Give Your Best

Good morning team. Here we are, Workshop Wednesday. Give Your Best. Workshop Wednesday. Today, Wednesday, December 7th. We’re so excited because today we’re going up to Longview. We’re going to be at a Christmas party with our team up there. It’s going to be so much fun. We’re going to have some good eating. We’re going to have a white elephant gift exchange and we’re gonna give away some prizes. I’m excited about giving away some TVs and some game players and some knives and some ammunition. We’ve got a lot of stuff. Greg has been purchasing stuff and looking for ways to advance our team.

But today’s Workshop Wednesday. Workshop Wednesday is about lifting us up and growing and so on and so forth. And so I want to talk to you about something that I’ve read. George Hales used to be the Chicago Bears, the owner of the Chicago Bears. He said that nobody that ever gave their best regretted it. I believe that.

“Nobody that ever gave their best regretted it.”

I believe that to be true and the reason I believe that to be true is that I’ve done that in my life. I give my best and I work really hard for my family. And I work really hard for my team. I work really hard for the people I serve. At every job I’ve ever had, I’ve really worked hard to do my best. My dad used to say it. My grandfather used to say it and my great-grandfather used to say it. Just put in and do your very best. Even if you make a mistake, people will recognize your heart and your soul of doing the very best you possibly could.

Now some people and I’ve seen things on Facebook and stuff so I get it guys. Some people say, “Well, my boss doesn’t deserve it because he is a jerk. Why would I put in any extra time for that person because they’re not going to give me anything back in return.” In fact, there might be people here that feel that way about a team leader here. Maybe me, I don’t know. I hope not. I would like to think that we have earned that respect to know that we are going to reward you.

But let me talk to you for a second because I’ve worked for a boss like that. I have. I’ve had a couple in my life. One, in particular, where I didn’t get much from that person. I didn’t get much back in return. And I didn’t get any recognition. I was treated badly in some respects. I felt like they were out to get me. Maybe you have felt that way before.

Let me tell you what giving your best does anyway.

Because the reason I’ve never regretted giving my best, even to somebody that seemed to be not appreciating me, even though I was giving my best working really hard. Is because giving my best is the right thing to do. Giving my best wasn’t just for my boss or the business I was serving. It was for the community I was serving. It was for the team and the people around me I was serving and more importantly it was for me.

Because giving my best means that I’m getting better. It means that I’m becoming more excellent, meaning that I’m building on my integrity. I’m building my character for the tough times in life. I build my character up to a stronger place that people will recognize me as the leader I am.

So giving your best isn’t about just having a tangible thing. A paycheck or getting a bonus or winning a TV at the raffle tonight. The thing about giving your best is that you give your best because it’s the right thing to do. And you are one day at a time, one hour at a time, one minute at a time, you’re building the character of the person and the leader and the reliable person that you are.

If not giving your best will only do the opposite.

It will degrade you and it will make you untrustworthy. It will make people second guess whether or not they should rely on you. Whereas giving your best, people want to rely on you. People want to say you’re the go-to. “Hey, don’t worry. Stay calm. Let Chad handle it. Chad’s got this.” Right? That kind of mentality.

So give your best. Give your best for yourself. And give your best for your family, give your best for the people you work with. Give your best for the community you serve and the government and the places you work. The places you do business and the places you shop.

Give your very best to your fellow man.

You won’t regret it because it’s going to hone and shape and make you a better person. And if the people that you’re working for, if somebody you’re working for. And again, I have a hard time believing that this is true here. But even if it’s at church or if it’s somewhere that you’re volunteering or something else. No matter what they think. And if they are selfish and taking you for granted, you’re still building a better you, and people are going to recognize that.

And I know for sure that we here recognize those people that go that extra mile, that build and do their very best. I know they’re never going to regret it and we don’t regret having you on our team. We are so thankful this Christmas, this year to have you as a member of our team. So thank you, guys. Be valuable because nothing less will do and God bless you.

If I’m going to see you tonight, give me a hug. We’re going to eat some cake, some pie, some mashed potatoes, some gravy, some really good fish, some really good meat, some turkey, some ham. Oh my goodness, it’s going to be off the chain. Next Wednesday we’ll be right back here at the Portland office doing the same thing again because we love parties. Right? We eat cake. Celebrate like a family. Bring your family, we got some fun games coming up.

All right. God bless you, guys. I will see you next week.