Inspire ME Friday: Stress

"If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on."

Good Morning Folks,

The operative word for me today is stress. Which reminded me that a client sent me these words of advice on the subject that I’ve wanted to share with you:

Stress 

A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked; 'How heavy is this glass of water?'

Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g.

The lecturer replied, 'The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it. If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance. In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.'

He continued, 'And that's the way it is with stress management. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on.'

'As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden.'

'So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down. Don't carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow. Whatever burdens you're carrying now, let them down for a moment if you can.'

'So, my friend, put down anything that may be a burden to you right now. Don't pick it up again until after you've rested a while.'

Here are some great ways of dealing with the burdens of life:

* Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue.

* Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.

* Always wear stuff that will make you look good, if you die in the middle of it.

* Drive carefully. It's not only cars that can be "recalled" by their maker.

* If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.

* If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.

* It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to be kind to others.

* Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won't have a leg to stand on.

* Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.

* When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.

* Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.

* You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.

* Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.

* We could learn a lot from crayons...Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names, and all are different colours, but they all have to live in the same box.

*A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour. 

Have an awesome day and know that someone has thought about you today.

Have a GREAT WEEKEND!

Mitchell D. Weiner
Chief Happiness Officer

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"Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, 

the mind can achieve." 

– Dr. Napoleon Hill

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Inspire ME Friday ==>The Best Are Always Striving To Get Better.

"Training Camp by Jon Gordon is a touching story about one man who faces his fears on his path to greatness. Along the way, he learns a valuable lesson about who is really in control. Grow your faith. Read Training Camp." —Ken Blanchard, coauthor of The One Minute Manager® and Lead Like Jesus

Good Morning Folks,

Training Camp is an inspirational story filled with invaluable lessons and insights on bringing out the best in yourself and your team. The story follows Martin, an un-drafted rookie trying to make it in the NFL. He’s spent his entire life proving to the critics that a small guy with a big heart can succeed against all odds. After spraining his ankle in the pre-season, Martin thinks his dream is lost when he happens to meet a very special coach who shares eleven life-changing lessons that keep his dream alive—and might even make him the best of the best. If you want to be your best—Training Camp offers an inspirational story and real-world wisdom on what it takes to reach true excellence and how you and your team (your work team, school team, church team and family team) can achieve it.

Excerpted from “Training Camp: What the Best Do Better Than Everyone Else”, by Jon Gordon, these eleven traits of the Best of the Best that apply to every one with a dream and ambition:

==>The Best know what they truly want.
At some point in their lives, the best have a "Eureka!" moment when their vision becomes clear. Suddenly they realize what they really, truly want to achieve. They find their passion. When that happens they are ready to strive for greatness. They are ready to pay the price.

==>The Best want it more. We all want to be great.
But only the best of the best are willing to do what it takes to be great. The best don't just think about their desire for greatness; they act on it. They have a high capacity for work. They do the things that others won't do, and they spend more time doing it. When everyone else is sleeping, the best are practicing and thinking and improving.

==>The Best are always striving to get better.
They are always looking for ways to learn, apply, improve, and grow. They stay humble and hungry. They are lifelong learners. They never think they have "arrived"—because they know that once they think that, they'll start sliding back to the place from which they came.

==>The Best do ordinary things better than everyone else.
For all their greatness, the best aren't that much better than the others. They are simply a little better at a lot of things. Everyone thinks that success is complicated, but it's really simple. In fact, the best don't do anything different. They just do the ordinary things better.

==>The Best zoom focus.
Success is all about the fundamentals, and the fundamentals are little and ordinary and often boring. It's not just about practice, but focused practice. It's not just about taking action, but taking zoom-focused action. It's about practicing and perfecting the fundamentals.

==>The Best are mentally stronger.
Today's world is no longer a sprint or a marathon. It's a series of sprints combined with a boxing match. You're not just running; you are getting hit along the way. The best are able to respond to and overcome all of this with mental and emotional toughness. They are able to tune out the distractions and stay calm, focused, and energized when it counts.

