The Biggest Mistake...

Good Morning!

When a successful people look back on their lives...

and they are honest with themselves...they have to admit...

That there were many more mistakes and failures than the few brief instances that made them what they are...

If a person is lucky...their proverbial "15 minutes of fame" lingers for a lifetime!

From this arises an entire set of "looming questions"

Like...

Does success require a glut of trial and error?

Or...
Is life filled with false starts?

Or...

Are more dreams shattered than fulfilled?

Or...

Are the best laid plans...destined to fail...because of inherent flaws?

The strange thing is...

The answer to all of these questions are...

YES!

Those same successful people have this characteristic as a common experience...numerous failures...

It is true that a rare few have golden touches...or are handed success on a silver platter...there are exceptions to this rule of multiple failures...but...

Their first piece of advice to those who aspire to success is...

Do not count on being one of those gifted individuals...Did you catch the word?

Gifted...Undeserved...Unearned...

The chance that you will "soar" on your first attempt...is about the same as winning the lottery!

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From those "facts...another interesting characteristic of successful people becomes apparent and that is the real theme of this expose!

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Those who have spent any time with me know that I have a personal axiom that I freely share with anyone who will listen...

It goes like this..."The Biggest Mistake that a person can make is...

...NOT STARTING!"

While I am on the subject of personal axioms...let me add...

I also define the "real failure" as "the realization of how close to success one was...

...WHEN THEY QUIT!"

Here are some epiphanies of the utterly obvious...

...Things never happen if they never start...

and...

Quitting, prior to achieving success is as good as not starting...

Now that we have laid the foundation...

A common theme of many successful people is that they did not define success in specific terms with a specific set of expectations...as some would guide...

They actually define success in general terms so that it allowed for adjustments in the journey...

Another theme was that the set backs or interim failures, did nothing to deter them from their goal...in other words...they didn't quit!

These people NEVER allowed anything to stop them...from general success...

Another interesting thing that I have learned from successful people is...

They were never too proud or assuming to ask...

There is an astute (but DUH!)...(Another epiphany of the utterly obvious...) realization that...

Any unasked question or favor is automatically NO!

It is silly how many people kill success by not asking...or...

Just doing something about it!

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So what is success all about?

If there is something to be done...

THEY START...

If there is a question...

THEY ASK...

If the effort fizzles...

They go on to another...

or...

They try again!

If they get NO!

They ask again...of someone else!

and the biggest mistake that they do not make...

Is not starting!

Ask...Start...and never quit!

Failure in any of these three aspects...will destine a person to failure...

Success is that simple!

I refuse to belabor the point...I have things to do...

Enough Said!

Pura Vida!  

The Critical Role of Dirt in Your Success...

Good Morning!

I have always promoted the importance of learning...to an invividual's or organization's success...

We generally think that learning is an attribute assigned solely to individual organisms...

I believe that any entity is capable of learning...

Including entities that are comprised of multpile organisms..."a collective"

Individual ants learn...and that information leads to a behavior change in the entire colony...

Bees are the same...

These individuals learn and this leads to the collectives learning...which manifests itself in change which means the survival or a benefit to the whole...

They will not survive if knowledge does not manifest itself in change!

Organizations can and MUST do the same!

Learning is more than simply acquiring knowledge or information...

The value of "acquired information" is only realized when it elicits a behavior change!

An individual or organization can only claim that it is capable of learning...when it is capable of changing its behavior...based on the acquired information...

In this context...ignorance is a good excuse for improper behavior...but lack of change (when the information exists) is inexcusable...and in most cases...it carries with it a "death penalty!"

The dynamics of change driven by information is critical not only to survival...but also to growth...

The more quickly that an individual or organization can acquire information and adapt...the higher the probability of survival...or growth!

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This past autumn...I gathered the seed from our favorite cactus...

I was able to amass about a "half-cup" (dry measure) of them, and I put them in a bottle...and they are sitting on the ledge, of the window above the kitchen sink.

Next to that bottle is a small flower pot containing some dirt...and I put one cactus seed in that pot...

