Archive for December, 2014

Dec 30 2014

2015 – Ta,ta,ta,ta,ta,ta,ta,ta,ta,ta,ta,tah – CHARGE!

Published by under "Here & Now" Focus,Age & Aging,Attitude,Best Practices,Business Growth,Business Life,Calendar,Change,Choosing Behavior

2015_new_year[1]

 

What ARE you waiting for?

_____________________________

I know, I know. You’re waiting for a parade. The doctor? Next Christmas? Someone else to go first? Your parent’s approval? Ah, your boss’s approval. A work order? 5PM? Lunchtime? Oh, right, vacation. Your birthday? A full moon? High tide? Rock bottom? Another way out? The Mets to play the Cubs in The World Series? (HA!) The car in front of you to get out of the passing lane? Your child to become President? Your Father to strike oil? Aaaaaah, of course, a winning lottery ticket.

___________________

If you seriously answered “YES” to any of the above, you are too filled with excuses to make a success of yourself. I really can’t help you. My, um, best guess is that Psssssst! YOU NEED A SHRINK! Visit again sometime after therapy! 

                                                                        

Now. Who’s left out there? Anybody? Good. Well, there’s still hope for you after all. Since time truly does fly, if you’re truly not waiting for some event or person in order to move forward with your life –and especially your business pursuits– then odds are you’ve just been procrastinating. Christmas has passed.

Putting stuff off is okay sometimes. It happens to all of us. But you might need to give yourself a smack alongside your head, or if you can work it out, kick yourself in the butt (?). At least get yourself in gear to answer the two following questions:

     Question One:

How much more productive can you be with your waiting time?  (Like bank lines, traffic lights, bridges, RR crossings, commuter trains, subways, boats and buses, the dentist, Motor Vehicle Bureau?)

     Question Two:

What’s normally in your pocket, briefcase or pocketbook while you’re waiting?

     If

. . . your answer does NOT include: A pen, paper, laptop, tablet, smartphone, sticky notes, or a book to read … 

    Then

. . . the answer to Question One above is that you can be a LOT more productive just by carrying these items. [Hint: Those listed are all tools or avenues of productivity).

I know people who’ve put together complete photo essays standing in line at the post office. I know an engineer who says he stimulates his brain by sketching vehicles and machinery while waiting for trains and bridges.

I know highly acclaimed writers who write as many street and business names down as they can see while stopped at red lights (that they can cherry-pick from later when they’re seeking character and location names for their works of fiction).

The point is, like the old Schlitz Beer commercials used to proclaim, “You only go round once in life!” (Well some maybe do a few trips, but most of us, well . . . ) and how convenient that we all only remember how short lifetimes can be when someone close to us passes away. You’re here to make a difference, aren’t you?

SO, stop fooling yourself with delays, excuses, nonproductive and unproductive waits. Stop staring into space wishing you were somewhere else. Stop bemoaning the lousy delay experiences and start DOING the stuff you’ve been saying, “Well, someday, I …”

 T O D A Y is “someday”!

 Some action is always better than no action. And remember that it’s ALL YOUR CHOICE because all of behavior is a choice. So choose to march shoulder-to-shoulder with time, not ahead of it, not behind it, but with it.

 Make the most of 2015.    Make your mark.

Make a difference. Make 2015 YOUR year!

Love, health, and happiness to each of you!

# # #

931.854.0474 (CT)    Hal@BusinessWorks.US

Thanks for visiting. Go for your goals! God Bless You.

“The price of freedom is eternal vigilance!” [Thomas Jefferson]

Make today a GREAT day for someone!

No responses yet

Dec 19 2014

Christmastime Business

Published by under "Here & Now" Focus,Attitude,Business Life,Change,Choosing Behavior,Decision Making,Empathy,Entrepreneurship,Experience,Family,Family Business,Good Health,Happiness,Life Plans,Lifestyle,Motivation,Objectives,Observations,Professional Practices,Reality,Relationships,Self-Confidence,Small Business,Special People/Special Occasions

Watch where you’re going,

 

Barnegat Girl 10/15/97-9/1/10 R.I.P.

but think about

 

where you are.

                                                                                                                                                                          

I watched a blind man’s golden retriever thread his master through the parking lot and into the giant retail outlet, through electronic doors and deftly around an oblivious woman who appeared cast in stone, at one with her shopping cart … surely not about to move.

The man and his companion worked their way around obstacles, displays, counters, other shoppers. They passed so briskly and so seemingly self-assured that only a few passerby even noticed just one pair of color-blind canine eyes leading three pair of legs.

But I did. And in a mere matter of seconds after the man’s best friend and the man were devoured by store traffic, my mind snapped to attention from its visual tracking trance and realized I had been witness to a man with no eyes. Mine began to fill with tears. Maybe it was being sad for him, or grateful for me, or simply the season, but …

All my weaknesses, complaints and woes went quickly off into space as I closed my eyes and considered for just a moment what my life would be like without ever or ever again seeing a crepe myrtle in full bloom, the ocean, a blue heron following with its body its spindly silent legs as it creeps along the shore, a laughing toddler, deep woods, a frolicking litter of puppies, snow-topped mountains, my family, a book, works of art, lightening, swooping seagulls, my toothbrush, a roaring fireplace, faces, a Christmas tree…

Who could possibly want a Christmas present who has full use of vision after seeing someone who does not?