==>The Best overcome their fear.
Everyone has fears. The best of the best all have fear, but they overcome it. To beat your enemy, you must know your enemy. Average people shy away from their fears. They either ignore them or hide from them. However, the best seek them out and face them with the intent of conquering them.

==>The Best seize the moment.
When the best are in the middle of their performance, they are not thinking "What if I win?" or "What if I lose?" They are not thinking "What if I make a mistake or miss the shot?" They are not interested in what the moment produces but are concerned only with what they produce in the moment. When all eyes are watching, they rise to the occasion. As a result, the best define the moment rather than letting the moment define them.

==>The Best tap into a power greater than themselves.
The best are conductors, not resistors. They don't generate their own power, but act as conduits for the greatest power source in the world. It's not always politically correct, but you can't talk about greatness without talking about God. It would be like talking about breathing without mentioning the importance of air.

==>The Best leave a legacy.
The best live and work with a bigger purpose. They leave a legacy by making their lives about more than them. This larger purpose is what inspires them to be the best and strive for greatness over the long term. It helps them move from success to significance.

==>The Best make everyone around them better.
They do this through their own pursuit of excellence and in the excellence they inspire in others. One person in pursuit of excellence raises the standards of everyone around them. And they do this in both their work and life. ...The point is to strive to be your best and inspire others to be their best, because it's in the striving where you find greatness, not in the outcome.

Get the book HERE.

And have a GREAT weekend.

Make a difference folks!

Mitchell D. Weiner

Chief Happiness Officer  

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“The expert in anything was once a beginner”

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Inspire ME Friday: Be Thoughtful. Be Kind.

"When someone does something that helps you, even in the smallest way and even if it's their job, go out of your way to say thanks. Make it your mission to recognize the people behind the tasks: the people that support, that assist, that make everything possible."

Good Morning Folks,

The heart is the most important measure of the employee; if he/she is truly involved in the moment and working from the heart then good fortune happens. It's all about...

==> The Power of Being Thoughtful and Kind by Jeff Haden

My client acquired a large company, and I went along for his initial meetings with his new employees. In the afternoon, he planned a companywide address. But that morning, we met for several hours with top executives. (Talk about emotions on full display: ego, anxiety, obsequiousness, defensiveness, fear, excitement... When the new sheriff comes to town, the icy-cool corporate masks quickly come off.)

The meeting ended at noon, and when we walked out 15 minutes later, he noticed a sizable buffet set up on the other side of the atrium. There were plenty of people standing around in white coats and black slacks but no one in line or sitting at tables.

"What's that for?" he asked someone walking past.

"The company arranged a meal for after your meeting," she said. "A local restaurant closed for the day to come here." She paused. "I think the chef and her staff were really excited about it," she said, her voice trailing off at the end.

"Did anyone eat?" he asked.

"Um, I don't think so," she said.

He stood looking a few moments. Even from a distance, it was evident the catering staff was confused and disappointed.

"Come on," he said to me. "We're eating."

And we did.

But he did more than just eat. He spent a few minutes talking to every--every--member of the staff. They knew who he was, and while some were initially shy, they quickly warmed up.

And why wouldn't they? He complimented the food. He complimented the service. He joked and laughed. When we finished eating, he said, "We can't let great food go to waste!" and borrowed two white coats so we could serve them. Then he made the rounds of the tables and happily leaned into all the selfies.

When we finally left, he waved and smiled.

They smiled bigger.

Sure, it took a lot of his time. Sure, it took him off point and off focus and off schedule.

Sure, they loved him for it.

I already knew the answer, but as we got in the car, I still asked. "I know your schedule," I said. "You couldn't stop to eat. Besides, no one else did, so no one would have noticed."

"I felt bad for them," he said. "They tried hard to do a good job, and everyone blew them off. How bad would that feel? So it was the least I could do."

"Maybe my staff thought they were too busy," he continued. "Or maybe they thought they were too important. But maybe they are too self-absorbed to notice they hurt other people's feelings."

He thought for a few seconds. "And maybe they're the wrong people for the job, " he said.*

Much of the time, we want famous people to be so humble they don't recognize there's a fuss, a special buzz, that people are excited to see them. We want them to be oblivious to their fame or importance. (After all, if they're too aware, that means they're too full of themselves.)

