“Our lives are fashioned by our choices. First we make our choices. Then our choices make us.”
Life is a series of choices.
“Our lives are fashioned by our choices. First we make our choices. Then our choices make us.”
— Anne Frank
Whether you are the CEO of McDonald’s or a stay-at-home mom, this week is all about choosing.
LEADERSHIP
This week, a short video made the rounds on the internet. It featured Chris Kempczinski taste-testing a new burger for McDonald’s. The clip was meant to introduce the new Arch Deluxe burger and give people a behind-the-scenes moment with the CEO.
But the internet did what the internet does.
Within hours, people were commenting, remixing the video, and creating their own versions.
If you watch the clip, you can see why it caught attention. The CEO seems slightly stiff. He describes the burger more like a product line than something you’d crave for lunch. You can almost feel that being on camera might not be his natural habitat, which is fair. If being charismatic on camera were his main skill set, he probably wouldn’t be running a global company.
And just to be clear, this isn’t about making fun of a CEO trying something new. If anything, it’s a leadership observation.
Because it reminds us of something important: people notice how we show up.
When something feels overly scripted, overly polished, or just a little forced, people pick up on it quickly. Our teams do the same thing. They can sense when a message is genuine versus when it sounds like something we felt obligated to say.
Leadership presence isn’t about perfection. It’s about alignment.
When our words, tone, and energy match who we actually are, people trust it. When they don’t quite line up, even slightly, people feel that too.
The ripple effect of leadership often starts in the smallest moments. How we show up. How we speak. How naturally we connect with the people around us.
And whether you’re leading a global brand or a team of twelve, the principle is the same.
Authenticity travels fast.
So does the opposite.
LIFE
Over the past few months, I’ve watched several people close to me lose someone they love. When that happens, it always creates a moment of pause. Life has a way of reminding us that the time we have here isn’t guaranteed.
When I was a teenager, I lost a cousin unexpectedly who I absolutely adored. For about two years after she passed away, I had a quiet little thought every morning when I woke up:
I get another one.
Another day. Another shot at being here.
I don’t know exactly when that daily thought faded (probably somewhere between the business of life, work, and kids), but lately it has been popping back into my mind again.
Maybe it’s the season. Maybe it’s the losses around me. Or maybe it’s just one of those reminders that shows up when we need it.
But the thought still feels true.
Today, we get another one.
Another day to do the work. Another day to call someone back. Another day to laugh, fix something, try again, or start something new.
So here’s a small toast from my corner of the world this week.
Don’t wait to do the thing you’ve been meaning to do. Just do it.
Cheers to another one.
Let’s make it count.