In just a few days, it sprouted and has grown into a cactus!

Inches away...sits that container of cactus seeds...all with the same potential to become cacti...but they are doing nothing...completely dormant!

The difference between?  The dirt!

I learned a lesson from this observation...

The dynamics of life (for the seeds) depends on the dirt!

Most people rue the time when "dirt" enters their lives...

Dirt in this case is not "defamatory" information...but simply the undesirable and unpopular conditions...

If a seed avoided "getting dirty" because it was uncomfortable or that they thought that the dirt it would ruin their reputation...they would never sprout and grow into what its potential!

There is a risk associated with "getting dirty" but there are also benefits...

Success starts with a seed of hope...

Dirt is not an option to success...it is a required ingredient!

You can not stand next to dirt and expect to grow...

It is time that we realize...that to be a success...

You have to get dirty!

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So what do these two  unrelated topics have in common...

First...that a discovery should elicit a behavior change...

That the observation of the seeds taught me (I learned) that you have to get into the dirt in order to grow and florish...

You can not sit protected and expect to become anything close to your potential...

You can not be successful...without getting dirty...

I could talk about this for a long time...but the fact of the matter is...
It's your choice...

Enough Said...

Pura Vida!
         

Who is REALLY Responsible for Your Success?

Good Morning...

I had many insightful discussions this week with individuals who work with me and many more who used to work with me...

It is interesting how the I find myself living in a world of themes...one week...one theme or topic...and it is most often common among everyone that I talk with...

This week, the common themes lead to the role that a person's leader plays in one's success.

There was a realization among many (myself included) on how little our personal performance plays in success and how critical the role the leader played...

I heard many people say...I used to be successful and productive...but now...I am struggling...I can't see the difference!

I heard others say that they did not realize how different a job could be with the simple change of a leader!

I heard a few say...that they were convinced that their success was of their own doing...and now they knew better...

This leads to a question that you should ask yourself...

Are you experiencing the same level of success that you were a year or two ago?

What changed?  Your boss?

Are you making others successful (at a level equal to or better than) the previous leader?

Do you realize that this an obligation of you as a leader?

As a person being led...it is your obligation to align with a leader who supports you and makes you successful...if they can't make you successful...

It is your obligation to find a new leader!

Why would anyone...with a semblance of intelligence...stick with a leader that is not making them successful?

I can answer that...

Because they are tied more to the money that they have...than success!

or...

Because they think that success or failure is entirely their responsibility...and a leader has little or nothing to do with it!

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If your world has changed and you are blaming it on a change or environment...or blaming others...you are deceiving yourself...

There are a few capable of succeeding with or without a competent leader...there are rare individuals...

These are the "super-heroes" and the stuff that movies are made of...they are people of legends...

Few people are capable of winning a military battle single-handed...

Not impossible...but not probable!

This minority get the highest levels of recognition...hero medals...

Most are not capable of performing at that level of heroism...

If you are not wearing medals and not performing at super-human levels...you need a shot of reality...

First your success was more related to your leader than your own performance...

Second...your own performance was/is average...and made great by the role your leader played...

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Let's look at your team...

Are they performing equal to or better than they did under the previous leadership?

If not...you need to question your leadership ability...

Has the performance of your team degraded?

Then you need to be asking...how have you changed?

Many organizations make the mistake of allowing a leader to terminate the employment of substandard performers...

The fact of the matter is...it is the leader who should be fired when a team or even an individual fails...

Leaders need to be vested in the success of the individuals and their team...if termination was a real threat to leaders for substandard performance of a team...I think there would be fewer people aspiring to be leaders...

The 21st century organization will grasp this concept...and weed-out poor leaders...

Those who do not grasp this concept will be destined to failure...and although I hurt for them...their blindness needs to be rewarded appropriately...

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The bottom line is that your leaders play a critical role to your success...

If you are successful...you need to stop thinking yourself as some high performer...and spend a little more time thanking your leader...

