Meaningful Mondays - Arrows Out

The Belief Switch Can you imagine living in a world where the only satisfaction you got was from blaming and complaining? “The brain is like Velcro for negative experiences..." -- Dr. Rick Hansen MRI studies show that the more you complain, the more those neural pathways deepen— until your brain defaults to that behavior. It shrinks your prefrontal cortex—your center for logic, reason, and problem...

"Communication isn't about what you say. Communication is the response you get." "Anytime you use something that is 'true' to deceive, mislead, or be self-serving, it is a lie, not the TRUTH." If people walk away confused, hurt, or misled- even if what we said was technically true- we failed as leaders (communicators).

"A reliable system turns guilt-driven ‘yeses’ into purpose-driven ‘no’s." - Lee Brower "Clarity about what matters provides clarity about what does not." - Cal Newport, Deep Work. "94% of all failures are the result of the system." - W. Edwards Deming When you say "yes" to something, what are you saying "no" to?

“Can I begin this day with the intentionality, confidence, and courage to say no—even to the very important—so that I can accomplish the essential yeses that move me closer to my most meaningful future?” “This next year doesn’t have to be my best yet…it GETS to be.” “If I ever go looking for my heart’s desire again, I won’t look any further than my own backyard… Because if it isn’t there, I never...

“The first job of a leader—at work or at home—is to inspire trust. You don’t manage people—you model trust, extend it, and grow together." - Stephen M. R. Covey “Trust is the one trait that consistently boosts happiness at every age.” — Research by Utrecht University, 2025 “Trust doesn’t follow leadership. Trust is leadership.” - Lee Brower In Th'River, we believe in flow—in letting trust move thr...

“You cannot overestimate the unimportance of practically everything.” - John C. Maxwell "Did my choices today reveal what I say matters most?" - Lee Brower “The key is not to prioritize what's on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” - Stephen R. Covey "We don't drift into meaning. We don't stumble into legacy. We choose our way there--one moment, one choice at a time." - Lee Brower

But here’s the thing—character doesn’t just show up in heroic moments. It shows up in keeping your word… even when it’s inconvenient and even when it is only to you. Character is the ability to carry out a worthwhile decision once the emotion of making that decision has passed.

"A new identity doesn't erase the past. It reclaims the future." - Lee Brower "I am not what I used to be, not what I ought to be, and not what I am going to be, but I am thankful I am not what I used to be." - Coach John Wooden

The image was fake. The "bias" was real. The truth was different. "Bias is like a weed. It starts out small. But left to its own, it grows deep, spreads wide, and quietly chokes out better thoughts." — Lee Brower "We do not see things as they are, we see them as we are." — Anaïs Nin (our perspective is often colored by internal bias- unless we pause and we pivot.) "The greatest enemy of knowledge...

"Small choices make big ripples." "What would your future self say about that choice?" "Just this once" leads to convenience. "No matter what" leads to conviction. Conviction leads to character. “It’s easier to hold to your principles 100% of the time than it is to hold to them 98%.” — Clayton Christensen

Mothers are the nurturers of the world. “Motherhood isn’t just about biology. It’s a calling to nurture, to comfort, to notice someone else’s need and do something about it.” The Ripple of a "mother-hearted" life doesn’t ask, “Are you mine?” It simply says, “You matter.”

“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” – Viktor E. Frankl “Comparison is the thief of joy.” – Theodore Roosevelt "Joy begins where comparison ends." – Lee Brower

"You can't live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you." --John Wooden "Things turn out for the people who make the best of the way things turn out." --John Wooden "The meaning of life is to give life meaning." -- Viktor Frankl

"Respect isn't earned from self-sacrifice. It is learned through self-respect." Genuine respect - both from yourself and others - begins with honoring your own worth first. Respect yourself first; everything else is attracted to that strength. CHALLENGE: "What is one small choice I can make today -- when no one else is watching -- that strengthens the evidence of my self-respect?"

“The crowds on earth, they soon forget, the heroes of the past, they cheer like mad until you fall. And that’s how long you last.” "Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are." - Coach John Wooden The world praises performance. God celebrates presence. The world gives you a spo...

Potential is the seed, motion is what makes it grow. "Just" helps us get into motion. It turns resistance into willingness. It brings you into the "NOW". It is how "Arrows Out" begins: Just notice. Just ask; Just give. What is "just" one thing you can do today that will create ripples of impact?" Just...!

"You don’t become great in spite of failure. You become great through it." ... just ask Larry’s little brother.” “I can accept failure. Everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying.” - Michael Jordan “Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened.” - Helen Keller “Trials are an evidence of God’s trust in y...

"WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT, YOU BRING ABOUT. WHAT YOU BROUGHT ABOUT, YOU THOUGHT ABOUT." “Acts of kindness create a ripple effect of neurochemical uplift—benefiting the giver, receiver, and even the silent witness.” RECEIVING kindness can: Increase oxytocin, which helps regulate serotonin and dopamine. Reduce cortisol (the stress hormone), which helps rebalance neurotransmitters like serotonin. Lead to...

"...everybody is a genius, but if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid." Even though he said it - he proved it wrong-- because he didn't believe it. "Struggles are stop signs -- they are stepping stones." - Lee Brower "Our response to struggle determines our future." This week's Empowering Question: How can I see today's struggles...

Too many people live their lives hoping Einstein is in the room when the tough questions come. “The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.” — Socrates “Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.” — John F. Kennedy “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” — Mahatma Gandhi “Once you stop learning, you start dying.” — Albert Einstein

“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” — Jim Rohn “Show me your friends, and I’ll show you your future.” "We tend to become like those whom we admire." — Thomas S. Monson

How do you measure your success? By chasing the next achievement? "If you are paddling only for yourself, don't be surprised when no one else wants to get in your boat." "You don't see rivers measuring themselves by the size of their banks. They measure themselves by the lives they nourish." "Your horizon should move as you move. That's how you know you are growing." “We make a living by what we g...

"Every man has a defining point in his character where success or failure begins. It is the moment he makes a firm choice and never looks back." - William George Jordan. Don't let your ESSENTIAL be at the mercy of the important. Knowing your 'ESSENTIAL' gives you the power to say "no" to even the very important.

Desires dictate Priorities. Priorities structure our Choices. Choices determine the course of our lives. "The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule but to schedule your priorities." – Stephen R. Covey Step 1: Review your list of desires. Step 2: Choose ONE thing from each of these four quadrants. Select the one thing that, when accomplished, will have the greatest effect on your other l...

We all have an “Obituary Moment” waiting for us. A moment when we suddenly see clearly the ripples of our choices. But do we have to wait for an accident, tragedy, or mistake to have it? What if we created our own Obituary Moment—right now? The 'What do I Really Want" exercise to expand your authentic desires and creativity. Use paper and a pen - set timer for 10 min.- write without judgment, let...