"One of the greatest diseases is to be nobody to anybody."
~Mother Teresa
***
Today, I heard a conversation about LeBron James. The talk was about the phenomenal season he is having thus far. He is averaging 29.2 points per game, 8.3 assists and 7.1 rebounds. He is shooting 55.1 percent from the floor. LeBron’s stats are most impressive. If this trek continues, some may claim that he could be the best basketball player to ever take the hardwood. But, would he be? His statistics alone could dictate that. But there is more to basketball than just statistics. There are the intangibles: things like character, leadership and work ethic.
Some believe that in order for LeBron James to be identified with the likes of Bird, Magic and His Airness, LeBron must win a championship. Why is it so important that Mr. James win a championship to take his place among the great ones? It is because winning a championship speaks to a complete player. No doubt, statistics can be impressive. But alone, statistics do not win championships. Basketball requires teamwork. LeBron has four other players on the court with him. If LeBron is going to win a championship, he has to be able to do what the great players that went before him did. Bird did it; Magic did it; and Jordan dit it!. The great ones made those around them better. They knew they could not win a championship by themselves. Everyone on the team had to get better. The great ones have a leadership style that brings out the best in people. If LeBron James is going to win a championship, he has to become a person of influence. It is imperative that he must make those around him better.
Congratulations to LeBron James – his statistics are stunning. But, until he wins a championship, he will not find his name among the truly great ones. Sure, LeBron is extremely talented. Someday, he will retire with Hall of Fame type statistics. Absent a championship, he will not be entitled to enter the "small room." A room reserved only for the truly great ones; those who not only put up big numbers, but made everyone else better while doing so.
So I ask you, do you make those around you better? Or, are you so caught up in your statistics (your own affairs) that you either don't have the time or you don't care to make those around you better. I encourage you to become a person of influence. When you make those around you better, it is only natural that you become better too; your family becomes better; your organization becomes better and so on. The truly great ones understand and embrace the responsibility of making others better.
Here's to making those around you better. I only hope that someday you find yourself in some "small room" among the truly great ones!
It's your life: live it, love it, & celebrate it!
MJD
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Thursday, February 16, 2012
If Only You Believed in Miracles
There are two ways to live: you can live as if nothing is a miracle, or you can live as if everything is a miracle.
-- Albert Einstein
***
Just what is a miracle? A miracle is an extraordinary event in human affairs that is considered to be attributed to divine intervention. So do you believe in miracles? I do! Miracles happens everyday: the birth of a baby; the rising and setting of the sun; stars shining brightly at night; are to name but a few. Some will explain these incredible events as purely scientifically. Others will profess that there is nothing amazing about these events as they are common day occurrences.
I believe in a God who created the universe; including the sun, moon, stars, mountains, valleys, oceans and everything in it. Most importantly, I believe in a God who creates life by blowing the breath of life into each new born. Nature in itself is a miracle! Einstein tells us, “We can live our lives as nothing is a miracle or as if everything is a miracle.” The choice is ours. I believe in a God who performs miracles in our lives daily. Don’t be that person who takes the miracles in your life for granted or looks to science for an explanation. I’m choosing to live my life as if everything is a miracle and have yet to be disappointed. So I ask you, how will you live your life, as if nothing is a miracle or everything is a miracle?
It’s your life: live it, love it, & celebrate it!
MJD
-- Albert Einstein
***
Just what is a miracle? A miracle is an extraordinary event in human affairs that is considered to be attributed to divine intervention. So do you believe in miracles? I do! Miracles happens everyday: the birth of a baby; the rising and setting of the sun; stars shining brightly at night; are to name but a few. Some will explain these incredible events as purely scientifically. Others will profess that there is nothing amazing about these events as they are common day occurrences.