If you are not performing at a level that you know that you are capable of...then you may be in need of a change...a change of a leader...

ENOUGH SAID!

Pura Vida!       

Six Sigma, Regression Equations and Polyester Leisure Suits

Good Morning!

I was thinking back to the days of Polyester Leisure Suits, Six Sigma, regression equations and Lean!

Icons of the 20th century...

All once good...but now passe!

The funny thing is that many people refuse to let go of them...despite what the rest of the world is doing...

This is the 21st century! 

Would you seriously walk into a club dressed in a polyester leisure suit?

Would you attempt to walk into a company with Six Sigma or Lean?

They looked good then...but now?

Times have changed...

Tastes have changed (Thank God!)

Challenges have changed...

Organizational demands have changed...

In the 70's and 80's...I seriously think that people wanted to look that way...and dressed in leisure suits!  (even though I still can't imagine why) 

Management wanted answers to "Why things were happening" and "What they could do"...and Six Sigma rose to the occasion...along with regression equations...

Then company vision switched inward on profitability, truly avoiding the customer perspective...and Lean rose...even though many refused to fully reject Six Sigma (so they created an oxymoron called Lean Six Sigma!) 

Why Leisure Suits,

Why Six Sigma?

Why Lean?

People wanted to look good...(and they still do)...

The world at large thought leisure suits made a person look good...or maybe they saw someone who did look good in a leisure suit and they tried to emulate them...

The sad thing was...the wearing of leisure suits worked!

It gave the men who dressed like that...a better chance to achieve their goal...women!

Six Sigma and Lean are no different...

A few people donned the Six Sigma suit and it worked...

Others stood jealously on the sidelines and watched...they quietly began using the vernacular of the real Six Sigma experts and hoped that their emulation would get them the awe and recognition that the others were basking in...

AND it spread...

Online courses...for Six Sigma certification...not much different than those mail order courses that "guarantee" to take you from a 98 pound weakling...to Mr Universe!

Get real!  There are few Mr. Universes...and the same holds true for Six Sigma...

I can count on my hand the number of effective practitioners of Six Sigma...and I need a calculator to even approach the count of those who stand around and claim this practice...

The glimmer of hope that I am given is that just like leisure suits...Six Sigma and Lean has fallen from favor...and devout practitioners will stick out like a "Lounge Lizard" does in a club...

Like Leisure Suits...Six Sigma and Lean should be relegated to short skits on Saturday Night live...

It did what it needed to do...but as we look back on it...it was corny!

It's "wash and wear" and "wrinkle-free" appearance was simply marketing!

It required work to be what made it work...and the adopters were not willing to work like that!

Some may say that my New Brass Ring (DMADD) is no different...and in 15 years they may be right...

Yet it is working...and effective in addressing organizational issues using the tools of the 21st century...

The new club wear is DMADD!

Come on in...we need people in leisure suits...if only for the humor!
   
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Although regression equations are an integral part of Six Sigma...they are not the invention or property of it...

Regression equations are the formulas for existence!

As I thought this week about leadership...I realized that there is an equation (a recipe) for effective leadership!

In a regression equation...there are 3 important parts...the "Y" variable...or output...the explained or understood factors "X" that contribute to the "Y" and the unexplained factor(s).

Depending upon the teaching method...the equation is Y = (mX) + b  (Does that look familiar?)

Leadership (Y) is a combination of known factors and unknown factors that drive effectiveness...

Some of those factors (explained or unexplained) have positive influences and others negative influences...

on a higher level...

Leadership on a whole (as a science)...has an equation...

except this time...the "X's" are people...

so you as a leader are part of the overall leadership equation...

the question that you have to ask yourself is...

"Am I a positive influence on Leadership...a negative influence (do I give it a bad name) or simply an unexplained variable?"

Do you give leadership a good name or a bad name?

Why?

Are you a competent leader...or something that should be controlled or eliminated?

Should you be part of the leadership equation at all?

Is your influence on the slope of the line positive or negative...

Or...a do you have no influence at all?  (Should you be rejected from the equation?)

