S.U.M.M.I.T. Leadership

 For those who have died, we show great appreciation and remembrance.  Men and women giving their best and their all, to protect and preserve what they love.  They defend our country and fight for our freedom.  Making the ultimate sacrifice and paying the ultimate price. Fallen warriors that we can never fully repay. Unknown and faceless to everyone except those who knew them personally.  Some call them soldiers, others call them heroes.  Because of them, we continue to live in freedom.  For this we honor you and forever give our thanks.

"The easiest thing in the world to be is you. The most difficult thing to be is what other people want you to be. Don't let them put you in that position." -Leo Buscaglia   The urge to please others is powerful, even when it pushes us to be someone we are not. When we try too hard to please, however, we usually fail to please anyone.  Not the person we were aiming to please and certainly not ourselves.   If people can't accept us for who we are, then we might have to ask ourselves why we would want to have a relationship with them to begin with. We should never have to be inauthentic to earn someone's love or respect.   Remind yourself: I am who I am. While I can always improve myself, I will not let anyone try to make me what they want me to be. Be yourself…no one else is qualified to do that job.   Make today great!   Curtis   "The sooner you come to appreciate that you are enough as you are, that you are good as you are, that you are worthy as ...

"What other people think of you is none of your business." - Paulo Coelho Do you find yourself constantly worrying about what others might be thinking of you? I know I, like many people, have often struggled with this. We assume we know, for a fact, what others are or aren't thinking.  We worry that others are judging us on what we are doing or saying. So we become afraid to speak up, speak our mind, give our opinion and say what we truly think or believe. This can affect our ability to make clear decisions. Or we may end up doing something we didn't really want to do, as a result of the fear of what they might think.  Or conversely we think that others aren't thinking about us at all, when we think they actually should be. Like if you ever sent someone a text or email and when they didn't respond right away you began thinking to yourself, "I wonder if they are mad at me?" Granted sometimes these assumptions might be validated. But most of the times,...

"To be grateful can be difficult when things seem not worth giving thanks for. Try it anyway. Allow yourself to be in the difficult situation and be grateful inside yourself, in the background. Grateful for what? Grateful for the lessons. Grateful for the growth and expansion you are in the middle of. Grateful for all you have. Grateful for your ability to turn things around." - Lisbeth Mahnkopf  There are always many things to be grateful for if we take the time to notice them. The gift of a new day, a roof over your head, food on the table, the air that you breathe. Friends, family, co-workers. Nature, animals, sunshine. When a negative thought enters your mind, immediately replace it with something you are grateful for.  We should learn to lead with gratitude. Just as with learning anything new, it will require watchfulness and practice until a new behavior pattern is learned. Being mindful of changing your thoughts will eventually create an automatic response process with...

"The greatest discovery of my generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind." - William James Is this all there is? Is this it?  Every one of us asks this question from time to time. We look at our lives and what's around us with the sense that there's nothing new and never will be. And because of this mood we probably feel disillusioned or even depressed. We experience the 'same old things' in the 'same old way'.  Needless to say, this state of mind has nothing to do with what life actually has to offer. It has everything to do with our attitude - with the way we view the world and respond to it. If we choose to see things only in shades of gray, that's what we're sure to experience.  It's as simple as that. If on the other hand we approach the day with a sense of wonder and interest, it's likely that we'll experience things far differently. If we have a receptive attitude rather than fix...

"Don't wait for extraordinary opportunities. Seize common occasions and make them great. Weak men wait for opportunities; strong men make them." - Orison Swett Marden  In the 1989 film, Dead Poets Society, Robin Williams plays an English teacher, John Keating, who strives to inspire a class of male students to seize the day and follow their dreams. As he and his students are reflecting on poetry, he delivers the now famous 'Carpe Diem' speech which has inspired many people who are determined to make their lives extraordinary. Here is an excerpt from that speech: “Gather ye rosebuds while ye may. The Latin term for that sentiment is Carpe Diem. Now who knows what that means? Carpe Diem. That’s ‘seize the day.’ Gather ye rosebuds while ye may. Why does the writer use these lines? Because we are food for the worms, lads. Because believe it or not, each and every one of us in this room is one day going to stop breathing, turn cold, and die. Now I would like you to ste...

"Develop a childlike fascination with life and people." - Jim Rohn   Remember how simple things seemed to be when we were a kid? Not a care or a worry in the world. We were just happy with life as it was. Doing whatever we pleased, with whatever we had.   Things change as we grow older. But how would our lives be different if we just stayed kidlike? In other words, keep it simple. Don't over-complicate things more than they need to be. Don't worry so much about what other people are thinking, saying, or doing. Just be yourself. Know what you want and need, and take immediate action to get it. Dare to dream often and use your imagination. Say what's on your mind. Believe in other people. Have best friends and rely on them to be there for you when you need them. Get excited about the little things. Take time to sing, joke, smile, laugh, and play...daily. All and all, just have fun doing whatever it is you are doing now.   Robert Fulghum wrote an excellent guide, tit...