But what we should really want is for famous or notable people to recognize that in the eyes of others, they are special--and that other people might want something from them, even if that something is the simple recognition that what they do matters.

Because it does.

Picture a CEO walking into a building for an important meeting. Maybe he says hello to the receptionist. (Maybe.) Otherwise, he only has time for the people at his level. It's like no one else exists; they're just unseen cogs in a giant machine.

Unfortunately, at times, we all do the same thing. We talk to the people we're supposed to talk to. We recognize the people we're supposed to recognize. We mesh with the cogs in the machine we're expected to mesh with, but there are many other important cogs.

So go out of your way to smile to everyone. Or to nod. Or to introduce yourself.

And when someone does something that helps you, even in the smallest way and even if it's their job, go out of your way to say thanks. Make it your mission to recognize the people behind the tasks: the people that support, that assist, that make everything possible.

Even though most of us aren't famous or notable, by recognizing people--especially those who have been conditioned to not expect to be recognized--we add a little extra meaning and dignity to their lives.

And that's the best reason to go off point, off focus, and off task.

Although, when you think about it, you really aren't taking yourself away from an important task. You're just shifting to an equally important task: showing people they matter--especially to you.

*Six months later, only three of the original 22 remained

Enjoy the weekend.

Make a difference folks!

Mitchell D. Weiner

Chief Happiness Officer  

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‘Curiosity is, in great and generous minds,
the first passion and the last.’
~~ Samuel Johnson 

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**JEFF HADEN learned much of what he knows about business and technology as he worked his way up in the manufacturing industry. Everything else he picks up from ghostwriting books for some of the smartest leaders he knows in business. @jeff_haden

FSO's Bright Stars Shine at CHO Club

"The monthly CHO club provides the perfect platform to award, recognize and incentivize our top performers."

Good Morning Folks,

Our job in hospitality is to make the client feel as if they are at home and create memories and experiences that want to make clients "return."  As important as it is to take care of our clients, it is equally important to take care of all of our team members. The more enthusiastic and happy our employees are at work the more productive they will be. Without the support of each team member that “WOW” factor will never be given to our clients.

Along with the multiple on-the-spot recognition and award programs we execute and deliver on at all our sites, I as Founder, Chief Happiness Officer and CEO host a recurring monthly CHO Club to personally thank and recognize our field staff who have gone above and beyond the call. 

This week our CHO Club convened fore Happy Hour at Tonic East in Manhattan. It was great for employees to share strategies and ideas with peers, as well as to meet new people, and have some FaceTime with Executive Leadership. As you can see we had tons of fun....

Folks like those welcomed into CHO Club and given a shout out here truly personify the FSO experience and pleasant demeanor that keep our client's office running like a well-oiled machine. These folks come to work each with a big smile on their face ready to help anyone out.  

To other companies reading this: Rewards are both earned and learned... so spread it on thick. Love on your workforce when they deserve it .... they will surely want to repeat the experience. As Richard Branson says: "If you take care of your employees, they will take care of your customers."

Spread the word. Our next next “thank you event” of the year is just around there corner. Membership in the club is awarded based on ideas, strategies and cost savings suggested to the client and kudos received from clients.

Good luck to all of our employees and see you there. 

THANKS for all you do each and every single day, as I look forward to seeing all of you soon in my travels.

Mitchell D. Weiner
Chief Happiness Officer

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"When I was 5 years old my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down "happy". They told me I didn't understand the assignment. I told them they didn't understand life" 

~~ John Lennon

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Inspire ME Friday: (re)IMAGINE is good

"Passing up a cupcake may be a test of willpower but the goal of fitting into a smaller pair of jeans is an easily imagined, and often attainable, one."

Greetings,

(re)IMAGINE means change.

While many of us will say that "change" is the magic panacea when we aren't satisfied with an organization, political administration, personal relationship or management team, it is one of the things that we are inherently resistant to do. Change is hard, feels unnatural and moves us out of our comfort zone, even when we know that change will ultimately bring improvement.

