Core Value Spotlight: “Grateful is our Mindset”
IIt’s hard to write this weekly email this week because although we just had our best January ever, our best February ever, our best March ever, and our best 1st quarter ever, we all have only one thing on our mind right now.
We are living in historic times! Our world has been brought to its knees. Our economy has screeched to a rapid halt, which has many challenges to it as well, but that will need to be dealt with after we get past this challenging time as human civilization.
We all have so many emotions because of what the world is going through, but I have recently experienced this emotion more frequently than usual lately: Gratitude. I am so grateful that my family has not become ill, I am grateful that none of our TLC family has become ill and I am grateful that we all have each other to lean on in times like this.
I am also grateful that God has all of us involved in a business model that is mostly home-based and mobile phone-based, which has allowed most of our business to continue and enable the company to pay all of us and support our families.
There are many things I am grateful for these recent days, but what I am most grateful for lately is the amazing men and women that work in the shipping department here at TLCHQ in Michigan. Shipping at HQ has been deemed a critical operation that must continue if TLC plans on staying in business after the crisis, and they are fighting for us every day.
Some of them are scared, but they understand how vital their role is right now at TLC. These men and women are reporting to work every day, even though they may have friends and family that have questioned them. All of them have inspired me. They are split into three shifts, and we are still open 24 hours a day to keep the company in business and keep our paychecks coming every week.
Many of them had concerns about working in these times. We have provided them with masks, gloves, and rules of separation and have also instituted cleaning and disinfecting frequently to help alleviate some of their safety concerns. Jack and I have had many conversations with these fantastic people and shared our gratitude with all of them, please do so if you can.
The reality is that most of them are scared, their family is second-guessing most of them and most of them qualify for unemployment benefits from the state of Michigan, but ALL of them also have this quality about them:
When they realized that the work they do every day helped ensure that all 250 employees at HQ, another 150 employees around the world, and 75,000 TLC Life Changers would be depending on them so they could continue to get paid every week, they all said YES! They said we would do this, we must do this, and TLC can count on us. They have realized they are part of a vibrant energy called TLC and know they helped build it, have pride in it, and want to serve all of us by fighting for our future. I have been emotional on a few occasions lately, thinking about how these people have included Jack, John, and all of the rest of the TLC family as part of their purpose and their responsibility, and I will forever be grateful. Each and every one of them has humbled me.
This is not intended to minimize anyone that is working at home or that has been laid off from TLC because of the recent crisis because all of you are appreciated. But today, we celebrate and show gratitude to the men and women of the TLCHQ shipping department. They decided as one that they will continue to provide ‘products and a community that you’ll feel’ and serve a purpose that is greater than themselves. I will pray for them, and I ask you to do the same.
At TLC, grateful is our mindset, and I will always remember these times and be grateful for the men and women that protected our future. I hope you do the same. I am grateful for all of you and can’t imagine not being part of such a fantastic group of people and not being able to serve all of you every day; thank you for reading! Prayers and more prayers for all of you and people all over the world.
