Of all the years to celebrate the true meaning of Labor Day, certainly this year has given us many reasons.

Research from the Bureau of Labor Statistics reveals that employment in 2019 is running at an all-time high, with a remarkable 132 million people in the workforce. That figure includes record employment numbers for minorities and women. Manufacturing is seeing a revival in this country. And with unemployment hovering around 3.7 percent, Labor Day should have plenty of revelers.

Let’s start with a little history. The first Labor Day was celebrated on Sept. 5, 1882, when 10,000 workers marched in New York City from City Hall to Union Square. Bear in mind, this event occurred in the era of 12-hour workdays, seven-day-a-week schedules, child labor and dismal working conditions.

Oregon was the first state to make Labor Day a legal holiday in 1887, followed by a string of other states. Recognizing the significance of the movement, Congress passed an act in 1894 making the first Monday in September a legal holiday throughout the country.

Fast forward to today, and think about how times have changed. Forty-hour workweeks, strict safety enforcement, benefits including paid vacations and health insurance, unfilled jobs and opportunities in so many fields -- those are reasons to celebrate.

“American workers are collectively the most productive in the world,” says Robert Dilenschneider, founder and chairman of the Dilenschneider Group and former president and CEO of Hill and Knowlton. “It is this drive and determination that helps make our nation the greatest on Earth. We should be proud of this fact and do whatever we can to keep this great spirit alive.”

I completely agree with Bob. As we built and grew MackayMitchell Envelope Company from its stumbling infancy to today, we’ve always tried to focus on the people who keep our doors open. We’ve had our share of challenges in the envelope manufacturing business -- starting with fax machines and email, and progressing to direct billing, electronic ticketing and a dozen other internet product replacements.

Our employees have stuck with us through some lean days and helped find ways to trim costs and innovate processes and products. They share our successes as well. I would be willing to wager that most businesses and organizations would echo my sentiments. Without a reliable and dedicated workforce, their operations are down the tubes.

I think it is tremendously important that workers have the support of their employers, but it's equally important that they demonstrate the drive to make an impact in their workplaces. I am especially fond of Will Rogers’ thoughts on work: “In order to succeed, you must know what you are doing, like what you are doing and believe in what you are doing.”

“Know what you are doing” is central to success in any venture. Yes, we often learn as we go, but having and maintaining essential skills is a requirement. Winners prepare, train, study, apply themselves and keep working to become the best at what they do. It’s the American way!

“Like what you are doing” can present some challenges. I’m always surprised how many people will tell you that they hate their jobs, but do nothing about it. Some jobs are truly dreadful, to be sure. But attitude also plays a significant role. Let me share something: The secret to happiness, success, satisfaction and fulfillment is not in doing what you like. It’s liking what you do.

“Believe in what you are doing” is a little harder to define for those who struggle through the workday just for a paycheck. The most successful people I know are not in a job -- any job -- for something to do. They are in their work to do something. This is the labor force that any employer dreams about.

Years ago, I found a poem by Art Linkletter, the humorist and radio and television host, that described what it takes to turn good into better, boredom into stimulation and discontent into commitment:

Do a little more than you’re paid to;

Give a little more than you have to;

Try a little harder than you want to;

Aim a little higher than you think possible;

And give a lot of thanks to God for health, family and friends.

Happy Labor Day to all!

Charles finally made partner and propped his feet on the desk in his new corner office. He was dreaming of all the perks that accompanied his promotion when a knock on the door snapped him out of his reverie.

He picked up the phone so he would look busy as a young staffer came into the room. “I’ll be with you in a minute,” Charles mouthed to the employee, before engaging in a mock phone conversation.

“Yes, I know the congressman quite well. We go sailing with the governor every other week,” he said. He glanced over at the employee standing near his desk. “One more minute,” he whispered before returning to the phone call.

“I’d be happy to introduce you,” he continued. “In fact, if you’re free next Wednesday, we’re having lunch. Great. Wednesday it is,” he said as he hung up the phone.

“Thanks for being so patient,” Charles said to the young staffer. “Now how can I help you?”

The employee blushed and said, “I’m here to connect your phone.”

Try to tap dance out of that one!

I am convinced that often, the hardest language to speak is the truth. Sometimes it’s easier to tell an embellished truth, or a half-truth or a little white lie to save face or spare others’ feelings. But eventually, when the truth comes out, there are consequences.

Ron Ashkenas, co-author of the “Harvard Business Review Leader’s Handbook,” explains that there are three fundamental concerns that cause people to be less than completely truthful.

First, the impact of truth on yourself. “It’s human nature to want people to think well of us, particularly those who have influence over our lives and careers,” he writes. “At the same time, we all make mistakes, so we create justifications and excuses -- many of which are at best half-truths.”

Next, the impact of truth on others. “One way to gain others’ approval is to avoid pointing out things that may damage their self-image,” he continued.

Finally, the impact of truth on business success. “To be successful almost every organization needs to sell -- be it a product, a service, a story or a promise. But much of that selling is done without truthful disclosure of what it will take to fulfill the sale,” he maintains. “The wiser course in many cases is to limit the truth and figure out how to ‘deliver’ later.”

