The post offices are closed today—I’m glad. The government offices are closed today—I’m glad. The schools are closed today—I’m glad. I’m glad because it means I get to spend the day with my three grandson buddies, and I’m glad because the day honors Martin Luther King, Jr.
The turbulent 60’s were high school and college years for me. I remember the marches. I remember the cross burnings and lynchings. I remember sit-ins, Rosa Parks and water cannons. I remember Selma, Birmingham and Medgar Evers. I remember working with black laborers who were paid only $1.25 per hour to dig sewer ditches. And, I remember Martin Luther King, Jr., one of the great leaders of the 20th century. If I were an African-American, I would probably say he was the greatest leader of the 20th century.
When we celebrate July 4th, blacks join in, but they remember they were still slaves in 1776. When we celebrate Washington’s birthday, blacks join in, but they remember that he owned slaves. To African Americans, it is Lincoln and MLK, Jr., who led the fight, first for freedom, and then for equality. These two stand alone in black history; there are no rivals to their legacy. They both led with:
The lives of millions were impacted for good by their leadership. Both died young, brought down by an assassin’s bullet. They believed that…
“The quality, not the longevity, of one’s life is what is important.”
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Most of us will not have the opportunity to impact millions by our leadership. However, all of us can impact a few, some hundreds, and some thousands. Whatever the size of your sphere of influence, if you want to make a difference, you will have to lead with purpose, courage, vision, resolve and selflessness. Do that and you will leave footprints that endure long after you are gone. Isn’t that what is really important?
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© Copyright 2017 by Dick Wells, The Hard Lessons Company
“If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as a Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, ‘Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.’ No work is insignificant. All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.” (Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.)
Our pastor, Darren Whitehead, used this MLK Jr. quote to emphasize the importance of Christians being the best employees—no matter what they do. If we want to have influence in our culture/society, the marketplace where we work is our best opportunity. After all, we are there every day and we are watched every day.
According to Colossians 3:17: “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus….” What is at stake when we work in Christ’s name? Two things: #1 our honor and #2 His honor. That’s two great reasons to be an excellent street sweeper, or hamburger flipper, or accountant, or __________________ (fill in the blank with what you do).
Excellence in the job you have is the path to the job you want. And it is the path to influence in any job you have. How can a street sweeper have influence? By being excellent. How can you have influence? By being excellent.
Excel your way to…influence.
Excel your way to…personal honor and dignity.
Excel your way to…honoring God in everything you do.
Excel your way to…the job you want.
No excuses. Quit complaining. Start today.
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© Copyright 2016 by Dick Wells, The Hard Lessons Company
The post offices were closed on Monday—I was glad. The government offices were closed on Monday—I was glad. The schools were closed on Monday—I was glad. It was really cold Monday—mid-20’s. I wasn’t particularly glad about that, but it didn’t stop me from joining hundreds of others in downtown Franklin in a walk down Main Street to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. What made me most glad on Monday? The walkers were of all races and many were from my home church. To repeat the words of Correta Scott King, it wasn’t a black holiday, it was a “people’s holiday.”
The turbulent 60’s were high school and college years for me. I remember the marches. I remember the cross burnings and lynchings. I remember sit-ins, Rosa Parks and water cannons. I remember Selma, Birmingham and Medgar Evers. I remember working with black laborers who were paid only $1.25 per hour to dig sewer ditches. And, I remember Martin Luther King, Jr., one of the great leaders of the 20th century. If I were an African-American, I would probably say he was the greatest leader of the 20th century.
When we celebrate July 4th, blacks join in, but they remember they were still slaves in 1776. When we celebrate Washington’s birthday, blacks join in, but they remember that he owned slaves. To African Americans, it is Lincoln and MLK, Jr., who led the fight, first for freedom, and then for equality. These two stand alone in black history; there are no rivals to their legacy. They both led with:
Purpose
Courage
Vision
Resolve
Selflessness
The lives of millions were impacted for good by their leadership. Both died young, brought down by an assassin’s bullet. They believed that…
“The quality, not the longevity, of one’s life is what is important.”
