Small Dull Trophies
With the passage of many years, I’m sure I have the details wrong. But this is the way I remember how it happened. Soon after retirement, my parents made the move from their long-term home to a smaller and easier to maintain apartment. The transition involved sorting out and packing up the mountain of stuff that a large family accumulates. Among the results were two boxes – one labeled ‘Bright Shiny Trophies’ and the other ‘Small Dull Trophies’.
The Bright Shiny Trophies belonged to my younger brother Rick. Rick was a gifted basketball player. In high school in Philadelphia – an acknowledged tough basketball town – he was brilliant in his leadership of our school team. Result: an accumulation of awards and recognition marked by “Big Shiny Trophies”.
You don’t have to make changes. However, you are responsible for the quality of your life. To achieve the degree of quality you want, you need to decide on the changes to make. It’s time to bring those thoughts of improvement to light, make them a priority, and turn them into reality. It’s time to do what you can. It’s time to take a few simple steps to achieve extraordinary results!
On the other hand, I wasn’t very good. Average at best. No school team position for me, I preferred playing in pick-up games and summer leagues in local playgrounds and in the alley behind our house. Result: a modest-sized box of “Small Dull Trophies”. “Fourth Place Team”. “Honorable Mention”. And my favorite: “Most Improved Player”. Nowhere to go but up for me.
Small and dull.
Now I don’t know who took out a magic marker and labeled our respective boxes before we picked them up at mom and dad’s house. There are several viable suspects among my brothers and sisters! But I do know that I wish I still had that beat-up old box and the mementos of modest success that it held. All of those years of running and jumping, yelling and bumping, sweating and cursing. All those years of playing just for the pure unbridled joy of playing. Just –JOY!
What Brings You Joy? Is it your family? Your work? Your hobbies or your faith? What makes you happy regardless of whether it is recognized or marked with a life trophy of some kind? What do you do each day that simply makes you smile?
In the comedy movie “City Slickers” starting Billy Crystal, Crystal is struggling with balancing family, job, marriage, middle age, and host of other day to day challenges. He is in a rut. But his wonderful movie-wife gives him the great advice – “Go and Find Your Smile”. One of my favorite movie lines ever.
My purpose is to give you ideas you can use on your terms to advance your performance towards your goals. To help you ‘find your own smile’ in your results on your terms, whatever they may be.
Let me know what you think. Please write back with your own examples of what makes you happy. What makes you smile.
And if someone you know might benefit from our ideas for Better! results, please send them the link to my website www.JohnHallSpeaker.com and have them sign-up for free to receive the blogs, videos, white papers, and other special offers we’re building right now. Or just send me their email address, and I’ll reach out for you.
Best wishes for Better! results and more smiles on your terms.
John J. Hall, CPA
John J. Hall, CPA, is an author, speaker and results expert who presents around the world at conventions, corporate meetings and association events.
Throughout his 35-year career as a business consultant, corporate executive and professional speaker, John has helped organizations and individuals achieve measurable results. He inspires audience members in corporations, not-for-profit organizations and professional associations to step up, take action and “do what you can.”