Have you ever thought about eagles? So proud…so powerful.  I have had the privilege to observe them glide…talk about an amazingly empowered bird.

The eagle has been always been respected for its grandeur.  There is something inspiring about its impressive grace in flight, its great wingspan, its powerful claws.  It glides effortlessly at breathtaking altitudes, seemingly unaffected by the turbulent winds that whip across and between mountain crevices.  Eagles do not travel in flocks nor do they conduct themselves irresponsibly.  Strong of heart and solitary, they represent qualities we admire.

The eagle mates for life and returns to the same nest each year, making necessary repairs and additions.  He takes an active role in providing for his family, protecting it from approaching dangers, and teaching little eaglets to fly.  Responsibility, liberty, beauty, stability, and a dozen other admirable traits seem woven into the eagle’s makeup.  Living like an eagle doesn’t come cheap.  It means rising above peer pressure, laziness, and tapping into our inner desires to become who were designed to be  It takes guts.  It is a rare person who decides to ignore the “average” and fight against the pull of the mediocre magnet.  As the familiar motto says:” It’s hard to soar like an eagle when I’m surrounded by so many turkeys!”

Are you willing to “push through” and soar with the eagles? Or do you prefer the simpler approach.  Do you see yourself as an eagle. or do you prefer the turkey version?

Lately, I have been thinking a lot about value…what we as humans value…what I value and the value that I place on those things or individuals that I value. It has really made me stop and think…it has made me re-evaluate certain things. It has made me ask myself “What If”? Maybe this will make you stop and ask yourself “What If”…

To realize the value of a sister/brother…ask someone who doesn’t have one.

To realize the value of ten years: ask a newly divorced couple.

To realize the value of four years: ask a graduate.

To realize the value of one year: ask a student who has failed a final exam.

To realize the value of nine months: ask a mother who gave birth to a stillborn.

To realize the value of one month: ask a mother who has given birth to a premature baby..

To realize the value of one week: ask an editor of a weekly newspaper.

To realize the value of one minute: ask a person who has missed the train, bus or plane.

To realize the value of one-second: ask a person who has survived an accident.

Time waits for no one. Treasure every moment you have. You will treasure it even more when you can share it with someone special.

To realize the value of a friend or family member: LOSE ONE. Remember….Hold on tight to the ones you love!

This is an empowering thought…Where do YOUR values lie?

Not enough people make enough use of another powerful but inexpensive two-word reward “thank you.” Tsung-Chieh (T.C.) Lin, SoSIL manager, ground systems, at BAE Systems, has realized that “sometimes a ‘thank you’ is more important than a big victory party.” He remembers with great fondness how he felt when one of his managers—ten years ago—“simply stopped by my office frequently and gave me praise on what a good job I had done. Furthermore, he called me to show appreciation when I worked late in the evening or on the weekend.” T.C. gives personal testimony to what researchers have discovered: personal congratulations rank at the top of the most powerful non-financial motivators identified by employees.

There are few if any more basic needs than to be noticed, recognized, and appreciated for one’s efforts. It’s true for every one of us, whether we’re volunteers, teachers, doctors, priests, politicians, salespeople, customer service representatives, maintenance staff, or executives. There’s little wonder, then, that a greater volume of thanks is reported in highly innovative companies than in low-innovation firms. Recent studies show that work teams in which the ratio of positive to negative interactions is greater than three to one are significantly more productive than those teams that haven’t achieved this ratio…..Making a point of regularly saying “thank you” goes a long way in sustaining high performance.  You may find your team to be more empowered...