As I sit here at the end of the Thanksgiving holiday and at the precipice of Christmas, preparing to take the plunge into the festivities of the Season, I am reminded of the sentiment under the portrait of Peter Bailey in, It’s a Wonderful Life. You have all seen this movie, if you haven’t, do it this Christmas season, it can be refreshing and even redeeming. Here is the quote,

“All you can take with you, is that which you have given away.”

If you thought George Bailey was the good guy, get a load of his dad, Peter. He knows you can’t take it with you, so how does giving it away turn into take it with you? The immutable, immortal dichotomies huh? and what does this have to do with business? 240 is about Love and Life and Leadership.

SO let’s consider this. Do you know what else you can’t take with you? You can’t take love. You can’t take attention. You can’t take time or instruction. If you don’t give them away, to your people and to others around you, they are lost. What you have is lost if you don’t give it away. What else is lost if you don’t give it away?

Maybe what you give away is multiplied. Maybe what you give away lives on in others and that’s how you take it with you. Maybe it is nonsense. Except for one thing…it doesn’t cost you anything to give away love and attention. Time and instruction can be multiplied. Give these things away freely, someone else will give it away too.

I still don’t quite understand how I can take with me what I give away but I’m working on it and I will do my best to give it away, everyday until I do. May you give it away to your family and your team and give away a GREAT DAY while you’re at it!!!