While his first two points are recognizable to most of us, I find his third concern very troubling. As a lifelong salesman and businessman, I cringe to think that a sale based on partial truth would be OK in any forum.

I certainly wouldn’t appreciate a supplier promising me a product without knowing exactly what I would be receiving, and I absolutely do not want a reputation that I didn’t deliver what I promised and then some.

But I understand that some businesses operate that way and do so at their own peril. Customers find out quickly that promises made and kept are worth their weight in gold. A tarnished reputation is mighty difficult to polish.

I constantly preach that trust is the most important word in business. Of course, the most important part of establishing trust is being truthful -- all the time, even when the truth is painful.

If we are not up-front with our customers at MackayMitchell Envelope Company as soon as a problem arises, whether it’s a supplier issue, equipment breakdown or a mistake with an order, we deserve to lose that customer. And I really, really hate to lose a customer. I’d rather lose money than lose a customer.

The good news is if we can find a way to fix a problem -- and we usually do -- our customers appreciate our honesty and efforts to turn lemons into lemonade. But that happens only when we tell the truth.

Abraham Lincoln once said of a man who was attacking him, “He’s the biggest liar in Washington.”

Honest Abe said the man reminded him of an old fisherman who had the reputation for stretching the truth. The fisherman bought a pair of scales and insisted on weighing every fish he caught in the presence of witnesses.

One day a doctor borrowed the fisherman’s scales to weigh a newborn baby. The baby weighed 47 pounds.

Now that’s what I call a whopper!

Mackay’s Moral: Even when the truth hurts, it’s more painful to hurt your reputation.

Two friends were talking about their aspirations. Both had spent several years at the same company, enjoyed the work and the culture, and made advancements in their careers.

One friend was surprised to hear that the other had recently turned down a big promotion. He asked, “Are you sure you made the right decision? A move like that could’ve put you on easy street. Those opportunities don’t come around often.”

“Most people would agree with you,” the friend replied. “But I have a different take on the matter. I believe there is more to life than having a fancy title or big paycheck.

“There’s a price to be paid for that corner office. Long hours, a lot of travel and expectations that would require sacrifices I’m not willing to make,” he said. “The truth of the matter is that I already have my dream job. The money is good, the work is fulfilling and the work–life balance allows me to always be home in time for dinner. "I’ve never missed one of my son’s baseball games, and I’ve never left work at the end of the day mentally drained.”

“I never thought of it in those terms,” the first friend answered.

His friend continued, “Most of us spend so much time chasing after success that we don’t recognize what we already have is more than enough.”

Some of you reading this story will wonder if the friend is absolutely brilliant, totally lacking ambition or just giving in to the pressures of life.

I would say none of the above! This person has figured out better than most how to set priorities. Instead of living for work, she understands the concept of working to live.

It’s a trend that will not go out of style anytime soon. Studies show that Gen Xers and millennials are looking for work-life balance as they begin their careers or search for new opportunities.

Ryan Jenkins, author of “The Millennial Manual: The Complete How-To Guide to Manage, Develop and Engage Millennials at Work,” identifies work–life balance as one of 47 strategies central to working with the next generations of workers. He explains why:

-- It defines success. Millennials don't view climbing the corporate ladder or owning tangible items (house, car, etc.) as success. Instead, success is having control over how and when they work and accumulating various life experiences, which are enabled by a better work–life balance.

-- They're always on. Millennials are the first generation to enter the workforce with access to technology that enables them to seamlessly work remotely, and they are eager to capitalize on technological capabilities to create more flexibility and balance.

-- They're moving up. Nearly one-third of millennials say that managing their work, family and personal responsibilities has become more difficult in the past five years. Almost half of millennial managers around the globe reported an increase in their hours at a time when many are starting families (compared to 38% for Gen X and 28% for boomers).

-- They're dual income. Millennials are almost twice as likely to have a spouse or partner who works at least full time than boomers (78% versus 47%).

“The bottom line is that millennials are entering a stage of life when they are marrying, buying homes and having children at the same time that the demands of work are increasing, while they are equipped (and sometimes expected) to work 24/7. It's no wonder that millennials value work–life balance higher than all other job characteristics such as job progression, use of technology and a sense of meaning at work,” Jenkins says.

Generational expert Giselle Kovary concurs: “Many millennials don’t necessarily want to set clear boundaries between their work and their life. For a lot of people in this generational cohort, they prefer ‘work–life integration,’ an overall blending of work life and home life to allow time for both. This blurs the lines between work tasks and personal activities, which can include a person doing online shopping, checking social media, going to the gym or taking their dog for a walk during work hours while responding to work emails on evenings and weekends.

“As organizations shift into a new world of work, virtual teams and the ability to maximize flexibility through technology will become increasingly commonplace. Those organizations that capitalize on this and embrace the benefits will be able to attract and retain millennials and high performers from all generations.”

Mackay’s Moral: Learn how to balance, not juggle, your work and life.