Sometimes what we really mean is that we want change as long as it is similar to something that is familiar. That's why political platforms rarely differ; new CEOs may look the same as the previous ones; and budding relationships can resemble those we just left.

There are many reasons why we are resistant to change: dread for the unknown; fear of failure; a sense of powerlessness; we're creatures of habit, etc. But when we eventually make the necessary adjustments and begin reaping the rewards, we have a positive reference point for why change is beneficial.

The pivotal component in what makes change feel easy or difficult may be the level of choice we have in the experience. Personal change, like adopting good eating habits, is an individual choice that allows the greatest amount of control. Passing up a cupcake may be a test of willpower but the goal of fitting into a smaller pair of jeans is an easily imagined, and often attainable, one.

Organizational change, on the other hand, is often foisted upon employees, forcing adoption of new behaviors, systems, missions and processes that are neither individually chosen nor controlled. And while senior executives may have a voice in the change management strategy, they are not immune to the pain of change since the pressure is typically spurred by stakeholders.

Institutional change management initiatives that include components to empower and assuage the fears of the workforce, such as transparency, open communication and phased approaches, are likely to garner the most positive and least painful results. And leaders who can successfully guide their teams through transition will not only demonstrate agility, they will earn the trust and loyalty of employees.

What are you going to (re)IMAGINE today?  

I’m going to start small with.... the world.

Your energy, enthusiasm and professionalism are always greatly appreciated. 

Have a fabulous weekend filled with love and inspiration.  

Be great and (re)IMAGINE!

Mitchell D. Weiner

Chief Happiness Officer  

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"Only from the heart can you touch the sky."

~~ Rumi

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Learn more about what DIFFERENTIATES FSO here

Inspire ME Friday: Count Blessings, Not Problems

Good Morning Folks,

With only 51 weeks now remaining in 2016, I remind you that each day is a precious gift with no guarantee of tomorrow. 

To make each day count as if it's your last, here is some perspective:  

If you could fit the entire population of the world into a village consisting of 100 people, maintaining the proportions of all the people living on Earth, that village would consist of: 

• 57 Asians
• 21 Europeans
• 14 Americans (North, Central, and South)
• 8 Africans
• There would be:
• 52 women and 48 men
• 30 Caucasians and 70 non-Caucasians
• 30 Christians and 70 non-Christians
• 89 Heterosexuals and 11 homosexuals
• 6 people would possess 59% of the wealth and they would all come from the USA
• 80 would live in poverty
• 70 would be illiterate
• 50 would suffer from hunger and malnutrition
• 1 would be dying
• 1 would be being born
• 1 would own a computer
• 1 (yes, only one) would have a university degree

If you woke up this morning in good health, you have more luck than one million people who won't live through the week.

If you have never experienced the horror of war, the solitude of prison, the pain of torture, were not close to death from starvation, then you are better off than 500 million people.

If you have a full fridge, clothes on your back, a roof over your head and a place to sleep, you are wealthier than 75% of the world's population. 

If you currently have money in the bank, in your wallet and a few coins in your purse, you are one of the 8 of the privileged few amongst the 100 people in the world.

If your parents are still alive, you're a rare and lucky individual.

If someone sent you this message, you're extremely lucky, because someone is thinking of you and because you don't comprise one of those 2 billion who can't read.  

And so if you win the potentially $ billion Powerball this weekend,  you might expect to find happiness, but chances are greater that the happiness you seek already lies within you.

Have a HAPPY, SAFE and HEALTHY Weekend.

Love Life!

Mitchell D. Weiner

Chief Happiness Officer  

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"Before you speak, listen.
Before you write, think.
Before you spend, earn.
Before you invest, investigate.
Before you criticize, wait.
Before you pray, forgive.
Before you quit, try.
Before you retire, save.
Before you die, give.”
~~William A. Ward.
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btw, If you still, think you can improve the odds of winning Powerball, read this

A Few Of My Favorite Things

While Mitch takes some family time-out for the holidays this week, he's left a few links to some of his most popular recent posts. Enjoy!

