Monday Morning Motivator: Celebrating the Moments that Define Us...

Celebrating the Moments that Define Us...

It's that time of year... the perfect time to take a look back at your "defining moments" from the past year - and "get it" about how really good, incredibly strong and thoroughly unstoppable you are - as an individual - as a family, as a team.

You know: that time you pulled it out of the fire, when all flags were against you, all the signs said “forget it,” all the people in the stands shrugged and shook their heads and you—or your team—kept going anyway. You looked for the new angle, knocked on a new door, or asked for the order…one more time. And it worked. Amazingly, it worked!

But it could also be the time when it didn’t work. You pulled out every stop, walked through every wall of fire and for reasons beyond your control (and maybe your comprehension) it didn’t happen. But you didn’t lie down. You didn’t quit the team. (Okay, maybe you thought about it.) You didn’t rail against “them.” At least not for long. You didn’t let cynicism take over your psyche, tempting though that was. You got back in the game. And maybe brought the rest of the team with you. That’s just as amazing…

This is the time to embrace those moments. share them. Celebrate them. When you do, you'll find the answers to those all-important questions: Who am I? What the heck am I doing here? And you'll use that knowledge to fuel your dreams and to propel you into a new year of infinite possibilities.

So here's my recommendation:

1. Get your team or your family together. (We do this every Christmas Eve at our house.)

2. Start by saying something like, “It’s been a heck of a year, hasn’t it? Some parts great, some really, really tough. What are we—what are you—most proud of? What moment stands out? What did you get the biggest kick out of? What was the hardest, toughest thing you did? And what did you learn about yourself that you never would have known otherwise?”

3. You should be the one to start off the conversation. Be honest when you tell your story—the good parts, the not so good parts. If you feel emotional, let it show. (It gives those around you permission to show their feelings…)

4. In our family, we sometimes identify each other’s defining moments, too. Someone saying, “Boy, have I got one for you…” usually leads to something really funny or something really powerful…but always wonderful - and important.

5. After everyone has shared their "moments" and told their stories, ask each other this question, “Hey, if we could do that, what else could we do?!” And the answer will come back loud and clear: "Whatever we decide."

Be bold. You're not here to play small...This is meant to be your year. Take it.