Lessons From Music to Achieve Harmony at Work

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Living a life in harmony is critical to overall well-being. In honor of World Music Day, which took place on June 21, I shared three steps in which music can bring balance and harmony to teams reuniting at the workplace.

To run an effective workplace, companies need teams that work in harmony. With disharmony and discord, productivity stalls, and progress is hampered. That can cripple growth for the entire organization.

Lessons from music, however, can instantly remind workers about the value of harmonious efforts.

As I write in my book, All the Right Reasons, in music, harmony happens when notes blend in a way that is pleasing to the ear. When notes are out of harmony, their dissonant sounds are hard to listen to. Think of the last time you heard someone sing out of key or heard a jumble of incongruent notes. It’s horrible.

You’ve heard me say before that music is medicine for my soul. It’s such a powerful and important part of my life. It is for many others, as well. World Music Day, which got its start in Paris in 1982, celebrates music’s power to bring people together, transcend borders, and break barriers.

3 Steps to Harmony

With three simple steps, music can lift moods and unify teams.

  1. First, if you’re feeling down, play a song that brings happy memories, which may be something from high school or college.
  2. Next, sing your favorite songs out loud no matter who’s listening.
  3. Finally, get with your team to sing a song together.

There’s nothing like live music to lift spirits, and when you are part of making music, it can boost your positive temperament even more. When you’re doing that with team members, I’ve seen it help people find common ground and form instant bonds.

Achieving Harmony Takes Work

Harmony in music doesn’t happen without hours of practice and each individual musician’s commitment to getting the music right. The same commitment is required in the workplace.

Whether someone plays in a band, sings in a choir, or performs in an orchestra, nothing is quite as exhilarating as achieving perfect harmony with fellow musicians.

A life in harmony means a consistent and honest arrangement of your values and a solid commitment to living those values day in and day out.

Throughout the pandemic, most workers have been operating remotely. So coming back into an office setting might be a bit clumsy at first. Working toward harmony, which means understanding others, sharing your positivity, and making a difference for the better, will be one of the quickest paths to restoring productivity levels teams achieved before the pandemic.

 

A version of the above article was distributed as a news release on World Music Day 2021 with the headline World Music Day Calls for Harmony. All proceeds from All the Right Reasons are directed to feed two million meals to hungry children. Available on Amazon, the book provides 40 meals for every single purchase.

World Service Week 21: Thank You for Giving Back

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World Service Week 2021 - Thank You

In a previous article, I encouraged readers to make a commitment to serve in their own communities during World Service Week.

The fifth-annual USANA World Service Week wrapped up on Monday. I took the opportunity to help a few neighbors who are going through some tough times. It’s not always easy to ask for help, so my family and I sought ways that we could potentially ease a burden or two.

Also, in last month’s e-newsletter (are you subscribed?), I asked for you to let me know your plans for the week. One email I received touched my heart, and I thank the author for allowing me to share it with all of you.

“I’ve thought about how I can possibly make a worthwhile contribution,” writes George Steciuk, a longtime USANA Associate, who lives in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

At age 76, George decided to run his first 10K. The next year, he completed a half-marathon. He’s run a half-dozen more since then, and this week, at age 84, George planned to run a 5K each day during World Service Week.

World Service Week: A Greater Purpose

George SteciukAs he does regularly, he enjoys getting out in the fresh air to run. But this week’s 5Ks will serve a greater purpose.

Leading up to World Service Week, George shared his plan and asked his friends, family, and colleagues to show their support for him by supporting The USANA Foundation.

He’s incorporated his fundraising efforts into the USANA Canada 5K Walkathon, which, by the end of Sunday, had raised more than $10,000 from 216 donors.

For the last 25 years, George has been a valued member of the USANA Family. And last week, he did something truly special to benefit The USANA Foundation.

Here’s a great video of George during his first World Service Week 5K on June 14. And check out George’s Facebook for videos from each of the 5Ks he completed during the week.

Thank you, George, for your support, and for allowing me to share your story. We all cheered you on as you completed your daily 5K runs for the Foundation!

And thank you to everyone else who participated in World Service Week. You each made a positive impact on the lives of others.