I believe in a God who created the universe; including the sun, moon, stars, mountains, valleys, oceans and everything in it. Most importantly, I believe in a God who creates life by blowing the breath of life into each new born. Nature in itself is a miracle! Einstein tells us, “We can live our lives as nothing is a miracle or as if everything is a miracle.” The choice is ours. I believe in a God who performs miracles in our lives daily. Don’t be that person who takes the miracles in your life for granted or looks to science for an explanation. I’m choosing to live my life as if everything is a miracle and have yet to be disappointed. So I ask you, how will you live your life, as if nothing is a miracle or everything is a miracle?
It’s your life: live it, love it, & celebrate it!
MJD
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
A Super Lesson
History has demonstrated that the most notable winners usually encountered heartbreaking obstacles before they triumphed. They won because they refused to become discouraged by their defeats.
-- B.C. Forbes
***
Super Bowl XLVI is in the record books: New York Giants 21 – New England Patriots 17.
Congratulations to the Super Bowl champions! The New York Giants had a quintessential roller coaster season. At midseason they were 6-2. Four straight losses landed them with a .500 mark with 4 games to play. After week 15, they were still only a .500 team (7-7). With divisional rivals, Green Bay, New Orleans and San Francisco having stellar seasons, the thought of the Giants making it to the Super Bowl seemed all but a “pipe dream.” Besides, the Packer, Saints and 49ers beat the Giants during the Giants four game losing streak between weeks 10 and 13. At that point in the season, one might expect for the Giants to throw in the proverbial throw and begin focusing on next year; no, not the Giants!
Possessing an extraordinary will to win and believing it to be possible, the New York Giants found ways to win. Enough ways to find themselves in the Super Bowl and enough ways to win the big game! The Giants’ season and their Super Bowl victory define the cornerstone of success: passion and belief. It was their passion and belief that fueled the qualities necessary to become the top of their class: those qualities being discipline, hard work and perseverance. While the rest of the world was doubtful, the Giants believed it to be possible. It’s because of their unwavering belief and unbridled passion that they are now the best team in the National Football League. For sure, the Giants will have a target on their back next season. Will this year’s success breed complacency or will the Giants work that much harder to stay at the top?
Just as the Giants’ Super Bowl victory teaches us a valuable life lesson about winning, the Patriots loss teaches us a valuable life lesson about defeat. Defeat is only temporary. The quote from Marilyn vos Savant puts it into perspective, “Being defeated is only a temporary condition; giving up is what makes it permanent." Will the Patriots wallow in self-pity, make excuses and point fingers, or will they see their defeat as just a temporary condition and use it as a catalyst to come back stronger next year? One must understand a defeat/loss is not intended to punish us; it intended to serve us. Whether it punishes a person or serves a person depends entirely on the person. A defeat/loss tells us we are not quite there yet. Thus, affording us an opportunity to make the necessary adjustments that will put us in a better position to succeed next time around.
The Super Bowl teams remind us that in our life there will be times when we’ll feel like the Giants; experiencing the joys of success, and times when we’ll feel like the Patriots; coping with the sting of defeat. Yes, life is a series of wins and losses. Each win and each loss contains a lesson. It is not important that we keep a record of the wins and losses, for a loss can contain far greater value than a win. Instead of focusing too much on our wins and losses, we need to focus our attention on the person we become as a result of our wins and losses. Remember, time has a way of turning a win or a loss into nothing but a faded memory. What doesn’t fade away is the person that we have become because of triumphs we’ve encountered and defeats we’ve suffered. So, when our game of life finally comes to an end and we stand before the head referee, we will not be judged on the number of our wins and losses, but we’ll be judges on how we played the game and, more importantly, the person we became because of the game.
It’s your life: live it, love it, & celebrate it!
MJD
-- B.C. Forbes
***
Super Bowl XLVI is in the record books: New York Giants 21 – New England Patriots 17.