Or...are you confounding (Another topic...someday!)

What I am getting at is that your role within the equation has to do with self-honesty...and recognition on your role within the larger equation...

People delude themselves...(these are the ostriches who stick their heads in the sand and refuse to see the dangers)

They see the negative slope of the line and blame that on others rather than take the responsibility for it!

They refuse to change!

These are the people (wearing leisure suits) who vigorously polish the bell of the Titanic (after the interaction with the iceberg) and refuse to see they are on a sinking ship!

They live life as if nothing is wrong...and think that everything is cool!

The 20th century is a memory...much of it makes us cringe in shame...

Get out of those leisure suits...

Stop polishing those bells!

Commit to playing a role that pushes the line of influence in a positive direction...

Enough Said!

Pura Vida!!!!!!

Borrowing from the Future...

Good Morning...

It has been an amazing week...much of the foundational efforts and the seeds that I planted are bearing fruit!

I need not go into details...what is important is the realization of something extremely important for everyone to learn...

I thought about the fact that we operate with a selfish misconception (perhaps we simply have never thought about it) that affects the future...

First of all we believe that our world contains many different unlimited resources...

Things like air, water, land...

The fact of the matter is...everything is limited!

We used to believe that petroleum was unlimited...but we have been hit with the stark reality that "reserves" are dwindling!

The same holds true for fresh water...and land...and guess what?

Air is the same...

There is nothing that is limitless...except for space...and most of that (except for this minute point called the earth) contains absolutely nothing...it is a vacuum...

Our only limitless resource is the epitome of nothing!

Where this takes my thoughts...that we have to be conscious of is...

Everything that we use today takes away from the future...

When you start your car...you use air that your descendants could have breathed!

Everything...EVERYTHING you use today takes from the future and unborn generations who are depending on us to be good stewards...

That was an sobering thought for me!

What about you?

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As I thought about my current successes...I realized that all of the preparatory work is not leading to a culmination...but simply opening a door (giving me a right) for my use of future generations' resources!

So...the question for me is...

When does conservation really begin...

Let me assure you that if we wait until we realize that we are running out...it is too late...

We have to start conserving anything of value NOW!

We have no right to any commonly accepted resource...we are only borrowing it from the future!

We have to stop the unbridled use...and begin minimizing our use and returning anything of value...in greater quantities than our use...

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This is a great concept...simply if we were discussing natural resources...but it goes deeper...

We have many other resources that we unknowingly take advantage of...

Things like...

Forgiveness...

Caring...

Others time...

Favors...

Others efforts...

Others attention...

The list may be long but it not infinite and the fact of the matter is...each of them will run out if not treated like a precious gift...borrowed from the future and returned (when used) in greater portion...

Have you returned more love than you have received?

What about forgiveness?

Or...

Do you give more time to others than you have taken?

What you have done in the past...gives you no right to your use of them with disregard to the future...you are borrowing them from the future...

Even these resources that we unknowingly depend upon are limited...

It is time that we conserve them...NEVER take advantage of them as if there is a bottomless supply...and if we do use any of them...we return them in measure greater than we consumed!

Enough said!

Pura Vida!

Is Seeing Believing?

Good Morning!

I was reflecting on events of the past that changed my life...

...there are many that I can recall...many that I have forgotten...and probably many more that I do not even realize that shaped me into what I am today!

One that recently came to mind was also experienced by more than 100 college students at the same time that it happened to me.  I would guess that a majority (if not everyone else but me) did not see it as anything more than an interesting lecture.  Knowing the professor, this lecture was a part of his Philosophy of Eastern Religions course that he taught every semester.  That being the case...Thousands of students had my same experience...but my question has always been...Did they perceive it the same as me?

The lecture specifically focused on Eastern Mystics and Magicians.  These individuals were renowned and as they traveled from town to town drew huge crowds of people who came to see the miracles they could perform.

One such magician (as his story was told) performed a rope trick, in which his assistant climbed into a cloud and disappeared...

