Archive for the 'Family' Category

Jun 02 2011

LEADERSHIP RISING

Yeast, the Sun,

                              

and Leadership.

                                                          

                                                 

I get (and agree with) what Paul Ryan’s advice to Mr. Obama was all about when he visited the White House yesterday and reminded the man that “leadership starts at the top,” but I take some exception to the semantics of what that advice might suggest as it is applied to the rest of the world. 

———————————————-

Leadership, like yeast, like the sun on the horizon, rises from low places. It starts, often below the surface, and grows to recognition, then to love and respect or –sadly, in many cases– to fear and loathing, with little room left in-between those two extremes for tolerance and apathy. The problem is that yeast and the sun are fairly predictable.

Some aspects of leadership are also predictable.

Qualities like being able to inspire and motivate others, for example, are part of almost every description of leadership since the beginning of time.

Truth and reality, however, measure all leadership by one word alone.

What’s your best guess?

What single word sums up “leadership” most definitively?

                                                                                

Surely you know the word if you think about it enough. It’s authenticity. Authenticity of character, of personality, of purpose, of attitude, of responsiveness, of courage, of self-image, of the nature of the people involved, of the nature of the tasks to be done. It cannot be manufactured, pretended, stolen, replaced, avoided, dismissed, disregarded, or disarmed.  

Almost never to be found near government or political enterprises or management: authenticity. And rarely does it appear in corporate life when it isn’t guarded — easy to understand when UN-authentic people hovering at the top feel threatened. Yet, say many, true authenticity must also be free, so how could it be guarded?

Okay, so cross off corporate authenticity. And what are we left with? Family life and small business. Why? Because there is less need to lie, make excuses, and cover one’s butt, and because entrepreneurial attitudes are not so affected and convoluted by status-ladder-climbing and artificial allegiances.

————————————-

TEN EXAMPLES of authenticity:

  1. Giving credit where credit is due.

  2. Speaking up for what you believe in and supporting others who share your purpose.

  3. Accepting responsibility without excuses.

  4. Acknowledging screw-ups and owning up to your mistakes, also without excuses.

  5. Taking immediate corrective action when called for instead of analyzing and seeking blame.

  6. Being focused on the present “here and now” moment as much as possible.

  7. Always acknowledging the human factor in every decision and action, even when others pass it over. Business transactions are impacted by illness, injury, and family issues.

  8. Nurturing (and cultivating) positive and productive behavior and attitudes consistently.

  9. Soliciting and respecting the opinions of others . . . praise in public and criticize (constructively) in private.

  10. Treat every employee and every customer like the special people they are, the way YOU want to be treated, every day, all of the time, without exception.  

————————————

How do you measure up, stack up, size up, match up? What three steps do you need to take now to give rise to more of that authenticity you have inside you? Can you take that first step right now?

It is, you know, a choice. 

 

# # #

                                                   

Your FREE subscription: Posts RSS Feed

Hal@Businessworks.US or 302.933.0116

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

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

Make today a GREAT day for someone!

2 responses so far

May 31 2011

Is your life making a difference?

What’s your legacy?

                                        

What are you

                        

leaving behind?

 

                                           

Lots of entrepreneurial-minded people end up leaving their business ventures behind when they leave life on Earth, but most –it seems to me– never give it any thought while they’re here. How many business owners do you know who actually take time out of their lives to do estate planning and succession planning?

Cartoon character Ziggy’s philosophy is probably about as much of a guiding light as the majority of entrepreneurs are willing to accept and practice:

We should enjoy here while we’re

 here ’cause there’s no here there.”

                                               

And, hey, far be it from me to suggest anything other than living for the moment. Being focused on the present, here-and-now moment, as much as possible, breeds success at every level. It is the fuel for achievement.

But, you know what? Let’s be honest about this: Most entrepreneurs, I’m quite sure you’ll find, barely take time out to eat or use the bathroom until they’re half-starved or busting at the seams. “Trial-and-error” still outperforms formal research studies and assessments. And most are unlikely to plan much beyond next week!

Entrepreneurs. They want what

they want when they want it!

                                                          

A burning desire to make their ideas work is what drives the spirit, soul, and passion of every entrepreneur. In fact, contrary to popular opinion and stereotypes, the pursuit of “making big moneyis secondary, if it’s even on the same wish list, which is rarely the case.

How would you like to get a complete –and guaranteed to be illuminating–  picture of your real self for free, no strings attached? How about if I can vouch for it being completely honest, and perhaps the most insightful summary of what you are all about that ever existed?

Are you ready to spook yourself out while you learn? Okay, here it is:

  • Set up a one-page (8.5 x 11) Word document, or work with a pen and notebook page.