World Service Week in Action

Here are a few other notes you might enjoy from the week:

  • Take a look at a few photos from The USANA Foundation highlighting various projects during the week
  • See how a group from USANA set up six garden towers to grow fresh vegetables to donate to our community partners
  • Here’s a roundup of various projects completed by USANA employees
  • Watch an online concert to benefit The USANA Foundation!
  • And check out the photos under the #WorldServiceWeek21 hashtag (Instagram / Facebook).

The USANA FoundationSupport The USANA Foundation

Remember, service isn’t confined to one week. Throughout the year, you can donate, become a USANA Foundation Ambassador, or fundraise through the USANA Foundation website.

A version of this article originally went to e-newsletter subscribers on June 16, 2021.

USANA CEO Elected as Chairman of the Board of Direct Selling Association

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In June 2021, USANA Chairman and CEO Kevin Guest was elected to serve as Chairman of the Board of the Direct Selling Association (DSA). The DSA is a national trade organization for direct sales companies. Guest was elected by members of the Association and will serve a one-year term.

“I am honored for the privilege of serving this great organization, which plays such a crucial role in promoting innovation and integrity within the direct selling industry.

“I have worked in direct sales for more than 25 years, in which time I have seen tremendous growth in the industry; much of that growth is due to the leadership and guidance DSA provides its member companies.

“I would like to sincerely thank DSA members for giving me this opportunity to help further strengthen our industry’s foothold in the marketplace.” — Kevin Guest

Read the full news release

The Leap of Faith Principle: Take the First Step

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Sometimes when we are faced with difficult tasks or overwhelming obstacles, all that’s required for us to navigate the path toward success is to take the first step. That’s the Leap of Faith Principle, which is Principle No. 4 in my book All the Right Reasons.

All the Right Reasons Book CoverTo help illustrate the principle, I lean on a story from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (apologies for the incorrect Indiana Jones film reference in the video below).

In one particular scene, Indiana needs to get from one side of a massive ravine to the other in his quest to find the Holy Grail. The only problem? It’s far too wide to jump across, and there doesn’t seem to be a bridge.

Indiana fears he will fall to his death if he steps blindly into thin air. But his father is dying and he has run out of time. Professor Henry Jones, Indiana’s father, urges his son to take a leap of faith.

“You must believe, boy. You must believe,” he says.

Ultimately, Indy takes a leap of faith and makes it to the other side.

Take a Leap of Faith

Many times in life, that’s what it takes. We just have to take the first step.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said: “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”

So often, we’re not willing to take that first step because we’re not sure what’s going to happen. The only thing that will help us do that is to have faith.

The Leap of Faith Principle, to me, is this: You act with faith when you take a courageous step into the unknown.

As I write in my book, faith is not a sure knowledge. It is a firm belief in something for which there is no proof. We have faith when we believe we can find a way and then move into the dark.

Faith is hope put into action.

View additional videos on my YouTube channel

When we embark on a journey, start a project, begin a new relationship, or form a business, we aren’t guaranteed our efforts will prove successful. Like Indiana Jones, we are often taking steps into the unknown. We act, not because we know, but because we hope we can succeed. We believe we can find a way.

I invite you to subscribe here to receive monthly emails from me on a range of topics. Please consider contributing to the USANA Foundation. Its mission is to ensure that impoverished children and families reach their fullest potential by providing food and nutrition.

6 Practices to Help Workers Ease Back Into an Onsite Work Pattern

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The following is adapted from a news release published on May 18, 2021. 

As nearly 70 percent of Americans feel we’re emerging from the pandemic, more workers will be expected to return to work. And that can cause anxiety.

Since May is Mental Health Awareness Month, I shared six practices to help workers ease back into an onsite work pattern.

We are social beings. The year in isolation threw off our flow of sociality. When we embark on a new normal world, many will likely be a bit wobbly as we ease back into the office socially. We need to go easy on ourselves because it will all work out.

1. Slow Down and Breathe

First, slow down and breathe to soak in the moments you’re experiencing now.

2. Practice Self Care

Apply a healthy dose of self-care by wrapping yourself up in nature and connecting with experiences that matter most to you, whether that be with friends, family, or yourself alone.

3. Believe in Yourself

Believe that you are good enough, that you can do it. If you don’t believe in yourself, lean on my grandpa’s teaching: ‘Fake it until you make it.’ That’s a great way to gain confidence and propel forward with any task you face.

