A Glimpse of Black & White in a Grey World

Good Morning!

The "First Quarter" is ending and I know that you are reveling in your contributions!

Contribution takes on three forms that are important for us to recognize...

Individual (self-directed)
Relational (other directed)
Professional (organization directed)

The dynamics of our lives causes simultaneous waxings and wanings in each...

Something strange that I realized is that this is one of the very few binary aspect of our lives...

What I mean by that...is that you are either contributing to one or you are draining from someone...

You are a limited resource...success in one...is at the cost of another...

It is a black and white situation...

Think about what that means...it is a bit confusing for some...but I know you'll grasp the concept immediately!

Although we keep score on a continuum, and claim "I contributed "X" amount to the cause..." you either did what you were capable of doing or you fell short of what you are really capable...

You were either a contributor or you were a parasite...(that is pretty strong...and I apologize)...

This should cause us to sit and reflect on our performance...but not to the extent that we sit and create justifications for our poor performance as an individual or a leader...

Excuses...are only used by fools and losers!  I can not recall a winner ever using an excuse for winning!

We should take note and push ourselves to higher levels...

And learn to make the correct decisions...
This whole thought is about "Doing your best" with what you have to offer...

...In the right areas...
It is an unalienable right...it is more than that...it is an obligation!  AND you should be demanding the right to do your best...

Ask yourself...what have I contributed to the betterment of my family...or myself or my career...

Was it the best that I could do (note that I didn't say...under the circumstances)

You either contributed...or you were a parasite...Don't allow that leave your mind!

It is our charge as leaders...in fact as humans...to give more in return than we receive...

If you do not...it will be recognized and you will have to pay the cost related to your drain...

It all comes back to haunt you!

There are no free rides...rest assured that you will pay the price...SOMETIME...

It is that Black and White!

In a grey world...people seek sure things...it is human nature, to do so...but the problem is...when we find those sure things...we are terrified by them...Why?...Because there is no way out!  Isn't it strange that the thing that we seek...we fear the most?  We are a strange sort!

As a result and a natural reaction...we create excuses...to try to dull the edge of reality...

It may temporarily hide the sharpness of reality...but reality is reality and it will come back...

Black and White are colors that can not be washed out...as hard as we try...

Even in their definitional context...White is all colors or and Black is no colors...It is ALL OR NOTHING...

Take count...on a daily basis and ask...

Have I contributed something of substance to my family...my friends...my career...my organization...or have I wasted another opportunity...?  What did I drain...that I am going to have to pay for in the future...and what will the future value (cost to me) be?

Did I do the most with what I have...or did I squander it...was I complacent...?

Take count of your actions...on a daily basis and...

...Milestones, like a quarter end...or end of a semester...will not be terrifying!

It is our obligation to make a difference in this world...not excuses!

Enough Said!

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I was given a wonderful opportunity on Wednesday, by a very close friend...I was invited to sit in the VIP area and listen to an address given by the Dalai Lama.  It would have sufficed to sit in the same room...but I was just feet away!  Only one row separated me, from the stage!  It was a VERY interesting experience.  I will also write of this in my "In Search of the 21st Century Philosopher"

What I found interesting was how similar his and my philosophies are...when asked if he was a philosopher (he holds a PhD in that discipline) he replied "no...he can not differentiate philosophy from his spiritual beliefs"...yet his "philosophical/spiritual" position was sound and very much follows what you have been reading across my various blogs...I have to ponder the differences between philosophy and spiritualism much more deeply than I have in the past...I have never separated them...but I think much more "western" than he does...He believes that the spiritual and philosophical systems are independent...I believe that they are exactly the same...

I do not proport to be a Buddist...but his views and tenents closely follow what I believe are necessery to be effective...as a global citizen...PHILOSOPHICALLY

1 - A global awareness and guidence from your moral and ethical being towards that end...I was delighted to hear him talk about the fact that everything in existence has one goal..."to survive..."  Humans...are called to a special purpose...we are the sentient creatures...and therefore it is our responsibility to look out for everything!

