In today’s job market, many of those seeking employment may have lowered their expectations to the point of demonstrating a willingness to accept most anything. This could readily lead to a number of negative consequences.

Human Resource specialists have elevated their game in an effort to attract talent under very trying, competitive, and challenging circumstance. Today, job seekers must learn to familiarize and interpret the new, deceptive Lingo being utilized by Human Resource departments to recruit World-Class talent at bargain-basement salaries.

As a public service, we offer the following interpretations to assist you with your journey through employment mine fields.

“COMPETITIVE SALARY” means:
We remain competitive by paying less than our competitors.

“JOIN OUR FAST-PACED COMPANY” means:
We have no time to train you.

“DUTIES WILL VARY” means:
Anyone in the office can boss you around.

“SEEKING CANDIDATES WITH A WIDE VARIETY OF EXPERIENCE” means:
You’ll need it to replace three people who just left.

“REQUIRES TEAM LEADERSHIP SKILLS” means:
You’ll have the responsibilities of a manager, without the pay or respect.

“GOOD COMMUNICATION SKILLS” means:
Management communicates, you listen, figure out what they want and do it.

“NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE” means:
We’ve filled the job; our call for resumes is just a legal formality.

“CASUAL WORK ATMOSPHERE” means:
We don’t pay enough to expect that you’ll dress up.

“MUST BE DEADLINE-ORIENTED” means:
You’ll be six months behind schedule on your first day.

“SOME OVERTIME REQUIRED” means:
Some time each night and some time each weekend.

“MUST HAVE AN EYE FOR DETAIL” means:
We have no quality control.

“PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS A MUST” means:
You’re walking into a company in perpetual chaos.

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

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Yes, Once in a Blue Moon … that’s how often we’re exposed to anything positive in today’s news media. Ironically, we need good news more today than ever before. We all have enough negativity to deal with everyday.

I recently had a Facebook Friend send me an article from ESPN.com. The story grabbed me from the opening line as it revealed an unusual narrative which could easily be transformed into a television special. It was written by Rick Reilly who has been voted National Sportswriter of the Year 11 times! You’ll soon see why he rates this honor.

Rick shares the true story of a softball game between two junior varsity girls team that couldn’t be more mismatched! One team hadn’t lost a game in 2½ years, and they performed together like a well-oiled machine. The other team, believe it or not, consisted of 16 players who had never played the game before and were led by a coach who had never even seen a game before! It was easy to imagine how this game might play out.

However, destiny can sometimes be deceiving. After an inning and a half, it was quite obvious that this game was going to be nothing more than a lopsided debacle and a major humiliation for 16 inexperienced young athletes.

Ironically, at this point, a story unfolds which redefines sportsmanship in a way which no one could ever expect. Players, coaches, parents, fans, a Reebok rep, and an entire community joined forces to change the lives of everyone involved! I’ll let Rick share the unbelievable details by sharing his article.

This story should be shared with athletes, parents and coaches from coast to coast as a tribute to positive consequences of a dying art—true sportsmanship! Read it, share it and remember that there ARE good stories to be shared … even if they only appear “Once in a Blue Moon!”

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

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We’re currently in the midst of still another crisis. The problem is that we may not recognize it amidst so many other chaotic challenges today. Nevertheless, it’s as serious and consequential as any challenge we’ve ever faced. Another problem is that so many people don’t understand the critical impact this crisis may have on our society and culture in the years to come.

Our already-busy President isn’t going to help us with this one. He already has more than enough on his plate. Our brilliant and accomplished Congress can’t help us here either as they have become part of the problem.

Let me explain. Return with me now to those thrilling days of yesteryear … when we, as children, had someone other than our parents to look up to. While we loved and cherished our moms and dads, we had a need for a hero, maybe even a super-hero, to admire and emulate. Maybe it was a sports figure, maybe a TV or movie star, maybe even someone from a history book. Heck, in those days, it may even have been a politician.

Well, sadly, over the past decade, we’ve lost a good number of those heroes, and it’s a tragedy that few have been replaced … posing the question: Who will be the hero’s of today’s generation?

While those heroes we worshiped may have been TV stars, movie stars or even fictional characters, they shared a common thread of setting good examples and influencing us in a positive way by sharing words of wisdom. Do any of these names ring a bell?

Captain Kangaroo (Bob Keeshan who was the original Clarabell the Clown on the Howdy Doody Show) and his good friend Mr. Greenjeans influenced children for 30 years. The good Captain left us at the age of 77.

Mister Rogers (Fred Rogers) shared his songs, friends, wisdom, love and his “Neighborhood” on TV for 33 years. We lost Fred as he reached the age of 75.

