Shout out to my friends at the M-A-V!

So what up all you wonderful Daily Attitude readers!

As, I am sitting here writing this I have a lot to be thankful for. A lot has happened since last Turkey Day: new job, new house, new girl etc…but none of those things would have happened if I didn’t have coworkers, friends and family who consistently challenged me and put me in a position to continually learn.

We work in a field that rapidly reinvents itself. I think that’s my favorite part of my job. What I do today will be different tomorrow. I have been incredibly fortunate to work in environments that challenged me to be better, to learn new things and solve problems in creative ways. That’s part of why I asked Jake to keep sending me these emails everyday. They challenge me to learn new ways to see the world around me. They are an opportunity to learn and push and reflect.

So, in summary, while I wouldn’t encourage you to throw out Grandma’s turkey recipe to learn how to do fusion cooking on thanksgiving day. I would encourage you to listen to what those around you have to say, and to be incredibly thankful to work in a field and for a company that encourages us all to learn, grow and be better people tomorrow than we are today. That is a rare gift and one worth cherishing.

Thanks again to Jake for letting me jump in and send this out!

Best,

John Hunt

First and foremost, thanks to Jake for his dedication to this effort. It’s hard enough for me to remember to shave every day, not to mention send an inspiring email. I appreciate the opportunity to fill in for him while he is on vacation.

The last sentence of Sandy’s email from yesterday is an excellent place for me to start. As a reminder, here is how she ended…

“So today I will say I am very thankful for the many people in my life who always do their best to do the right things, for the right reasons, and hold me accountable to do the same.”

The word that I’m focused on is accountability. When I think of being held accountable, I immediately think of HTG. When I think of HTG, I’m thankful.

When I talk to prospective members of HTG, I find myself saying that “Joining HTG was the single best decision that I have made for my business.”

Most times when I say that, I feel like it sounds cliché or that I’m overstating the truth. To me, that statement is the best way for me to describe the impact that HTG has had on my life.

Here are a few examples:

HTG introduced me to The Go-Giver.

HTG has changed the way I interact with my co-workers.

HTG has helped me be a leader.

HTG has changed the way I interact with my clients.

HTG has taught me how to trust and believe in others.

The members of HTG15 demonstrate that they care about me.

My best friends are all HTG members.

This list is just a beginning, and nothing on this list has to do with margins, profits or sales.

HTG is about people, relationships and giving.

This Thanksgiving, I’m appreciative and thankful for the friendships and relationships that HTG has provided for me.

If you are reading this, that means you.

Thanks for making a difference in my life.

Brian

Brian O’Shaughnessy

CEO

ITConnexx, Inc.

(800) 797-0345 ext. 11

Website – www.itconnexx.com

Blog – blog.itconnexx.com

205 Doty St.

Suite 102

Green Bay, WI 54301

(I am not quite sure if I am sending to the appropriate list serve. Please feel free to forward on if someone has a better list)

Thanks to Jake for allowing me to participate in the daily attitude e-mail. Jake had suggested following a theme of “what we are thankful for” with it being Thanksgiving week. I think this as a great suggestion…which I will follow with a bit of an editorial commentary on my part.

I typically shy away from writing editorial type content or engaging in those types of discussions. I save those thoughts for conversations over wine or runs (and only with selected friends). But today I feel compelled to write on a topic that is on everyone’s mind with the news circulating around us. Social media, blogs and Internet outlets are buzzing on who looked the other way at Penn State, Herman Cain’s alleged indiscretions, and all the other daily news feeds on unethical and immoral behavior. Even the PollyAnna’s like me who avoid talk radio and controversial conversation are scratching their heads wondering how good people (by all appearances…I won’t be the judge on those I haven’t met) make such poor choices.

Rather than belaboring the fact patterns as already reported in the news outlets; I will simply ask the question of why we as humans have such a hard time just doing the right thing. What happened to the simple rules we learned as children…tell the truth, own your mistakes, and always do the right thing? But instead…what a tangled web we weave. Yes, pride and ego will bring the greatest of men (and women) to their knees.