2 - DO SOMETHING...it doesn't matter if you are successful...TRY!  If you fail and do not make a difference...you are no better off than if you didn't try...  It sounds like my...the greatest mistake that you can make is not starting!

3 - SEEK AUTHENTIC HAPPINESS...I do not have to say much on this...only that it comes from within...and NEVER from the outside...

4 - We are obligated to learn...the wonderful thing about the US is that we have the freedom to choose what we want to learn...We DO NOT have the choice as to whether to learn or not...that is a delusion...

5 - The critical aspect that we need to be concerned with is not global warming...but oxygen...

During the course of his talk...our eyes met and fixed on eachother's...it seemed as if he was talking to me...I felt honored!

I could go on for quite a while...but I have to say...we connected!  Philosophically...

We'll always have a religious difference...but it did not matter...

What his belief system has created within himself and what mine has created, within me...and the subsequent actions that both of us seek to do...are nearly the same!  He actually said something that I have said many times over...Our Gods have the same address!

His piece of advice...there is only one true discipline and that is the one that springs from within...and external control is wrong...Seek self control...that is the greatest gift to yourself...it doesn't matter what label you give it...DO IT!

At the end of the discussion...he walked to the edge of the stage...directly in front of me...brought his hands together and bowed...I did the same...I knew it was a gesture to the entire audience...

But I had to see if he was looking at me...so I unfolded my hands and held up just my left hand...to my forehead...

He turned ever so slightly...smiled his Dalai Lama smile and put his left hand on his forehead!

I was touched by him both figuratively and literally!

Enough Said!

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My experience with the Dalai Lama gave rise to some personal introspection...

Many of the people that I admire are of "eastern philosophy"

Ghandi...being near the top of my list...

I am defintely NOT an adherent of strict eastern philosophies...but do appreciate many of the characteristics that they promoted.

...Non-violence...
...The unity of nature and human-kind...
...The sanctity of the human spirit...
...Loyalty...
...The simplistic life...

I could go on for a long time!

We have much to learn by transcending cultures...and not just from an "appreciating cultural diversity" perspective...but from an embracing and assimulating the valuable differences...stance...

We too often reject beauty and wisdom...because of a label...

This guy is a Hindu...or a Buddist...what in heavens name could they have to offer to me?

A NEW PERSPECTIVE...a new set of eyes...

Do not live in the fears that many do...

It is those fears that keep the world separated...and at odds!

When we stand next to our troubles...they are large...

...when we get out of our narrow, self-directed world and look at things from a Global perspective...our worries get VERY small!

Step back...sieze the moment from a higher level...

It is a beatutiful world!

That too is Black and White...

It is one of the few instances when distance puts things into perspective and makes them clearer!

Enough said....for this weekend!

Have a great one!

Make a difference in the life of a child this week...even if it is a smile...for someone you do not know!

It will be meaningful!

Pura Vida!

Your Personal Brand...

Good Morning...

We are well into the year 2010...we have both new year's celebrations behind us...the traditional western new year and the Chinese new year! 

NOW comes Mardi Gras! That is a different topic...

...back to the thought at hand...

It is funny that we have taken a regular, yet "random" point along the time continuum and call it a beginning. 

There is no valid reason for these days to be a beginning point. 

Yet human nature desires...actually...hungers...even demands...the right to start over!

Starting afresh is a basic human need...and that should be recognized...

It should be recognized that it occurs more often than once every 365 days! 

In fact, it should be a daily activity...maybe even multiple times during a day!

Starting over is a right...and it should be a right that is exercised...but...

...there is a tension that plays directly against starting over...

...AND...that is your brand...

"Your Brand," in a sense, is the baggage that you intentionally or unintentionally carry from your past into your present...

It is those things that you have refused not to start anew!

It is your reputation......the sum total of your habits and repeated behavior...it is what you are known for...

The general problem that I see happening, with most people, is that they simply accept their "brand" and submit to the consequences of it...

