Generosity

 

St. Nicholas was noted for his generosity, and out of that grew the giving of gifts at Christmas. He did it as a response to God’s love that had been freely given to him. His generous spirit literally changed the world. How will you be remembered? As someone with a generous spirit, or as a scrooge? A spirit of generosity affects every area of our lives: our finances, our time, and our attitude, these being the major areas of application. In finance, take stock of how you respond in simple situations such as giving a tip to a server at a restaurant.

For more on this check out the short video below:

Making Conversation

Whether in a group of three to five individuals, or simply one-on-one, the ability to engage in conversation is a crucial skill. I say crucial because this ability is the beginning step in forming a relationship. Almost all relationships have a communication component, verbal or otherwise. Relationships form the foundation of all meaningful human interaction. The best way to develop the skill of conversation is to start from a common point of reference, for instance, sports, the weather, home towns, cars, etc. Building on that, from a perspective of genuine interest, begin asking questions and sharing from your own experience.

For more on this, check out the short video below:

Economic Awareness

 

Pretty much everything comes with a price. That is a truth which is best learned early. Proverbs 21:25 states “Despite their desires, the lazy will come to ruin, for their hands refuse to work.” If you don’t work, you don’t earn wages, and without those wages, you can’t buy food or pay rent or a mortgage. Economics is all about supply and demand. Whatever you desire (demand) has to be met by a limited supply. The more limited the supply, the greater the cost.

For more on this, check out the short video below:

Get in the Right Seat

 

Jim Collins in his book, Good to Great talks about the importance of matching your skills and interests with your work. He uses the metaphor of a bus to illustrate the importance of aligning with the right organization and finding the right place within the organization. His metaphor has been used by many to talk about “getting on the right bus,” i.e. make sure you are aligned with an organization or institution which matches your values.

For more on this check out the short video below:

Good vs Great

 

Jim Collins in his classic book “Good to Great,” states, “good is the enemy of great.”  He goes on to explain that most people get to the level of “good” in almost any aspect of their personal or professional life, and then tend to slow down on their efforts to improve. There is a sense in some situations where “good enough” truly is good enough, and continued efforts can result in non-productive results.

For more on this check out the short video below: