Author: louis

We will be making our annual Christmas visit to LeBonheur this coming Saturday. We are leaving from New Albany at 8:30 that morning. If you are interested in going please let Meredith know by Thursday afternoon.  This is a picture of just a few of the items we have bought for the children.

Have a great day!

Kim

While many people enjoy their job, most experience stress at some point during their working hours.  Stressful situations in the workplace can impact an employee’s performance, as well as, his or her physical and emotional well-being.  Fortunately, there are ways to cope with workplace stress.  Next time you are feeling “stressed out” on the job, try the following suggestions:

•  Plan and Prioritize.  Do not panic, set realistic deadlines, don’t rush into the first idea you have and always have an alternate plan.
• Focus on what you can control.  Create a list to prioritize your work; break larger tasks into smaller, more doable steps.
• Slow down.  Think things through before you act and begin each task with a result in mind.
• Take a break.  Walking away from a task for a few minutes or discussing your situation with another person may help you gain a fresh perspective.
• Think outside the box.  Search for alternatives that save time and money, approach situations from a new angle or ask a colleague for input if you are feeling stuck.
• Use all your resources.  Seek the help of co-workers, advice from your supervisor or investigate external resources for solving a problem or handling a situation.
• Keep in contact.  Consistently communicate with co-workers, supervisors and customers.  Their priorities and deadlines could change (and so can yours), so proper communication will ensure that everyone is on the same page.

If you feel you are unable to manage your stress on your own, you may consider utilizing the Employee Assistance Program offered through The Guardian.  All employees of Montgomery Enterprises, Inc. are eligible to receive counseling by professional counselors for such issues as workplace stress, conflict resolution or other personal matters you may be coping with at home.  All information discussed during your session(s) will remain confidential.  Information on the EAP program was provided to all employees in their insurance open enrollment packets in November.  You may also contact me with any questions or for additional information.

~Kandi

Stress should be a powerful driving force, not an obstacle.  ~Bill Phillips

The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.

~William James

To celebrate an outstanding  year and an equally outstanding boss, a contribution is being made to the First Foundation in Luke’s name.  Luke, this is just a small token of appreciation for all that you do.  On behalf of all the employees at Montgomery Enterprises, I would like to say thank you for your inspiration and encouragement.  Every successful team has someone terrific like you leading from the front.  Merry Christmas and we are all looking forward to a fabulous 2014!

Rachel

I’m looking forward to seeing everyone at the Christmas party tomorrow night.  Meredith has put lots of work into planning this years Christmas party to make it the most entertaining and fun party to date.  It will be a great opportunity to socialize with friends and get to know co-workers whom you don’t already know and celebrate the successes of 2013.

See you tomorrow night,

Louis

Here are some of my favorite quotes that all have a common theme. Hard work. With December being one of our busiest months keep these quotes in mind when you are feeling overwhelmed. Hard work is the key to being successful in anything. Have a great day!

Meredith

“The three great essentials to achieve anything worthwhile are, first, hard work; second, stick-to-itiveness; third, common sense.”  Thomas A. Edison

“It’s hard to beat a person who never gives up.” 
Babe Ruth

“The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra.”
Jimmy Johnson

“The dictionary is the only place that success comes  before work. work is the key to success, and hard work can help you accomplish anything.”
Vince Lombardi

“‎”You were hired because you met expectations, you will be promoted if you can exceed them.”
Saji Ijiyemi

I spent several hours traveling alone this weekend so I decided to take advantage of our library here at the Fulton office and use my time in the car to listen to a couple of audio books.  One of the authors has written a few books on his study of successful businesses and the employees that make those businesses successful.

The author has discovered that the most successful people in business identify and capitalize on their strengths.  So often our human nature directs us to focus on our weaknesses instead of our strengths.  To achieve the highest level of success, we must push this urge away and focus on capitalizing upon our strengths.  Start today by making a list of your individual strengths.  How can you use these strengths at work today?  Also, what are the strengths of your co-workers?  How can you pair your strengths with them to make your team more successful?

I believe if we focus on our strengths and think about the three questions above we can all be more successful.

Have a great Tuesday…..Louis

“Perhaps I am stronger than I think.”  Thomas Merton

Here are a few quotes on being thankful this Thanksgiving week. Have a great Monday!

Meredith

“Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough”
― Oprah Winfrey

“Rest and be thankful.”
― William Wordsworth

“We pray for the big things and forget to give thanks for the ordinary, small (and yet really not small) gifts.”
― Dietrich Bonhoeffer

“Sometimes we focus so much on what we don’t have that we fail to see, appreciate, and use what we do have!”
― Jeff Dixon

“Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving.”
― W.T. Purkiser

As Luke mentioned last week, Sammy Stephens was on location in Aberdeen filming our next commercial for Approved Auto Sales.  Luke and I were able to see the first rough clip yesterday of “Super Sammy” in action.  While there is still of lot of editing that must take place before the piece is ready to air,  the footage exceeded our expectations.  This commercial will be the next step in continuing to build our brand at Approved Auto Sales.  Hopefully we will have a final version to share with you in a few weeks.

-Have a great day….Louis

If any of you are on Facebook, I am sure that you have seen all the daily posts  of thankfulness.  Although I do not participate in the daily postings on Facebook, the importance of being thankful cannot be emphasized enough.  So many of us are so blessed but yet so many of us take for granted those blessings.    For this blog, I wanted to thank the ladies in accounting for all of their hard work.  The last few weeks have been hard but all four of them have gone above and beyond to help me.  In just a short amount of time, each of them have become like family to me.  Jana, Dellynn, Jon, Jon & Kandi – I love all of you dearly and I cannot wait to see what an excellent department we can become!

Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Zig Ziglar

“If the only prayer you said was thank you, that would be enough.”

Rachel

With about 43.8 million Americans smoking cigarettes – nearly 1 in 5 adults – tobacco use remains the single most preventable cause of disease and premature death in the U.S.  The American Cancer Society observes the 3^rd Thursday in November of each year as the Great American Smokeout.  This year, on November 21^st, smokers are encouraged to quit smoking.  Even one day without smoking can help reduce the risk of cancer and other life threatening diseases.  Below are some statistics on how your body recovers over a period of time after becoming smoke free.

• 20 minutes without smoking will cause your heart rate and blood pressure to drop.
• 12 hours without smoking will cause the carbon monoxide level in your blood to return to normal.
• 2 weeks – 3 months smoke free will improve your circulation and increase your lung function.
• 1 – 9 months without smoking will decrease coughing and shortness of breath; cilia start to regain normal function in the lungs, increasing the ability to handle mucus, clean the lungs, and reduce the risk of infection.
• 1 year without smoking will reduce the excess risk of coronary heart disease by half that of a continuing smoker.
• 5 years smoke free will result in the risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, and bladder being cut in half.  Cervical cancer risk will fall to that of a non-smoker.  Stroke risk can fall to that of a non-smoker after 2 to 5 years.
• After 10 years of being smoke free the risk of dying from lung cancer is about half that of a person who is still smoking.  The risk of cancer of the larynx (voice box) and pancreas decreases.
• After 15 years of being smoke free, the risk of coronary heart disease is that of a non-smoker.

~Kandi

 The chains of habit are generally too small to be felt until they are too strong to be broken. 

~Samuel Johnson