4. Live in the Moment

Be Present - Ease Back Into Post-Pandemic WorkEnjoy the time you have now and plan for the future with confidence. From my experience, planning for the future is exceptionally smart, but worrying about the future yields no good thing. I even have a clock in my office to remind me of this.

5. Serve Others

Lift another person up, look outside of yourself and see who can use your help, your smile, and even your simple greeting today. When we lose ourselves in the service of others, we find strength and purpose.

6. Exude Optimism

Convince yourself that everything will work out for you just fine. I’ve quoted a poem in my book called, ‘Things Will Work Out,’ which posits that when we look back at our lives, we will realize everything has indeed worked out. To continue that success, we should focus energy on current situations to ensure positive solutions. It’s a simple and powerful concept.

Applying such practices can help today’s workers ease back into post-pandemic office work and live a life today in harmony with one’s core values.

All proceeds from All the Right Reasons are directed to feed two million meals to hungry children. Available on Amazon, the book provides 40 meals for every single purchase.

World Service Week 2021: Giving Back to Your Community

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We’re less than a month away from USANA World Service Week. Each year, the USANA Family joins together around the world to give back. This year’s global event will take place June 14-21, 2021.

As you may know, one of my all-time favorite quotes, which is attributed to Winston Churchill, is:

“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”

Truly, the things that really matter are what we can do to help others. Many of us are blessed to be in a position where we can give of our time and our money to help out those less fortunate.

Over the next little while, The USANA Foundation’s blog and social media will share stories about individuals who are making a difference in their communities.

Most recently, I read about why, in 2019, Canadian bobsledder Alex Kopacz joined the Foundation’s mission to Chiang Mai, Thailand. The Olympic gold medalist and USANA athlete served “to help families living in abject poverty who lacked the means to feed themselves,” the article says. “Along with 24 other volunteers, he helped the locals build lasting, sustainable food sources.”

What an inspiring story. I encourage you to read the article, and then I invite you to make a commitment to serving your own community during World Service Week.

World Service Week 2021

Giving Back

There are so many opportunities to get involved and to make a difference. Please send me a message with how you’re planning to give back during USANA’s fifth annual World Service Week. It could be included in next month’s e-newsletter.

If you’re looking for inspiration, you can donate, learn how to become a USANA Foundation Ambassador, or fundraise through the USANA Foundation website.

Note: A version of this article originally went to e-newsletter subscribers on May 20, 2021. If you’d like to subscribe, I invite you to do so here.

5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Became a CEO

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5 Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me Before I Became a CEO

5 Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me Before I Became a CEO

Parveen Panwar, Mr. Activated on social media, invited me to speak as part of his “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Became a CEO” series on Medium.

Read the entire article in Authority Magazine online.

The article includes answers to question such as:

  1. How I embarked on my career path
  2. What I found interesting about the role once I became CEO
  3. Who’s mentored me to help me in my journey
  4. Why diversity, equality, and inclusion are so important
  5. And a few myths about being a CEO

Then, we got into the heart of the article. I provided 5 things I wish someone told me before I became a CEO.

5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Became a CEO

Please take a look at the full article in which I expand on the following points. I wish someone would have…

  1. Better educated me on government relations and affairs
  2. Told me that every single member of the senior executive team has value
  3. Better educated me from a financial perspective on publicly traded companies
  4. Better explained the delicate nature of family dynamics in a family-founded business
  5. Told me more about international commerce for a global company

Thank you to Parveen Panwar — Mr. Activated — for inviting me to participate in his series. I enjoyed sharing my thoughts, and I hope my answers provide value to you personally or professionally.

The Cardboard Keyboard Principle: Choose to Use Positive Self-Talk

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The Cardboard Keyboard Principle. In the video below, I relay a harrowing story about a young woman in Rwanda. A civil war had erupted, devastating her small village and leaving many fighting for their lives.

All the Right Reasons Book CoverImmaculee Ilibagiza hid in a bathroom as killers lurked outside the window. For days, this woman feared for her life. Yet, her thoughts were hopeful and uplifting. She imagined her life once she was rescued — working at the United Nations.

Immaculee read books and taught herself English, all while violence raged just outside her door. She drew a replica of a computer keyboard on a piece of cardboard and spent hours learning how to type.

