Everything that happens has a purpose. If you believe this is true, even mundane coincidences have meaning. If everything you go through is for a reason, even the lowest and most painful moments are vital to the plot. To skip them would be to miss the point. Yet these shameful, gut-wrenching, or embarrassing moments are the ones we tend to scrub from our memories. We sanitize our stories and leave them without dynamism.

Read the whole article here: Do You Think Your Story Has Significance?

This past week was packed full of tasks requiring intellectual and emotional energy. From Monday through Wednesday, I assisted coworkers at my job on an urgent initiative. Then in my off hours, I coached two clients and prepared to attend a retreat nearby. I support entrepreneurs as they clarify their vision, strategy, and tactics. And I do so from a just few steps ahead. My business is not mature enough for me to leap into full-time entrepreneurship. I hoped the retreat would realign my values and that I could return to my coaching work with renewed vigor. 

Read the accompanying article, How Perseverance Can Launch You into Purposeful Living. 

To receive Monday Motivation by email, sign up at the FlareMark website.

I used the word luck for the first time when I was an inquisitive eight-year-old boy. It had a mysterious and powerful ring to it. I needed a word to capture the idea that things happened by chance. It helped me think about the the apparent meaninglessness of some of my early childhood experiences. Despite my excitement about it, the word was not well-received. Someone, I think one of my parents, said I must never say the word again. Luck is not as dangerous as I learned as a child, but we need a clear understanding to keep our thinking healthy.

Read the accompanying article, How Wisdom and Skill Position Us for Good Luck.

To receive Monday Motivation by email, sign up at the FlareMark website.

Several years ago, I read a delightful book called Eat that Frog by Brian Tracy. The book’s premise is simple. Since we lose willpower throughout the day, it is best to do the hard things first. Hopefully, you never have to eat an actual frog. But if a frog is on the menu, eat it first thing in the morning.

Read the accompanying article, On Eating Frogs and Climbing Hills.

To receive Monday Motivation by email, sign up at the FlareMark website.

"No matter how bad things got, I always focused on what I could do that day. It's like they say, it is best to live in the moment." My new friend looked at me with raised eyebrows expecting a response. I could see that belief was one of her core values. Since we moved to Florida last year, I have created a habit of going to a local coffee shop once a week. I take my Bible, a book I'm reading, and an iPad for writing. Something about the background noise helps me think. A new environment brings new ideas. But it also opens us to new people. 

Read the related article How to Keep Hope Alive.

To receive Monday Motivation by email, sign up at the FlareMark website.

If there is one lesson I have learned more times than any other, it is this: I have a small amount of understanding. And my understanding of the limits of my knowledge is not trustworthy. I am likely to believe I understand something and be wrong or partly correct, even when l am convinced. But if this is true, why should I continue to learn? No matter what I understand today, tomorrow, I will need to relearn at least some aspect of it.

Read the related article, Keep Learning.

To receive Monday Motivation by email, sign up at the FlareMark website.

“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” — Thomas Edison Open doors for success are everywhere, and we overlook many of them. But should we say yes to every high-yield opportunity that requires hard work? 

Read the related article, How Can I Choose the Right Career Opportunity?

To receive Monday Motivation by email, sign up at the FlareMark website.

I’ve seen the effects of commoditization over the last 50 years. As a boy, I remember small “Mom and Pop” grocery stores around my home in Canada and my family’s ancestral home in Wakarusa, Indiana. But such stores have become rare. As larger businesses create supply chain efficiencies and exert buying power, they price small businesses out of the market. Low prices benefit me as a consumer, but price competition has decimated the once-vibrant main streets of many small towns.

This week we think about the importance of originality. But is it really so important?

Read the related article, Are You Worth More to Your Business Than a Powerful Computer?

To receive Monday Motivation by email, sign up at the FlareMark website.

In recent years, I have spoken to several people who sleep on the streets. I was surprised that some of them were there because it made them happy. How is your search for happiness different from theirs?

Read the related article, Are You Happy Like an Addict?

To receive Monday Motivation by email, sign up at the FlareMark website.

Use a simple daily habit to make progress daily, preserve your autonomy, and track your growth.

Read the related article, Make an Easy Escape from the Tyranny of an Aimless Day.

To receive Monday Motivation by email, sign up at the FlareMark website.