Congratulations to the Super Bowl champions! The New York Giants had a quintessential roller coaster season. At midseason they were 6-2. Four straight losses landed them with a .500 mark with 4 games to play. After week 15, they were still only a .500 team (7-7). With divisional rivals, Green Bay, New Orleans and San Francisco having stellar seasons, the thought of the Giants making it to the Super Bowl seemed all but a “pipe dream.” Besides, the Packer, Saints and 49ers beat the Giants during the Giants four game losing streak between weeks 10 and 13. At that point in the season, one might expect for the Giants to throw in the proverbial throw and begin focusing on next year; no, not the Giants!
Possessing an extraordinary will to win and believing it to be possible, the New York Giants found ways to win. Enough ways to find themselves in the Super Bowl and enough ways to win the big game! The Giants’ season and their Super Bowl victory define the cornerstone of success: passion and belief. It was their passion and belief that fueled the qualities necessary to become the top of their class: those qualities being discipline, hard work and perseverance. While the rest of the world was doubtful, the Giants believed it to be possible. It’s because of their unwavering belief and unbridled passion that they are now the best team in the National Football League. For sure, the Giants will have a target on their back next season. Will this year’s success breed complacency or will the Giants work that much harder to stay at the top?
Just as the Giants’ Super Bowl victory teaches us a valuable life lesson about winning, the Patriots loss teaches us a valuable life lesson about defeat. Defeat is only temporary. The quote from Marilyn vos Savant puts it into perspective, “Being defeated is only a temporary condition; giving up is what makes it permanent." Will the Patriots wallow in self-pity, make excuses and point fingers, or will they see their defeat as just a temporary condition and use it as a catalyst to come back stronger next year? One must understand a defeat/loss is not intended to punish us; it intended to serve us. Whether it punishes a person or serves a person depends entirely on the person. A defeat/loss tells us we are not quite there yet. Thus, affording us an opportunity to make the necessary adjustments that will put us in a better position to succeed next time around.
The Super Bowl teams remind us that in our life there will be times when we’ll feel like the Giants; experiencing the joys of success, and times when we’ll feel like the Patriots; coping with the sting of defeat. Yes, life is a series of wins and losses. Each win and each loss contains a lesson. It is not important that we keep a record of the wins and losses, for a loss can contain far greater value than a win. Instead of focusing too much on our wins and losses, we need to focus our attention on the person we become as a result of our wins and losses. Remember, time has a way of turning a win or a loss into nothing but a faded memory. What doesn’t fade away is the person that we have become because of triumphs we’ve encountered and defeats we’ve suffered. So, when our game of life finally comes to an end and we stand before the head referee, we will not be judged on the number of our wins and losses, but we’ll be judges on how we played the game and, more importantly, the person we became because of the game.
It’s your life: live it, love it, & celebrate it!
MJD
Thursday, February 2, 2012
A Tribute to Pete McDonough
There was a man who stood to speak
At the funeral of a friend.
He referred to the dates on his tombstone
From the beginning to the end.
He noted that first came the date of his birth
And spoke of the following date with tears,
But he said what mattered most of all
Was the dash between those years.
For that dash represents all the time
we spent alive on earth
And those that love us most
Know what that dash is worth.
For it matters not, how much we own,
The cars, the house, the cash,
What matters is how we live and love
And how we spend our dash.
- Adapted from The Dash by Linda Ellis
***
Peter Edward McDonough (1949 - 2012).
The Good Lord called his son, Pete McDonough home January 31,2012. His life here on earth ended accidentally and tragically. He begins his new life in heaven purposely and magnificently. Purposely because it was God's plan to call him home. Magnificently, because he has seen the face of the Lord and now lives with him in paradise.
I can't begin to explain why God called Pete home in a sudden and tragic way. But, I can tell you that it was God's plan, and God's plan is always the right plan. Many will wonder why now, why so tragic. Those questions have no answers in our human existence. There is no way that one could even begin to comprehend God's plan. Unlike our earthly plans, God's plan is a divine plan. Our earthly plans are subjected to external circumstances and our own human failings. Whereas, God's plans are executed with perfection and with divine intent. It is in times of loss, sorrow, and pain that it is most important that our faith serves us and reminds us that God's plan is always the right plan.