So, I am left to conclude

that Christmas is truly not

about either giving or receiving.

                                                                              

Christmas is instead about consciousness-raising, celebration, self-renewal, and setting out once again on our annual trek to make the most of what we do already have, to better ourselves and the lives of those around us.

Christmas is a gentle wake-up call to remember we are here to make a difference on this planet, one day at a time, to focus on making what’s possible actually happen. Christmas is a time for melancholy, yes, but also for introspection. We remember that we have within each of us the ability to choose the pathways that make existence on Earth as worthy as what lives in the riches of our souls.

Here’s what I’ve learned (often the hard way, mind you) so here’s what I have to share: In both business and in life, watch where you’re going, but always think about where you are. Be grateful for all that is yours, and continue your work to grow your business so you can help others from a position of strength … because the greatest gift of all is love wrapped up in charity.

# # #

 

God Bless You One And All

And Merry Christmas To You!

 

# # #

Hal@Businessworks.US   931-854-0474

Open  Minds  Open  Doors

Make today a GREAT day for someone!

No responses yet

Dec 17 2014

70+ YEARS OLD AND STILL WORKING?

Published by under "Here & Now" Focus,Age & Aging,Attitude,Best Practices,Business Life,Change,Choosing Behavior,Decision Making,Entrepreneurship,Experience,Family,Family Business,Goals,Good Health,Happiness,Life Plans,Lifestyle,Mental Health,Motivation,Objectives,Observations,Personal Growth,Problems=Opportunities,Productivity,Professional Practices,Reality,Reputation,Self-Confidence,Self-Esteem,Small Business,Special People/Special Occasions

YOU’RE 70+ YEARS OLD?

There goes your past. Here comes your future. But
it’s only this very minute —this very split second
as you read this sentence— that counts!
Popular observations about your age:

YOU’RE 70+ YEARS OLD

God Bless You! You’re still alive and pretending to be younger . . . probably 50-60. Occasionally, you might even make believe that you’re in the 30-40 age bracket (though, depending on activity levels involved, that can readily get you in trouble, like cut, bumped, bruised, or thrown out of a bar, an airplane or someone’s bedroom!).

Bottom line is that you have at long last arrived at the point where no one can tell you much of anything that you don’t already know from experience.

Well, okay, you may be a little slow on the uptake when it comes to storing your pdf files on the cloud or testing the new contact lens that takes photos when you blink (something like 1 blink for yes and 2 blinks for no and 3 blinks to snap a picture of what you’re looking at that you’re not supposed to be looking at. Hmmm, and that could spell trouble with a capital “T”!). Anyway, who knows what’s next in tech? You can bet the farm that the answer to that is: No one older than fifty years younger than you, right?

So here you are: 70+ and you have no doubts about what you don’t know. You’re still working at something or you wouldn’t be around. Life is not a breeze, but waking up every day is certainly a gift you want to make the most of — especially after all that work just to get from the bed to the bathroom!

And you are, after all, happy and productive, yes?

Interesting isn’t it, that being at the happiest and most productive place in the world—“here and now”—is most often shared by people under 7 and over 70? Most everyone in between spends all those other years worrying about the future which hasn’t come yet (and may never!) or dwelling on the past which is over (and can’t be changed). But then, you already know that, right?

Here’s how I figure it: AGE only matters when you choose for it to matter. We made a lot of choices to get here. And whether it’s been easy, hard, or in between, it all comes back to choices we make and have made—conscious or unconscious, but always our choices lead the way.

So, just choose to make it easy! Choose to make whatever work you still do work for you, to be happy and healthy and rewarding for you and all those who surround you. Is that too hard? Well, it’s simple if you choose for it to be simple. Besides, what’s the alternative? You stop working and then you die of retirement? Not a great choice.

REALITY IN LIFE AND BUSINESS:
Now is the only time!
How thankful are you to be who you are,
headed where you’re headed?