  • Put your name and birth date at the top followed by a dash and today’s date

  • Write your own obituary.

                                                              

Don’t laugh, cry, shake uncontrollably, throw up, or think you have to be maudlin, guilty, or gushy. Simply the facts. Just the highlights. Give it a try. You will be amazed at how enlightening it will be for you to see what you actually write down or don’t write down, as the case may be. Clean it up. Polish it. Edit.

Read it back to yourself out loud.

                                                              

Then, before you shred it, burn it, bury it, or lock it in a time capsule, ask yourself what you just taught you about you that you have been overlooking.

Decide what if anything you might want to follow through with that your obit page brought to light. Then, unless you’re completely satisfied with what you’re leaving behind (or the legacy track you’re on), do it! Attack that missing hunk. Get on with it. You will feel pleased, proud, happier and healthier for the effort. Pretty good ROI, eh? 

                                                  

# # #

                                                   

Your FREE subscription: Posts RSS Feed

Hal@Businessworks.US or 302.933.0116

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

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

Make today a GREAT day for someone!

2 responses so far

May 30 2011

The First State’s Cutest Patriot!

Thank you, Veterans old and new, past and present, living and deceased –and your families– for all you have given to the service of America that allows us the freedom to celebrate this weekend in your honor! 

"BREEZY" The First State's Cutest Patriot on Memorial Day 2011

# # #

                                                   

Your FREE subscription: Posts RSS Feed

Hal@Businessworks.US or 302.933.0116

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

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

Make today a GREAT day for someone!

No responses yet

May 03 2011

Nice Guys Finish FIRST

Are you a nice guy?

If you are so savagely money-hungry that you’ve stopped functioning like a human, you may indeed finish first financially . . . but you’ll be wasting away your life in the process. People will split into two camps: those with value to offer who cross the street to avoid you, and those who leach onto you, hopeful of getting their hands in your pockets.

“Happiness,” we’re told,

“runs in a circular motion” and 

“life is just a little boat upon the sea”

(With thanks to ’60s songster Donovan).

Well, acquiring and stashing cash may well be what fuels your fire and keeps you running, but little boats upon the sea capsize quickly if they’re anchored off shore in the middle of a storm, economic or otherwise — especially if you’re sitting below deck rolling your dimes and nickles. (And without a snorkel?) Glub, glub!

“Yeah,” you say, “well that sounds good, but reality is my family’s gotta eat and I have a mortgage and car and stuff to pay for, and if I don’t focus on making money, my business goes down the tubes, then what?”

Someone told me today that she quit smoking “cold turkey” after years of convincing herself “it would be too hard to quit. I finally realized,” she said, “that it would be a lot harder to die of cancer.” You don’t need to be addicted to your business just because you fear bankruptcy. A bankrupt body and a bankrupt family are far worse consequences.

No, I don’t pretend to have all the answers, but–as both an ex-smoker and ex-money-chaser–I can only say that I am happier, healthier, and wiser now than I have been since college athlete days (a  l-o-n-g  time). Money struggles are much easier to contend with when you can make the decision to downsize your lifestyle.

That action alone, in fact, enables some fantastically rewarding experiences that would otherwise never have come by fighting to stay living a plastic existence at the top of the financial ladder.

“Like what?” you might ask. “What benefits can there possibly be from giving up a big-bucks high life?”

                                           

Start with drastically increased odds for:

  • A much-enhanced family life

  • More friends and more meaningful friendships

  • Increased numbers and types of opportunities to grow as a person,

  • Support systems to be physically and emotionally healthier

  • Increased awarenesses that facilitate being able to help others along the way

These are just a few of the hidden benefits. There comes a point where each of us must draw lines in the sand for our SELVES, and decide which roads to take. When that time comes –or when you decide to make it happen– choose your self and your loved ones first.

Money can put you there if you’re here,

but it can’t buy a new you or a new them.

You are undoubtedly a nicer person than you probably give yourself credit for. Don’t be afraid of letting the nice you rise to the surface more. And –since life isn’t football or boxing or war– don’t think for one minute that nice guys finish anywhere except first.

# # #

Your FREE subscription: Posts RSS Feed

Hal@Businessworks.US or 931.854.0474

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

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

Make today a GREAT day for someone!

One response so far

Apr 30 2011

BEING TOO GRATEFUL

BEING TOO GRATEFUL?

Is there such a thing!

            

                                                     

The only person who finds it annoying to hear you say Thank You” over and over is someone who is too self-absorbed to routinely express appreciation, or just too ignorant to consider it, or who is insecure about speaking up. Many people fear being too “overkill” thankful. There is no such thing.

