BLOG 283—Do You Lead the Way?

“KITTING AROUND”
BLOG 283—Do You Lead the Way?
Don’t sleepwalk through life.
I hope to illuminate your Life with my Words.
The Wanderings of Kit (Do you wander or wonder?)
I WANT TO INSPIRE YOU TO LIVE DIFFERENTLY OR BETTER!

*** This blog looks best when viewed on a laptop or desktop computer.
*** The joy I experience in life is a wondrous thing!
*** I was hit by two trucks, but I remain happy.
*** Going through a 37-day coma–Yikes!
*** I want to help you to get the most out of life before you die.
*** If you read this through Facebook, see kitsummers.com/blog
*** I lived in my van for six years, visited all US national parks, and met Beth.
*** Beth and I married on 2/22/22 at 2:22.
*** I will have places to show you and tales to tell.
*** You will find secrets to unfold and good news!
*** What are you passionate about? 

BE TAKEN AWAY WITH ME
ON WONDERFUL ADVENTURES!

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WHY I WRITE THIS BLOG
You will have many in your life who assist and teach; I am helping to guide you. Coaches like me wish to lighten your path toward excellence. It is up to you to generate your journey toward merit. I’m not trying to show you “the way”; I am trying to help you find “your way.” Writing this blog each week is new and different for me—I love it

I WANT TO INSPIRE YOU WITH MY WORDS –
WORDS HAVE POWER!
Are you accomplishing what you want before your eventual death?
You can (and should) make changes to improve your life–at any age.
Start today, and you can build the life you desire

YOU ALREADY KNOW
You already know much about what I write, and I want to remind you of these ideas and show that my views can provide additional thoughts, along with yours, to help you.

MY EXPERIENCES
Much of what I write about is taken from my experiences.
I have gone through much.
I hope to spread ideas so that you can live a better life.
Remember, only you know what is best for you

EVEN IF YOU START LATE,
ARE UNCERTAIN OR DIFFERENT ––
YOU CAN STILL FIND SUCCESS!
Don’t forget–you are only as young as the last time you changed your mind!

HAVE FUN!
Keep your thoughts and self-talk fun and productive, and always reach for more advancement.

VERY LITTLE IS NEEDED TO MAKE A GREAT LIFE! 

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TOPIC FOR THIS WEEK — Do You Lead the Way?
   
My father died when I was only six years of age.
Growing up without a father, I had to be a leader.
Without Dad, I had to find my way.
   
DO SOMETHING!–BECOME A LEADER
Humans have evolved to be a very social species. Evolutionarily, we are better off acting and moving together as a group, whether keeping the peace, teaching, or protecting ourselves from threats. Our social groups, through computers and otherwise, have always benefited from coordination and collective action, which is easier to achieve with a strong leader like you.
 
You may wonder, what makes a leader?
1) Innovation and creativity.
2) Employee motivation.
3) Relationship building.
4) Agility and adaptability.
5) Decision-making.
6) Conflict management.
7) Negotiation.
8) Critical Thinking.
   
Integrity: Honesty and reliability, with clear principles and beliefs you follow. It is essential for building trust and credibility.  
Empathy: Understanding how others think and feel, seeing things from their point of view.
Imagine yourself in their place.
Communication>>Being able to articulate effectively.
Vision>>Expressing your dreams.
Accountability>>Staying open to others.
   
Great leaders have emerged throughout history, from Donald Trump to Mahatma Gandhi to George Washington, Queen Elizabeth I, Winston Churchill, and Nelson Mandela. Regardless of when they lived, they often shared similar characteristics: resilience, confidence, and the ability to communicate their vision.
   
You, too, can become a leader! Many of history’s famous world leaders were great people who inspired and helped others like you do. But that’s not always the case. Any list of famous world leaders can include some controversial and even legendary figures.
   
Still, everyone needs to learn more about these people to understand history and our modern world. This list is by no means complete, but it covers a wide range of well-known world leaders from around the globe. Being a leader is not “controlling ” others; it is working together under the main leading person.
   
