“There is nothing so rewarding
as to make people realize that they are
worthwhile in this world.”
~Bob Anderson

 
Want to make a meaningful difference in your life and in the lives of others without spending a dime? Then read on.
 
As a speaker and coach for over 25 years, I’ve had the privilege of working with thousands of people as they stretch to become more of who they are. Whether I’m coaching a leader on how to succeed in a new position, a Wharton MBA student competing for a summer internship, or a team striving to maximize member contributions, at the end of the day individuals want to know that they matter – to themselves and to others.

Something so obvious, yet so often overlooked.
 
Four years ago I founded the You Matter Marathon – No running required – a global initiative that creates positive connections between individuals and within organizations by inviting people to share 1 You Matter card a day in November. So far over 100,000 people in all 50 states and 75 countries have shared over one million You Matter cards. The impact has been magical.
 
The Marathon is a powerful program if you want to engage, reward, and retain your employees. And frankly, it’s also an empowering way to enhance your own morale. So sign-up today and receive 30 You Matter cards for free to share in November. As a recent participant gushed, “One of the most amazing experiences of my life.”

To hear the business case for mattering, check out my 3 Minute Max interview with Julie Cohen of Work.Life.Leader.

Want more inspiration: Check-out my 10-minute TEDx talk, to learn more about the impact of sharing this powerful message.

You Matter.

 

 

Cheryl

Have you ever had an experience where your reaction surprised you…in a good way?

Recently I stopped in my local deli to pick up some food for the weekend.

I patiently waited for the deli man to serve the customer in front of me.

When it was my turn, I stepped to the counter, and as I was giving the deli man my order, he picked up his ringing cell phone and started to speak to the caller. Then he looked at me and asked, “Do you mind?”

And in a calm, clear voice I said, “Yes, I do mind.”

My reply surprised the deli man – and astonished me.

For the past 50 years my default reply when someone asked, “Do you mind?” was, some version of, “No…I don’t mind.”

And while some of those “No-I-don’t-minds” were true, like when a friend took a call from her child to make sure she arrived at her destination safely, most of my “No-I-don’t-mind’s” were a lie.

I did mind. Sometimes I minded a lot.

But I was a “good girl” and good girls don’t mind.

But now I’m a good woman, and sometimes good women do mind.

And when they do, they say so.

You Matter.

Recently I participated in a *“Hello Bea2ful” letter writing campaign initiated by Kaydene Grant. The campaign invites women to write E-Letters to young girls, starting with the salutation: “Hello Beau2ful…”

Since many of us often feel less than beautiful, I wanted to share my letter with you.

Hello Beau2ful,

Yes – I’m talking to you!

While we haven’t met, I know that you are beautiful inside and out.

Beauty isn’t just how you look or how others think you look. Real beauty is an attitude… a feeling… a way of relating to yourself and others that says: I am unique. I am whole. I am enough just as I am.

And I matter.

When we come from a place of beauty, we radiate like the sun.

When we come from a place of beauty, other people want to be around us…to bask in our glow…and they feel emboldened to shine themselves.

It’s magical. And I want you to feel that magic.

But it’s not always easy.

Some days you’re overwhelmed by homework or drama at home or with friends. But your beauty is still there. It just needs your tender loving care.

It’s like when the day is cloudy or rumbling thunder – the sun isn’t gone – it’s just hidden. But it will shine again. And in the meantime, you can grab a hot pink umbrella, put on a slick pair of rain boots, and dance in the puddles and find beauty in the darkness.

How do I know this? Because I’ve lived it. I know what’s it’s like to doubt myself and wonder if I’m beautiful enough or smart enough or good enough. And I’ve learned that when I come from that place of doubt, I feel ugly inside no matter what I look like on the outside.

Thankfully, I now know that there is only one of me – and the world needs me to be the best and most beautiful version of myself.

The world needs me to shine, and I feel better when I do.

Here are three ideas to show you how you can bring forth your beauty:

Each morning, when you brush your teeth, look in the mirror, smile, and say, “Good morning, Beautiful!” Even if you don’t quite believe it…yet!

Find a song that makes you feel unstoppable and play it when you need to change your mojo.

Reach out to someone and tell them what makes them beau2ful to you. What you give will come back to you.

And, lastly, when you have a really hard day, and you wonder if you are beau2ful, if you matter…please read this letter out loud to yourself and know that yes – you are beau2ful and, yes you matter.

Love,

Cheryl

*If you would like to write your own letter to a young girl, go to Beau2ful, Inc. All letters are due by August 20.

Please enjoy this post from guest blogger and leadership expert, Mary Zenzen, President and Founder, Better World Organizations, LLC.

To change our world for the better, we need to change our minds… that is, our individual, group, and organizational mindsets.

Why? Because out of mindsets spring every thought, every attitude, every belief, and every behavior. This is why incremental change does not transform individuals, families, schools, workplaces, communities, or nations. Rather, if we want sweeping positive change in our world, we will examine what is at the root of all of our thinking and behaviors… our mindset.

For example, some people see the world through a lens of gratitude. This is their mindset. They take the time to notice the good things going on around them, and they notice the people at the source of these good things. They don’t take things or people for granted; instead, they appreciate them and take time to express their gratitude in various ways. Because they regularly make a habit of making positive observations, their positive view of the world and others expands. They are happier, healthier, and more resilient. They don’t ignore negative information; rather, they put it perspective with the much larger number of positive events they took the time to notice and respond to.

Organizations can also choose to see the world and the people in it through the lens of gratitude and embed intentional practices to cultivate a deeper sense of gratitude within families, schools, workplaces, and communities. A positive organizational climate emerges where people feel alive, focused, creative, and cooperative. There is a boost in work performance, active engagement, and commitment. Because people feel safe, happy, and valued, their though-action repertoire also expands, according to leading positive emotion researcher Dr. Barbara Fredrickson. This means that they open up, broaden their awareness, and see the many, many positive possibilities around them, instead of narrowly seeing only one solution or way of being.

Just as there is a mindset of gratitude, there is also a mindset of ingratitude. Think of the devastating consequences of individual and collective mindsets that don’t place value and worth on people and things. Think of what happens when people can’t make the connection between the good things in their lives and the source of those good things. How will people with a mindset of ingratitude treat people and things?

The key to unlocking the power of gratitude is assigning value and worth to every individual and being mindful to communicate that value and worth in every interaction. When people see each other as valuable, the quality of communication improves on every level as a culture of ‘high quality connections’ emerges, according to positive organizations researcher Dr. Jane Dutton. Both individuals and organizations begin to ‘bank’ upward spirals of positive emotion as total human capacity begins to grow.

As Fredrickson teaches, we can generate positive emotion at any time through intentional practices. Allowing gratitude to drive every interaction is a change in mindset. Putting all thoughts and behaviors through a gratitude ‘test’ is also a change in mindset that will transform individuals, groups, and organizations for the better.

Mary can be reached at [email protected].

The You Matter Marathon is a simple yet powerful way to let your employees know they matter. Sign-up today!