It’s a well known fact that human beings value and respond positively to “Thank You!” especially when it’s delivered sincerely. Don’t you? Think about it. How much can you say it? It’s never too much. Point to one single instance in the world in all of history where someone has died from being too grateful.

So how can you best cultivate all these positive responses in your personal, professional and business lives?

By letting more people know more often how much you appreciate their efforts on your behalf, no matter how insignificant they may seem.

Besides making them feel good, you’ll get more smiles and better service.

                                  

Is there anyone reading this who would not enjoy getting more smiles and better service? Really.

                             

So start practicing when you wake up in the morning. In the bathroom mirror. To your spouse and kids. With neighbors. With fellow commuters, associates and employees, partners, advisors, investors, lenders, referrers, suppliers, vendors, visiting sales reps, OF COURSE CUSTOMERS. (Being continually grateful is the highest form of branding!) Thank the guy who fills your water glass at lunch.

You get it, right? Thank you.

Make it as much of a habit as brushing your teeth and fastening your seatbelt. It really is not hard. Simply prove to yourself how smart your brain is, and just choose it! (Thank you!)

Okay, says you, you’re just looking for work. Guess what’s the fastest way to make a positive impression to give yourself the competitive edge boost in your job search? A prospective employer (or client) takes you to lunch to size you up –to make sure you know where the napkin goes, and that you don’t order whiskey shots with your eggsalad sandwich.

You thank the maitre de or hostess, the waiter or waitress with every table visit, the bus boy who cleans off the table, anyone and everyone. If it doesn’t help you get a job offer, the prospect isn’t worthy of your talents and upbeat personality (Go back to the first sentence at the top of this post to see what you’ve got; be glad for not working there).

Oh, and while thank you’s will certainly not replace raises, bonuses, 401ks, healthcare plans and insurance coverage any time soon, you’ll be surprised how your increased use of them with employees will have the effect of minimizing these kinds of concerns as contentious issues, and there’s no better way to motivate your troops!

Try just 10 more thank you’s a day for one week, and see what happens.

You’ll thank yourself.

Then what?

What’s next?

Hmmm, well maybe think about trying “Please” more often?

. . . Hey, thank you! 

                           

# # #

Hal@Businessworks.US or 931.854.0474

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

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

Make today a GREAT day for someone!

One response so far

Apr 20 2011

America IS small business

Like Nero with Rome,

                                     

Obama Fiddles

                                    

While America Burns

                              

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

And not unlike one of Aesop’s Fables, The Boy Who Cried Wolf, mainstream media talking heads reported once again today that the U.S. economy is on the road to recovery. How nice. Do YOU believe it any more?

Some of these feeble excuses for “reporters” need to talk to the plummeting dollar, soaring fuel costs, unemployment lines, and some of the Americans I’ve felt saddened to see rummaging through fastfood and convenience store garbage pails and dumpsters for food scraps.

Has your business been interviewed? 

                                                                                                

We have of course heard this type of hype (floating somewhere between make-believe and outright lying) every day since Mr, Obama moved into the White House.

Checked the gas pumps lately?

                                                                              

I mean, really folks. First of all, we who visit this blog are small business and professional practice owners and managers. We are entrepreneurs. We are professional salespeople. We represent the leading edge in business, technology, education and healthcare.

We–to use Mr. Obama’s own “words of the week”are not stupid!

$4 a gallon and rising? 

 

Even IF gas pump prices were simply a fuel-for-our-vehicles issue, we might live with it. Unfortunately, it’s Dominoes! Skyrocketing fuel costs mean skyrocketing delivery costs and skyrocketing food costs and skyrocketing travel and airfare costs. All these “burstings in air” and it’s not even July 4th!

And to top it all off, the grand tsunami of costs that are tangled up with “Obamacare” will be paid by small business for decades to come, providing free healthcare for those unwilling to earn it, including (unbelievably) illegal aliens!

If you’re trying to figure all of this out, think politics. Reality is that we do not have a national leader who understands or practices or even cares about leadership. He fiddles while our nation’s reputation and respect dissolves away. What would happen if you tried to get away with that in your business?

He fiddles while his reckless socialist agenda spending disregards the lives of small business owners and managers who work hard for a living, who contribute most to society to begin with, who have the most promise to offer for real economic turnaround. Why? Because he doesn’t care and he doesn’t get it. All that matters is politics . . . 

Voter dependency delivers voter votes!

(Listen to his speeches. They are A~L~L campaign speeches. A~L~L.) 

                                                            

The more that government continues to intercede in our lives and businesses, the greater the dependency on government that’s created.