BOZO the Clown (Larry Harmon) dominated radio, TV and cartoons, teaching us manners, good habits, and the joy of laughter. We lost this icon at the of 83.

Soupy Sales (Milton Supman) hosted several children’s shows that spanned three decades, bouncing from network to the locals—with broadcasts originating from Detroit, Los Angeles and New York. He was the official afternoon babysitter for several generations of youngsters. He also passed at age 83.

Dr. Seuss (Theodor Seuss Geisel) … The impact and influence of this man’s 60 books, multiple poems, movies, cartoons, videos, and personal appearances can never be measured accurately. The good Doctor died at 87.

Mary Kay Ash, while known for her cosmetics, was widely respected for motivating thousands of women to advance by enhancing their self-esteem and pride as they helped others to succeed. She focused on the need for balance and shared that message with her slogan “God first, family second, and career third!”

Art Linkletter was best known for his TV shows “House Party,” “People Are Funny”, and “Kids Say the Darndest Things.” He taught us all that life can be wonderful and funny without resorting to the toxic strategies practiced on TV today. Art just recently passed at age 97.

John Wooden was named the “Greatest Coach of all Time” by The SPORTING News, leading U.C.L.A. to 10 championships in 12 years. However, he transcended the game and became a great model of leadership for college business classes far and wide. “Coach” left us last week at age 99.

I’m going to stop here although the list goes on and on. I’m not trying to be morbid by sharing obituaries. My point is simple. These good folks were there to educate us, inform us, and provide us with wisdom and guidance. Now that they have left us, who has emerged to replace them by providing these crucial necessities for the next generation?

Time for a wake-up call? Pause from your busy life and ask your children and/or grandchildren who their heroes are, who they look up to, who they emulate, or who they want to be like when they grow up! Did they even have an answer? For those who did answer, were you pleased with their answers?

If not, guide them to someone you would be pleased with. Introduce them to the few good examples we have today. Or better yet, YOU be that special person they will be talking about years from today … that special person who was there for them when they needed you … who provided wisdom that would last a lifetime … that special someone they would like to one day be very much like!

Is there anything more important than that in your life today? Think about it. Then do it!

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

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Memorial Day once again. The start of summer, warm weather, celebration. Everyone has plans for a fun-filled extended weekend.

• Picnics
• Boating
• Beach activity
• Fireworks
• Barbecues
• Parades
• Road trips
• Family reunions

And, for millions of race fans the 51st annual NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 takes place at the famed Charlotte Motor Speedway and the 100th Anniversary of the Indy 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Yes, there will be plenty to do for Americans from coast to coast this weekend. However, I challenge you to devote a short 15 minutes of your 96-hour weekend to sit down with your children and/or grandchildren and ask them if they know why Memorial Day was established. I feel confident they won’t know. So take that opportunity to enlighten them at a time when our country is at war all over the globe.

Memorial Day is a U.S. federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. It was formally known as Decoration Day due to the fact that families would commemorate the grave sites and memorials of men and women who died while in the military service. A national moment of remembrance takes place at 3 p.m. local time. Another tradition is to fly the flag of the U.S. at half-staff from dawn until noon local time.

Members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars collect donations for poppies in the days leading up to Memorial Day; the poppy’s significance to Memorial Day is the result of the John McCrae poem “In Flanders Fields.”

At one time this “poppy” phenomenon was celebrated, supported, and treasured by Americans all over the country. Sadly, today, few know the significance.

While we’re celebrating all of the activities listed above, we tend to forget that hundreds of thousands of U.S. men and women are stationed all over the world protecting our freedoms and way of life. These military heroes have sacrificed their way of life back home in order that we may enjoy our lives here with our loved ones.

Located in the shadow of our nation’s capitol, Arlington National Cemetery averages 15 funerals per day, approximately 3,000 annually. It is expected to reach capacity in the year 2020, when more than 250,000 people will have been buried.

Over the Memorial Day weekend, flags are placed on each grave in the cemetery. Troops from the Old Guard (3rd Infantry) have flags on all the graves by dawn and the flags remain on the grave sites until after the Memorial Day Service.

Arlington National Cemetery is the only military cemetery that is authorized to use horses as a regular part of its ceremony.

Nearby there are approximately 16,000 ceremonies conducted annually at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

This year, let’s not forget the purpose of Memorial Day. Pause to honor those who are and have been so deserving of our respect and eternal appreciation.

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

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I’m sad to announce both chambers of the U.S. Congress adopted a resolution calling for Americans to recognize and honor U.S. service members during National Military Appreciation Month in May.