"Time is at once the most valuable and the most perishable of all our possessions." - John Randolph Time is perishable. It doesn't last forever. There is no such thing as saving time. It can only be spent. The only thing you can do with it is to spend it differently. Focus on spending time toward activities with higher value. Work hard not to waste time, for once it is gone, it is gone forever. We know that everything we choose to do, requires time. Even if we do nothing, time continues to march on. We take time to daydream, we spend time complaining, we use time by sleeping in. Everything requires time. Time is either well spent, or lost. Imagine there is a bank that credits your account each morning with $86,400. It carries over no balance from day to day. Every evening deletes whatever part of the balance you failed to use during the day. What would you do? Draw out every cent, of course! Each of us has such a bank. Its name is TIME. Every morning, it credits you with ...

"The reason people find it so hard to be happy is that they always see the past better than it was, the present worse than it is, and the future less resolved than it will be." - Marcel Pagnol Happiness is an aspiration that all of us share.  We’ve all seen people who always seem to be happy – even amidst agonizing life trials. I’m not saying happy people don’t feel grief, sorrow or sadness; they just don’t let it overtake their life.  We assume that happy and unhappy people are born that way.  But both kinds of people do things that create and reinforce their moods.  Happy people let themselves be happy.  Unhappy people subconsciously continue doing things that upset them. Happy people do not experience one success after another and unhappy people, one failure after another.  Instead, surveys show that happy and unhappy people tend to have had very similar life experiences.  The difference is that the average unhappy person spends more than twice as m...

  "Ideals are like stars; we never reach them, but like the mariners of the sea, we chart our course by them." - Carl Schurz I think we all want to improve ourselves in some way, shape or form.  And in order to live life to the fullest, and to strive to become the best versions of ourselves we need to want improve. But sometimes, I think we become frustrated with ourselves in the process. We shouldn't become frustrated because we sometimes feel like we are never quite as good as we'd like to be.  Or that the world never lives up to our expectations.   We may never reach all of our ideals.  But we still need to have ideals and make working towards them our life mission.  Without ideals, we would have nothing to strive for. Once you've identified the person you want to be you can take action steps toward becoming the best version of yourself. Start with where and who you want to be. Start with the end in mind. Some things that can help you along the way:...

"The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate the troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly." - Buddha T.G.I.F. everybody! Practically every one of us has used this acronym at one time or another, “T.G.I.F.” for Thank God It’s Friday! For a lot of people this means a couple of days off in a row, or just elation for the weekend and fun scheduled events with family or friends. Maybe it means, time to get to that project you've been putting off all week. We tend to experience a whole different feeling based upon what day of the week it is. Well, that is unless you work on the weekends. Then you might have to have your own version, ”T.G.I.M.F.” or Thank God It's My Friday. Really, this "joy" we are feeling can be generated at ANY time. If you truly wanted to, and put your mind to it, you could create this "feeling" of Friday, any day of the week. It just depends o...

"Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could only do a little" -Edmund Burke We often put off cleaning the garage because the job seems too big to finish. We refrain from doing anything to help the poor in our community because the need is too great. We don't start a diet because we'll never be able to take off all of our excess weight. But if we cleaned just one portion of the garage each weekend, or made one small donation to a local charity each month, or drank one less can of soda each day, before long we would have accomplished a great deal - certainly much more than had we done nothing. Instead of being overwhelmed by the size of a task in front of me, I can take one small action at a time. These actions add up. Taking some action is better than taking none at all. Sometimes the smallest step in the right direction, ends up being the biggest step you can make.  The smaller the step, the less overwhelming it will seem. The less scary it...

"The strength of your mind determines the quality of your life." - Edmond Mbiaka Think about it. Athletes who have the strong desire to perform at their peak, to succeed and to win, must continually exercise to stay ready and strong. Yet, regardless of how strong, fast or physically prepared they may be, you always hear about the "mental side" of the game. Top athletes and teams need to also be mentally prepared in order to be focused, confident and ready to compete. You have to practice well in order to perform well. Practice doesn't always make perfect; it makes you better. Perfect Practice makes perfect. It is the mindset of champions. This mental state can be applied to anything you do in life. Think about where you are at in life as opposed to where you want to be? What things do you want to accomplish? What goals have you set? Whatever you are focusing on improving...whether it be your job, career, family situation, relationships or other aspects of life i...

