Wednesday Wisdom

Seed tomorrow with wise gratitude today!

Tomorrow many Americans will eat turkey, watch football, and avoid talking politics with family and friends. It’s one of those special days that calls us to give thanks. When bowing my head in gratitude I can’t help but think about our choice of two paths: to wait around for that special day, or to treat every day as special.

Perhaps a mindset shift, a settling in of contentment, and the choice to savor that which matter most in our lives will remind us that: Gratitude turns what we have into enough.

Rather than thinking of Thanksgiving as a day, we could reframe giving thanks as the way we think about and live our lives. Albert Einstein said it better than I can:

There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.   

John F. Kennedy spoke of turning thoughts into actions:

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.    John F. Kennedy

Counselor and author Josie Robinson writes:

The simple act of gratitude, consistently, is your invitation to a new life. Accepting the invitation is now up to you. 

As we experience whatever unfolds in our day . . . Today’s the day!  Happy Thanksgiving.

Life is calling . . .  Today’s the day!

Learn Lavishly. Live Significantly. Leave a Legacy.

www.marilynnsemonick.com

Marilynn Semonick, CEO (Chief Exploration Officer)

Educator, Consultant, Coach, Facilitator, Professional Speaker

Marilynn@marilynnsemonick.com

Wednesday Wisdom

Seed tomorrow with wise wonder today!

Forty eight years ago today, Curt and I committed ourselves to a life standing next to each other,   for better or for worse. And, like every other marriage, we’ve had our share of both. That said, I’m completely aware of my immaturity in the beginning of our union, resulting in conflicts over the most insignificant issues.

Growing together isn’t an easy journey, often riddled with challenges, confusion, chaos, learning, triumphs, and eventually, celebration. Reflecting upon almost 5 decades of growth, we’re completely aware of how blessed we’ve been along the way. And, of the work it takes to sustain the respect, love, and cherish we have for each other.

Travel is one of the blessings we’ve always treasured. Currently on our out-of-our-own-country annual anniversary adventure (something we sorely missed during the pandemic), we’ve been exploring a nation we’ve experienced before; however, a region we’ve never walked upon until now. Something novel and unique every day.

If you think adventure is dangerous, try routine, it’s lethal.  ~ Paulo Coelho

I have no idea how you learn, appreciate, or love; however, I trust you do so with intention, care, and meaning. And, I hope you enjoy the process!

Life is calling . . .  Today’s the day!

Learn Lavishly. Live Significantly. Leave a Legacy.

www.marilynnsemonick.com

Marilynn Semonick, CEO (Chief Exploration Officer)

Educator, Consultant, Coach, Facilitator, Professional Speaker

Marilynn@marilynnsemonick.com

Wednesday Wisdom

Seed tomorrow with wise wonder today!

Today Curt and I travel out of the country for our annual anniversary adventure. Exploring diverse cultures has always been a high priority for us, so we’re excited about celebrating on acreage we’ve not walked upon before.

There are no foreign lands. It is the traveler only who is foreign. – Robert Louis Stevenson

Leaving one’s culture to experience others’ has been the second greatest education source of my life (our two daughters are definitely the first). It’s clear that humans have more in common than in opposition. We all want to be seen, heard, and validated. We appreciate the sacred parts of our ancestors and our culture and have a desire to change that which is not humane. We want more for our children than for ourselves.

Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.  ~ Mark Twain

Savoring unfamiliar foods, conversing with people who have different histories, opinions, and beliefs, and experiencing art forms created by locals have fascinated us for the greater part of our lives. The excitement of anticipated discoveries settled in weeks ago.

Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that’s okay. The journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you. Hopefully, you leave something good behind. ~ Anthony Bourdain

Off to wander, explore, remain in wonder, appreciate, learn, and to be changed.

Seed tomorrow with wise wonder today!

Life is calling . . .  Today’s the day!

Learn Lavishly. Live Significantly. Leave a Legacy.

www.marilynnsemonick.com

Marilynn Semonick, CEO (Chief Exploration Officer)

Educator, Consultant, Coach, Facilitator, Professional Speaker

Marilynn@marilynnsemonick.com

Wednesday Wisdom

Seed tomorrow with wise responsibility today!

Upstanding journalists like Walter Cronkite are becoming rare. As a trusted anchor of the CBS Evening News, he covered some of the biggest news of the 20^th century. For nearly two decades he signed off with the statement: And that’s the way it is, stating he did so because:

To me, that encapsulates the newsman’s highest ideal: to report the facts as he sees them, without regard for the consequences or controversy that may ensue.

Bringing people together through the power of story, he reminded us of the need for dialogue, listening to understand, and respect and civility while pursuing facts.

In seeking truth you have to get both sides of a story.

Decades ago I was influenced by his following words and remain independent to this day, without loyalty to a party, rather to a nation and the notion of sustaining our great democratic experiment.

