"I hate tennis!"

The phrase, "I hate tennis!" is repeated hundreds of time in Andre Agassi's autobiography Open, which I read this weekend. When my wife first told me this was his attitude I was a bit surprised, until I read this well-written piece. Agassi authentically and vulnerably lets us into a just a slice of his journey which isn't so much about the game between the lines but about the game between his ears.

I'm still pondering over one section where he makes the assumption that millions of people hate their jobs like he does his. While I know that less than 20% of American actually do what they are gifted to do, I'm wondering if this translates into actually hating the job.

How's Life?

"How's life?" is the introductory phrase usually spoken with the intent there will be no answer. However, let's imagine the question is genuinely asked anticipating an honest answer: "How's life...is it happy, pleasant, good, or maybe even meaningful?"

Martin Seligman in his book, Authentic Happiness, writes of three forms of happiness:

1. Pleasant Life: a life full of positive emotion about the past, present, or future

2. Good Life: a life where you are using your "signature strengths" - those things at which you are good.

3. Meaningful Life: knowing what your highest strengths are and deploying them in the service of something larger than you are.

It's worth contemplating what type of life we want and then intentionally choosing to live it.

A Time of Reflection

Whether or not the Lenten season (beginning 02.17) is part of your spiritual tradition we can make the choice to use this forty day period to reflect on our spirit and the inner journey of the soul. Actually, for many reasons it's my favorite time of year.

The question to ponder this season is not so much about what you may find or discover. Rather, let the meditation be on whether or not you (we) are willing to be pursued by the One who is pursuing us:

:: Am I willing to be found?

:: Am I willing to be known?

:: Am I willing to be loved?

Forty days of meditation will be good for our souls.

Successful Companies are SMART & HEALTHY

This is a philosophy - which I've learned from Patrick Lencioni - is something I not only believe in but want to help others achieve....specifically the healthy side. Check this out.! Here's a company, reported by Fortune, paying whose employees get paid in the TOP 25 in the country:

25. Robert W. Baird & Co.

Average total pay: $117,650

For: Financial Analyst*

Best companies rank: 11

Milwaukee-based investment advisor navigated through the financial crisis without having to resort to layoffs. In fact, it increased its staff 10% since 2007.

Aside from total compensation averaging six figures for salaried employees, Baird offers:

• 37.5 hour work week for hourly employees.
• Bonuses and profit-sharing for all employees.
• An opportunity to buy stock in this privately held firm. Nearly half of employees have done so.
• Free investment planning for all employees.
• Bonuses that range from $1,000 to $10,000 for referring a new employee.

"Baird cares about their associates very much," says one employee. "This place is like a second family."

Managing Desk Piles and To-Do Lists

I read this tip in a email blast I received from David Allen (Coach):

If you look at your calendar in detail over the next two weeks, I bet you would think of at least one, if not several, "Oh that reminds me, I need to's." If you take a pen and blank paper, and just spend the next five minutes capturing ideas on the most important project right now for you to make some progress on, you will likely come up with at least one, if not several, "Oh yeah, I could's."

This seems self-evident, but what I've also noticed is how few people actually have the habits installed to use those tools as often as they could to stay on top of their world.

Martin Luther King, Jr and his Vision

King inspires with his vision, clarity, and courage to speak truth. Here's another:

We shall meet your physical force with soul force.
Do to us what you will, and we shall continue to love you...
One day we shall win freedom, but not only for ourselves.
We shall so appeal to your heart and conscience
that we shall win you in the process,
and our victory will be a double victory.'
-Martin Luther King, Jr., Loving Your Enemies

One Person Makes a Difference

5. CHANGE

(5 out of 5 posts)

Individuals respond to change in three ways. A few become early adopters. Most become late adopters. And some remain persistent skeptics who never stop resisting. Make yourself an early adopter. Look for opportunities to change. Anyone who takes on risk and responsibility in society must resist the temptation to be a cog in the machine.

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