Oh, shiFt!

                Have you ever had a morning where things didn’t go just quite as you had planned? You woke up feeling rested and actually got out of bed when your first alarm went off, without pressing the snooze button three times. This is already a winning morning “…” or so you thought. Then you hear your phone “PING” and check a message that an employee of yours who was presenting to the Board of Directors today has called in and you are her backup. Oh, shiFt! Or you were able to get out the door 15 minutes early, only to get stuck behind an accident on the highway that makes you late for your 8:00 AM meeting. Oh, shiFt! Or, your 3-year old refuses to take off her Wonder Woman pajamas and its picture day at her school. Oh, shiFt!

                A recent book I just read Oh, shiFt! by Jennifer Powers reminds us “The things that happen aren’t happening TO you, FOR you or AGAINST you. They are just happening. You are not here to control what happens. Your job is to control how you react to what happens.” We as leaders, bosses, parents, and employees are faced with situations daily that force us to choose how we are going to react and how we react in turn affects us and those around us. You have a choice. By choosing a positive reaction, you are creating a positive reality.

                The good news about choosing to make the shift to positive reactions is that even if you fail today you get to start all over and try again the next day. You are in control of your own reactions and once you start choosing to shift your mindset to a positive one you will feel the reactions of others start to shift with you. We all deserve to have JOY in our lives whether it is at work, home or out in the community! Remember, Jennifer Powers says, “You are the SHIFT!”

Check out more about Jennifer Powers and Oh, shiFt! at www.ohshift.com

Sincerely,

Tennille Lester, Chair