Why sadness in that announcement? I can think of a number of reasons.

Thank you for reading this. Do you have any idea how many people on the Internet had access to the title of this article, and when realizing the subject, simply went on to more important things? Some rushed off to a game of golf … some had to get to the mall … others had more important things to pursue on the computer. Few, if any, realized that they were blessed with those choices because we have men and women stationed all over the Earth protecting our right to do so. Those freedoms come at a very high price. Ask someone who has lost a loved one, friend, or family member in battle half way around the world. And yet our golfer, shopper, techie, and so many others are too busy to pause to pay tribute to those who made that supreme sacrifice.

Another reason? Those in both chambers of the U.S. Congress adopted that resolution for political reasons, to look good to voters, and to gain personal recognition for doing so. You would be shocked at the number who have never served their country as members of any military force simply because they knew someone who could pull the strings to avoid such service. In addition, few of their children are serving. After all, they could get injured or even killed. And yet this governing body doesn’t hesitate to send these loyal service men and women back into service for tour after tour after tour.

Another reason? We should NOT designate a month each year to honor those serving our country! Do they fight and protect us just one month out of the year? Do they die during just one month of the calendar year? We should be honoring them and praying for their protection and safe return EVERY DAY of the year, but we’re too busy for that. We easily forget where they are and what they’re doing every minute of the day while we busily enjoy our freedoms.

This month culminates with Memorial Day, a federal holiday on the last Monday in May. The day, dating from the Civil War era, traditionally has marked recognition of those who have died in service to the nation. Each year on Memorial Day, the White House Commission on Remembrance promotes one minute of silence at 3 p.m. local time to honor the military’s fallen comrades and to pay tribute to the sacrifices by the nation’s service members and veterans. ONE MOMENT OF SILENCE for a lifetime of freedoms and sacrifice? Many won’t even take that one moment. Strive for a “moment a day,” knowing that falls short of what our service men and women deserve. YOU make a difference!

Support your USO (United Service Organizations), encourage your children to write a letter to someone stationed overseas, greet those returning, and pray for all of those serving.

You might enjoy this video we shared last year saluting the many who love, appreciate and support our service men and woman. It’s hard to watch this video without shedding a tear. Maybe it will inspire you to DO rather than PAUSE, ACT rather than THINK, and make a difference in the lives of those protecting our lives and freedoms.

Being a Veteran myself, I’m proud of a grandfather, four uncles, and three cousins who served our country. I add to that list my Marine son who returned safely after his tour of duty. My heart is saddened for the families, friends and loved ones of those who never returned. Think about it. Then make a difference!

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

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As we approach another Mother’s Day, I find myself with many thoughts about this very special annual occasion.

I cherish memories of my own devoted mother who passed many years ago. I fondly remember my grandmother and the special love she shared with her large loving clan.

I now have two daughters and a daughter-in-law (Tammy, Jamie, and Heather) who all do a fantastic job of raising my nine grandchildren. I’m so proud of watching them apply their skills with such adoration and affection.

I watch with respect and enjoyment as our V.P. Melanie discovers new joys daily as she approaches her second official Mother’s Day with her son.

I have many friends and family members who are so looking forward to being honored Sunday and each are indeed deserving of such honor.

In thinking of these special woman, I couldn’t help but wonder about the origin of moms. A little research revealed this age old explanation by my favorite author … Anonymous. Enjoy.

How Moms Were Made

By the time the Lord made mothers, he was into the sixth day working overtime.

An Angel appeared and said, “Why are you spending so much time on this one?” And the Lord answered and said, “Have you read the spec sheet on her? She has to be completely washable, but not plastic. Have 200 movable parts, all replaceable. Run on black coffee and leftovers. Have a lap that can hold three children at one time and that disappears when she stands up. Have a kiss that can cure anything from a scraped knee to a broken heart. And have six pairs of hands.”

The Angel was astounded at the requirements for this one. “Six pairs of hands! No Way!” said the Angel. The Lord replied, “Oh, it’s not the hands that are the problem. It’s the three pairs of eyes that mothers must have!”

“And that’s on the standard model?” the Angel asked.

The Lord nodded in agreement, “Yes, one pair of eyes are to see through the closed door as she asks her children what they are doing even though she already knows. Another pair in the back of her head, to see what she needs to know even though no one thinks she can. And the third pair are here in the front of her head. They are for looking at an errant child and saying that she understands and loves him or her without even saying a single word.”

The Angel tried to stop the Lord, “This is too much work for one day! Wait until tomorrow to finish.”