CHECK BACK TO THE LAST 5 POSTS BEFORE THIS FOR THE
COMPLETE “AGE SERIES” [20-30, 30-40, 40-50, 50-60, and 60-70]
~~~ NEXT WEEK: A SPECIAL CHRISTMAS MESSAGE!
# # #
Hal@BusinessWorks.US or 931.854.0474 or comment below

OPEN MINDS OPEN DOORS

Thanks for visiting. Go for your goals! God Bless You!

Make today a GREAT Day for someone!

No responses yet

Dec 09 2014

In Business Life, Age Matters (60-70?)

Published by under "Here & Now" Focus,Age & Aging,Attitude,Best Practices,Business Growth,Calendar,Choosing Behavior,Decision Making,Entrepreneurship,Experience,Good Health,Happiness,Leadership,Life Plans,Lifestyle,Mental Health,Motivation,Objectives,Observations,Overcoming Objections,Personal Growth,Problems=Opportunities,Reality,Relationships,Self-Confidence,Self-Esteem,Special People/Special Occasions,Time Management

YOU’RE 60-70 YEARS OLD?

There goes your past. Here comes your future. But
it’s only this very minute —this very split second
as you read this sentence— that counts!

Popular observations about your age:

YOU’RE 60-70 YEARS OLD
Ah, now you’re cookin’, Baby! True smartness sets in and you learn to appreciate the idea that life is too short to be hanging around with time-wasting junk. That includes other people who are hell-bent on draining your brain and emotional storage bank with their tales of physical ailments, surgical procedures, and drug regimens.

Business life begins at 60! Go get busy! Invent something! Write a book! Play senior softball! Coach something. Find a local youth organization you can work with. And there’s nothing like moving to or visiting a college town to keep you feeling young! Pull up stakes and git outta Dodge! If you’re married, do another honeymoon. If you’re single, and still searching for love in all the wrong places (like bars!), gussy yourself up and check out stuff like www.NeedTaGetMeARedHotSeniorLover.com (Just kidding. Sorry, it’s not a real site!)

One good thing that’s predictable once you hit into the 60-70 age group: You say “screw it!” more.

Oh, and—after trying endless formulas, products, and treatments to no avail—you let your hair and wrinkles grow wherever the hell they want to. You look lovingly at grandchildren, but have a keenly developed zero-tolerance for temper tantrums and the soiled diapers that you once handled with aplomb, finesse, dedication and necessity.

Reluctantly, you look for the bright side of facing the eventual need to downsize your living quarters and aspirations. Your kids talk with you like they think you’re seven years old. You are either attending church services more or less. You are paying too much attention to politics, the news, and nail fungus!

Here’s the whole enchilada: Be thankful to be who you are and to be headed forward on your path. You’ve made it this far and you ain’t gonna quit nohow!

REALITY IN LIFE AND BUSINESS:
Now is the only time!
How thankful are you to be who you are,
headed where you’re headed?

WATCH THIS BLOG NEXT WEDNESDAY

FOR HAL’s 70+ AGE COMMENTARY

# # #

Hal@BusinessWorks.US  or 931.854.0474 or comment below

OPEN MINDS OPEN DOORS

Thanks for visiting. Go for your goals! God Bless You!

Make today a GREAT Day for someone!

No responses yet

Dec 02 2014

In Business Life, Age (50-60?) Matters

Published by under "Here & Now" Focus,Age & Aging,Attitude,Best Practices,Business Growth,Business Life,Calendar,Change,Choosing Behavior,Decision Making,Entrepreneurship,Experience,Family,Good Health,Happiness,Humor/Satire,Life Plans,Lifestyle,Mental Health,Motivation,Observations,Overcoming Objections,Personal Growth,Problems=Opportunities,Productivity,Reality,Reputation,Self-Confidence,Self-Esteem,Small Business,Special People/Special Occasions

YOU’RE 50-60 YEARS OLD?

There goes your past. Here comes your future. But
it’s only this very minute —this very split second
as you read this sentence— that counts!

50-60 FEMALE HIPPY

Popular observations about your age:

YOU’RE 50-60 YEARS OLD

Congratulations! You’ve finally learned some stuff. You know better, for example, than to think you’re so omnipotently brilliant and untouchable—not weak by any means (you did after all get this far!)—you’ve simply become more realistic.

Realistic is good. More realistic is even better. At 50-60, you start going to church more than just weddings, funerals, Christmas and Passover, and you’ve given up worrying about your hair.

Your business enterprise is shaky but working (after learning from a handful of failures) as usual — and you live for your annual vacation, your spouse, and your offspring. Your new puppy just chewed up your tax returns, but that truck you always wanted is now in your driveway . . . and who knows? Ray Kroc was 57 years-old when he launched McDonald’s! Makes you think of trading in those daily nuts and healthy fruit for a drippy fat burger and those fries (Ah yes, the fries!) . . . am I right?

Yup! And, at long last, you’ve come to the point of accepting the reality that you may actually be a bit on the stupid side when it comes to home and car repairs, budgeting and bank account management, or selling yourself to get customers. You’ve no doubt figured out how to apply all the gems you learned in your school studies of Tree-Hugging, Trigonometry, and Global Warming to market your line of new improved toilet plungers.

Oh, and this is not even to mention your half-century (whoops! Sorry to mention that) of accumulated street-smarts that have prompted you to realize that you can be easily clobbered by a 20-something who cuts you off in traffic and that your best defense is to keep your middle finger in your pocket. Your love affair dreams have narrowed to a handful of gorgeous TV superstars and a neighbor with 9 children and 17 grandchildren swarming over the house, porch, yard and driveway 24/7. Oh, well . . .

REALITY IN LIFE AND BUSINESS:
Now is the only time!
How thankful are you to be who you are,
headed where you’re headed?

WATCH THIS BLOG NEXT WEEK FOR MORE
  AGE COMMENTARY~~~~ NEXT WEEK: 60-70
# # #
Hal@BusinessWorks.US or 931.854.0474 or comment below

OPEN MINDS OPEN DOORS

Thanks for visiting. Go for your goals! God Bless You!

Make today a GREAT Day for someone!

One response so far




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