Our Hall of Fame by Jim Stovall

Several weeks ago, I had one of those milestone experiences that I feel is worth sharing with you because many of you have been on this journey with me for over 20 years. Many of you have read my weekly columns in newspapers and magazines worldwide, read my 50 books, watched my eight movies, and attended countless arena speeches. Since you have been supportive and encouraged me along the way, I wanted to share a brief portion of the Hall of Fame induction ceremony with you: https://vimeo.com/651207279/0b4be01eaf

As a blind person myself, I am constantly reminded and always aware of the fact that none of us, especially me, succeeds in anything on our own. These words you are reading now are being dictated to a valued colleague as I cannot type or read the words on a computer screen or printed page. As someone who writes books I can’t read that are turned into movies I can’t watch, I am constantly reminded of the poet John Donne’s message that no one is an island. We all succeed or fail together.

As you will notice in the brief Hall of Fame video, I am not even able to walk on stage to receive an honor without help—much less do anything worthy of receiving such an honor without the collaboration of many talented and dedicated colleagues. I tend to look at an honor such as this as a time to thank those like you who have made this possible, as well as a time to re-dedicate myself to living up to the ideals for which I am being recognized.

In my thinking, awards, honors, or recognition are as much a call to action as they are a call to celebrate. As Socrates so poignantly said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” Furthermore, I believe that anything worth doing is worth turning into a habit. Just as there may not be a convenient occasion to spend quality time with friends or family, there is no dedicated moment for you to thank the special people in your professional and personal life. Whether it’s once a month or once a week, I believe we should take time and give thought to thanking those who have made our life successful and joyful.

Think of all the people you know whose funeral you would attend if they suddenly passed away, and instead of waiting until that somber occasion, call or write them today and thank them for all that they have done for you. As one of the millions of people who follows these weekly columns, reads my books, watches my movies, or listens to my speeches, I want to thank you and let you know that you are a prominent member of my Hall of Fame.

As you go through your day today, be thankful for where you are and those people who helped you get there.

Today’s the day!

Jim Stovall is the president of Narrative Television Network as well as a published author of many books including The Ultimate Gift. He is also a columnist and motivational speaker. He may be reached at 5840 South Memorial Drive, Suite 312, Tulsa, OK 74145-9082; by email at Jim@JimStovall.com; on Twitter at www.twitter.com/stovallauthor; or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/jimstovallauthor.