"Life is partly what we make it, and partly what is made by the friends whom we choose. Good friends may be hard to find, but once found they are impossible to forget and hard to lose." - Unknown We don't typically set out to make a friend in the same manner that we might seek to get a job or try to court the attention of someone we are attracted to. Friendships just seem to happen. Whether it forms at work, at school, at church, it is through these types of interaction that we discover that we share something in common with each other and that forms into a friendship.  Or perhaps we face some difficulties, hardships, or misfortune together which forms a bond through mutual support of each other. Whatever the case, we may have stumbled across our friendships in a casual manner, it is often undeniable that once they are engrained in our lives we should be careful not to take them for granted. Our friends make us better, stronger and happier, and we should always be there t...

"Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something, and that this thing, at whatever cost, must be attained." - Marie Curie I've spent a lot of time in reflection during this pandemic, which could be deemed a blessing or a curse. Daily challenges test our perseverance and self-confidence even in normal times. But with all of this continued uncertainty on a day-to-day basis our anxiety is heightened and more sensitive.  With this can come additional fear and doubt if we let it. We begin to resort to negative thinking and look to place blame or make up excuses. Which always leads to negative action or no action at all. We can come up with a dozen excuses for why we haven't accomplished more in our life. Not enough time. Not enough money. Not enough talent. Not enough preparation. Not good enough. Not smart enough. Or, just plain bad luck. Imposter syndrome i...

"My mother drew a distinction between achievement and success. She said that achievement is the knowledge that you have studied and worked hard and done the best that is in you. Success is being praised by others. That is nice, but not as important or satisfying. Always aim for achievement and forget about success." - Helen Hayes We all enjoy it when our work is recognized by others. Our manager tells us we've done a good job; our friends are impressed by something we've just showed them; a teacher praises an essay we've written.  This kind of recognition helps motivate us, as any good teacher, parent, manager or friend knows. But when we do our best - whether recognized or not - the feeling is better than any compliment or collection of gold stars. Our truest measure of who we are is based on what we do when no one is watching.  William Arthur Ward, writer, wrote this "Winner's Blueprint for Achievement": BELIEVE while others are doubting.  PLAN whi...

"Make each day your masterpiece." - John Wooden Wishing you the very best on this beautiful Saturday! May you have...  Enough happiness to keep you sweet,  Enough trials to keep you strong,  Enough sorrow to keep you human,  Enough hope to keep you happy,  Enough failure to keep you humble,  Enough success to keep you eager,  Enough friends to give you comfort,  Enough wealth to meet your needs,  Enough enthusiasm to look forward,  Enough faith to banish depression,  Enough determination to make EACH day better than yesterday!   Instead of just making the best of every day, make the decision to make every day your best! Live the life you deserve! Live it with passion and enthusiasm! Live with purpose and on purpose!   Make today great!   Curtis "Happiness is achieved when you stop waiting for your life to begin, and start making the most of the moment you are in." - Germany Kent

"Keep your face always toward the sunshine - and shadows will fall behind you." -  Walt Whitman Happy Friday everyone! Let's face it, we all need an attitude adjustment from time to time. To be able to snap ourself out of a self-inflicted funk, feeling sorry for ourselves, carrying around negative emotions or thoughts, and focusing on fears and worries. I know it can sometimes pose to be a greater challenge to do so based on current situations and circumstances. Plus, some of it is just human nature, as our brains are hard-wired to look for and focus on things that are threats to us. Society around us makes it difficult. You want proof? Just watch the news. Working on maintaining and instilling positivity takes effort. It is a daily challenge that requires focus and attention. You must be intentional about staying positive, and keeping a positive attitude. While I do think that focusing on your attitude is more than just positive thinking, I also think it is important not...

"Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish." - John Quincy Adams It's tough to always stay focused and motivated 24/7/365. Sometimes we just hit a wall. It has happened a few times during this pandemic, for sure. After several weeks of working hard to stay focused and motivated, something happens, and I felt a bit derailed. As the week went on, I felt myself drifting back to mediocrity. Nothing specific happened to derail my motivation, I just started to feel drained. It happens to all of us. Once we lose that focus, we tend to let fear, uncertainty and doubt creep back in. Then it’s like a domino effect. I had to stop myself and really take some time to Reflect, Reset, Realize, Refocus and then Resume. Reflect upon what I was feeling and why. What was I doing (or not doing) that was causing this lull? Like I said it wasn't just one thing, but one thing always leads to another, and so on. One thing that di...

