By Greg Kozera
For Thoughts To Ponder
Most people can remember the change of the Millennium in 2000. An event that only happens every 1,000 years. A time for celebration, well almost. Do you remember Y2K? Because of a computer glitch, we were told our power could go off. Airplanes could fall from the sky and other bad things would happen we should worry about. Companies had entire teams who worked for months to make sure bad things didn’t happen. It took some of the fun out of the celebration and replaced it with worry. Lynnda and I chose to stay home for New Years just in case. Two of our three children and their spouses came home for New Years. I recall them and some of their friends from our church youth group playing board games. A young lady from Norway who was an exchange student when they were in high school came back to visit. It was a quiet, fun evening. Our power didn’t go off. Nothing bad happened. We celebrated.
In my corporate life, I had one boss who was never satisfied. When we had a record month there was always, “Yes, but you didn’t do ___.” He always found ways to kill a celebration. One year was particularly challenging. I was responsible for some of our largest accounts. The account manager with other large accounts quit. My boss added those accounts to my workload. It was a brutal stressful year with long hours and travel. High school soccer coaching was a welcome distraction as was playing in the adult soccer league on Sunday afternoon. For two hours work was out of my thoughts.
In the end we had a record year. Our customers were happy. I expected a little praise, celebration with our sales team and a relaxing Christmas week. What I got was, “It was a good year. But your I-Learning isn’t done.” I completed my I learning. My boss was surprised a month later when he got my retirement letter. A few weeks later I was offered a job as a Regional Sales Manager with a higher salary and better benefits. Most importantly, I was appreciated. We celebrated our successes.
One of the most important characteristics of a successful team is to celebrate successes. In the 1990s I was involved in a 5-company alliance. They had quarterly team celebrations when goals were met with all 5 companies. I took advantage of every opportunity to praise my people. Best of all, the VP of our largest customer showed up at a safety meeting to thank our people for doing a good job AND brought a large bonus check for everyone. It was no surprise our customer’s costs went down for all 4 years of the alliance. There were no accidents or injuries. All objectives were met. Work was completed on time and underbudget. All 5 companies worked together seamlessly. Celebration is important.
As a high school coach, we celebrate each win. Sometimes we win even when we play poorly and as coaches we are disappointed. After a win we don’t talk about what we did wrong as a team or any of the negatives. We celebrate success! Fixing mistakes can wait until the next practice.
The USA is 250 years old this weekend. This is a big deal. The success of the American Experiment, a democratic republic where the President, our leader, is not someone with royal blood. They are one of us elected by us to a new idea in 1776 where nations were ruled by Kings and Queens or conquerors. A person with Royal Blood was better than others. “All men are created equal.” Was a new concept.
The American experiment has gone global. There are still monarchies, dictators and conquers. Most countries have some form of a democratic republic. In the United States our form of government and economic system created the largest economy in the world. During WWII we supplied the allies with weapons, food and fuel. When there is a disaster anywhere in the world the United States shows up with relief. When there is famine the United States shows up with food not just from the government but from individuals and private organizations like churches. Our Navy allows for global trade. There are still pirates. They look different than in the 1800s. Our Navy protects commercial ships.
We should celebrate our nation’s birthday this weekend. Like my former boss there are always angry, unhappy, negative people who want to drag you down. Misery loves company. They won’t celebrate and tell you why you should not celebrate and be unhappy and dissatisfied like they are. The America 250 Celebration is about what we have accomplished as a nation creating freedom and opportunity and making a global difference. It doesn’t mean we have arrived or are perfect. America is still a work in progress. Like my high school soccer team, when we win we celebrate. Then on Monday we go back to work to get better. The celebrations create the motivation to work to get better.
America is still the land of opportunity. We can still dream and know that dreams come true. We have a thriving economy. If you have a good idea for a product and service you can make it happen here. It you want to grow a business, this is the place to do it. We have abundant economical energy. We are living in the cleanest environment of my life. My neighborhood a dozen miles from the state capitol is like a zoo and an aviary with all the birds and wild animals. Lynnda is not happy with the deer eating our plants. People care about others. When we had the flood in 2016 people can from all over the country to help. When there are special collections for disasters no matter where in the world at our church people reach deep in their pockets to donate. That is the American way.
Never allow negative angry unhappy people destroy your celebration. You can’t change them. Celebrate! Have a positive attitude. Believe in your future. America’s best is ahead of us.
Happy 250 America!
© 2026 Shale Crescent USA
Greg Kozera, [email protected] is the Director of Marketing for Shale Crescent USA. He is a professional engineer with a Masters in Environmental Engineering and over 40 years of experience in the energy industry. Greg is a leadership expert, high school soccer coach, professional speaker, author of four books and many published articles.