Consider an online business management course if you’re a good manager who wants to become an excellent manager but fears you don’t have the time to invest in a college degree program. Accredited online colleges and universities are designed for busy professionals (like you), enabling you to pursue management degree programs while balancing work and family commitments.
   
Making decisions, mainly under pressure, is an important skill to master.
And, while the pressure is on you, you must calm and settle others.
    
MORE COMMON TRAITS A  LEADER POSSESSES >>
   
1—Leaders communicate clearly. Managing another person or a group, especially in the workplace, starts with good communication, whether writing an e-mail or providing face-to-face feedback. Good leaders say what they mean and mean what they say (and they are not usually mean). Yet, they’re not passive-aggressive or shy away from addressing challenges directly.       
 
2—Leaders are passionate about their work. Many good leaders love what they do and are unafraid to show it. Of course, you can still be a good leader even if your professional and personal interests aren’t a perfect match. Think about what you enjoy most in your work and develop your enthusiasm around that—you may even find that you’re managing yourself into greater workplace satisfaction.
 
3—Leaders don’t care about being famous. If their first concern is whether everyone likes them, they may be less effective. Whether giving sharp criticism or pointing out a practice you believe is unethical, learning to be a good leader means getting comfortable doing or saying things that are best for your team/company and your organization, even if they make you temporarily unpopular.
   
4—People running things must keep their minds open. Another characteristic of a good leader is remaining receptive to new ideas; your ideas. Instead of resisting change, good leaders are flexible and highly adaptable, welcoming ideas. They’re approachable, and they welcome opinions different from their own.
   
5—Leaders work for “their” employees. Managers may answer to higher-ups, but good leaders know their real mission is to ensure their employees have the aid to do their jobs as effectively and efficiently as possible, growing the business more and more.
   
6—Leaders are cheerful and encouraging.
Good leaders are uplifting.
Good leaders praise employees for a job well done and take time to coach and train if performance lapses. They encourage their employees to be their very best, as they are, bringing out the best in them in good times and bad.
   
7—Leaders are open. They welcome all employees’ suggestions and advice. Feedback is how the company gets ahead. Working together, everyone makes the group grow.

8—These leaders respect others. From direct reports to clients and their higher-ups, good leaders treat others as they want to be treated. Those they lead often follow suit, creating stronger morale throughout the workplace, which is how the organization grows.
   
9—Leaders build relationships. Forming productive connections is a vital quality of a good leader. Others don’t threaten strong managers. Instead of guarding their territory, they constantly change and build bridges with others.
   
10—The leader guides by example. The best managers know that setting the right model is essential to being a good leader. From putting in extra hours on a significant project to treating others with kindness and respect, good leaders show they’re ready and willing to do anything they ask of their employees.
   
11—Leaders never stop learning. Perhaps the most essential characteristic of good leaders is continuous education. They prioritize their instruction through formal learning, such as building skills through management degree programs or attending other departments and roles daily. A good leader always wants to know more.
   
12—Strong leadership is increasingly about empathy, integrity, and accountability. It’s also about empowering those who look to you so that they will be ready to lead one day. As the Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu said, “To lead people, walk behind them.” Leaders help others to become leaders

BE THE LEADER THAT YOU ARE!
YES, YOU STILL HAVE TIME TO FIND YOUR SUCCESS!
THINK  — AND THEN THINK AGAIN.
WHAT NEW STORIES ARE YOU READY TO WRITE? 

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WORDS TO INSPIRE YOU!
Inspirational quotes and sayings have a unique ability to change the way we feel about life and can change our thoughts. They are attractive, challenging, and essential on our path to joy and happiness and finding ways to inspire ourselves and others.
   
THE BURST!
Inspirational quotes and ideas give us a quick and timely burst of wisdom to regain our focus, offering the inspiration needed for the day or occasion. I hope the words below bring a smile to your face and drive you to make this day and every day a fantastic event.
   
