Monday MOtivation: 6 Years of Sharing Stories and Insights

By Aaron P. Mikulsky

Shortly after joining a new company, Aaron began writing weekly emails to his team. On Monday, July 21, 2014, he sent his first “Monday MO.” It was short:

Care more than others think is wise.

Risk more than others think is safe.

Dream more than others think is practical.

Expect more than others think is possible.

Set excellence as your standard.

Aaron received tremendous feedback that these weekly Monday MOs (or Monday Motivations) were valuable. People craved someone who cared about them personally, acknowledged them, and respected them. They wanted to authentically be encouraged to learn, grow, improve and be supported. People desperately longed for a jolt of positivity and motivation each week. 

Time progressed, and the influence of the Monday MO grew. Colleagues outside of Aaron’s organization wanted to be included in his distribution. He was also asked to include spouses, parents, children, and friends. MOs were forwarded to others outside of the company, who then asked to be included. The audience soon became quite large and diverse.

The Monday MOs were based on topics relevant to the times—something Aaron may have recently read or on a subject matter someone wanted him to write about. He selected the ones that have stood out the most and has organized them by theme. The final product is the book before you.

Unlike many books that are meant to be read from start to finish, this book may be read in any order. Pick a topic and read as many as you find beneficial. Some may resonate more than others, but the hope is that you find many that interest and inspire you. 

This book is for you if you are a curious person who wishes to stretch your mind and get exposure to new perspectives. Now go read a MO!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Covenant Books, Inc.
• Release date: Jul 9, 2022
• ISBN: 9781638144625

Book preview

Monday MO

July 21, 2014

Hello, everyone.

For those of you who I have not personally met, I am leading up the Policyholder Services team.

I thought I’d start a new tradition. Every Monday (or almost every Monday), I thought that I would send everyone a quote or message to kick off every week. The MO in Monday MO can stand for motivational or momentum, whatever you wish.

This week is, "Care more than others think is wise. Risk more than others think is safe. Dream more than others think is practical. Expect more than others think is possible. Set excellence as your standard."

Have a wonderful week.

Monday MO:

Give

August 24, 2015

Henry Ford maintained that most people think of it [success] in terms of getting. Success, however, begins in terms of giving.

Douglas M. Lawson said, We exist temporarily through what we take, but we live forever through what we give.

Truly successful people raise others up. They don’t feel threatened by the thought of having others become more successful and move to a higher level.

Cullen Hightower remarked, A true measure of your worth includes all the benefits others have gained from your success.

Everyone wants to feel important and worthwhile. Donald Laird said, Always help people increase their own self-esteem. Develop your skill in making other people feel important.

Observing Sandhill Cranes in flight, you may notice they rotate leadership; no bird stays out in front all the time. They choose leaders who can handle turbulence. All during the time one bird is leading, the rest are honking their affirmation.

Have a wonderful week!

Monday MO:

The Six Ethics of Life Ratan Tata

September 28, 2015

Six ethics of life:

Before you pray, believe.

Before you speak, listen.

Before you spend, earn.

Before you write, think.

Before you quit, try.

Before you die, live.

Monday MO:

John Bogie’s Enough

October 5, 2015

Read the insightful titles of the chapters of Vanguard Mutual Fund Group founder John Bogie’s wonderful book Enough:

Too much cost, not enough value;

too much complexity, not enough simplicity;

too much counting, not enough trust;

too much business conduct, not enough professional conduct;

too much salesmanship, not enough stewardship;

too much focus on things, not enough focus on commitment;

too much success, not enough character.

Wow. Makes me think. I certainly can improve on a few of these.

Monday MO:

What Will Matter?

October 12, 2015

What Will Matter

Michael Josephson

Ready or not, someday it will all come to an end.

There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours or days.

All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten will pass to someone else. Your wealth, fame and power will shrivel to irrelevance.

It will not matter what you owned or what you were owed.

Your grudges, resentments, frustrations and jealousies will disappear. So too, your hopes, ambitions, plans and to-do lists.

