Great Quote For The Holidays

As we enter those final few days before the holiday break, I find my expectations of those days continuing to rise. Extended time in my relationship ring and some quality acts in my self ring really motivate me to get things done in my work ring in the next couple of days. I came across a quote that helps me keep things in focus, especially now. It is:

If we take care of the moments, the years will take care of themselves.

-Maria Edgeworth

It's so critical that I really focus on being in the right ring at the right moment. As a parent, spouse and friend there are so many moments to enjoy in the coming days. Instead of looking generally at the entire holiday and hoping it goes well, I need to take care of each moment-and the sum of those moments will indeed get a standing ovation.

Monday Humor

A few days ago I picked up a complimentary magazine that had been sent to my office and while flipping through it, I stopped at a page with jokes. While they were extremely goofy, they were clean and brought a smile to my face. "A good quick 'clown' moment," I thought. What was ironic, however, was that a couple hours later while on a phone call with someone, I shared one of the jokes. Their response was quite telling... "I needed that," they said.

Work environments today are more intense than ever. Add the rush of the holidays and questions about the new year, and it's a mixture to feel overwhelmed. A moment to laugh or just have cause to smile can give a much needed break. In that hope, I provide the following jokes:

A little boy wasn't getting good marks in school. One day he tapped his teacher on the shoulder and said, "I don't want to scare you, but my dad says that if I don't get better grades, somebody is going to get a spanking."

Walking down the street, a man passes a house and notices a child trying to reach the doorbell. No matter how much the little guy stretched, he couldn't make it. "Let me get that for you," the man called out as he stepped on the porch and rings the bell.
"Thanks, mister," says the kid. "Now let's run."

A guy calls 911 and screams, "You gotta send help! My wife's going into labor." The dispatcher replies, "Calm down. Is this her first child?" He replies, "No! this is her husband."

May your day be filled with many smiles.

Who Would Catch You?

USA Today has daily "snapshots" that give an interesting statistic about habits, preferences, etc. The snapshot on Monday asked who first year college students were most likely to contact when they needed support. Top answer-Mom of course. Second was Dad and then there were a number of other people, including friends from high school and other relatives.

What about you? When your circus seems to be running out of control, who would you contact for support and encouragement? If your list is short, maybe it's time to enlist a few more performers who can help you keep your focus on the right acts.

Keeping It Real

Here's a recent response from a reader of Juggling Elephants:

I just wanted to say that this book could very well have saved my life!! Pushing 50 (very old) new house, college , son getting married . The Best job I have EVER had and the walls are closing in. 2 days ago my Boss decided it was book report time. I have not finished a book since the 8th grade.The plan!! Pick out a self help book, read it, send him a copy and next sales meeting do a book report. (A BOOK REPORT AT MY AGE !!) I got lucky after 3 hours of looking through all the books that have been sent to me in the last 30 years. I found this one at Borders!! Sitting in a hotel room (the last 20 years this is my second home) thinking WHY do I have to read a book (Top numbers every year and making the CASH), I started to read . After I finished , I started to read again. Can this book be true?? I have heard all the motivation I can hear!! But this book is real!! True life stories and the circus?? All I can say is THANK YOU. If I had to read a book and go to the book store to find one, I am glad it was this one!!

Keep sending us your stories at info@jugglingelephants.com

What Makes Your Performers Give Their Best?

An automobile advertisement in a magazine caught my eye today. It read:

The only thing more valuable than an engineer with vision is an engineer with children.

You know where the ad went next. It highlighted the value of having engineers at their company who had a vested interest in the safety of the vehicles they were designing. They would give their very best.

What about your employees or staff? What motivates them to give their best at work? Hopefully you can identify more reasons than just a paycheck. Do you have their talents and skills aligned with things they are passionate about or have you just been putting "bottoms" in seats? If you want them to give their best in your circus, you better find out what's important in theirs.