Taking it personal

Do you go to work everyday and do your job, or do you take it personal?

I speak with people all of the time who are trying to find and edge. They step outside of their day-to-day, try and do what others competing with them do not, all good things.

However, is it who they are or what they are doing? That board you are looking to be a part of, friend you are trying to make, job you are doing, is it personal or just business.

Remember the movie Jerry McGuire. Jerry told him he was "paycheck player" and that "that doesn't inspire people".

We probably know more people that do what they do for money than for passion.

I talk with people everyday that make alot of money. Alot more than most I should say. They aren't happy and want a change. I tell them if you do anything for money, you will never have enough of it. That's fine, but what inspires people?

Is it the person joining a chamber of commerce board to pass their business card out or the person feeding the homeless on a cold Saturday morning with their kids because their life is a blessing and they want to share that with the ones closest to them?

I have been very lucky to work with a broad range of companies. Some struggling, some doing well, some searching.

When I walk into a class I see something very quickly. Who is engaged and wanting to improve. Who takes it personally and who is there as if it were a prison sentence?

You see it in some peoples eyes immediately. Others have been burned before but believe in what they do. Others are paycheck players. If someone offered them more money that would trump everything else.

Ask yourself in what you do. Do I worry about my job responsibilities or do I mentally check out at some point in the day? When others stop, do I do a bit more, honestly?

Do you dive into the new initiatives or find the person/ people that is griping in the corner about how bad the new idea is?

Do you give more than you get? Are you committed to the development of others? Part of a team or a bad month affect "you".

What would inspire you in others?