What makes a good day? What happened that day to make you feel good? Maybe it was an event you planned, and everything worked out. Or it could have been your presentation, and you ” killed” it. Something took place for you to say, “This was a good day.“

Author William A. Ward once said, “Judge each day not by the harvest you reap but by the seeds you plant.” I love this and hope you feel the same way. Each day, we get to choose what to focus on. When we focus on the harvest, as Ward put it, we are centered on our gain. On the other hand, when we focus on “planting seeds,” we serve and impact the lives of others.

The bottom line is that this is what leaders do. They show up and make a difference.

In my book, Make Today Your Masterpiece, I emphasize the importance of creating opportunities to impact others daily. Each day is a blank canvas, and we hold the brush to create. The challenge is whether we’re planting seeds for others to grow. Is a “good day” about our own gain, or is it better because someone else’s life improved through our efforts?

The answer is absolutely. The old cliche “it is better to give than to receive” applies to your daily Masterpiece.

I suggest you try this simple exercise each day: Identify one person in your sphere of influence that you will intentionally connect with TODAY and add value to them in whatever way you can; my friend, this is the secret sauce.