BE POSITIVE!
Just as positive words can make someone smile, and a well-timed amusing quote can make someone laugh, your thoughts react to the world in real-time. You have this control! You have complete control over only one thing in the universe—YOUR THINKING!—and that’s where motivational quotes come in!
   
“YOU”
How you think and feel about yourself, including your beliefs and expectations about what is possible, determines everything in your life, and it all derives from your quality of thinking. Use quotes to move ahead in your life.
 
SELF-TALK IS SO ESSENTIAL—THINK RIGHT!
To stay motivated, you have to use each day as an opportunity to improve and get closer to your goals. It might sound like a lot of work—and with your busy schedule—next to impossible. But you can do it! Motivational words, yes, are just words. But they are positive words; they will keep you on track.
 
QUOTES WILL BENEFIT YOU!
Positive and inspiring quotes can be like sunshine on a cloudy day. They inject optimism into our thoughts, brighten our mood, and help us focus on the good in life. They remind us that even in the face of adversity, we can see the silver lining and embrace a positive attitude.
   
PEARLS OF WISDOM
In a world filled with challenges and indecisiveness, the power of inspirational quotes cannot be exaggerated. These pearls of wisdom uniquely uplift our spirits, can spark positive change, and fuel our motivation often when we need it most.
   
I HOPE THE FOLLOWING WORDS ADD TO YOUR LIFE >>
     
“A leader … is like a shepherd. He stays behind the flock, letting the most nimble go ahead. At this point, the others follow, not realizing they are being directed from behind all along.”
Nelson Mandela
   
“If your actions create a legacy that inspires others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, then you are an excellent leader.”
Dolly Parton
   
“The very essence of leadership is that you have a vision. It’s got to be a vision you articulate clearly and forcefully on every occasion. You can’t blow an uncertain trumpet.”
Reverend Theodore Hesburgh
 
“A good leader inspires people to have confidence in the leader.
A great leader inspires people to have confidence in themselves.”
Eleanor Roosevelt
 
“The supreme quality of leadership is unquestionably integrity. No real success is possible without it, whether in a section gang, on a football field, in an army, or an office.”
Dwight D. Eisenhower
 
“A leader takes people where they want to go.
A great leader takes people where they don’t
necessarily want to go but ought to be.”
Rosalynn Carter
   
Ultimately, a genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus.
Martin Luther King Jr.
   
“Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character.
But if you must be without one, be without strategy.”
Norman Schwarzkopf
   
“Leadership is about empathy.
It is about relating to and connecting with people to inspire and empower their lives.”
Oprah Winfrey
   
“The challenge of leadership is to be strong but not rude, kind but not weak, bold but not bully, thoughtful but not lazy, humble but not timid, proud but not arrogant, and humor but without folly.”
Jim Rohn
   
“The most excellent leader is someone other than the one who does the most extraordinary things. He is the one who gets the people to do the most remarkable things.”
Ronald Reagan
   
“Leadership is solving problems.
The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is when you stop leading them.
They either lose confidence that you can help or conclude that you do not care.
Either case is a failure of leadership.”
Colin Powell
   
“Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself.
When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.”
Jack Welch
   
“Fight for what you care about.
And do it in a way that will lead others to join you.”
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
 
“The art of leadership is saying no, not yes.
It’s straightforward to say yes.”
Tony Blair
   
“To be a good leader, you must be a great listener …
No one has a monopoly on good ideas or good advice.”
Richard Branson
   
“The ability to learn is a leader’s most important quality.”
Sheryl Sandberg
   
“The secret of leadership is simple:
Do what you believe in.
Paint a picture of the future.
Go there.
People will follow.”
Seth Godin

YOU IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF YOUR THINKING,
YOU CHANGE YOUR LIFE’S DIFFERENTIA—SOMETIMES INSTANTLY!
COMPOSE A NOBLE BOOK AND WRITE A BEST-SELLER.
YOU ARE AMAZING—PLAY YOUR PART!
   