“But I can’t!” the Lord protested, “I am so close to finishing this creation that is so close to my own heart.”

“She already heals herself when she is sick; AND can feed a family of six on a pound of hamburger and can get a nine year old to stand in the shower.”

The Angel moved closer and touched the woman, “But you have made her so soft, Lord.”

“She is soft,” the Lord agreed, “but I have also made her tough. You have no idea what she can endure or accomplish.”

“Will she be able to think?” asked the Angel. The Lord replied, “Not only will she be able to think, she will be able to reason, and negotiate.”

The Angel then noticed something and reached out and touched the woman’s cheek. “Oops, it looks like you have a leak with this model. I told you that you were trying to put too much into this one.”

“That’s not a leak,” the Lord objected, “That’s a tear!”

“What’s the tear for?” the Angel asked. The Lord said, “The tear is her way of expressing her joy, her sorrow, her disappointment, her pain, her loneliness, her grief, and her pride.”

The Angel was impressed. “You are a genius, Lord. You thought of everything for this one. You even created the tear!”

The Lord looked at the Angel and smiled and said, “I’m afraid you are wrong again, my friend. I created the woman, but she created the tear!”

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

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Are you offended by the title of this article? You shouldn’t be! You should whole-heartedly agree with it!

The resolution for having a dedicated Mother’s Day was signed by U.S. President Woodrow Wilson on May 8, 1914. Since then people across the world have been celebrating Mother’s Day with joy and devotion.

Mother’s Day is a time of commemoration and celebration for mom. It is a time of breakfast in bed, family gatherings, and crayon-scribbled “I Love You”s.

However, I personally DON’T believe we should dedicate a day for this ritual and observance! I believe we should be honoring mothers EVERY day! One day isn’t enough to bestow enough praise, honor, appreciation and respect on women who have dedicated their lives to the service of so many others while wearing the many various “hats” needed to do so.

My mother was very young when we lost her as a result of an auto accident. She died on the same day my son was born in the same hospital. I’m not entirely certain I ever got over that dire circumstance.

Although we lost her at a young age, I have an unlimited number of very fond memories by which to remember this precious woman. I guess I best remember my mother as the person who, seeing there are only three pieces of pie left for our family of four people, promptly recalls that she never did care for pie!

I also vividly remember this angel I called “Mom” as a housekeeper, disciplinarian, teacher, caterer/short order cook/chef, nurse, plumber, electrician, role model, chauffeur, maid, butler, caretaker, cheerleader, referee, janitor, drill sergeant, commuter, policeman, prayer-warrior, social director, leader, team player, manager, visionary, mentor, coach, counselor, clown, travel agent, recreation creator, banker, communicator, negotiator, technician, computer whiz, task master, bookkeeper, peacekeeper, therapist, story teller, librarian, personal shopper, sports fan, entertainer, story teller, babysitter, activist, companion, wife, sister, daughter, aunt, cousin and mother!

I fully realize that I’m not the only one who recalls their mother with such reverence. However, there is a possibility that I may recall her astonishing attributes a little more often because I haven’t been able to celebrate with her for the past 34 years.

Therefore, if you’re fortunate enough to be able to do so, spend more time with your mother. Recognize, appreciate, and cherish the many things that make her so very special. And most importantly—tell her. Now and often!

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

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“Back to Basics.” That short but compelling phrase means different things to different people. To many of us it actually has several meanings.

It takes me back to my days in the military when we were required to spend the first few months in Basic Training, or “Boot Camp” as some called it, to learn the necessary skills to become a soldier.

For sports fans, it can certainly mean something very different. Study any winning sports franchise from high school to college to the professional ranks and you’ll find an extreme focus on the “basics”! In the midst of the recent “March Madness,” I wrote an article on the NCAA basketball tourney focusing on how many games were decided by a single free throw … one of the game’s critical basics.

We, the AchieveMax® speakers, facilitate Leadership Boot Camps several times a year to assist organizations that are grooming potential leaders in the “basic” skills required to lead others. Many times these “rookies” are more eager and open to learn than many long-term supervisors who simply don’t buy into the need for “basics.”

To many of us tried and true football aficionados, the concept of “back to basics” evokes fond memories of one of football’s greatest coaches of all times. Vince Lombardi was virtually synonymous with the National Football League. He was legendary for his coaching philosophy and motivational skills. He spoke softly, slowly and seldom. But when he did speak, everyone listened and responded. He was loved, admired and respected by his players, fans and opponents alike.

