In observance of our Easter celebration this year, we share this post from a “sister site” – Crown of Compassion (more below).
“Great is the Lord, and most worthy of praise/ Refuge of strength to the end./ Righteous redeemer and mighty to save/ He’s the anchor of hope for all men.”- Ellie Holcomb, Anchor of Hope
“On that evening of the first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’ After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.”- John 20:19-20 (NIV)
Wherever you go, there you are.”- Thomas a Kempis
The Harris’s hawk, native to the southwestern United States, is larger than a Cooper’s Hawk, but smaller than a Golden Eagle. In addition, the length of a Harris’s hawk ranges from 18 to 23 inches. And its wingspan varies from 41 to 47 inches. Females weigh nearly twice as much as males.
Harris’s hawks usually nest in small trees like the mesquite or paloverde. They also nest in organ pipe cacti and in the arms of the giant saguaro, 12-25 feet above the ground. Also, these hawks hunt actively in low flight, pursuing prey around bushes and thickets. Their long, yellow legs allow them to chase prey along the ground. In one hunting technique, several Harris’s hawks surround their prey, while another hawk flushes it out. Most significantly, Harris’s hawks cooperated in the hunting and nesting process. No other bird of prey is known to hunt in groups as routinely.
Thus, Harris’s hawks stay put in one place to achieve their hunting goal. Writing in The Power of Place (2021), Daniel Grothe observes that God assesses the fruitfulness of our lives by the quality of our service to the people around us. With our righteous redeemer, Jesus, as our anchor of hope. Pastor Grothe explains:
“In fact, sometimes the most significant thing you can do is stay in a place — stay for the long haul, stay and give your life away for the good of these people in this place (emphasis Daniel’s).”
However, Pastor Grothe counsels, avoid leaning toward what he terms accidental Gnosticism. As a result, Christians who espouse this concept think of themselves as eternal souls trapped in transitory bodies. Yet, the physical stuff of our very existence matters to God. And, as poet, essayist, and novelist Wendell Berry underscores, God calls us to love in particular the little worlds that we all inhabit. Furthermore, Berry adds: “No matter how much one may love the world as a whole, one can live fully in it only by living responsibly.”
In conclusion, Wendell Berry stresses, only two types of places exist in the world: sacred and desecrated. Hence, there’s no such place as nowhere. So, we need to see beauty right where God has placed us. The mysteries we behold around us metabolize a kind of reverent holiness within us as we stabilize ourselves in our anchor of hope. Even if Nazareth is that place. Pastor Grothe encourages:
“Jesus coming from Nazareth is a statement once and for all that there is no such place as nowhere.
The God of eternity past moved into the ‘middle of nowhere’ so that from then on, every place is a somewhere.”
Consequently, Pastor Grothe emphasizes, treat your place sacredly, as the holy ground upon which God visits you. As you commit to and persevere through the inconveniences in this place, the author notes, you’ll gain the greatest treasures. And perhaps Jesus knows that the inconvenience evoking your feeling of ‘stuck’ = the gift you didn’t know you needed. Value a love of – and devotion to – your place. One person and need at a time.
Dave’s post is not a “one-off” Easter celebration. An interesting point to make here is that Dave posts daily. Every day. Every single day for quite a few years now. Because of the persistent good messages, his site enjoyed over 500,000 visitors in 2021! (unique visitors, per month, total for the year) I guess you could say that Dave provides an Easter celebration every day.
You may find more from Dave at Crown of Compassion at these social networks: Facebook LinkedIn Twitter
Thanks again, Dave. We hope you’ll enjoy a wonderful Easter Celebration!
We welcome your comments, questions and suggestions. Please contact us with questions. Best to call, email or visit our site for the best response. We do invite you to engage with us on social media (just not for immediate needs).
As always, if you like, you will find us on the following social media sites, among many others: Facebook LinkedIn Twitter
Are you building your business and life by default or by design? Get your adjustments now.