The professor (actually studied mystics for his Phd)...and had heard of this fellow...

He was a skeptical! (the professor, that is)...

He and a camera man traveled and found this roaming magician...

The magician announced that he was going to put on a demonstration of his abilities.  These demonstrations generally occured outside the town in an area that resembled a natural stadium.  Small hills surroundeed a depression so that all of the townspeople could sit on the slopes and have a view.  The magician and his band of assistants set up "the show" in the middle.

The professor spent the day interviewing the townspeople...hearing what they had to say about this magician...

The professor found it interesting that the magician took up a collection at the end of his demonstration that most of the townspeople gladly paid...because they were in fear of him...

The rationale was that if he could perform such feats of magic...he could surely destroy the city if they did not pay homage!

The professor set up the camera on a prime spot and began filming...

He and the camera man watched as the magician walked to the center of crowd and began chanting...soon the crowd was chanting along with him...

After a while three assistants joined him...two carrying a large basket...

The magician reached into the basket and removed a large coil of rope...and threw it skyward...the rope stiffened and stood erect!  The crowd gasped in amazement and by his own confession so too did he...the professor and the cameraman...

Then the magician ordered a small boy (the third assistant) to climb the rope...which he did...all the way up to and into a cloud...

The crowd was shaking...

The magician then grabbed the rope gave it a jerk...it went limp...and fell to the ground!  There was no young man in sight!

The two remaining assistants re-coiled the rope, threw it in the basket...and carried it out of the sight of the crowd...

Minutes later a collection was taken up (in presumably the same huge basket) and the magician went on his way!

The professor was absolutely amazed...and during his lecture you could see the conviction as he relived this experience!

He and his cameraman turned off the camera and could not wait to return to the US and have it developed...and show the world this amazing trick!

The return trip went without a hitch!

They developed the film and began watching it...

This is what they saw...

The magician walked to the center of the group...followed by 3 assistants...

After the chanting the magician reached into the basket and took out a coil of rope...he set it next to the basket and "mimed" throwing the rope skyward...

The child asssistant approached the magician and mimed climbing the rope and then stepped into the basket and sat out of sight...

After a few minutes...the magician again mimed jerking the rope...the assistants picked the acutal coil of rope from the ground and placed it back into the basket left (carrying the boy out) and returned to take up the collection...

This would have been an interesting story except for the fact that the lights dimmed in the lecture hall and he started a grainy black and white movie that was the film he described taking!

He ended the lecture by saying what he and the cameraman saw was what he described...and nearly 10,000 people saw the same thing...what the camera saw was entirely different!

He said...can we really say that "Seeing is believing?"

Plato questioned this...in his anology of the cave...

The Matrix...(one of my favorite movies) (now you know why I an intrigued by this concept)

and many other movie and fiction story plots...

Reality is not as it appears...it is pure deception...

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That single lecture shook the very foundation of my belief system!

I was a cynic to begin with and didn't believe anything if I didn't see it with my own eyes...and others saw the same thing...

Now I couldn't even trust what I saw...even if what others saw confirmed it!

I could have allowed this experience drive me absolutely crazy!

But I found significant value in the experience...

As I wrote my final paper for this course...I reflected on what we see doesn't matter...as long as it serves a better purpose...

Is it real or an illusion?

There is no value in the effort of confirming the validity of an event...but value is found in what can be done with the perception!

Our eyes and ears deceive us...

We are doing an injustice to ourselves and our mission...if we focus on ascertaining the truth...separating fact from fiction...

It is all about what we do with what we have!

Can a boy climb a rope into the clouds?

Although most of these people who experienced that demonstration have probably passed on...my guess is that if you asked them...they would say they saw it happen!

Can we say that "seeing is believing?"

I think better stated...if we believe that we can see it...we will!

There has always been two questions looming from this experience...

The first...Did he really see that?

The answer to that question is simple and it leads to the second question...

Answer - It doesn't matter!

The second and more important question is...How do you test for reality?

The Answer is - Reality is substantiated by the good that comes from that which you believe that you see.