"Thankfulness is the beginning of gratitude.  Gratitude is the completion of thankfulness.  Thankfulness may consist merely of words.  Gratitude is shown in acts. Once you begin to take note of the things you are grateful for, you begin to lose sight of the things that you lack. A happy person feels grateful for things an unhappy person takes for granted." This quote is one of those great little nuggets of wisdom that makes us think to ourselves “That is great advice! That’s how I want to live!” Then, life happens. Life doesn’t wait for anyone. It is constantly moving and moving so fast that sometimes it’s hard to keep up. Days turn into weeks, weeks turn into months, months come and go, and we begin to think “What happened?” We need to do the best we can with what is right in front of us, and cope with the day-to-day responsibilities that frequently seem impossible, by focusing in on everything we can be thankful for. To be grateful can be hard when things seem not worth...

  "Do more than belong, participate.  Do more than care, help.  Do more than believe, practice.  Do more than be fair, be kind.  Do more than forgive, forget.  Do more than dream, work." - William Arthur Ward Dare to make a difference. Do you have what it takes to make a positive difference? Why do some people choose to make a difference and others choose not to? For most, it is typically based on one of three factors: Fear, Uncertainty or Doubt. Fear of failure, fear of how other people will react, or what they may think. Uncertainty that you are doing the right thing or that it will work. Doubt that it will make a difference, or that you can do it. Don't give into this. Mostly, we create these issues in our own minds. We create negative thoughts that fester and affect the actions we do or don’t take. We can conquer these if we truly make up our minds to. Believe you can and that it is right. Mother Teresa said it best: “People are unreasonable, illogical,...

"Smiling is definitely one of the best beauty remedies. If you have a good sense of humor and a good approach to life, that's beautiful." - Rashida Jones I learned years ago that one of the most powerful things you can do to influence someone else's attitude is to smile at them. Never underestimate the value of a smile. Of all the things you wear, your smile adds the most value, for it helps you make a good impression, makes you more attractive, and is an inexpensive way to change your looks. That’s why you should not only smile from “ear to ear” but from “year to year.” Smiling improves mental and physical health. Studies prove smiling releases endorphins, making you feel happier, less stressed, and more relaxed. Smiling and laughing increase oxygen improving your immune system and releases more white blood cells which protect the body against infectious diseases. Smiling enhances your disposition and encourages trust. People are naturally attracted to those who smil...

"A mother is your first friend, your best friend, your forever friend." - Unknown To all of the great mom's out there, first time mom's, long time mom's, grandmother's, aunt's…Happy Mother's Day! This will be the first Mother’s Day since the passing of our mom last December. Mom was truly an amazing person. Kind, gentle and quiet in her ways, but a true fighter for what she believed in, and for her family. Truly a pillar of strength. She was always there to guide and support me along the way, and I still feel her presence guiding and supporting me to this day, from Heaven.  Nobody know of the work they make to keep a home together, nobody knows of the steps it takes, nobody knows, but mother. It’s true what they say, mom’s only hold their children’s hands for a short while, but hold on to their hearts forever. Thank you for believing in me, even when I failed to believe in myself. Thank you for loving me, even when I failed to deserve it. Thank you for...

"There is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humor." -  Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol Sometimes it feels difficult to laugh and have fun when there are so many challenging things around us. It feels even more complicated when you are around friends and loved ones who may be going through difficult times. But laughter is a gift that can help us and others through difficult times. We shouldn't feel ashamed or bad for trying to lift the mood or lighten the burden. Laughing may not solve our problems, but it may help us cope with them better. Always laugh when you can. It is cheap and potent medicine. A good laugh heals a lot of hurts. He who laughs lasts. Did you know laughter can improve your health? I can always use a good laugh. As children, we laughed a lot, but life tends to be more serious and laughter more infrequent as an adult. By seeking out more opportunities for humor and laughter, you can improve your emotional health, stre...

"Do something nice for yourself today. Find some quiet, sit in stillness, breathe. Put your problems on pause. You deserve a break." - Akiroq Brost We all work hard and push ourselves which can at times feel like the smart and productive thing to do. Well, until you’re exhausted, overextended, overwhelmed, or ready to snap. I’ve done this. There are days when I try to be everything to everyone and do more than I can reasonably accomplish, but I know there’s only so much my body, mind, and spirit can take. Sometimes we just need to give ourselves a physical, mental, and emotional break, especially when we’re experiencing a lot of change.  GIVE YOURSELF A PHYSICAL BREAK: Allow yourself an extra 15 min of sleep, it can do a lot. Replace strenuous exercise with something less intense, like yoga, or even take a day off to allow your body to relax and unwind. Take a long, hot bath to rest your weary muscles and joints, or a sauna/steam room to relax your muscles and sweat out chemi...