“To those who will, the ways are never wanting.”
– Unknown 

 

Today those of us who serve our communities in education in the USA have a vacation day today in honor of Labor. While we take a day “off” from work and we reflect on the value of our work it’s a good idea to remember why we are celebrating. So I visited the US Department of Labor website and I am re-posting a message I read via Twitter from Bill Durkin, President and Founder of One Positive Place http://www.onepositiveplace.com .

From the United States Department of Labor website:

LABOR DAY: WHAT IT MEANS

Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.

LABOR DAY LEGISLATION

Through the years the nation gave increasing emphasis to Labor Day. The first governmental recognition came through municipal ordinances passed during 1885 and 1886. From these, a movement developed to secure state legislation. The first state bill was introduced into the New York legislature, but the first to become law was passed by Oregon on February 21, 1887. During the year four more states — Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York — created the Labor Day holiday by legislative enactment. By the end of the decade Connecticut, Nebraska, and Pennsylvania had followed suit. By 1894, 23 other states had adopted the holiday in honor of workers, and on June 28 of that year, Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September of each year a legal holiday in the District of Columbia and the territories.

Sharing A message from Bill Durkin www.onepositiveplace.com

In 1882, the Labor Day Holiday was created by the Labor Movement to celebrate the contributions blue collar workers made to the strength, prosperity and well-being of our country. In my opinion, the day should be honoring any worker, union or non-union, who does a “good job” serving others while working toward the accomplishment of a worthy goal. It doesn’t matter whether you are swinging a hammer to build a house or balancing someone’s books. You are transforming your time and talent into a product or service that creates value for someone else. For too many Americans, the first Monday in September has just come to mean an extra day off and recognition that the summer is ending and a new school year or football season is beginning. This weekend, take a moment to reflect on the labor you have chosen to do and answer two simple questions. (The dictionary defines ‘labor’ as one who exerts one’s powers of body and mind to do work for which he or she is being paid; any human activity where one works hard to provide the goods and services in an economy; to strive toward a goal.) 1.  What are at least three things you have done well at work this year?   Unfortunately, we have a tendency to focus more on what went wrong than what went well. Focusing on negative events creates anxiety and depression, and it brings out the worst in ourselves and others. We all need to develop the skill of accentuating the positive. This Labor Day Weekend is a great time to practice the habit of savoring memories of good things you’ve done this year. 2.  What do you want to do better in the future?   Making the commitment to get a little better each day at your work is essential to reaching your potential and increasing the value you bring to the people you want to serve, regardless of the color of your collar. Have a great Labor Day, and thank you for the contribution you’ve made to the strength, prosperity and well-being of our country. Let’s Get Better. Together! Bill Durkin www.onepositiveplace.com