The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away.

It won’t matter where you came from or what side of the tracks you lived. It won’t matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant.

Even your gender and skin color will be irrelevant.

So, what will matter? How will the value of your days be measured?

What will matter is not what you bought but what you built,

Not what you got but what you gave.

What will matter is not your success but your significance. Not what you learned but what you taught.

What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage or sacrifice that enriched, empowered or encouraged others.

What will matter is not your competence but your character.

Not how many people you knew, but how many people will feel a lasting loss when you are gone.

What will matter is not your memories but the memories of those who loved you, how long you will be remembered, by whom and for what.

Living a life that matters does not happen by accident. It is not a matter of circumstance but of choice.

Choose to live a life that matters.

Monday MO:

Time and Purpose

December 7, 2015

Ben Franklin said, Lost time is never found again.

Carl Sandburg said, Time is the coin of life. Only you can determine how it will be spent.

Lao Tzu said, If you are depressed you are living in the past. If you are anxious you are living in the future. If you are at peace you are living in the present.

H. Jackson Brown Jr. said, Don’t say you don’t have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein.

I once heard this and will never forget it:

If you would not be forgotten, before you are dead and rotten, write something worth reading, or do something worth writing.

Don’t waste time; it’s your most precious commodity. Time is free yet priceless, infinite—but there’s never enough of it.

Monday MO:

Progress to Results and Your Legacy

February 8, 2016

Success usually comes to those too busy to be looking for it.

—Henry David Thoreau

The book The Third Opinion: How Successful Leaders Use Outside Insight to Create Superior Results discusses how leadership has changed where authority has given way to influence. It’s about developing a group of advisors, experts, advocates, and mentors who provide you with diverse insights. These relationships are critical in helping you reach greatness.

Dr. Joni says leadership today requires three new habits: habit of mind, habit of relationship, and habit of focus and that leaders must also master three distinct types of thinking: application thinking, expert thinking, and exponential thinking (i.e., the process of examining context, looking for interrelationships, exploring assumptions, and asking questions that reveal the full truth and potential of a situation. This thinking enables you to see all sides of a complex issue). The thinking partners you develop offer you new information and new lines of sight.

Be conscious of how you spend your unscheduled time and focus some time on considering your legacy. Let your legacy be one of intelligence, development, thought, and results.

Have a fantastic week!

Monday MO:

Life Lessons

March 21, 2016

I wanted to share some key takeaways from Brian Parsley’s speech at the National Sales Meeting this past February. Below is a summary by assistant marketing manager Brittney Toilolo. I thought she did a great job!

Your culture is what you want other people to say about your business. Imagine if your business was yourself. If you want people to say something good about you, it starts with the words you speak, how you interact, and how you treat people. Character is your personal culture. The art of creating a business or personal culture doesn’t change. Beliefs drive actions, and actions drive results.

Leadership allows others to make mistakes and takes responsibility when mistakes are made.

If you present people with the opportunity for change, few will take it. It’s as simple as waking up every day to a fresh mind, a fresh start, a fresh outlook. If you look at each opportunity as a chance to start fresh, it would change your actions. Encourage others to see today as their new first day. Anyone can choose that mindset/chance/opportunity, but very few people will.

Many people want to blame reality as the reason we lose hope. But reality is a loose word. If you look through a microlens at what makes up your reality, then you can find out what causes you to lose hope. In anyone’s reality are influences. Choose to surround yourself with positive friendships, teaching, and parenting influences. Consequently, kids/employees/marriages will continue to believe. Takeaway: people who are blessed to be placed in a sphere of influence (leadership) in anyone’s life should focus on their strengths rather than their weaknesses. This will result in the most belief in oneself, which in turn creates personal growth.

There are three currencies that are accepted all over the world:

Value

Belonging

Appreciation

If you do these things once, it doesn’t matter. If you’re nice once, it doesn’t matter. But if you walk in these characteristics consistently, your actions will consistently speak to others. By consistency, through repetition and practicing over and over, you will start to create better habits. Just like you practice to get better in sports, practice to get better in your tone of speech, in your attitude, in your outlook, and in your leadership, and others will gravitate toward following you because you’re consistently practicing who you say you are. You end up becoming the person you want to be. Remember, repetition is your reputation. Consistent habits create voluntary compliance.

