This Week's Affirmations
(Repeat these quietly to yourself multiple times throughout the day.)

I am overcoming my vices, putting aside my anger, adopting an attitude of pure positive thoughts and actions, and making a concerted effort to be a better person.

I am having conversations about personal or professional growth with those I lead.

Let’s love the world together!

Together, we can change the world!

“Sometimes our light goes out but is blown again into flame by an encounter with another human being. Each of us owes the deepest thanks to those who have rekindled this inner light."
~ Albert Schweitzer ~

This Week's Affirmations
(Repeat these quietly to yourself multiple times throughout the day.)

I am blessed with all things good!

I am blessed with beauty, order, and abundance!

When there is only darkness and the storms of life are closing in, the light at the core of my being illuminates the world!

I bring blessings to others!

I am changing the world!

This Week's Affirmations
(Repeat these quietly to yourself multiple times throughout the day.)

My thoughts produce my reality.

I am truly blessed!

I can choose to be happy!

I make the decision to be happy!

Inspiration and lessons for your leadership journey!

“Managers accustomed to using certain practices to engage boomers are going to have to change their ways - and practices - if they hope to engage and retain the newest heavily scrutinized employee cohort, the millennials."
~ Jay Gilbert ~

Today's featured video/poem, The Lost Generation (1:45), by Jonathan Reed from Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia, won second prize in the AARP's U@50 video contest.

The contest, launched in August 2007 on YouTube, gave people between the ages of 18 and 30 the chance to submit short videos on the subject of what they expect their lives to be like at age 50.

The goal of the U@50 Challenge was to encourage intergenerational dialogue enabling young people to speak their minds and give AARP insight into their views. More than 50 videos were submitted from across the country and from these. The five top videos were selected by a panel of judges.

Jonathan's ingenious work was inspired by a 2006 advertisement for Argentinean presidential candidate Ricardo Lopez Murphy called “The Truth,” which won a Silver Lion award at the Cannes Film Festival.

I provide the full palindrome poem (both forwards and backwards) below after the YouTube of the poem.  I hope it both informs and inspires you (both goals of this blog) as a leader of the new millennials.

Remember this week's affirmations after that.

I am part of a lost generation
and I refuse to believe that
I can change the world
I realize this may be a shock but
“Happiness comes from within.”
is a lie, and
“Money will make me happy.”
So in 30 years I will tell my children
they are not the most important thing in my life
My employer will know that
I have my priorities straight because
work
is more important than
family
I tell you this
Once upon a time
Families stayed together
but this will not be true in my era
This is a quick fix society
Experts tell me
30 years from now, I will be celebrating the 10th anniversary of my divorce
I do not concede that
I will live in a country of my own making
In the future
Environmental destruction will be the norm
No longer can it be said that
My peers and I care about this earth
It will be evident that
My generation is apathetic and lethargic
It is foolish to presume that
There is hope.

And all of this will come true unless we choose to reverse it...

There is hope.
It is foolish to presume that
My generation is apathetic and lethargic
It will be evident that
My peers and I care about this earth
No longer can it be said that
Environmental destruction will be the norm
In the future
I will live in a country of my own making
I do not concede that
30 years from now, I will be celebrating the 10th anniversary of my divorce
Experts tell me
This is a quick fix society
but this will not be true in my era
Families stayed together
Once upon a time
I tell you this
family
is more important than
work
I have my priorities straight because
My employer will know that
they are not the most important thing in my life
So in 30 years I will tell my children
“Money will make me happy.”
is a lie, and
“Happiness comes from within.”
I realize this may be a shock but
I can change the world
and I refuse to believe that
I am part of a lost generation

This Week's Affirmations
(Repeat these quietly to yourself multiple times throughout the day.)

I have hope.

I inspire hope in others.

I understand that work may not be the most important thing to some people.

My happiness comes from within.

I can change the world.

Have an amazing journey today!

Alan

“It's so important to know that you can choose to feel good.  Most people don’t think they have that choice."
~ Neil Simon ~

So first, pick a quiet time that you can contemplate every day.  When I first started daily contemplation, I knew I was trying to reach deeper parts of myself and my subconscious mind.  So, I chose a time when my mind is more closely resonating with subconscious frequencies: when I first wake up in the morning.

Many monastic traditions awake and meditate early in the morning.  Jack Canfield, known as America's success coach and founder and co-creator of the billion-dollar book brand Chicken Soup for the Soul also recommends a morning intention, visualization, and releasing practice.

For me, a morning contemplation practice quickly became a part of my routine and now it seems to take little effort to start.  I don’t even think about it much.  It has become a habit that I find very powerful and rewarding in and of itself.  But you can contemplate anytime.  Pick a time that seems right for you.  You may find, as I did, a desire to contemplate more frequently.  I’ve since added a nightly contemplation before I fall asleep each night and often find myself taking a few minutes during the day to simply sit back and focus on my vision, mission, purpose, guiding principles, or goals.  It re-energizes me and fills me with enthusiasm…

One of the most powerful tools you can take with you on your leadership journey is the regular and consistent practice of contemplation.  Consistent, focused, and positive contemplation of your vision, mission, purpose, guiding principles, and goals results in their manifestation.  The problem may be that you were not taught how to contemplate productively.  You may be contemplating the wrong thing or going about it in the wrong way.  Those nasty subconscious beliefs and old thought patterns– and the feelings that come with them – just keep resurfacing…

The times that we need to reflect on it most are during the busiest and most stressful times.  Taking time out to re-center and re-focus is a crucial part of effective leadership.  As I mentioned before, I contemplate my guiding principles and values every morning and every night on a continual and routine basis.  If I get stressed or busy, I take time-outs to reconnect to purpose, mission, and vision and guiding principles and values.

This Week's Affirmations
(Repeat these quietly to yourself multiple times throughout the day.)

I have a choice to feel good.

I can change my life by changing what I think.

It’s okay to be happy.  In fact, it is my happiness that makes me successful!

I choose to contemplate positive thoughts first thing every morning.

My joy lies not in things, but in my heart, mind, and spirit – my state of being.