Immaculee survived by keeping hope in her heart and telling herself she would be okay. She prepared for her future.

It would have been easy — and understandable — for Immaculee’s thoughts to turn dark. For her to consider the situation hopeless and to give up. She could have let negative self-talk overwhelm her spirit.

But she didn’t. She used her inner voice to think positively about her seemingly dire situation. And it helped her escape. It allowed her to ultimately realize the life she visualized herself living.

View additional videos on my YouTube channel

The Power of Self-Talk

Managing self-talk is a significant personal difficulty for me. I constantly struggle to eliminate the negative voice in my mind.

At my first Grand Ole Opry performance with Collin Raye.

Many have heard me tell the story, which is also included in my book, All the Right Reasons, of standing off stage at the Grand Ole Opry. I’m about to perform with country music superstar Collin Raye—a phenomenal opportunity on one of music’s biggest stages—and my inner voice is filling my mind with doubt.

What are you doing? You’re not a professional musician. You don’t deserve to be here. What if you make a mistake and ruin the whole show?

Fortunately, I’ve developed strategies and techniques to quiet the negativity and amplify the positive self-talk.

I’ve worked hard to learn the music. I’ve trained and practiced for years for this opportunity. It’s going to be an awesome show!

As individuals, we tend to be harder on ourselves than anyone else is. But the good news is positive self-talk is even more powerful than negative self-talk. Learning how to channel and elevate the voice in your head can change your life.

I encourage each of you to take note of the chatter happening inside your head. With practice, we can consciously choose positive self-talk (and limit negative self-talk) to help make our lives better.

A version of this article went to email subscribers on April 21, 2021. I invite you to subscribe here. Please consider contributing to the USANA Foundation. Its mission is to ensure that impoverished children and families reach their fullest potential by providing food and nutrition.

Kevin Guest: Seek Mentorship in Pandemic

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Kevin Guest, USANA Chairman and CEO and author of All the Right Reasons, is featured in an article about mentorship on the Home Business magazine website on April 13, 2021.

“One of the undisputed secrets to my success has been following advice from mentors,” Guest says. “For over 20 years, Denis Waitley has been one of my mentors and dearest friends. His philosophy on winning and serving others rang true to me, and I have absorbed everything he has produced, which has taught me a tremendous amount about success.”

Read the full article on Home Business magazine’s website.

4 Steps to Finding an Influential Mentor

  1. Identify qualities you want in a mentor — and find someone who has “walked the walk,” so to speak
  2. Seek out a mentor and approach them. The worst thing that can happen is they decline.
  3. Be candid with your mentor on your goals and dreams. Help them understand and make the most of their investment.
  4. Follow the advice of your mentor. Make the most out of your investment.

Earlier this year, Guest wrote about mentorship on his blog. In 2018, Guest wrote All the Right Reasons, a book that includes 12 principles to living a life in harmony. Proceeds from the book benefit the USANA Foundation and its mission to feed hungry children. Each book purchase helps to provide 40 meals. Help us as we strive toward our goal of 2 million meals.

What I’m Reading: The Ride of a Lifetime

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The Ride of a Lifetime

It’s been several months since I’ve posted about What I’m Reading. So I wanted to share with you one book that I’ve recently started but that I’m really enjoying. It’s The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company.

My kids know that I like to read, so they’re always trying to find something I might enjoy. My son actually gave me this book.

It’s lessons learned from Robert Iger, who spent more than a decade leading the Walt Disney Company.

I’m always excited to learn from other leaders. This book, in particular, lays out several real-life practical stories.

Iger also offers insight into certain decisions he made — some good, some bad — and the lessons he learned from each.

The Disney Experience

As you may remember, the USANA management team spent some time at The Disney Institute in 2019. We learned from their customer experience model.

Our challenge: Learn as much as we could from the Disney team. And then visit Disneyland the following day to observe their methods in action.

Finally, we regrouped as a management team and talked about how we can apply some of the Disney customer experience strategies in our own business. I believe it’s so important to learn from others, especially from others who have a proven track record in a certain area.

The Walt Disney Company definitely excels in customer experience. I’m learning even more about it as I make my way through The Ride of a Lifetime.

How About You?

What are you currently reading? Please drop a comment to let me know if there’s a book you recommend I pick up next.