Loving life is more powerful than you know…
“I have found that if you love life, life will love you back.”
– Arthur Rubinstein, famous pianist
“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched—they must be felt with the heart.”
– Helen Keller, author, activist, and educator (deaf and blind)
My mission is to create a world in which all people love their lives because that is what allows us to be our best and cause our best.
What are the conditions and conversations that create such a world? One memory that helped shape my mission occurred when I was 11. Like many that age, I was chubby and awkward and trying to find my way. I was in a school with some really mean girls and I was bullied. Like others who have been bullied, I thought something was wrong with me and if I changed myself to make others happy, things would get better. I determined to win friendships by figuring out what others wanted from me and giving it to them. It did not work and it was exhausting!
Soon, I realized I was tired of this and committed to be myself – no matter what. To my surprise, this immediately freed me. I didn’t know what this was at the time, but I had created my own psychological safety. As I showed up as real, to my surprise, instead of the sky falling – as I half expected it to do – people respected and admired me. I had the most popular year of my life! I loved life! You may be wondering about now, “What does any of this have to do with my business?”
Here’s the deal. Hopefully you love your business and the work you do. Hopefully your people do too. When you, your staff and your customers love life, this is the foundation of long-term success in the broadest sense of the word. Do you know what causes people to put their own self-interest aside for others? It’s happiness and self-respect that results in overflow. For people to be fully engaged, committed, loyal and helpful, loving life is the ultimate secret sauce. Here are a few things to do (and get) in order to ensure this:
- Celebrate. Many celebrate what gets done or earned; additionally celebrate who people are. Recognize how amazing they are, AS they are. By appreciating gifts, talents, AND differences, the joy generated is contagious. Joy and confidence replace self-criticism, self-doubt, and self-betrayal.
- Focus. The most important choice you can make is what you focus on. Reflect on yourself at your best. Then, notice what you cause, and get busy causing THAT all over the place! Codify it into words and give attention to it as your top priority. This becomes your trajectory to triumph! This is mission; not what you DO or HOW you do it, but WHY, what you CAUSE. Focusing here builds self-trust, self-respect and self-love. It strengthens belonging and significance. How can you see what you cause at your best and be discouraged? You won’t be. This is challenging to do because we have been conditioned to avoid and fear this. And… because it requires a high level of personal responsibility to claim it and fully commit to it. Do it anyway. This carries you through it all, including disappointments and even bullying.
- Support. We’ve all heard that when people know better, they do better. This is partially true. However, even when people know better, without the right support, they may still not do better. What kind of support am I talking about? The support needed is transferring responsibility to people until they can pick it up so they live from their purpose and they stop trying to control people or life, including themselves. They develop courage, skill and joy to be themselves knowing self-trust is the foundation for creating trust with others! I glimpsed the power of this as an 11-year-old and it has been a vital guide in my work. I have been bringing this support to all I meet and with whom I work. I bring them the concepts, tools, and support that helps them tap into the power and skills needed for loving life!
Often, we think supporting the MIND is priority. Supporting the whole person is much better. Then we can live from purpose, experience freedom with responsibility, think critically and creatively, act holistically, and are courageous in taking risks to lead or follow as needed. Supporting the HEART and confident, aligned ACTION are important and why Helen Keller’s words matter – the most beautiful things must be felt with the heart. LifeWork Systems is here to support you and yours. No matter what life throws at you or your people, may you grow in loving life today and more tomorrow, and learn to help those you lead do the same!
This article is published in my column The Extraordinary Workplace in St. Louis Small Business Monthly, January, 2026
