Seth Saunders Inspirational, Leadership, Learning, Value

Let’s Start With “Why”

Time to get real. Why do you do the things you do? Take a minute to ponder that question and the responses that come to your head and heart.

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Some Why Questions

Why did you get up this morning? Why are you reading this blog? Why didn’t you say “Hi” to the person you walked by in the hall? Why did you “comment” on that one Instagram Post? Why did click the “Like” button on that Tik Tok but not that other one? Why did you leave her/him on read on Snapchat for the entire day? Why did you kiss that boy/girl? Why are talking bad about that person or group of people? Why didn’t you give your best effort today? Why did you lie to your friends about what happened last weekend?

Okay, I think you get the picture, the question why should hopefully open our eyes. Depending on how we answer the questions above and many others like it each day we may or may not like what we see. So I return to the initial question I posed, Why do you do the things you do?

In short we can respond by simply saying that’s just who I am. Not a bad place to start but it is time we go a little deeper. To do this we must ask the next obvious question which is who am I and why am I this way? The answers to these questions will be as numerous as there are people in the world but there will be one common thing, our experiences are what shape our lives.

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Sure, it is much easier for me to say that now when I have had many experiences throughout my life that have shaped me but I wish I would have realized this as a teenager. There is no doubt had I made this connection, I would have been nicer to others, more aware of those in need around me, more respectful to my parents, siblings and friends, not so caught up on who is dating who and why am I single. I would have made sure others felt included all the time. I would have ensured that no one group of students was not so influential on my own decisions. The truth is, I would have made better decisions.

I have felt very strongly that teenagers especially right now need to know that every decision they make has an impact, it will be for good or not so good. That impact will be felt by them and others either directly or indirectly. Having been closely involved with so many teens throughout my life but especially over the past 3 years I can see with all my heart that they are amazing. They have so much potential and talent. They have hearts that are caring. The problem is that many have been influenced by those who do not make the best decisions. They have allowed popularity and clout to fog their sight. For so many they would respond to the question why do I the things I do with a simple, because my friends do it.

For the parents and adults who have influence on teenagers, please let them know how much you love them, care about them and that they are amazing. Do this often.

For the teens who are reading this, you MUST take responsibility now for the decisions you make because they are influencing what you do everyday. Remember, we don’t get to pick the rewards and/or consequences of our decisions, thus we must make it a pattern in our life to make good decisions, even when others don’t.

Be a leader.

Be an example.

BE A HERO!

be a hero

Seth Saunders Leadership

Join the I Quit Movement

I Quit!

That’s right, I quit, and here’s why.

Because…

  • True happiness is worth it
  • Anxiety, depression, feeling alone are real but won’t control me
  • Doing hard things will always be required
  • Family must come first
  • Internal peace is more important than worldly recognition
  • Talent and skill should define us not what others say
  • Ethics and values can never be compromised
  • Finding the good in others helps your own outlook
  • Service must replace selfishness
  • Good friends are a must have
  • Time is precious and must be used wisely

That is why I Quit. I quit comparing my life with others. I quit allwoing trials to define me. I quit thinking about what could have been. I quit waiting for others to see my value. I quit judging others. I quit being a victim of my circumstances. I quit using social media as a crutch to blame my mental health challenges. I quit feeling/thinking this world would be better off without me. I quit hurting myself whether it be physically, mentally or spiritually.

It can be so easy to fall into the trap of negativity, self-pity and even depression when life is not going how you planned. The tornado of frustration can take us to dark places which will influence almost all aspects of our life. When this happens the statement misery loves company becomes all too real. There is only one way to turn things around and that is to make a decision to change then take the action to quit what has led you down that unhappy path.

In all honesty, this change may need to include mental health professionals. Let me state this as clearly as I can, it is okay to get help, it can be necessary. We are human and as such we can often be our greatest roadblock to change. This is especially true when it comes to our mental health. There is absolutely nothing wrong asking for help. With help comes hope.

We were not put on this earth to live an unhappy and unfulfilling life. I believe we were sent to be happy. I believe that our strengths were given to us in order to help others. I believe we all will need help. I also believe that we become happy when we focus on loving ourselves, learning, loving others, developing our strengths, serving, believing and caring. Those are hard to do when we allow tough times take over our life and use our weaknesses as our default.

Being happy should be a habit we instill in our lives. Being happy is truly a strength. We deserve to have peace, joy and hope. You and I have great value on this earth. This value is to family, friends, pets, teachers, colleagues, teammates, roommates, etc. Never underestimate the strength that comes from your ability to change your life.

Always know that you matter and people care.

We’ve Got This,

Seth

Seth Saunders Facts, Inspirational, Leadership, Learning, Value

A Need For Harmony

There is no question that the world we live in continues to become more chaotic, negative, contentious and divided. What is interesting is that feelings run deep and emotions are controlling actions. When this happens in what I call a negative tornado the results are never good as we have seen all over the news. It is heartbreaking and sad to see such division and hate.

The real-time access we have to pretty much everything today because of technology and social media no matter how hard you try it is difficult not be exposed to all this negativity. We are seeing the media, celebrities, business leaders and individuals pointing blame at others for not saying the “right thing” when expressing regret and condemning acts of hateful groups and individuals. I will say right here that there is no place in this world for those who make it their mission to destroy the lives of others for the color of their skin, their beliefs, who they are, etc, these groups and individuals are the bottom of the bottom and will not ever win. However, the truth is, the more people try to point blame the more they are adding to the viciousness we are currently experiencing and actually helping to add fuel to the fire of those despicable groups and individuals. So what does all this have to do with leadership?

We are seeing the rise and fall of great leaders on a regular basis. Why is that? Leaders must be able to lead no matter what the situation is. There ability to quickly address problems and then create a movement to resolve the issue sets a great leader apart from others. However, when there is so much division and disdain for what is happening, even great leaders will stumble and fall short at times because of the scope or breadth of the issue. What I have experienced is that during these times, leaders need to take every opportunity to learn from their missteps and then quickly make a course direction without compromising their values or who they are. This takes incredible inner-strength and self-awareness. In short what a leader must find quickly is a way to bring some type of harmony. Harmony is defined as an “agreement; accord; harmonious relations; a consistent, orderly, or pleasing arrangement of parts; congruity.” It will not always be a conscience but it provides the opportunity for all parties to move forward in a positive manner.

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I feel this quote is perfect for what our world is experiencing right now:

“Where there is righteousness in the heart, there is beauty in the character. When there is beauty in the character, there is harmony in the home. When there is harmony in the home, there is order in the nation. When there is order in the nation, there is peace in the world.”  A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

Can you imagine if each of us, especially are leaders, could make this quote a reality in their lives? We would quickly see a complete paradigm shift that would have incredibly positive results. When there is harmony there is an environment where healing and happiness can happen. As a leader, there are going be times where decisions are made that will have negative impacts. These impacts will be felt most when it effects the lives of others. The key is to quickly find a way to create harmony so that the culture becomes one of healing and happiness. This will ensure your success. I know because I have experienced this numerous times in my career.

Let’s commit today to increase our willingness to create more harmony in our own lives and in the lives of those around us. Let us be proactive in showing love, concern and empathy. Let us remove from our thoughts anything that would promote negativity and hate. We can all be great leaders, we don’t need a title.

Time to go be hero.