Dylan Thomas (although not referring directly to "brand") has great advice for us...

"...Rage, Rage against the light...do not go gently into that good night..."

Your "brand" is not unlike a livestock brand...(Play on words...kind of...)

It is permanent and a scar!  It is with you as long as you live...

There is ultimately no way to rid yourself of scars...

So what do I suggest?
A three-fold "branding" strategy that we all must be aware of and use constantly...

(I love triads!)

1 - Do not allow something to brand you that will hurt you...

2 - Use what scars that you have accumulated during your life to beautify your appeal!

You  have a choice about what you are branded...DO NOT GO GENTLY!

3 - Determine what you wish to be known for...and direct and control those situations...

Your brand is critical...it is a choice...it is you!

Clearly and with intent define it and use "the genius of the AND" to allow it to drive you to where you want to go in life!

Your brand is your vehicle...that will drive you personally and professionally...

DO NOT GO GENTLY...

Enough Said!

So let's get back to the fresh start thing...

So when should you declare a "restart?"

Some people may answer...When you have had enough...

My response to that is...that's too late...

Others may answer...before it hurts you...

My response to that is...that's too early...

There is no single answer...but there is a commonality it when you push the reset button...

When it no longer supports the "brand" that you are promoting...

It may be financially, ethically, morally...or selfishly...

The answer is simple when you consider the value proposition...

Am I getting something for what I am putting into it?

Is there value?

It is that simple...

Sometimes our efforts lose their value after a day...and a "reboot" is necessary!

Other times we must persist...

Unless you desire the brand of a fool...you need to decide when persistence needs to stop...

It is one of the hardest decisions that you'll ever make...but one of the most valuable ones...

Why?

Because it is about your brand...it is about you!

Enough said!

Have a great weekend!

Make great things happen...

Make your own legend!

Success and the Great Deception

Good Morning!

I bet your week has been hectic and bordering on FRANTIC!  It always is at this time of the year...

Do not fret...it will stabilize again...that is...if you let it!

This is a time when my paraphrased version of the serenity prayer really means something...

Do what you can do...to make a meaningful difference...

Let go of worrying about things you can not effect...

...and seek the wisdom and ability to know the difference...

Stay your course...do not allow yourself to be diverted by the winds created by those who are weak in character and self-serving...if you do...you become one of them...

Last night I had a cool thought...about failure...

I wrote on Twitter...and repeated it this morning...

REAL failure is when you realize how close you were to success, when you gave up...

This is why I hold the character trait of persistence so highly...it is not a natural trait and is rooted in "courage" and industry (the trait).

Those who possess it...fully understand the axiom..."Nothing ventured...nothing gained..."

In order to be successful...one must follow-through to the VERY END...DUH!

This brings to mind a discussion that I had with a couple of people...

We were talking about career success...and these two people where boasting about the fact that they had never failed!  They had never been laid-off, or even (from their perspective) received a poor performance evaluation.

Whatever they set out to do or were assigned...they achieved...

As I listened to their "war stories" I suddenly realized that they had been working in a sheltered world...

None of the assignments were beyond what a normal person could do...and they really had not yet experienced what pushing the limits was...

I felt the immediate urge to burst their frail bubble...but the "nice" twin (I am a Gemini) told me not to do it!

I did say however..."If you haven't failed...you have never really tried to achieve that which is nearly impossible to achieve...

All I got was blank stares...

It is sad...these people will go through life thinking that they are fantastic...wonderful...higher performers...while in fact...they are just doing normal work consistently...

They will never experience the exhilaration of pushing to and beyond the limits of capability...and truly learn what they are able to do...

They will not learn the important lessons and grow...

They have been deceived by success...

...and ignore that fact that failure is a necessary and critical element of growth...

These people are not worth my time...

Speaking of performance...

I have been observing people lately...and an interesting thing is that they expect more of those around themselves than they expect of themselves...

That is demeaning...and RUDE!

This applies as much at home as it does in the workplace...

Standards of performance need to be consistently applied to all...and based on capability...