I am neither Republican nor Democrat. I am a registered independent because I find that I cast my votes not on the basis of party loyalty but on the issues of the moment and my assessment of the candidates.  ~ Walter Cronkite

Frederick Douglass, an African-American social reformer, abolitionist, orator, writer, and statesman, escaped from being enslaved in Maryland to remind us:

The life of a nation is secure only when the nation is honest, truthful, and virtuous.

November 8. Please do your homework. Please seek honesty, truth, and honorable intent. Please vote. Our future depends on it.

Life is calling . . .  Today’s the day!

Learn Lavishly. Live Significantly. Leave a Legacy.

www.marilynnsemonick.com

Marilynn Semonick, CEO (Chief Exploration Officer)

Educator, Consultant, Coach, Facilitator, Professional Speaker

Marilynn@marilynnsemonick.com

Wednesday Wisdom

Seed tomorrow with wise, honoring memory today!

With the approach of Halloween and an upcoming adventure in Mexico, I thought it respectful to pay tribute to the day of the dead, Dia De Los Muertos, one of the most important holidays in Mexican culture.

The day remembers, respects, and celebrates families’ dear loved ones and ancestors who have passed by creating an altar of their pictures and preparing offerings. Mourning is considered insulting for the dead, so the culture commemorates the deceased with music, food revelry, and prayer for their safe passing, comfort, and peace in the afterlife.

People from cultures across the world share the notion:

To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die.   – Thomas Campbell

He who has gone, so we but cherish his memory, abides with us, more potent, nay, more present than the living man.   – Antoine de Saint-Exupery

After all, to the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure.

•                                                         J.K. Rowling, ‘Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone

Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal.

• Richard Puz

Our dead are never dead to us, until we have forgotten them.  – George Eliot

As I bow my head on Dia De Los Muertos, I’ll remember cherished ancestors who came before me and continue to whisper in my soul.

Life is calling . . .  Today’s the day!

Visit http://www.The Success Studio.com . . . Learn Lavishly. Live Significantly. Leave a Legacy.

www.marilynnsemonick.com

To read archived Wednesday Wisdoms visit http://www.thesuccessstudio.wordpress.com

Marilynn Semonick, CEO (Chief Exploration Officer)

Educator, Consultant, Coach, Facilitator, Professional Speaker

Marilynn@marilynnsemonick.com                                                          

Wednesday Wisdom

THIS IS LAST WEEK’S WW. A few people wrote to let me know they did not receive this post last week (October 19) so here it is, posted again:

Seed tomorrow with wise choices today!

A friend from the UK recently told me the passing of Queen Elizabeth felt like the passing of an era. And, went on to say:

The end of an era for sure . . .  the end of dignity.

Let those words settle in: the end of dignity.

I’ve never really understood the notion of a monarchy; however, I’m clear about the reach across the world this Queen had with decency, nobility, discipline, and honor. As a consultant who has worked with leaders around the globe to increase their effectiveness, she felt the subtle, yet obvious fact that behaviors of leaders seriously matter.

Anyone who follows leadership research knows the work of Peter Drucker, who wrote:

Culture eats strategy for breakfast. 

Culture – those shared attitudes, values, goals, and “agreed upon” behaviors. A leader’s behavior establishes the norm. So, when selecting upcoming candidates, we’re choosing the culture we, our children, and our communities will live in next (and perhaps longer than we’d like). 

What kind of culture is created by leader(s) who demean, degrade, ridicule, blame, berate, humiliate, disgrace, and take no responsibility? You choose the leader, you select the culture. No excuses. It’s not time to refuse to vote because “they’re all corrupt” or “there are no good choices.”  There are no benefits in feeling helpless in the face of our challenges.  Please choose wisely.  Our future depends on it.

Life is calling . . .  Today’s the day!

Visit http://www.The Success Studio.com . . . Learn Lavishly. Live Significantly. Leave a Legacy.

www.marilynnsemonick.com

To read archived Wednesday Wisdoms visit http://www.thesuccessstudio.wordpress.com

Marilynn Semonick, CEO (Chief Exploration Officer)

Educator, Consultant, Coach, Facilitator, Professional Speaker

Marilynn@marilynnsemonick.com

Wednesday Wisdom

Seed tomorrow with wise citizenship today!

Still doing your election research? Or, even more involved in ensuring the promise of our American democracy? Let the words of Brendan Sullivan nudge you in the direction of more effort:

We are not potted plants.

First, we do our research (understanding it’s difficult with so much disinformation running rampant – know your sources). Then, vote. However, before November 8^th, please ask yourself if there’s a bit more you can do as a responsible citizen? 

I know people who canvass, knock on doors, send postcards, or make calls encouraging people to vote. Invest a bit of time or energy in assisting the candidate you believe will make a positive difference? Intelligently discuss the upcoming election issues with others? Work at the polls?

Deval Patrick, professor of practice and co-director of the Center for Public Leadership at Harvard Kennedy School, and former governor of Massachusetts says it better than I can:

Citizenship is not an act. It’s something you do, not something you are.

What can we do to invest the time, imagination, and courage to act boldly to reclaim the promise of American democracy? 

Life is calling . . .  Today’s the day!

