The One Sentence Plan

I finally finished reading Babar the King to Princess Peach last night (I'd forgotten that when the story is that detailed, one must read in installments.  It's like Harry Potter, only with elephants). The final line, offered by the King's friend the Old Lady after she recovers from a harrowing snakebite emergency, is this:

"Don't you see how in this life one must never be discouraged?  Let's work hard and cheerfully and we'll continue to be happy."

Not a bad perspective.  I'm not sure I can pull it off with any consistency, but it seems like something worth striving for.

I think most of us need some sort of goal or standard by which to measure our choices as we make them. Not a grand standard, like the entirety of the Bible, but a bite-size synthesis that is consistent with the Bible, but manageable to consider in 15 seconds or less. It's handy to have some one-sentance reminders of who and how I'm hoping to be.

"Let's work hard and cheerfully" seems like a good one for me this season. It's so easy to get overwhelmed. And when things pile up, my reaction tends to be a low level of frustration about everything, even the things I like doing, or I get to do because God rocks.  A decision to go about my days - in this season of in the meantime, navigating the gap between what I see now and what I'm praying for - with a pre-made decision to work hard and cheerfully, seems like it could actually accomplish what the Old Lady promises: happiness.

(of course it also sounds a bit like one of those Chinese propaganda posters from the Cultural Revolution.  Which may be why when I Google images for "work hard and cheerfully," it pulls up this picture of a folder labeled, People I Want To Punch In The Face. So I guess we'll just see how it goes...)

Do you have a reminder or slogan you use to keep you on track in the day-to-day?  Please share, in case this one doesn't work out! :)

Is there a downside to being inspirational?

This morning, I read an interview in Inc. Magazine with leadership expert/Stanford professor Bob Sutton. His answer to one question stood out to me so much that I highlighted it:

Q:  Is there ever a downside to being inspirational?


A:  That can get you in trouble, because happiness is a function of what you expect versus what      you get.  It can be better to have people focused on tiny things that keep them enthusiastic about what they're doing minute to minute than to always talk about the grand vision.  Most of what gets us to that grand vision is ordinary work.  Doing boring things well might be the key to success.


Interesting, right? What do you think?