Danny Kaye and Thoughts for Today

How do you measure up?

How many of you remember KTLA’s “Family Film Festival”?  Every weekend, Channel 5 in Los Angeles would show all of these wonderful old movies.  Tom Hatten would introduce kids to classic movies starring comedic geniuses such as Jerry and Dean, and Bob and Bing.  I loved them all, but Danny Kaye was always my favorite.  I loved his unassuming manner, his brilliant timing and his gentle spirit.  I particularly remember when he sang “Inchworm” in 1952’s Hans Christian Andersen.

“Inchworm, inchworm - measuring the marigold. 
You and your arithmetic, you'll probably go far. 
Inchworm, inchworm - measuring the marigold. 
Seems to me you'd stop and see how beautiful they are.”

Today was a funny kind of day.  Little problems seemed to pop up here, there and everywhere.  Little opportunities are right on the horizon as well, and just can’t get here fast enough for me.  And through it all, that song was running through my head.  I had not thought about it in years, yet it was all I could think about today.

It’s human nature to get caught up in the little things of today.  Complaints may get you down.  You spend your day analyzing what you could have done better or how you “failed”.  You’re “measuring the marigold” inch by inch. 

Perhaps the only thing you really “failed” at was seeing the bigger picture – seeing how “beautiful they are”.  Before you head into your weekend, I just want to remind you how beautiful YOU really are.  When you believe in something with all of your soul and are passionate about it, that’s a thing of beauty.  You leave your footprint on your company, on this earth and on lives of the people you touch - every time you lend a helping hand.  You create miracles.  Don’t let the little things get you down.  Be great at the basics, and create your legacy.

I’d like to thank a friend of mine or sharing the following with me.  I'm not sure how far these words have traveled, but I'm glad they came my way as they resonated with me.  Enjoy.  And please remember, many people are eternally grateful for you. 

“5 WAYS TO LEAVE A LEGACY" 

By default or design, every one of us is going to leave a legacy. It just depends on what kind. So what kind of legacy do you want to leave? Clarity helps you decide how to live and work today, and how you spend your time. Consider the following and then focus on what matters most to you… 

1. A Legacy of Excellence - To leave a legacy of excellence, strive to be your best every day. As you strive for excellence, you inspire excellence in others. You serve as a role model for your children, your friends and your colleagues. One person in pursuit of excellence raises the standards and behaviors of everyone around them. You only have one life to give, and there is only one you.  Give all you can. 

2. A Legacy of Encouragement - You have a choice. You can lift others up or bring them down. Twenty years from now when people think of you, what do you want them to remember? The way you encouraged them or discouraged them?  Who will you encourage today? Be that person that someone will call five, ten or twenty years from now and say “Thank you, I couldn’t have done it without you.” 

3. A Legacy of Purpose - People are most energized when they are using their strengths and talents for a purpose beyond themselves. To leave a legacy of purpose, make your life about something bigger than you – something greater than yourself.  While you’re not going to live forever, you will live on in the positive impact you make in the world.  

4. A Legacy of Love – Life is not just about achievement. Sometimes it is just about the power to love. Share a legacy of love and it will embrace generations to come.

5. A Legacy of __________________.

 What’s yours going to be??”