Vince was an Assistant Coach for the New York Giants and Head Coach for the Green Bay Packers and Washington Redskins. He was the Coach of the Year in 1959, boasted a 9-1 playoff record, won five NFL Championships and the first two Super Bowls ever played! He ended his career with a winning percent of .738!

Lombardi’s players were wholeheartedly devoted to him, and his emphasis on hard work, dedication, focus on the basics and desire to succeed endeared him to millions who admired his values. Vince Lombardi knew what it takes to be number one, and he passed that on to millions of others as an author and professional speaker after his distinguished football career.

Watch this short clip to learn some of Vince’s powerful beliefs … or “basics.”

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

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Every once in a while I’ll find myself getting knocked on my butt by a simple realization that’s not altogether foreign to me. It happens simply because the time is right … I was ready for a lesson … or I needed to hear a certain message in a certain way.

I learned long ago that when something like this happens, I should not question why. I now simply accept the lesson and start looking for ways to apply it in a positive way. I recently stopped by a friend’s home to drop off a book he had requested from my library. When I arrived he had just tuned in to an old movie on TV … The Butterfly Effect, a 2004 psychological thriller starring Ashton Kutcher, Amy Smart and Eric Stolz.

I got caught up in the unusual plot and stayed to watch the entire film. Of course, this movie took things to the extreme for the sake of entertainment value and ticket sales. However, it led me to return home to Google additional insight.

Please forgive me for the following paragraph. Just read it and don’t worry about fully understanding it. It’s foundational, if nothing else.

In reality, the “Butterfly Effect” is a term used as a metaphor in Chaos Theory to describe how tiny variations can affect giant systems, and complex systems, like weather patterns. In short … how little things today can result in big things tomorrow.

Fear not, I understand very little of that myself. So let’s translate all of that gibberish into something meaningful to you and me in today’s world. It’s so simple, and yet, so very powerful.

Have you ever wondered if you make a difference? Well, you do! … in ways you may never realize … for generations to come. And, sadly, you may never know it. However, that doesn’t diminish your impact in any way! There are generations yet unborn, whose very lives will be impacted by one simple thing you share with someone this very day!

For instance, I can vividly recall sharing what I felt were words of wisdom with my three children when they were young. They may have very well disputed the term “wisdom” at that time. However, today I often experience warmth in my heart and a tear in my eye when I hear them imparting, with great sincerity, that same “wisdom” to my grandchildren … almost word for word!

If my grandchildren do the same to my great-grandchildren … well, I’m sure you get the picture here. A few words uttered by me in a moment of sharing could very well impact generations to come long after my demise.

The problem with this scenario is obvious but seldom contemplated. Do we get too caught up in our daily dog-eat-dog world of routine and repetition to pause for just a moment to share that possible wisdom with a child, friend, spouse, sibling, co-worker, neighbor or stranger?

What are we doing that’s more important than the impact our time and words might have for someone in the future? No one ever went to their grave leaving a tombstone which read: “I wish I would have spent more time at work!”

Take a moment from your busy schedule to share some family history. Watch and then discuss the morals of movies such as It’s a Wonderful World, Mary Poppins or The Wizard of Oz. Share old photos. Compare music of the generations. Walk and talk. Enjoy nature. There are so many things you can do today that will be remembered and cherished for decades to come.

You can make a difference but you must first put forth an effort. You and those you love will never regret it!

Take a look at this short video and make plans today to make a difference tomorrow! You’ll be glad you did!

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

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A very powerful common thread can easily be found in successful teams, organizations, associations, military units, religious groups, cities, states, and countries. It’s very simple and quite evident.

DIVERSITY is that decisive factor that so often makes the crucial difference between success and failure.

Many strive for continuity and sameness in selecting members of their particular organization to avoid conflict and dissension in the ranks. Others focus on the selection of a diverse membership knowing that it will provide more creativity, a wider range of ideas, and much needed innovation.

Consider this age old anecdote which illustrates the important of diversity and the fact that everyone serves a purpose.

The Value of the Cracked Pot

Nobody’s perfect, but our imperfections make us interesting.

A water bearer had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole which he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water.

At the end of the long walk from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full. For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water to his house.

Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect for which it was made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.

After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream.

“I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you. I have been able to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don’t get full value from your efforts,” the pot said.

The bearer said to the pot, “Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of the path, but not on the other pot’s side? That’s because I have always known about your flaw, and I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you’ve watered them.

“For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house.”

Moral: Each of us has our own unique flaws. We’re all cracked pots. But it’s the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding. You’ve just got to take each person for what they are, and look for the good in them.

Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape. Remember to appreciate all the different people in your life! Everyone serves a purpose!

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

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