I tried to bullet-point the headlining concepts in the hopes that it aids the legibility. I love that these concepts transcend all areas of life. I had fun at the National Sales Meeting, excited for this year and our future.

Monday MO:

Beautiful Inspiring People

October 31, 2016

Wind Beneath My Wings was performed by Bette Midler for the soundtrack of the film Beaches and became a US number 1 single. It was named Record of the Year and Song of the Year at the Grammy Awards in 1990. Beaches is a chick flick that, I admit, I enjoyed and even owned the tape (some of you might never have seen or owned one) of the soundtrack. Here are the lyrics:

It must have been cold there in my shadow

To never have sunlight on your face

You were content to let me shine, that’s your way

You always walked a step behind

So I was the one with all the glory

While you were the one with all the strength

A beautiful face without a name for so long

A beautiful smile to hide the pain

Did you ever know that you’re my hero

And everything I would like to be?

I can fly higher than an eagle

For you are the wind beneath my wings

It might have appeared to go unnoticed

But I’ve got It all here in my heart

I want you to know, I know the truth, of course

I know it

I would be nothing without you

What compassionate and humbling lyrics.

I truly believe this quote to be so true. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross stated, The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and deep, loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen.

Have a wonderful and inspiring week!

Monday MO:

Story of Three Stonecutters

November 14, 2016

A man asked each of the three stonecutters what they were doing.

The first replied, I’m cutting stones.

The second replied, I’m cutting these stones for a cathedral.

The third man said, I am a part of a five-year project to create the greatest cathedral ever seen.

What perspective and attitude of a greater purpose!

View gratitude as one of the keys to happiness. In the midst of life’s struggles and challenges, taking time to count one’s blessings keeps one’s frustrations and setbacks in perspective. Stressful worry and thankful thoughts are incompatible. Instead of focusing on the problems or your to-do list, try counting today’s blessings. Instead of complaining about what you’ve lost, focus on what you have left to use. Instead of dwelling on what might have been, look for the unexpected openings that have presented you with new opportunities.

Have a gifted week!

Monday MO:

Give Like St. Nicholas

December 26, 2016

St. Nicholas was a Christian bishop who provided for the poor and sick. He was also the basis for the popular character of Santa Claus. St. Nicholas was born sometime circa 280 in Patara, Lycia, in Asia Minor, an area that is part of present-day Turkey. He lost both of his parents as a young man and reportedly used his inheritance to help the poor and sick. A devout Christian, he later served as a Greek bishop of Myra, a city that is now called Demre. Several sources state St. Nicholas was believed to have died on December 6, 343.

Over the years, stories of his miracles and work for the poor spread to other parts of the world. He became known as the protector of children and sailors and was associated with gift-giving. He was a popular saint in Europe until the time of the Reformation in the 1500s, a religious movement that led to the creation of Protestantism, which turned away from the practice of honoring saints.

St. Nicholas, however, remained an important figure in Holland. The Dutch continued to celebrate the feast day of St. Nicholas, December 6. It was a common practice for children to put out their shoes the night before. In the morning, they would discover the gifts that St. Nicholas had left there for them. Dutch immigrants brought St. Nicholas—known to them as Sint Nikolaas or by his nickname, Sinterklaas—and his gift-giving ways to America in the 1700s.

In America, St. Nicholas went through many transformations, and eventually, Sinterklaas became Santa Claus. Instead of giving gifts on December 6, he became a part of the Christmas holiday. In the 1820 poem An Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas by Clement Clarke Moore, he was described as a jolly, heavy man who comes down the chimney to leave presents for deserving children and drives a sleigh pulled by flying reindeer. The cartoonist Thomas Nast added to the St. Nicholas legend with an 1881 drawing of Santa wearing a red suit with white fur trim. Once a kind, charitable bishop St. Nicholas had become the Santa Claus we know today.