The more dependent on government we become, the more beholden we become for what government decides to give us, the more we vote for government generosity in order to live.

Is that sick or what?

Sorry, fellow business owners, but I doubt this is why any of us are in business. Lured by The Great American Dream, and the rights granted us as “We the people” by the Constitution of the United States –and as one nation under God– we are in business to help ourselves, our families, those for whom we can create jobs, and our communities.

We are in business to create opportunities to give back to the communities that support us from the only place that makes sense — from a position of strength. 

Our present government seeks to be THE ONLY source of strength.

                                                                                 

Frustrating? Inconceivable? This is why I will not let go of these issues. They are at least as important for each of us to deal with as our our own employees, customers, balance sheets, income statements, brands, operations, revenue streams, and innovative leadership. Our federal government is over-stepping its bounds every single day.

Isn’t it time to step up to the plate and make your voice heard? There are 30 million small businesses in America. Just imagine what’s possible if each of us would just speak up . . .  

                                                                  

# # #

                                                         

Your FREE subscription: Posts RSS Feed

Hal@Businessworks.US or 302.933.0116

 “The price of freedom is eternal vigilance!” [Thomas Jefferson]
Thanks for visiting. Go for your goals. God Bless You.

Make today a GREAT day for someone!

One response so far

Apr 07 2011

Businessball

Git yer glove

                            

an’ git in the game!

                  

                     

Keep your eye on the ball! Catch the ball! Throw the ball! See the ball! Hit the ball! This is not advanced calculus, statistical derivation, chemical formulae, rocket science or brain surgery. It’s simple concentration. Concentration.

                                                                                        

Odds are that the business or professional practice owner, partner, operator, or manager who has been blessed with strong concentration skills has put her or his business way ahead of the game . . . is already keeping an eye on the ball, and achieving the success that many entrepreneurs merely dream about.

  • Can you edit a technical report on a work-from-home day while the TV blares, the kids scream and the neighbor’s dog barks incessantly at scampering squirrels? 
  • Can you outline a strategic plan while sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic?
  • Can you draft your tax return while chaperoning a birthday party at Chucky Cheese?
  • Can you write a publishable poem while touring or working on an active construction site?
  • Can you read and grasp a chapter in Follett’s Fall of Giants or Gregory David Roberts’ Shantaram or Gruber’s The Book of Air and Shadows (or extract some meaningful business guidance from the Bible?) while you’re sitting in Grand Central Station at rush hour?
                                                                          

If you answer “Yes” to any of the above, you can probably answer “Yes” to all of the above, and probably need no help or pep talk today, and should just go your merry way and return Saturday for some new stimulation. Adios y gracias!

Now, if you’re still here, allow me to suggest that you might start exploring ways to start out “on the ball” every day, all day long. Because that’s what it will take if you expect to catch that shooting star you fantasize about. You thought maybe you could take a pass an hour or two a day or a day or two a week? Sorry Charlie!

But it’s so hard! So is success! Unless of course you choose for it to be easy, in which case it will definitely be easier than if you choose for it to be hard! Got it? It’s all a matter of improving your concentration skills and ability to focus full attention on what you’re doing AS you’re doing it — on keeping your mind in the here-and-now present moment.

People with great concentration skills are those who understand that their pulse and heartbeats and breathing are the most immediate human signals of here-and-nowness.

If you’re an entrepreneur and dismiss these kinds of messages off-hand, don’t waste the negative energy.

You cannot ignore yourself and expect your business to win!

                                                               

If you believe —as most of the thousands of small business principals I’ve known seem to me to believe– that you are here in your business and community, on this planet, to make a difference, you need to accept that the place to start and to keep your eye on the ball with is your SELF. Here’s one place to begin or booster-shot that journey. 

Play Businessball every day (and Familyball too for the positiveness and high energy it will prompt). Everything will grow with your growing focus. Get it. Grow it. Keep it. Spread it around.

Posts RSS Feed FREE Blog Subscription

# # #

                                               

302.933.0116 or 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!

3 responses so far

Mar 27 2011

HOMEWORK?

“So you work from home, huh?”

______________________

Hey, it’s not everyone who can flap around the house

–or up and down the stairs– in her or his bathrobe

all day, and call that work… and get paid for it!

______

                                              

First of all, congratulations for getting yourself out of mainstream corporate and incompetent government arenas, for putting yourself in a work environment that you control, and presumably enjoy more than some sterile cubicle or make-believe “dress up” conference room.

