiences the sadness when he tries to tell his out of date stories and experiences to both his family and others. If you are unable to read the novel, you might want to see the movie. If you have experienced the last few years of an elderly parent or grandparent, their stories and life lessons are important to their feeling valued. These stories are repeated over and over. We remember the stories because we have heard them before; however, our elderly loved ones forget that they told them to us before. Listen with your heart and soul. Even in the workplace, it is imperative to listen to the stories and life lessons of your employees so that they feel valued and respected. Appreciating and listening to the stories and life lessons of others demonstrates caring and compassion.

I had an opportunity today to attend a luncheon that was a networking function that comprised a group of well-educated, entrepreneurial, successful business women. The one thing I learned was that most successful businesses are built on referrals from family, friends and associates. It is these folks who we have established relationships with that know who we are, what we want to give to others, how we work, and why we want to do the business that we do. No only are relationships the key to a successful business, they are also the best teachers in our lives. Maintain and nurture these precious relationships.

1. What Are Good People Skills?
A little likeability can go a long way. People consistently and overwhelmingly prefer to work with likeable, less-skilled co-workers than with highly competent jerks. Researchers found that if employees are disliked, it’s almost irrelevant whether they’re good at what they do if other workers avoid them.

2. How Are My Relationships?
Develop and use relationships with others in your company and profession. Those who network effectively have an inside track on resources and information. Effective networkers tend to serve on more successful teams and are more highly compensated.

3. Do I Believe In Myself?
If you don’t believe in yourself, no one else will. Have a can-do attitude and take risks. Instead of saying, “I’ve never done that,” say, “I’ll learn how.” Don’t be afraid to fail or make mistakes. If you do mess up, admit it and move on. Above all, find the learning opportunities in every situation.

4. What Are My Goals?
Failure doesn’t lie in not reaching your goal, but in not having a goal to reach. Set objectives and plan your daily activities around achieving them. Eighty percent of your effectiveness comes from 20 percent of your activities. Manage your priorities and focus on those tasks that support your goals.

5. What Image Do Others See?
Fair or not, appearance counts. People draw all kinds of conclusions from the way you present yourself. So don’t come to work poorly groomed or in inappropriate attire. Be honest, use proper grammar and avoid slang and expletives. You want to project an image of competence, character and commitment.

America, founded by immigrants, is a nation of many cultures. Many immigrants today face the same obstacles as their predecessors. The important issue today for management is how to maximize and capitalize on workplace diversity. Diversity in the workplace is about understanding each other and moving beyond simple tolerance to embracing and celebrating each person’s uniqueness. I look at diversity as peeling an onion. The outer layer can be multiple colors, shapes, sizes, but inside, most are the same…just like people. The goal to managing diversity is to develop and expand our capacity to accept, acknowledge, incorporate value, empower, and celebrate the different human talents among people whether they work in a large corporation or a small business because people are still the most important asset in a successful business.

I had an opportunity recently to attend a networking luncheon that comprised a group of well-educated, entrepreneurial, successful business women. The one thing I learned was that most successful businesses are built on recommendations from family, friends and associates. It is these folks who we have established relationships with that know who we are, what we want to give to others, how we work, and why we want to do the business that we do. Not only are relationships the key to a successful business, they are also the best teachers in our lives. Do whatever you can to successfully maintain and nurture these precious relationships.

These three words, “yes we can,” became the mantra for Barack Obama’s successful presidential campaign. Whether you voted for, support, or agree with President Obama or not, these three words are powerful and important for each of us in our lives, especially in the face of the challenges that many of us are facing these days.

When we believe in ourselves in an authentic way, we know that we can do whatever it is we desire and that no matter what our current circumstance may be, we always have the power within us to overcome, accomplish, or manifest anything. As Henry Ford famously stated, “Whether you think you can or you can’t, you’re right.”

Being optimistic is and always will be a personal choice. And, it’s not always the easiest choice to make. Some of us are more predisposed to be negative, while others of us are more predisposed to be positive – based on a variety of factors (personality, beliefs, family background, environment, focus, and much more). However, all of us can practice and enhance our ability to be optimistic in our daily lives. It’s both a choice and a skill.

Being hopeful and positive doesn’t mean we avoid the challenges of our lives or pretend that there aren’t problems around us, it’s that we choose to focus on the good stuff, find what’s working, and trust that things will work out. This does take a certain amount of faith and it challenges us to let go of our need to control, explain, and understand everything at all times.

As you look at your own work, relationships, and life in general, where can you say “Yes I can?” and allow that statement to empower you in an optimistic way? The more we say “yes” to ourselves and to life, the more life and others say “yes” back to us.