Mondays are Made for Love: Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Monday! And Happy Valentine's Day too!

And how appropriate - in my mind, love and Mondays always go together.

That’s because we all know it's easy for everyone to say "TGIF" or "Happy Friday".

But it's not as easy to say "Happy Monday" and mean it.

When you utter the words Happy Monday, what you're really saying is:

1. My work isn't drudgery, it's exciting!

2. My work is important and it matters to me, and to others.

3. I have an opportunity today (and all week long) to make someone's day.

4. I have a chance this week to design or launch something special, and

5. I LOVE my work and can't wait to get to it!

Sound idealistic or overly romantic? It's not.

The world rewards companies and people who inject genuine LOVE and passion

into what they do. "Me-too" products, and services, and resumes pale by 

comparison and the market responds accordingly. People will pay the bare 

minimum for mediocrity, but they'll pay a king's ransom for things powered

by L-O-V-E.

And because it's so rare, you can spot love in business from a mile away.

It's the big, bright smile and friendly service you get from the flight

attendant. Or the enthusiasm and energy of an inspired presenter at 

a seminar. Or the fantastic service and incredibly fresh food you get at your 

local farmers market.

And your customers know if you love your work, or not. And they flock to

businesses where they sense that love. That's why if you pour your heart into

whatever you do, you are way may more likely to win than if you don't.

But there's a catch. In order to get to the point where you love what you do, 

you have to be willing to take some risks.

You have to go out on a limb and risk failure. You have to be willing to lead, 

to do things differently, and to realize that there are no guarantees. Love

isn't all rosy. It can be a thorny business.

Maybe people will think you're idea isn't so great. Or maybe your product will 

fall flat, despite your hard work and dedication.  Hey, it happens, and then we 

have to get over it.

Steve Jobs got over it. After being ousted from Apple and then floundering with 

NeXT, he bounced back in spectacular fashion. He kept at it and followed his heart.

No surprise there. Courage, strength, and resilience are important components

of love. Did you know that the very word Valentine comes from the Latin

valentia which connotes courage, strength and ability? 

So loving what you do isn't a frivolity or a nice-to-have. It's a prerequisite

for your success. We ignore this maxim at our own peril.

Ask yourself, do I love what I do? It's worth thinking about for a few seconds.

Now I'll leave you with something very profound that Steve Jobs said about all this

in a 2005 commencement speech at Stanford: 

For the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked 

myself, "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am 

about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been "no" for too many 

days in a row, I know I need to change something. 

Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the 

trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked.  

There is no reason not to follow your heart.

Happy Valentine’s Day and have a fantastic week!