Friday Positivity with CEO & President Jeffery Stein

Positivity

I am the senior member of the Stein Financial Group. I have the good fortune of spending close to thirty-five years, making a positive difference in people’s lives through my career in financial services. I have worked with thousands of people. One of the constants I have found no matter the race, religion, or sexual orientation is that people are good. They all desire lives that are meaningful. They all strive to life as stress-free of a life as possible. And they all want to leave a legacy.

It is easy today to become frightened, disillusioned, and angry. We tend to begin to feel sorry for ourselves. We ask, "Why is this happening to me?" I have no background as a clergy person or counselor. Having known a number of these individuals, I’ve seen how difficult their jobs are. What I will do is share some thoughts on ways that help me deal with the negativity that can overwhelm any one of us.

· I work to realize how fortunate I am. I practice gratitude for what I have, not what I want or don’t have.

· I strive to make a difference for others. I start with my family, the people within my organization, and the clients I am fortunate enough to work with daily.

· I try to keep my life simple. I have learned that trying to do it all and trying to be perfect doesn’t work for me. Easy is better than hard.

These are only my top three thoughts to help me remain positive. In the COVID-19 environment we live in, taking ownership of what I have control over allows me to be as optimistic as possible as it relates to my thinking and attitude. I have realized, with no conscious effort on my part, that most of the noise and distractions I was allowing into my life have fallen away. The result has reminded me of those things I find most important, my family, friends and co-workers, our health, and the relationships and opportunities I would too often take for granted.

This cartoon “Brilliant Mind of Edison Lee” by John Hambrock from the Star Tribune 5-21-2020 for me captures where we have been, and I hope where we are going, not taking for granted the gifts life has provided us.