Business: By Default or Design?
There are many Business Owners who manage their business by default instead of design and are frustrated with their business’s performance. Intentional business development increases a business’s success rate and improves its business performance. When Small Business Owners shift their business approach from default to design they feel confident and start to move their business toward excellence.
It’s only Human Nature…
I don’t know many people who like learning things that aren’t natural to them. during the past 20 years, I haven’t seen this change for Small Business Owners.
Human nature has a tendency to resist what it doesn’t like. I’ve seen this show up in many ways in businesses. Most commonly, there are business owners who don’t do their financial books, don’t build out the systems they need for their business to function appropriately, don’t do purpose-driven networking and social media, or avoid learning how to sell.
Human nature doesn’t necessarily support success – not personally nor professionally.
This is precisely why we have instruction, training, coaching, and teachers, mentors, or guides. Simply, to learn what doesn’t come naturally. Little humans, like infants and toddlers, don’t like wearing clothes; yet, we teach them to do so. Children don’t like studying; yet, we teach them. Adults don’t necessarily like schedules or commitments; yet, they adhere. Such examples demonstrate natural default versus design.
Are you Building a Business by Default or Design?
Now, this is where things get serious! I shared some examples of what the majority of Small Business Owners don’t do. These are essential activities to grow and sustain the business. Are you one of the Small Business Owners who resist?
Chances are you are resisting something and it is impeding upon your and your business’s success rate. I refer to this as default. Conversely, conducting your business by design means you are intentionally conducting business systems and activities to create the desired outcome.
Are you focusing on design?
The design focus approach is on your dream, your intentions, your plans, and your actions all working in unison to fulfill your desired outcome (intentions).
Design isn’t haphazard. Design requires Right Thoughts or a great deal of thinking to develop the vision to be a winning vision.
Your design must have a strategy, or plan, to couple Right Thoughts with Right Actions to successfully deliver the vision.
What are Right Thoughts and Right Actions?
Right Thoughts are all the thinking involved in discerning what will provide your favorable outcomes according to what you intend.
Right Actions are all the actions that align with your Right Thoughts to fulfill your intention.
CLUE: Business is a practice. You design it. If not, default it is being created. Ultimately, default creates those business monsters you’re tangling with on a daily basis.
Why is this important to know and practice?
NOTE: This is the Business Owners path…it’s similar to doctors and therapists, who have a practice and are serving their customers with the best practices they know at that given moment. Additionally, they must complete continuing education and research to stay current with the latest techniques and breakthroughs.
Doesn’t this sound similar to the dynamic business ownership of the 21st century?
Let me back up a bit…
For over a decade, I’ve been blogging about how to optimize business performance and leadership. Throughout this decade-long conversation, I’ve shared the importance of SELF-Leadership. I chose to write about it in Vol 5 of Brilliant Breakthroughs for the Small Business Owner in the #1 Bestselling Business Book Series for Small Business. I researched SELF-Leadership for over a decade – even wrote about it for my Master’s Thesis. It really boils down to (1) Identifying your Intention and (2) Defining your Action Plan to (3) Achieve Leadership Proficiency – but it isn’t about leading others. It’s about learning how to lead yourself first. This means being responsible and accountable to do and achieve what is necessary to advance. I call this our noble work.
Aligning Thoughts & Actions for a Dynamic Business Design
Let’s fast forward to March 2022. I had the opportunity to be in some particular training. Even though they don’t use these terms, I say it advances SELF-Leadership. The training and tools I’m referencing are through Becoming Your Best Global Leadership. I was surprised how they took best practices and synthesized them into one simplified process and tools to support their participants to become their best. I noticed a direct alignment between all my SELF-Leadership research and their training, which was delivered by a retired US Air Force Fighter Pilot, Rob Shallenberger.
Rob Shallenberger and his father wrote a great book, Do What Matters Most. It’s been one month since I took their training, I have two mantras running through my mind all day long, “By default or design” and “Am I doing what matters most?”