A man I completely respect for his passion for doing all that is right and his dedication to leading others in faith is Fr. Okhouya Kizito, a priest at my church. Kizito was raised in a poor community in Africa. His childhood experience included worries on running water and a school with a roof with no knowledge of growing up the American way with reality TV, video games, and social privilege. The innocence in his faith principles and avoidance of a commercialized existence, present a raw purity to a man with no false pretenses on differentiating between acceptable and unacceptable behavior. In a recent sermon, Fr. Kizito talked about this specific issue and he boiled it down the principle that we as humans all know the difference between right and wrong. It is that simple. Take out all the noise and excuses, and we can all apply this simple question to every choice we make in life. Is it the right thing to do? Life would be so much more fulfilling for all of us if we challenged ourselves to follow this simple principle each day and with each action.

And we are human. We do make mistakes and bad decisions. The key then is how we handle them, correct them, and learn from them. It really all just boils down to doing the right thing and it is our own individual free that guides how we handling our failings. Coach P made a bad choice and then when given time to reflect and correct, he choose not to. Already big problems turned into a colossally big problem with people’s lives irreparably hurt and humans damaged.

I always tell my sons that lying is bad. Little lies can turn into big problems. Just like compromising our decision making in what seems small at the time can turn into BIG problems that not only cause embarrassment, but impact lives of many people (drunk driving leading to injury, passing the buck on an wrongful act for someone else to handle…the list goes on and on). The significance to the choice at the time does not have a direct correlation to the size of the problem it creates. In the case of Joe P, I am sure there was a point that he knew he made a bad choice. It takes a big man (or woman) to realize this human failing after the fact. And it takes enormous character for that man or woman to correct their failing with all at stake. Think through your own life circumstances where you saw this play out big or small…a boss who recognizes a mess up that can cost a company a customer, but takes the responsibility and owns it with the client. How about a politician who realizes they made a bad vote in the past and now simply says, I made a mistake and I know better now? How refreshing would this be rather than in-fighting, covering up with excuses, play of words, and the very typically response of avoidance? Yes ego and pride are our greatest distracters in following the principle of applying right from wrong. When you put yourself first; differentiation between right and wrong no longer matters.

So how does all of this apply to the daily attitude today? I am of the belief that we are all people with significance in this world. Kim Kardasisomething means nothing, but the people who subscribe to this e-mail mean everything. We are the real players in the game of life. It starts with us…in our homes, at our work, in our communities. We need to do the right things and challenge each other when human failings happen (and they will happen). So today I will say I am very thankful for the many people in my life who always do their best to do the right things, for the right reasons, and hold me accountable to do the same.

Sandy Lane, CPA

Lutz & Company, PC | Certified Public Accountants & Consultants

13616 California Street | Suite 300 | Omaha, NE 68154 – 5336

402.827.2080 (office) | 402.496.2711 (fax)

slane | http://www.lutzcpa.com

People. Our Bottom Line.

The following statement is provided pursuant to U.S. Treasury Department Regulations: Any U.S. tax advice contained in this communication (including any attachments) is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code.

The information in this email is confidential and may be legally privileged. It is intended solely for the addressee. Access to this email by anyone else is unauthorized. Any review or distribution by others is strictly prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient please contact the sender and delete all copies. Thank you.

From: Jake Davis
Sent: Monday, November 07, 2011 6:32 AM
To: MavideaAll
Subject: Daily Attitude Email 11 7 11

"Be the change that you want to see in the world." Mohandas Gandhi

My dad sent me this quote the other day and I thought I would share it with everyone.

Becoming a better person, a whole different person, requires change for most of us.

One of the hardest areas to work on for me has been looking outside myself for the things that need to change. Looking at others and seeing areas they should change.

That driver in front of me needs to drive better.

Congress needs to pass better laws.

Taxes need to be lower.

Other people need to post more positive comments on FaceBox

In order to see the changes I want to see in my life, I need to first “Be the change that I want to see in the world.”

Remember that the results of your life are a “merciless mirror” reflecting back to you what kind of a person you are. All of the treasures you have accumulated are in direct proportion to the development on your own character.

Challenge yourself.

Be the change you want to see in the world.

Make it a great week.

Jake