YOU CAN TURN THINGS AROUND FAST AND ACHIEVE YOUR
WILDEST DREAMS NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE IN LIFE! 

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MY DAILY JOTTINGS >>
Each week goes by so quickly, don’t you think?
It seems like time is going by faster and faster.
You must live joyfully, daily, for each day!
   
Do you know what you did last Monday?
Do you remember what you ate for dinner last Thursday?
Keep track of your doings for a few weeks; you will see your time differently.
Remember, the quality of your life depends on what you do each day.
   
7/27–Today was a slow day. I know it is up to me to make things happen, but I could have been more productive today.
 
We have a water tower in the backyard, catching rainwater from the back gutters. I built a stand for it to be on in the past. This stand could not hold up and needed to be replaced, so I did.
   
Chocolate Chip Cookies! YES, it was time again.
Using a recipe I developed some years ago,
Beth put everything together.
I baked and ate them (well, one or two.)
Have you made some yet?
The taste is the best!
Make some today>>
Chocolate chip cookies
3 sticks butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 tablespoons Kahlua
2 tablespoons vanilla
4 eggs
6 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
325 for 15 minutes
 
7/28–Projects around the house are getting finished.
What time do you wake up?
Today, as usual, I woke up at about 3 a.m.
   
7/29–Finished painting the second bedroom. Turned out quite nice.
   
7/30–I went to see Dr. Babb about my root canal work. The previous root canal was not down far enough for two teeth. But I am having no pain, which I told Dr. Babb. I told him I would like to have it done later when any pain came in. He was fine with that. I did not want the insurance company to charge over two thousand bucks for nothing.

7/31--I always seem to awaken early; I am used to it. We’ve had many different kinds of birds come to see up at the feeder. It’s nice to make their life as better as I can.
 
Beth has been designing and fixing up our bedroom. As you can see from the photos, it is turning out quite nicely.
     
Grass was growing into the street, so I had to stop it. The front of the yard looks much nicer now, don’t you think?
 
8/1–I finished painting the molding in the second bedroom. As you can see from the photos, there is much more to do.
 
8/2–I went to Greenwood for a little while. We have very particular cats; they eat just certain things. I got some food for them today, which they should like.
   
Beth found a toad out in the woods, our new temporary pet.

The mushrooms, with all the rain, are coming up nicely.

DO SOMETHING NEW–DAILY!
THEN, KEEP DOING IT FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE! 

      
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THE GARDEN THIS WEEK
A self-supportive life can be a better life.
A garden would be a part of that life.
You must look into it. 

This week, I pulled out the Amaranth; it was about done. We did not consume this plant this year, but we will next year. You can eat the leaves and use the seeds to make flour. I mainly wanted to grow it because it is such a beautiful plant.
 
Much rain is coming this week; that’s a good thing.
   
I pulled all the green bean plants up. Neither Beth nor I liked them that much, anyway. I planted Cherokee Purple Tomatoes, Beth’s favorite. It is late in the season, but I will let you know after they appear.
 
I am bothered when people put their grass clippings out for the trash. This is the perfect ingredient for compost. Also, fresh-cut grass should always be placed in your garden around growing plants. It will hold water for the plants, keep weeds out, and eventually become compost for garden growth.
 
I look out my office window, where I do most of my typing and blog work. All I see is nature, the garden, growing things, and wildlife. What a lovely view every time I am on my computer. 

START YOUR GARDEN TODAY!
IT MAY BE NECESSARY FOR YOUR LIFE! 

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ALL OUR LIFE, WE MUST CHALLENGE OURSELVES!
YOUR CHALLENGE FOR THE WEEK >>
Find a group or friends with whom you can practice your management skills.
Have them learn as you do.
Design, build, or write something that will help in the future.
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NEXT BLOG >>
Life keeps getting better and better!
You will learn how and why.

AND WHAT ARE YOU PLANNING FOR YOUR UPCOMING WEEK?