“Whatever you are; be a good one.” (Abraham Lincoln)
For many of us in the United States, Labor Day is the unofficial end of the summer and is filled with cookouts, pool parties, and college football.
Click here to listen to the 1-minute version of this article.
But Labor Day began as a way to recognize our nation’s workers and their accomplishments.
It’s been a national holiday since way back in 1894.
My whole career as a student-athlete, coach, athletic director, and entrepreneur has been rooted in hard work, which I learned from my parents Frank and Beth. They both showed me what it meant to work hard and why it was important.
There were many years we’d “celebrate” working hard by going and walking in the annual Mackinaw Bridge walk on Labor Day weekend. The Mackinaw Bridge is the longest suspension bridge in the Western Hemisphere spanning 5 miles as it connects the upper and lower peninsulas of Michigan.
Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “No work is insignificant. All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.”
It doesn’t matter what kind of work you do, you can do it to the best of your ability.
My dad’s work ethic wasn’t situational. It didn’t depend on his salary, his title, or what his boss was like.
He consistently did excellent work.
Go out this week and approach your responsibilities with contagious enthusiasm and example.