I hope you had a wonderful holiday season and, like St. Nicolas, you give to those in need. Give thanks, rest up, reflect on 2016, and prepare for the new year.

Monday MO:

Inspire

July 10, 2017

Leaders cannot command commitment, only inspire it. Leadership is the capacity, and will to rally people to a common purpose and the character that inspires confidence. Leadership is communicating people’s worth and potential so clearly that they are inspired to see it in themselves.

As Winston Churchill said, Mountaintops inspire leaders, but valleys mature them.

Be inspired to be inspiring. Give back and serve others.

Have a week filled with inspiring and serving others!

Monday MO:

Give Kindness

March 5, 2018

True kindness cannot be given away—it can only be shared.

Mother Teresa said, Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.

Booker T. Washington said, Those who are happiest are those who do the most for others. Remember, be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.

Anne Frank said, No one has ever become poor by giving.

Will Glennon encourages us to go out and practice random acts of kindness, and you will change the world.

Share kindness and give freely.

Monday MO:

Conversations about Purpose

April 9, 2018

Being willing to be in conversations about purpose, both with others and within ourselves, requires us to make courageous choices. Bill Treasurer, author of Courage Goes to Work, outlines three different types of courage:

Try courage—the courage to take the initiative, attempt new things, and take risks.

Trust courage—the courage to have faith in others, let go of the need to overly control situations, and be open to change.

Tell courage—the courage to voice concerns, provide tough feedback, assert an unpopular viewpoint, and speak truth to power.

We can decide to take an approach to any conversation by deciding to be present, making the connection personal, bringing passion, and illuminating a larger purpose.

Leading a purpose-driven life doesn’t happen by accident. We have to make decisions and act in ways that support our purpose.

Monday MO:

G+P+V=C

April 23, 2018

What is your calling? Think: G+P+V=C

Gifts + Passions + Values = Calling

Anna Lappe said, Every time you spend money, you’re casting a vote for the kind of world you want. I have always said that how you spend your time and money reveals what is important to you—they determine your priorities.

Reflect on your own life. How do you spend your time? What do you spend your money on? If these do not align with your calling, a serious change might be in order. Be brave!

Monday MO:

In-Spire

September 3, 2018

Has anyone ever been inspired by a plan? Martin Luther King Jr. did not give an I have a plan speech. MLK inspired with his famous I Have a Dream speech. Dreams inspire.

Inspire is made up of in and spire. Spire may be defined as to rise in. You inspire when you touch the inside of one’s being in one’s heart and mind. Be inspired to inspire others!

Leaders envision the future, enlist others, and inspire a shared vision. Leaders cannot command commitment, only inspire it. Leadership is the capacity and will to rally people to a common purpose and the character that inspires confidence. As John Quincy Adams once said, If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader.

Inspire × 2

September 10, 2018

Daniel Goleman wrote in The New Leaders, Great leaders move us. They ignite our passion and inspire the best in us. When we try to explain why they are so effective, we speak of strategy, vision, or powerful ideas. But the reality is much more primal: great leadership works through the emotions. Acknowledge emotion; hire, evaluate, promote, lead, sell, for emotion.

Stephen Covey wrote, Leadership is communicating others’ worth and potential so clearly that they are inspired to see it in themselves. Be one who pulls others up versus pushing people down. Great leaders trust and believe in the people they lead. In his book The Speed of Trust, Covey said that a team with high trust will produce results faster and at a lower cost. A combination of factors is important in sustaining trust among the team: a commitment to purpose or vision that inspires, a strong character, a strong inclination to serve others, keeping ones’ word, genuine caring, and compassion for people, and competence and expertise. True leadership inspires people with vision, which pulls people not only to take action but also to care about the outcome, to take personal ownership of it, and to bring their A-game every day.

I once heard, The true value of a leader is not measured by the work they do. The true value of a leader is measured by the work they inspire others to do.