Visit http://www.The Success Studio.com . . . Learn Lavishly. Live Significantly. Leave a Legacy.

www.marilynnsemonick.com

To read archived Wednesday Wisdoms visit http://www.thesuccessstudio.wordpress.com

Marilynn Semonick, CEO (Chief Exploration Officer)

Educator, Consultant, Coach, Facilitator, Professional Speaker

Marilynn@marilynnsemonick.com

Wednesday Wisdom

Seed tomorrow with wise intentional change today!

Doing our research for the approaching November elections, O ye of little faith keeps echoing in my head. Perhaps it’s because, at my age, more people are passing at what feels like an alarming rate. Death has strangely become less a concept and more of a reality. With this recognition, my frustration increases as we seem to be expanding our unwillingness and/or inability to progress with humanity as a base for our grandchildren before we leave Earth to them.

• Will big money and corruption that owns our government continue to be the norm and ensure our downfall?
• Will we make any strides in remembering that character, integrity, and compassion are stronger leadership qualities than power, money making, and profit shares?
• Will we raise our awareness that profits over people and greed over sincere service are destroying our nation?
• Will we grow up and make voting, a fundamental foundation of a democracy, accessible and fair for all rather than a manipulative process to create a pathway for a party to ensure votes in their favor?
• Will we take our children and education seriously enough to fund it as we do our military?
• We will actually do anything to care enough for our planet and address how we abuse it so that our grandbabies have a place to call home?
• We will take constitutional equality seriously enough to examine and change our systems and policies that create inequities?
• Will we ever look at responsibilities over rights and ensure our children do not have to worry about mass shootings as they attempt to simply be in school?
• Will we find ways to talk, with civility, respect, and intelligence, about where we need to collectively progress, or will we die, leaving our grandchildren a legacy we soulfully regret?

And, these are only a few questions that continue to roll in my head. Am I alone?

If I could only muster up the faith of a mustard seed for a more humane, equitable, compassionate future. 

Life is calling . . .  Today’s the day!

Visit http://www.The Success Studio.com . . . Learn Lavishly. Live Significantly. Leave a Legacy.

www.marilynnsemonick.com

To read archived Wednesday Wisdoms visit http://www.thesuccessstudio.wordpress.com

Marilynn Semonick, CEO (Chief Exploration Officer)

Educator, Consultant, Coach, Facilitator, Professional Speaker

Marilynn@marilynnsemonick.com                                                          

Wednesday Wisdom

Seed tomorrow with wise celebration today!

Two weeks ago I wrote that Seth Godin, recently asked:

If today was a holiday in your honor, what would it be about? 

Since then, our last born celebrated the day of her birth. And, like I do with her sister, every year, I reflect upon my respect, awe, and gratitude for the person she continues to choose to become.

Today, I celebrate her sincere desire to understand and accept others and thus, her ability to befriend anyone who crosses her path, her persistence in pursuing that which is most important to her, no matter how difficult, her genuine joy and how she easily transfers it to others.

I honor her remarkable parenting, and the generosity of her heart as she contributes to others who may be struggling, and her rare ability to bring people together who may otherwise never have met. I stand in serious awe of her social intelligence. Her friends are beyond blessed to have her in their lives (and, many have told me so). Her second grade teacher wrote on her report card that she is, “Pure Joy.” I couldn’t agree more as I observe her radiating that joy to others on a daily basis.

So, let me ask if you’ve examined your attributes, your work, your impact, and your reputation as I suggested? If you have, I hope you’re satisfied and fulfilled by the positive expressions you and others would use to describe you.

Life is calling . . .  Today’s the day!

Learn Lavishly. Live Significantly. Leave a Legacy.

www.marilynnsemonick.com

Marilynn Semonick, CEO (Chief Exploration Officer)

Educator, Consultant, Coach, Facilitator, Professional Speaker

Marilynn@marilynnsemonick.com

Wednesday Wisdom

Seed tomorrow with wise loving today!

Like many, I watched portions of the royal processions for Queen Elizabeth II, with vivid memories of William and Harry walking behind their mother’s coffin years ago. Grief is a heavy emotion; however, the feelings of deep loss linger in the experience of profound love. As The Queen expressed:

Grief is the price we pay for love.

Through the pain, sorrow can serve as a reminder of the enduing impact that those we cherish have on our lives.

Let’s remember another message The Queen left us:

Of course, every generation faces fresh challenges and opportunities. As we look for new answers in the modern age, I for one prefer the tried and true recipes, like speaking well of each other and respecting different points of view; coming together to seek out common ground; and never losing sight of the bigger picture. To me, these approaches are timeless, and I commend them to everyone.

Rest in Peace Queen Elizabeth II.

Life is calling . . .  Today’s the day!

Learn Lavishly. Live Significantly. Leave a Legacy.

www.marilynnsemonick.com

Marilynn Semonick, CEO (Chief Exploration Officer)

Educator, Consultant, Coach, Facilitator, Professional Speaker

Marilynn@marilynnsemonick.com