Do not leave jobs half-done...so that your significant other (spouse, mate, parent or child) has to finish it for you...THAT IS RUDE...THAT IS DEMEANING...

As a leader...do not expect others to do things to "clean-up" after you...

Leave a path of improvement...rather than a path of destruction...

No one should have to clean-up after you...that is a trait of a 2 year-old...

That kind of cute left your life...when you entered kindergarten!

Think about the subtle message that you send...

"Thank-you!" is just two "hollow words" if your appreciation does not show in your actions...

Do not expect of others...what you are not capable of doing...or at least willing to try...

You may fail at it...where others succeed...but you are not showing persistence or appreciation if it does not show in your actions...

Do not have A HIGHER STANDARD OF PERFORMANCE for others than you have on yourself...

SIMPLY STATED...If someone cooks for you...clean it up...show your appreciation...don't leave it for them...

Appreciation is more than words...it must be felt in action...

Talented leaders recognize this and make it a consistent part of their character...

Frauds...talk good talk...

Enough said...

This has been a great week!

Courtney has already received the Broward county clean-air award for her science fair project (Bio-fuel II) and we are anxiously awaiting word of her winning the competition...(I hope).  We are already planning the third part of the project (Bio-fuel III).

Tyler had his first official Lacrosse match...what a hoot!  We lost 14 to 1!

Rachel made team #4 in fast pitch...rated in the top players! 

I have a new "Author's website"  check it out at http://www.philreinke.com/ 

I know that your week has been full of new challenges and successes...it is all a matter of persistence...stay the course until you are successful...NEVER QUIT!  Know what you want and keep trying until you get it!

Have a great weekend! 

Bait for Unsuspecting Prey...

Good Morning...

I apologize for not having this update ready on Saturday...Today was a busy day for me!

It was the debut of my book with a Cub Scout pack meeting...it was awesome! 

I can say that I have achieved my goal...that was to get my feet wet in the marketing side of book publishing...which I found is the biggest and most important piece of the whole process!

The neat thing about today...was that I was asked to give them the keynote address...I actually talked very little about my book...and all about the Scouts!  It's their 100th year anniversary by the way!

In doing so (or not, in the case of my book)...I actually did talk about my book...and most important about my mission..."to make meaningful and significant differences in the lives of individuals and the performance of organizations..."

That is what it is all about...if you care little about yourself...and focus on others...you do not need to worry about yourself...the vital (and wise) few will step up and look out for you...the disloyal and selfish will also show themselves...for their words of support and loyalty, are hollow and lact even the substance of smoke...

It is funny how one single act can bring light to the entire picture!

Enough on that!

Tyler and I were talking about TV the other day...it was a really cool discussion...

He was commenting that the show that was on the television was mindless and frivolous...

I asked him why television networks put any show on the television...

The discussion ensued that networks use shows to draw people of like mind together so that they can sell specific advertising!

Then we talked about the fact that TV shows are not unlike "bait" used to draw unsuspecting game into range...so that hunters can shoot them...

What a cool analogy...

Then we started talking about the government's attempts to restrict certain types of shows...because they appeared to promote violence...this goes as far back as "The 3 Stooges!" 

It is an interesting "chicken or the egg" paradox!  Does the show create violent people...or does it just attract violent people and concentrate them...so that the psychologists and sociologists can more easily find them...

More over...as we talked...we realized that you can tell a lot about yourself by the commercials that you see while watching TV...this is really what the smart people think about you...because that is what they know that "bait" attracts in!

Bait for unsuspecting prey!

Take a moment to really look at the commercials that are being fed to you...the show is the bait...and the ad it the bullet!

But this goes far beyond television...it permeates everything in our lives...the unthinking person is simply prey for advertising and sales...that is what makes the world go around!

If you want to change...change the bait that you will take...and refuse "eating" anything different!

This is a lot to think about and actually encompasses a long discussion...

Enough said...but I bet this comes up in the future!

Have a great weekend...

I have much more marketing to do...and more books to write!