Monday MO:

Meaningful Actions

September 24, 2018

Keep moving! Without action, how does one learn and grow? Without action, how does one get results and make progress in life? Without action, what is life?

Make your actions meaningful; use your time wisely. For an adult human, taking just one step uses up to two hundred muscles. Muscles work together, in coordination, to make an impact. Don’t waste your life away; act intentionally to make a difference.

We must also stop to rejuvenate and reflect, however. For peak performance, mindfulness and rest are important. It’s required for ultimate creativity. Make #Movement #Meaningful! #Act #Balance

Monday MO:

Life Lessons from My Friend

November 5, 2018

A friend of mine and executive director of the nonprofit Reading in Motion recently published a book titled 1200 Hours: What It Takes for Readers and Schools to Succeed.

I’d like to share some insightful quotes I took from it.

Life is one big learning opportunity if you are awake and open to it.

You can’t do everything, but you can do any one thing you decide is most important. Pick the thing that is most worth doing. It’s got to be something that also brings you joy. Then do it as well as it can be done.

Marriage is one long conversation.

Never pick up a card that doesn’t make a set. Don’t add something to what you’re doing unless it makes a winning combination.

Everyone fails on his or her way to success.

There’d be moments in life when big things happen that shake up the normal and replace it with the new normal.

Life is work. Doing the right thing is work. High-quality anything is a lot of work.

Regarding perspective, is it stubbornness and bull-headedness or dogged pursuit of truth and justice?

Create the life you want to live; live that life. Enjoy the journey!

Monday MO:

Spark

January 7, 2019

In Bruce Springsteen’s song, Dancing in the Dark, he sang, You can’t start a fire without a spark. Who will provide you with your spark? We all need a spark to serve as our catalyst. Spend time with and surround yourself with those who may provide you with sparks of inspiration. Be with those who fill your bucket, not those who dip into your bucket. Negativity kills. Positivity prompts confidence and growth.

Fill others’ buckets; be an encouraging catalyst to others.

Life is about progress, experiences, and serving others. Take care of yourself and care for others. The world is much bigger than one’s self. Live a life of purpose.

Monday MO:

Do Something that Matters

March 4, 2019

Blake Mycoskie, Chief Shoe Giver, TOMS, wrote the book Start Something That Matters. Mycoskie encourages us to find our story, face our fears, be resourceful without resources, keep it simple, build trust, and that giving is good business.

In 2006, at the age of twenty-nine, Blake Mycoskie was involved with his fourth start-up and took time off work to travel to Argentina. He got used to wearing the national shoe, the alpargata, and also was exposed to how many kids lacked shoes there and its effects. That’s when he got the idea: why not create a for-profit business to help provide shoes for these children? Shoes for a Better Tomorrow became Tomorrow’s Shoes and then TOMS. TOMS became much more than just a shoe. It was a story. They started TOMS with 250 pairs of shoes in three duffel bags and ended up selling ten thousand pairs of shoes their first summer—all out of Blake’s Venice, California, apartment. They then spent ten days traveling through Argentina, driving from clinic to school to soup kitchen to community center and handing out ten thousand pairs of shoes to children. Blake returned from that first Shoe Drop a different person. In five years, TOMS had given more than a million pairs of shoes to children in need. TOMS offered a way to contribute something to people in need. They made a business out of making a difference.

Giving is good business. When giving is incorporated into your model, your customers become your partners in marketing your product. We are all born with the ability to improve another person’s life. Everyone has the potential to make a difference.

Monday MO:

Matter!

April 8, 2019

Unlike Bill Murray’s Meatballs speech, It Just Doesn’t Matter, work hard to make your life matter! God made us all to matter and make a difference in others’ lives.

Think of TGIF differently—use your talents and gifts to influence and form the world.

Douglas McArthur said, There is no security in life, only opportunity.

Being is more important than looking. Other people see us from the outside in, but God sees us from the inside out. God cares about our souls.

Henry James said three things in human life are important: be kind, be kind, be kind.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, Character is higher than intellect.

Be good and kind