Take a minute think about the ten best days of your life. Why were they so memorable?
Think about three people who had the greatest positive influence on your life and why. You should write these three or better yet, call them and tell them how thankful you are. You may also take another minute and think about your five worst days.
I had a hard time coming up with just ten best days and I would like to think I still have a few of my ten best days left. In every case, my best days were the result of giving or receiving gifts from people as opposed to giving to myself. Yes, my first date with my wife and the birth of our three children make the list. But other best days involve work and friends!
I could not limit my most influential people to three. There were my parents, two high school teachers, a pastor in my youth, an engineering mentor, and a boss mentor among the group of people who had a significant impact on my life. At the time, a few of my worst days were work-related but now, years later, they weren’t really so bad. In fact, as I look back, some of them ended up being a significant positive influence on my life.
What will we remember ten years from now? Will some of these days or these people we work with be our best days or our most influential people? We can’t make influential people or most memorable days for ourselves, but we can for others. To be a better employee (and person) we need to participate in life; be a part of it all. Make a difference! Help someone else. Be a mentor. Be a trainer. Be a positive influence. Share your skill and share your knowledge. Don’t forget to enjoy it!