If what you see has no impact or no results...it isn't real...if it has detrimental effects...it may be real...but definitely not worth your effort believing...and finally if what you see leads to a greater good...that is real and of value...

Have a great weekend...

Pura Vida!

Darn! He's Awake!

Good Morning...

The first full week of a new year and in reality...when you look at the change in years..the day before...the day of...and the day after...the start of a new year...are just days in a continuum!  Let's open our eyes and wake up to reality...new year's day is of no real significance...it's significance exists because we mentally say it is...and agree to it...

It is the "agreement of the significance" of new year's day that influences the behaviors of many people of this society and many other nations annually...

It is simple agreement...and nothing else...

There is a lesson to be found in the power of agreement...a mental exercise...that all true leaders must fully grasp, appreciate and utilize...

It is not a secret ingredient of success...just simply a subtle and an overlooked characteristic of success...because we take this for granted...we often miss this critical component!

We can not afford to do that any longer!

Don't simply accept things at their face value...strive to understand them!

And have to resolve to bring this into our conscious efforts...

Change does not occur unless there is agreement to change!

Time to wake up!

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Resolutions...

I know you already realized this...but...

I also noticed that most of the new year's resolutions that people make are driven by remorse...

They focus on stopping doing stuff...or starting doing things because of the associated regrets...

The negative feelings are a powerful motivator...and we tend to fixate on them rather than those which are more directive towards beneficial behaviors...

As I thought through my resolutions, on my list...I included things that I wanted to "do more of"...because they were the right things to do...

More importantly...

I realized that...

...if I filled my life with positive activities...this simple change would leave no room for the negative things that I normally focus my resolve on eliminating from my life...

Which leads to...How can one be successful with resolutions...

As I reviewed all of the great resolutions that I made (but failed to accomplish) in the past...I realized that I a major reason for the failures was that I simply resolved to stop...

and I stopped...but I left a void...which needed to be filled by something else...

Lacking that "filler"

...the old behavior simply came back to fill the void that it left...

I woke up to that reality and asked myself what did I do when I was successful?

The answer was simple!

A great resolution should include 2 parts...

1 - I want to stop "X"
2 - I will replace "X" with "Y"

I will focus on "Y" as its replacement...

My failures have generally resulted from eliminating "X" resulting in a void...that in turn is filled by "X+++"...

Which actually subconsciously made me realize that the act of making resolutions are counter-productive...

Why?

Because I came out worse for having attempted!

This awakening has lead me to make the two-part resolutions and now I am highly successful!

The message is that your resolutions have to fit your personality...

Some people can simply quit...

Some people can simply replace them...

Some people have to quit and replace...

DO WHAT WORKS!

It is time to wake up!

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Life and the Bell-Curve...

Did you know that 97% of the species that have ever existed on this planet are extinct?

Did you know that these life forms were wiped out across 6 natural catastrophes?

What further boggles my mind is that each catastrophe set the sage for an entirely new species...

Most agree that the latest caztestrophe was 65 million years ago...however I believe that there was one more recent one...approximately 40 thousand years ago...that event caused the ice age...which nearly eliminated the human species!

That in and of itself boggles my mind...

Then I began thinking about the fact that life exists from the depths of the oceans, to the highest points on the earth....in different forms...in the coldest and hottest regions...the earth is not devoid of life...

If you plot the count of "types" of life (simply based on altitude above and below sea level)...you find a bell curve...

The human species lives within a narrow and tenuous portion of this bell curve...

Any minor change of conditions could spell disaster for our species...

Our species is following the normal course of most living species...

It scares me to think that we may be at our peak...and as condition slowly change our numbers will start declining...and finally...we will disappear...

We generally think of extinctions as occurring as a result of a single catastrophic event that happens quickly...

But the fact of the matter is...the concept of time is something created by man...it (like new year's eve) is by an agreement and not something real!

A catastrophic event could be something that "quickly" happens over the course of 100 million years!  A slow and lingering change...death by long-term torture!