As I’m moving throughout my business day and my personal life, I continue to ask myself these questions, as if they are a guiding prompt. I invite you to do the same!
Here’s a Powerful Training for Simplifying Your Success
Wisconsin Business Owners is hosting a 1-hour training event for anyone who wants to learn how to Do What Matters Most. Our business partner, Becoming Your Best Global Leadership, will deliver their crystalized training and even ship your materials prior to the training session. I assure you, if you consistently practice their model, you will alter the trajection of your business and life.
TIP: I strongly encourage you to register by April 20th so your materials arrive for your April 29th training.
Look forward to seeing you in the training and activation of being and doing what matters most to you – by design.
WE APPRECIATE YOU ALLOWING US TO HELP YOU IMPROVE YOUR BUSINESS!
Brilliant Breakthroughs, Inc. helps Small Business Owners
Simplify Strategies & Align Actions
to further Profitability, Peace, & Potential.
Call Maggie (262) 716.7750 for YOUR No-cost Consultation
Blessings of Success to YOU ~ Maggie Mongan, CEO
Small Business Thought Leader Brilliant Breakthroughs, Inc. Direct Dial: 262-716-7750 LinkedIn: MaggieMongan
p.s.: Enjoy the Spring Sunshine and Shine Brightly Until Next Time!
Copyright owned by Brilliant Breakthroughs, Inc. The internet is about sharing. Please share this post in its entirety with full attribution to www.BrilliantBreakthroughs.com. Thank you.
We welcome your comments, questions and suggestions. Please contact us with questions. Best to call, email or visit our site for the best response. We do invite you to engage with us on social media (just not for immediate needs).
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Happy Thanksgiving posts are usually about counting our blessings and giving thanks. Steven Johnson compels us to consider this thought experiment: If your daily newspaper were published once-in-a-century, and it came out today, what would the banner headline read?
This is, indeed, something to be truly grateful for: Human life expectancy at birth doubled, worldwide, over the last hundred years.
Here’s a video Steven Johnson referred to in his TED Talk; under two minutes:
We welcome your comments, questions and suggestions. Please contact us with questions. Best to call, email or visit our site for the best response. We do invite you to engage with us on social media (just not for immediate needs).
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Wisconsin Veterans enjoy recognition in the We Energies 2021 Cookie Book, Celebrating military service.
My wife kicks off the holiday season every year with a trip to the ball park in Milwaukee for the We Energies Cookie Book. Every year we get multiple copies of a well-produced set of dozens of Christmas Cookie recipes. Limit 2 to a customer. Every year I get dragged along, because that means a couple more cookie books. If you knew how passionate my wife is about Christmas, you’d know this is a BIG DEAL – her annual kickoff to the holiday season.
This year our youngest daughter joined us to get cookie books. Home from a year working in Spain, and staying with us, we shared stories of many prior trips to the ball park, including Santa and reindeer sightings, a cookie and hot chocolate, and other sights and treats – all curtailed because of the pandemic. What we found this trip was an even bigger treat. As we slowed to a brief stop to be handed our books, the lady who handed us six books excitedly proclaimed, “Check out the recipe at the top of page 23! My mom sent those when I was deployed to Desert Storm ~ they’re great!” We all exclaimed “Thanks!” and “Merry Christmas!” and drove off.
As my wife drove and our daughter held our new puppy, I was struck by the great slices of life in the Cookie Book. On page 23, next the the recipe for Mom’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies and under a mouth-watering picture of the cookie was this caption:
Christy Schultz Veteran
Specialist, U.S. Army New Berlin While deployed to Desert Storm, my mom would send care packages with tins of homemade cookies. A squad favorite was this peanut butter chocolate chip cookie.
Thank you for your service, Christy Schultz, and thank you for an extra-fine start to our holiday season.