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Most of us will not have the opportunity to impact millions by our leadership. However, all of us can impact a few: some a handful, some hundreds, and some, thousands. Whatever the size of your sphere of influence, if you want to make a difference, it will likely require some courage, vision, resolve and selflessness. Do that and you will leave footprints that endure long after you’re gone.
[If this post was interesting and useful to you, please forward it to a friend. Thanks.]
© Copyright 2016 by Dick Wells, The Hard Lessons Company
Martin Luther King Jr. would make any thinking persons’ list of the top five 20th Century leaders in America. Who else would you put on the list? (Send in a comment and I’ll post it for everyone to see.)
Monday (1/21) is MLK Jr. Day. I will join in the celebration at Williamson College; millions more will observe the day all across the US. For African-Americans, MLK Jr. Day is more significant than July 4th—they were still slaves in 1776.
We tend to think of MLK Jr. in terms of the civil rights movement of the ‘60s—and well we should. But in this post, I want to remember him by sharing some of his thoughts about life in general.
I wish our politicians of all stripes were not guilty of…
MLK Jr.: Rarely do we find men who willingly engage in hard, solid thinking. There is an almost universal quest for easy answers and half-baked solutions. Nothing pains some people more than having to think.
Are you in a job that seems insignificant? It’s not!
MLK Jr.: All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.
What are you most concerned about: how you live or how long you will live?
MLK Jr.: The quality, not the longevity, of one’s life is what is important.
Go ahead and do that thing that you have been putting of because it is hard.
MLK Jr.: We are faced with the fact, my friends, that tomorrow is today. Procrastination is still the thief of time.
Before you judge someone, make sure he has a pair of boots.
MLK Jr.: It’s all right to tell a man to lift himself by his own bootstraps, but it is cruel jest to say to a bootless man that he ought to lift himself by his own bootstraps.
There are about 38 million African-Americans who are distinctly better off because of the life of Martin Luther King Jr.; actually, all of us are distinctly better off because of the life of Martin Luther King Jr.
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© Copyright 2013 by Dick Wells, The Hard Lessons Company
The post offices are closed today—I’m glad. The government offices are closed today—I’m glad. The schools are closed today—I’m glad. I’m glad because it means I get to spend the day with my three grandson buddies, and I’m glad because the day honors Martin Luther King, Jr.
The turbulent 60’s were high school and college years for me. I remember the marches. I remember the cross burnings and lynchings. I remember sit-ins, Rosa Parks and water cannons. I remember Selma, Birmingham and Medgar Evers. I remember working with black laborers who were paid only $1.25 per hour to dig sewer ditches. And, I remember Martin Luther King, Jr., one of the great leaders of the 20th century. If I were an African-American, I would undoubtedly say he was the greatest leader of the 20th century.
When we celebrate July 4th, blacks join in, but they remember they were still slaves in 1776. When we celebrate Washington’s birthday, blacks join in, but they remember that he owned slaves. To African Americans, it is Lincoln and MLK, Jr., who led the fight, first for freedom, and then for equality. These two stand alone in black history; there are no rivals to their legacy. They both led with:
● Purpose
● Courage
● Vision
● Resolve
● Selflessness
The lives of millions were impacted for good by their leadership. Both died young, brought down by an assassin’s bullet. They believed that…
“The quality, not the longevity, of one’s life is what is important.”
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Most of us will not have the opportunity to impact millions by our leadership. However, all of us can impact a few, some hundreds, and a few, thousands. Whatever the size of your sphere of influence, if you want to make a difference, you will have to lead with purpose, courage, vision, resolve and selflessness. Do that and you will leave footprints that endure long after you are gone. Isn’t that what is really important?
© Copyright 2012 by Dick Wells, The Hard Lessons Company
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