The Dash tells us that each one of us has a beginning date and an ending date. Our time between those dates (the dash) is both limited and precious. Because we do not know when our ending time will come, time is our most valuable resource. Time is not renewable and there are no "do overs." You've heard it said, "What I do today is important, because I'm exchanging a day of my life for it." The Dash also tells us, "What matters most is how we live and love, and how we spend our dash." There is no doubt, Pete McDonough made the very best of his dash.
At the funeral of a friend.
He referred to the dates on his tombstone
From the beginning to the end.
He noted that first came the date of his birth
And spoke of the following date with tears,
But he said what mattered most of all
Was the dash between those years.
For that dash represents all the time
we spent alive on earth
And those that love us most
Know what that dash is worth.
For it matters not, how much we own,
The cars, the house, the cash,
What matters is how we live and love
And how we spend our dash.
- Adapted from The Dash by Linda Ellis
***
Peter Edward McDonough (1949 - 2012).
The Good Lord called his son, Pete McDonough home January 31,2012. His life here on earth ended accidentally and tragically. He begins his new life in heaven purposely and magnificently. Purposely because it was God's plan to call him home. Magnificently, because he has seen the face of the Lord and now lives with him in paradise.
I can't begin to explain why God called Pete home in a sudden and tragic way. But, I can tell you that it was God's plan, and God's plan is always the right plan. Many will wonder why now, why so tragic. Those questions have no answers in our human existence. There is no way that one could even begin to comprehend God's plan. Unlike our earthly plans, God's plan is a divine plan. Our earthly plans are subjected to external circumstances and our own human failings. Whereas, God's plans are executed with perfection and with divine intent. It is in times of loss, sorrow, and pain that it is most important that our faith serves us and reminds us that God's plan is always the right plan.
The Dash tells us that each one of us has a beginning date and an ending date. Our time between those dates (the dash) is both limited and precious. Because we do not know when our ending time will come, time is our most valuable resource. Time is not renewable and there are no "do overs." You've heard it said, "What I do today is important, because I'm exchanging a day of my life for it." The Dash also tells us, "What matters most is how we live and love, and how we spend our dash." There is no doubt, Pete McDonough made the very best of his dash.
I did not get a chance to spend a great deal of time with Pete McDonough. However, the time I spent with him was most enjoyable. He was always friendly, upbeat, positive and looked for the good in people. Perhaps his most endearing quality was the way in which he made you feel special. Pete McDonough had a gift. A gift he shared with many. To me, Pete was as person of influence, not so much because he was well respected in the business and community circles. But, because he was genuine, kind and cared about people. Pete McDonough had a way of touching your heart. I cannot think of a greater type of influence than to touch the heart of another. When someone touches your heart, a part of them becomes a part of you; that's what you call influence.
Yes, it was God's plan. January 30, 2012, Pete McDonough was called home. Pete stood before our Heavenly Father, who took him into his arms, held him tightly and said "Well done my son, well done!"
It may seem somewhat strange that a person who writes motivational and inspirational musings would venture off track and write about a topic that might be considered morose. However, I felt compelled to write about Pete McDonough. Pete truly was a great guy and was an inspiration to many. But more importantly, I write, because I'm one of those people that he made feel special.
Rest in Peace, Pete McDonough,
Rest in Peace!
***
Its your life: live it, love it & celebrate it!
MJD
Yes, it was God's plan. January 30, 2012, Pete McDonough was called home. Pete stood before our Heavenly Father, who took him into his arms, held him tightly and said "Well done my son, well done!"
It may seem somewhat strange that a person who writes motivational and inspirational musings would venture off track and write about a topic that might be considered morose. However, I felt compelled to write about Pete McDonough. Pete truly was a great guy and was an inspiration to many. But more importantly, I write, because I'm one of those people that he made feel special.
Rest in Peace, Pete McDonough,
Rest in Peace!
***
Its your life: live it, love it & celebrate it!
MJD
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