Wisconsin Veterans are represented throughout the 2021 Cookie Book. I was struck by the stories shared, as well as the recipes shared. Here are a couple more examples that I hope you’ll find as moving as I do.
Ribbon Cookies, page 21 top:
Submitted by Janine Sijan in memory of Captain Lance P. Sijan
A Milwaukee native, Captain Lance P. Sijan was a U.S. Air Force officer
and Vietnam fighter pilot who posthumously received the Medal of
Honor, the United States’ highest military award, in 1976. In addition,
the Air Force created the Lance P. Sijan Award, one of the branch’s
most prestigious awards, to recognize individuals demonstrating the
highest qualities of leadership in their jobs and in their lives.
Submitted by Janine Sijan in memory of
Captain Lance P. Sijan This recipe was my brother Lance’s favorite. My mom would bake dozens of cookies and send them to him when he was attending prep school, the Air Force Academy, pilot training, and Vietnam. — Janine Sijan
Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls, page 21, bottom:
Kyle Zierer Veteran
Sergeant, U.S. Army
Brookfield While serving in the Army, one of my civilian co-workers invited me to his home for Thanksgiving. They served many great treats like this one. I will never forget their kindness by including me during a time when I would have otherwise been alone.
The Cookie Book is a fine tribute to Wisconsin Veterans from communities all over our state. Perhaps it is the holiday spirit of sharing that makes their stories all the more poignant.
Without copying the whole book, I’ll just highlight the following from page four:
Hometown heroes: 128th Air Refueling Wing
The 128th Air Refueling Wing, Wisconsin Air National Guard, has a long and illustrious
record of service to the State of Wisconsin and the United States of America. From
natural disasters to service in the Korean War and operations Desert Storm, Restore
Hope, Enduring Freedom and Noble Eagle, the 128th Air Refueling Wing has responded
to changing world events and tasking requirements with dignity, honor and courage. https://www.128arw.ang.af.mil/
Members of the 128th Air Refueling Wing held a contest to choose a recipe to submit for
Cookie Book consideration. They couldn’t choose just one and neither could we. We’re
featuring all three recipes they submitted.
Support for our active and retired military comes in many forms, including organizations
committed to providing care for those who serve. It is our honor to share recipes from
four of these groups, which you will find on Pages 8 and 9.
Blue Star Mothers of Southeastern Wisconsin Chapter 2 — Unites military mothers
of all types in supporting our military forces and veterans, as well as each other. https://www.bluestarmomssew.com
Fisher House — Provides a home away from home for families of veterans and active
military who need temporary housing while their loved one receives care at the
Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center. https://www.fisherhousewi.org
Operation Home Baked — Sends holiday cheer in the form of cookies to our service
members stationed overseas, with more than 300,000 cookies sent to date. https://www.youarespecialwi.org
Stars and Stripes Honor Flight Inc. — Honors veterans with a life-changing trip
to Washington, D.C., to visit the memorials and experience a day of honor and thanks. https://www.starsandstripeshonorflight.org
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Thank you to We Energies, and the staff who produced the Cookie Book! To download a free copy of this book or find additional recipes, go to https://www.We-Energies.com/recipes
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Happy Veterans Day, Wisconsin Veterans! Keith Klein
Veteran, U.S. Army
Son of Lloyd Klein, a decorated U.S. Army Korean War Veteran
Grand-nephew of Harold Lloyd, a U.S. Army World War I Veteran who gave his all Organizer, Wisconsin Business Owners
Founder & CEO, OnYourMark, LLC
We welcome your comments, questions and suggestions. Please contact us with questions. Best to call, email or visit our site for the best response. We do invite you to engage with us on social media (just not for immediate needs).
As always, if you like, you will find us on the following social media sites, among many others: Facebook LinkedIn Twitter
Happy Labor Day! Labor Day, observed the first Monday in September, is an annual celebration of the social and economic achievements of American workers. The holiday is rooted in the late nineteenth century when labor activists pushed for a federal holiday to recognize the many contributions workers have made to America’s strength, prosperity, and well-being.
