November 2007

A Very Real Reason to Give Thanks                              November 2007

For two years now I've had the pleasure of writing this newsletter. Not once during that time have I ever written the entire content of a month's newsletter, scheduled it for delivery, and then cancelled it to re - write it because of something that has happened in my life. Until now.

At a time when we all are celebrating the holidays and giving thanks for our lives, this past weekend something happened that made that even more clear for me. Early Saturday morning, my wife Heather was driving in heavy rain when her car hydro-planed off the highway and slammed into a tree. With parts of her car strewn across the highway, she got safely from the vehicle and laid hurt in the rain. A kind stranger arrived on the scene, called for help, and covered her with a blanket until emergency personnel could arrive. By the time I got to the scene of the accident, she was secured in the ambulance and being cared for by very capable, trained professionals.

After enduring seven hours of tests and CAT scans, she was carefully placed in my truck for the drive home. Her injuries appear to be limited to the damage done by the seat belt. The fact she was wearing a seat belt saved her life that morning. The fact she was behind the wheel of a car with a great safety record certainly contributed to her ability to get out of a car far beyond repair. But it is by the grace of God, and only by the grace of God, that she is at home resting comfortably.

We have choices when these things happen in our lives. We can deal with them and move on. We can be thankful they weren't worse than they were and hope they never happen again. Or, we can look beyond the pain and find some lessons. I learned several lessons that day, including:

:

Tell people you love 'em

On Thanksgiving morning, I walked over and put my arms around my wife and said, "I'm thankful for you today!" I certainly couldn't anticipate something would happen two days later that could have taken her from me, but I wanted her to know that among all the things for which I was thankful for on Thanksgiving Day, she was one of them. You see, you never know when it will all go away. In an instant our whole world could have changed, and because I realize that, I tell her every chance I get that I love her.

Appreciate good friends

For the past several days, we have been surrounded by great friends and family. It's not something you ask for, but it's a true blessing when it happens. Phone calls from family and friends have been endless, and because of the generosity of close friends we haven't missed a meal . I'm not talking about simple acquaintances that are there for you from time-to-time. I'm referring to those great friends who are with you in a time of need with thoughtful words and prayers. I'm talking about friends who sit for hours in an ER waiting room even after you've told them to go home. I'm talking about family members who drop everything they're doing to take care of things while you get through your immediate challenges. A real appreciation for those people in your life makes the healing process so much easier.

Laugh even when it hurts

There's not much to laugh at in an emergency room, particularly when you're sitting around waiting for test results. As I sat at my wife's side holding her hand, I started to laugh. She looked at me and noticed I was staring at the sweatshirt she was wearing when they brought her in. There it was, wet and covered in dirt from the road, but on her body throughout the entire ordeal and clearly communicating what she needed at that moment --- her favorite Tell Me Somethin' Good! sweatshirt. Amazing! It was a reminder to everyone around her (including us) to stay focused on the good stuff. As a result, we immediately started looking at the good stuff. She was alive. She walked away from the accident. That shirt reminded us to stay focused on the good stuff.

On the last day of this month, Heather and I will celebrate our five-year wedding anniversary. This year, we will spend it together at home. Every year of our marriage (including our honeymoon), I have been booked to speak somewhere far from home. This year, I'll be home to celebrate it with her, and the timing could not be better!

At this time of year when we give thanks for all we have, I'm thankful for my family and friends for their support. I'm thankful for the opportunity to learn how to be a better leader of myself and those around me from everyday occurrences. And I'm thankful for the opportunity to share those observations with each of you through this newsletter. I hope it makes a difference. Here's to the next lesson. God bless!

Enthusiastically, 

Clint Swindall - President & CEO

*Book Review

Attitudes of Gratitude, by M.J. Ryan

Here's what I've been reading lately ...

As we wrap up the month of Thanksgiving, I want to share with you this book focused on gratitude. It is titled Attitudes of Gratitude: How to Give and Receive Joy Everyday of Your Life. It is written by M.J. Ryan, the author of the Random Acts of Kindness series.

This book is all about inspiration. In fact, you may find yourself on several occasions saying, "I already knew that." The benefit of the book is not learning a dozen new ways to be grateful. The benefit of the book is being reminded of our need to be grateful for our blessings. As you can see from the content of this newsletter, we can't control some of the circumstances in our life, but we can determine the impact they have in our life by focusing on an attitude of gratitude.

To purchase it online, click on the cover to go to Amazon.com.

* Raise a Glass

A reason to celebrate

This month I'd like to raise a glass to the kindness of strangers. Immediately following my wife's car accident, two complete strangers stopped to provide help. One person located my wife's cell phone and called me, which allowed me to be on the scene in less than fifteen minutes. The other stranger called for help, covered her with a blanket, and waited in the rain until help could arrive. Complete strangers willing to stop and help in a time of need.

And sometimes they're not strangers at all. Upon my arrival, I noticed an ambulance, three police cars, and a fire truck. Some of you may recall that earlier this year I wrote about my experience working with firefighters. Two of those men were on the scene, providing a familiar face for my wife at a very frightening time. To those men, I say thank you. And to anyone willing to step in and make a difference in this world because it's the right thing to do, I raise a glass!

*Quotes

Inspirational thoughts

"In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit."
- Albert Schweitzer

"It isn't what you have in your pocket that makes you thankful, but what you have in your heart."
- Unknown

"If you can't be content with what you have received, be thankful for what you have escaped."
- Unknown

*Question to Ponder

Some time to think

Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote, "What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say." I believe that to be true, and wonder how often we send messages that contradict each other. Perhaps we tell someone we appreciate them, and then do something that negates our words. Perhaps we encourage a child to be honest in all they do, and then do something dishonest that negates our words. Perhaps we tell someone to stop being so negative, and then complain about everything in our own world.

As leaders, we must work hard to ensure what we say and what we do is the same. As humans, we'll always struggle with it because we're not perfect. But we at least should be making the effort. The first step is being aware of it. So that is my question for you to ponder until next time. At the end of each day, I want you to ask yourself this one simple question ... am I setting a good example of leadership by ensuring that what I do doesn't negate what I encourage others to do?