It is funny how something like the concept of time can mess with perception and behaviors!

I was reflecting on a world devoid of mans' creative consciousness...a world devoid of humans...

This is kind of a mind blowing thought...

When we (as a species) become extinct...what will the world be like?

It almost feels like the "if a tree falls in the woods...?" question!

For me...the realization of the fact that we live on such a narrow piece of the bell-curve changes my behaviors related to the "impact" that I have on the narrow band...

Most people are living an arrogant or clueless existence...with no thought for our future generations...or the survival of our species...

We have been given the gift of creative consciousness...and we are misusing it...at worse...rejecting it...and this behavior is causing our own slow...lingering catastrophic event...leading to our extinction!

We are going to suffocate!

We need to focus on our air!

We are burning up our oxygen at rates that can no longer be replaced!

Where?

...in car engines...and highly efficient jet engines...you get the picture...

We need to be thinking about requiring everyone who either makes or uses combustion liable for replacing the oxygen that they use...

Then we need to focus on fresh water...

We take air and water for granted...and have not protected these "rights" as much as we should...

They are precious to life...

If people...or companies...or countries are going to use the world's resources to their advantage...let it be that they borrow the resources...and replace them with interest...

If someone pumps ground water and sells it for a profit...the society from which they take it from should be equal partner in the proposition...

The same holds true for air...

Burn our oxygen...you need to planting trees or plants that replace the air that you are burning at a rate equal to or greater than the use and a portion of the profits should be shared with the people from which you have taken the air from!

Just some thoughts...we are allowing people to use our resources because we perceive them to be plentiful and limitless...when the fact of the matter is...they are finite!

We need to do something about it!

This is about global responsibility and stewardship...

What are you going to resolve to do before it becomes a detrimental event?

I would not want to wake up to that day!

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The BIG Picture...

This week a good friend sent a message to me...(it is at the end of this section in its entirety...slightly modified to make it applicable to everyone)

Those who have been following these blogs or personally know me...know that I promote "envisioning" your image and success...it is an essential characteristic of leadership success!

I love creating my mental image...and then putting substance to it...

One such image that I now envision, I found in his message...

...Be the kind of person that when your feet hit the floor each morning the

devil says "Oh Crap, He's up!"

For those who have a different perspective...allow me to edit it a bit...

Be the kind of person...that when your feet hit the floor each morning...anything that stands in the way of your life's mission says, "Darn!  He/she is awake.  Now what are we going to do?"

Envision yourself as a threat to failure...

Ask yourself...

"When I wake up...what does the part of the world that opposes me say?"

Does it say...

"OH BOY!  They are up...Today is going to be fun!"

or...

"Darn...here comes trouble again!"

or...

"Who did you say was up?"

...And They don't even care!

That "lead-in" to my friend's message creates an awesome mental image of the reputation that we should aspire to have!

The important word is REPUTATION...it can not simply be talk...or dreams...it has to be what others believe you to be because of your actions...YOUR ACTIONS...

We make a difference and everything that stands against us either follows our lead and survives...or it is trampled...it rues every moment that we are awake...because it means that we are making a meaningful, significant, positive difference and it is powerless to stop us!!

That is what I am going to strive for this year!

"DARN...He is awake!"

...and I hope that you do too!

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Your Reputation...

Let me share the message that my good friend sent!

Read it and make it your resolution and the reputation that you will live up to from this day forward...

Be the kind of person that when your feet hit the floor each morning the

devil says "Oh Crap, He's up!"

Life is too short to wake up with regrets.

- So love the people who treat you right.
- Forgive the ones who don't...just because you can.
- Believe everything happens for a reason.
- If you get a second chance, grab it with both hands.
- If it changes your life, let it....
- Take a few minutes to think before you act when you're mad.
- Forgive quickly...do not second guess this gift...
- God never said life would be easy, He just promised it
would be worth it...That is...if you try!

To everyone who has touched my life.

Here's to you!!

Remember...A real friend walks WITH you when the rest of the world walks on you.


Pura Vida!!!!!!