Many Americans celebrate Labor Day with parades, picnics and parties – festivities very similar to those outlined by the first proposal for a holiday, which suggested that the day should be observed with – a street parade to exhibit “the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations” of the community, followed by a festival for the recreation and amusement of the workers and their families. This became the pattern for the celebrations of Labor Day.
Speeches by prominent men and women were introduced later, as more emphasis was placed upon the economic and civic significance of the holiday. Still later, by a resolution of the American Federation of Labor convention of 1909, the Sunday preceding Labor Day was adopted as Labor Sunday and dedicated to the spiritual and educational aspects of the labor movement.
American labor has raised the nation’s standard of living and contributed to the greatest production the world has ever known and the labor movement has brought us closer to the realization of our traditional ideals of economic and political democracy. It is appropriate, therefore, that the nation pays tribute on Labor Day to the creator of so much of the nation’s strength, freedom, and leadership – the American worker.
Unofficial end of summer
Labor Day is called the “unofficial end of summer” because it marks the end of the cultural summer season. Many take their two-week vacations during the two weeks ending Labor Day weekend. Many fall activities, such as school and sports, begin about this time.
In the United States, many school districts resume classes around the Labor Day holiday weekend. Some begin the week before, making Labor Day weekend the first three-day weekend of the school calendar, while others return the Tuesday following Labor Day. Many districts across the Midwest are opting to begin school after Labor Day.
In the U.S. state of Virginia, the amusement park industry has successfully lobbied for legislation requiring most school districts in the state to have their first day of school after Labor Day, in order to give families another weekend to visit amusement parks in the state. The relevant statute has been nicknamed the “Kings Dominion law” after one such park. This law was repealed in 2019.
In the U.S. state of Minnesota, the State Fair ends on Labor Day. Under state law, public schools normally do not begin until after the holiday. One reason given for this timing was to allow time for schoolchildren to show 4-H projects at the Fair.
In U.S. sports, Labor Day weekend marks the beginning of many fall sports. National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) teams usually play their first games that weekend, and the National Football League (NFL) traditionally plays their kickoff game the Thursday following Labor Day. The Southern 500 NASCAR auto race has been held on Labor Day weekend at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina from 1950 to 2003 and since 2015. At Indianapolis Raceway Park, the National Hot Rod Association holds their finals of the NHRA U.S. Nationals drag race that weekend. Labor Day is the middle point between weeks one and two of the U.S. Open Tennis Championships held in Flushing Meadows, New York.
In fashion, Labor Day is (or was) considered the last day when it is acceptable to wear white or seersucker.
There are numerous events and activities organized in major cities. For example, New York offers the Labor Day Carnival and fireworks over Coney Island. In Washington, one popular event is the Labor Day Concert at the U.S. Capitol featuring the National Symphony Orchestra with free attendance.
Labor Day sales
To take advantage of large numbers of potential customers with time to shop, Labor Day has become an important weekend for discounts and allowances by many retailers in the United States, especially for back-to-school sales. Some retailers claim it is one of the largest sale dates of the year, second only to the Christmas season’s Black Friday.
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Happy Labor Day
Happy Labor Day to you and yours. We hope you enjoy the celebration. The text and images above are open source, from sites including Wikimedia, Wikipedia, and the U.S. Department of Labor.
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We welcome your comments, questions and suggestions. Please contact us with questions. Best to call, email or visit our site for the best response. We do invite you to engage with us on social media (just not for immediate needs).
As always, if you like, you will find us on the following social media sites, among many others: Facebook LinkedIn Twitter
Veteran
Speeches by prominent men and women were introduced later, as more emphasis was placed upon the economic and civic significance of the holiday. Still later, by a resolution of the American Federation of Labor convention of 1909, the Sunday preceding Labor Day was adopted as Labor Sunday and dedicated to the spiritual and educational aspects of the labor movement.