Throw Back Thursday: Everybody Leads; Everybody Cares
“This Will Always Lift You Up”
‪http://goo.gl/GWdcnc ‬

TED Tuesday: Jeff Iliff: One More Reason to Get a Good Night’s Sleep
http://goo.gl/64CTn3 
#aGoodNightsRest

TED Tuesday: Life Is Beautiful (A TED Playlist)
Wonderful reminders for the season of gratitude and joy!
http://goo.gl/3ZNL8E 

Inspire ME Friday ==> Letting Go of Keeping Up
“The tendency to compare oneself to other people is fundamental”
http://goo.gl/d3FTTn 

Inspire ME: Purpose is eternal, limitless, and absolute.
“Do you, everyday, purposefully move towards your goals?”
http://goo.gl/8LR8ws 

Ted Tuesday— “Modern work is about solving brand-new problems every day, flexibly, in brand-new ways.”
http://goo.gl/Iy8Pqd 

TED Tuesday: Gayle Tzemach Lemmon: Meet the women fighting on the front lines of an American war 
http://goo.gl/CKBTbO 

Inspire ME Friday: Appreciate Me
What can you celebrate right now?
http://goo.gl/8KZmvY 
#InspireME

At FSO, We Are Thankful For You
http://goo.gl/4meqKl 
"Stop being afraid of what could go wrong 
and start being positive about what could go right". — zig

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"It is never too late to be what you might have been." 

~~ George Eliot

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Inspire ME Friday: “So, Tell Me About Yourself”

'If it’s social, keep it more factual than self-promoting, but still something you’re proud of. “I coach t-ball,” or, “I just finished running my first 5K.”

Good Morning Folks,

For those of us in New York City, what a great week! What a treat walking to work in warm weather rand being able to take in all the Christmas decorations and store windows.

Introverts tend to hate the holidays. Extroverts love them. With all the socializing we are about to do over the next two weeks, I thought this morning's topic would be of high interest:

When someone asks, “So, Tell Me About Yourself” how do you respond?

According to our friend Drew, this question comes up two places–job interviews and awkward social encounters with strangers. In both contexts it’s a sort of informal aptitude test, a way of finding out, “Am I going to want to continue spending time on you or not?”

It’s a good idea to think about your answer to this question in advance. You can rehearse your answer if you are a rehearsing-your-answer sort of person, but really what you need is this three part formula.

1) One thing you think they want to hear.

2) One thing you are really proud of that’s different from #1

3) One personal, idiosyncratic thing that shows your human side

1. One thing you think they want to hear
If it’s a job interview, this is where you mention that you love working on a team or that you love working independently or that you love dealing with irate customers or whatever.  Don’t go on and on about it, one or two sentences is plenty.

If it’s a picnic where you are meeting in-laws or some other awkward social event, stick to what you do with your days and maybe some geographical history. “I’m an administrator for a nursing-home and I’ve lived in Smallville for seven years now–I love it here!”

2. One thing you are really proud of that’s different from #1
On a job interview this is the place for a little bragging, “I’m a whiz at Photoshop,” or, “I get a charge out of negotiating prices.” Just as long as it’s truthful and short.

If it’s social, keep it more factual than self-promoting, but still something you’re proud of. “I coach t-ball,” or, “I just finished running my first 5K.”

3. One personal, idiosyncratic thing that shows your human side
For work or socializing this is something ideally expressed as a positive rather than as a negative. So you could say, “And I am crazy about radishes–I plant my own every year!” But it’s not so great so say, “I hate country music,” because–hey, why be negative, and why possibly alienate your interviewer?

At work or socializing, it’s important to be short–three sentences is plenty. This isn’t meant to be an in-depth question with a lengthy answer, it’s more like a ritual coming from someone who is just as nervous as you are about what to do next.

Have a HAPPY, SAFE and HEALTHY Weekend.

Love Life and Light It UP!

Mitchell D. Weiner

Chief Happiness Officer  

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“If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door" 
~~ Milton Berle
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by DREW: Declassified from VIP JUNE 10, 2009