MY TWO CENTS:
I hope everyone had a wonderful Fourth of July celebration! We had a beautiful, albeit hot, extended weekend here in Michigan that was just right for enjoying the outdoors!!
This edition of MTC is episode 3 of 4 of our series on executive leadership. We’ve been sharing some insights from Dr. Fred Johnson of Initiative One in Green Bay, WI. As a reminder, Dr. Johnson defines an executive as “anyone who creates an exemplary environment based on the decisions they make and actions they take.” In other words…we’re all executives in one way or the other!
In our last “episode,” we discussed the first two disciplines necessary to strengthen ourselves as leaders so that the stresses inherent in leadership don’t derail our ability to positively influence. We’ll address Dr. Johnson’s next two disciplines today.
- Demonstrates intentional gratitude
- Gratitude reframes anxiety in our lives
- It aligns moment of stress with the bigger picture
- Practicing gratitude changes what I look for throughout my day
- Detaches from toxic people and toxic information
- Make a deliberate decision to stay away from valueless content and the negativity of the mental garbage bin
- We need to ask ourselves, “How many people do I have in my life that I've allowed to ‘rent space’ in my head?”
- These people have an outsized influence on our peace and joy
- Change our focus to those things and people that are productive and constructive
Personally, I’m noticing that the more I exercise my gratitude “muscle,” the better I get at spotting things for which I should be grateful. And, when I’m living in purposeful gratitude, the toxic people and information seem to be more evident to me much more quickly. As I consider this reality, I’m further challenged to seek ways in which I can be grateful throughout my day. Controlling my input and who I let “rent space” in my head will certainly help keep my mind clear and my eyes open to the beauty of the people and opportunities around me.
We’ll wrap up this series with our next edition covering the final disciplines that Dr. Johnson shared. Until then, if you have personal stories or examples of how these practical truths are impacting your life, your family, your work, or your community, we’d love to hear from you. Please just reply to this message and we’ll share any poignant insights in future editions.
Make it a great week!
Scott Cousino, CFP®, CEPA®
President