“There have been a couple of jobs I've done without thinking, without being engaged, and they just stink.” Clancy Brown.
If you’ve seen the first Highlander movie, or the Shawshank Redemption, you can’t miss this tall, dynamic actor with the cold blue eyes and fierce visage. He’s been engaged in the acting trade for well over 20 years because it’s something he loves.
Every self-development book I’ve plowed through in the last few years tells us that any change starts with being involved right now, where we are. Personally, professionally, socially – wherever we focus our attention – we need to give at least 100%.
Being fully present in the job where you are, whether it’s in a cube, or at your desk, keeps you on the road to success. If you go to work for someone else, you must provide services for the paycheck you receive. A warm body filling the chair serves no one. Wasting the company’s time and money, as well as your own, devalues both parties.
I was a legal assistant for 18 years because I loved the hurly burly of a litigator’s practice. I left it because it wasn’t fun anymore. I realized that doing something I didn’t love was sucking the life out of me. So I found something amazing that represented opportunity for growth. I stepped right in and soon found ways to contribute over and above what my job description entailed. Note to self – make sure the company is receptive to what you want to give, otherwise, you’ll end up feeling like a round peg in a square hole. And that stinks!
If you join a group, go to the meetings, hold an office and make a difference. A mentor or mine recently used this analogy, "Don't come to the meetings with 75 cents in your pocket, expecting to take home $1.50." To get, you gotta give. And you gotta give BIG! You can't fathom how big you get back.
Inherent in fulfilling personal relationships is engagement on every level. Again, to give anything less is disrespectful to you and your partner. Life today is full of distractions and those outside influences can take over if we let them. Put down the Blackberry, turn off the television and be available to your partner and your children. It’s the right thing to do and it matters.
Inherent in fulfilling personal relationships is engagement on every level. Again, to give anything less is disrespectful to you and your partner. Life today is full of distractions and those outside influences can take over if we let them. Put down the Blackberry, turn off the television and be available to your partner and your children. It’s the right thing to do and it matters.
The same goes for your social relationships. Everyone you come into contact with deserves your full and considerate attention. It’s no secret that rudeness dominates behavior in our everyday exchanges. Somehow, we’ve forgotten The Golden Rule – “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Put yourself on the other side of the counter, the table, or the desk. You are getting their full attention, they merit yours. Hang up and interact!
Engagement means choosing to show up for your own life. It’s yours to do, be and have. Get involved and make an impact. Join, volunteer, do something extra. You’ll be amazed at how your life will become!