Yes, I know, I know, there are some great exceptions. I work with a few. (And they ARE exceptions!) The point is that you are clearly a cut above average intelligence (and hopefully below average stress) level to be functioning out of your basement, attic, bedroom, garage, kitchen, bathroom, porch, closet, pantry, workshop, shed, or tree house.

But now that you’ve made your bed, laying down there can be unnerving, right?

You keep getting up and walking around; you drive to the convenience store for social stimulation; you bring home stray dogs and cats for company.

You get bleary-eyed staring at the computer screen and keep taking munchie breaks.

Uh, oh. A new bathrobe belt?

                                                                  

Your family admires your independence. Your friends are jealous. Your in-laws think you’re a waste of a good loyal corporate sheep or lemming. But you like the freedom and you’re making a go of it. It’s just not quite working out the way you think it’s should. It’s the missing money in your pocket thing? Ah yes, sore spot! Pockets usually are.

So how do you get from where you are to where you want to be without having to give up your new-found entrepreneurial freedom? It’s called step back and revitalize your sense of self-discipline. Stepping back is easy. Seeing yourself in a revitalization mode is also fairly simple. Both of course are choices. Now comes the challenge.

Self-discipline. Maybe you have to trick yourself. Maybe you have to figure out some way to make it all a game. You know about the mice on the treadmill deal, and Pavlov’s dogs. And you’ve even watched the American Kennel Club finals on TV, so you know all about the perform/reward stuff. Well? Okay you’re not a mouse or a dog, but . . .

There’s something to be said for challenging and rewarding yourself.

Get this next task done and you can have a chocolate chip cookie.

When you’ve made the next three calls on your list, treat yourself to a fresh air walk around the block (uh, depending on where you live, you might want to change out of your bathrobe?) 

                                                                

Try it! What’s to lose? It’s a little hard for most non-contortionists to pat themselves on the back, but surely you can figure out some reward system that will motivate you and not result in you no longer fitting your bathrobe. Instead of doing tasks of avoidance, try doing tasks of reward for NOT avoiding.

The whole thing, be reminded, is your choice. If you want to choose to over-stress yourself, be my guest. If you seek instead to choose success and make money, choose to keep trying every technique that comes along until you find one that works for you . . . one that makes your home-based business pay for itself, and give you cause to celebrate!

  Posts RSS Feed FOR FREE BLOG SUBSCRIPTION

# # #

                                                                   

www.TheWriterWorks.com or 302.933.0116 or 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

Mar 22 2011

Business Lessons From Kids

Kids are

                 

the world’s greatest

                                                         

salespeople because

                       

they know how to 

                                       

paint a verbal picture 

                                   

. . . and put you in it!

 

 

When’s the last time you took business advice from a single-digit-aged kid? Every small business owner, operator, manager, entrepreneur, and sales professional should have to do this at least once a month, even for a ten-minute long crash course.

Ask someone under ten years old to tell you why she or he likes something. Then listen. Ask questions but only for clarification. Odds are pretty good that you’ll end up inside that child’s verbal description of a thing, a place, or an event. You’ll get there by your own choice and you’ll enjoy the experience.

Those of you who are Mothers (or Mr. Mom’s) know all about the pearls-of-wisdom-from-the-mouths-of-babes thing, but in case you’re not, or don’t, don’t think for a minute that you haven’t time to waste with such foolishness.

Innovative business empires have been built on ideas and messages that have come from listening to children.

Children —and generally the younger the better– are less inhibited, have far fewer fears, and fewer feelings of self-importance. They may fantasize. They may not seem very realistic about things like money or distance or amounts or sizing up people or situations, but they speak the truth.

And they are passionate.

And they know how to

paint a verbal picture.

And they won’t hesitate to tell you

all the things you need to know

that no one else will tell you.

                                                                       

You will gain value from a child’s perspective.

His or her viewpoint, remember is looking up under your chin and your belly, and inside your nose. Put your new product, or a photo or video clip of it on the table in front of the nearest 8-year-old and ask what she or he thinks it is. Ask what it does, how it works, who would use it, why, when, where, how?

It’s a service? Simplify your explanation of it and see what you get back. Offer and ask for examples and comparisons. Does he or she if the product or service would be a good or bad thing . . . and why?

Tou’re looking to save your business money? What better deal can you make than to get an outpouring of honest, unbiased opinions about your business or business ventures for the price of an ice cream or hot dog, or a trip to the circus or a walk on the beach or through the park?

On top of all that, you’ll get a firsthand booster shot of salesmanship. Maybe you forgot about how important energy and enthusiasm are, or the importance of painting a mental picture with words, and walking a customer into it. Hmm?              

Posts RSS Feed FREE Blog Subscription

# # #

                                                                   

302.933.0116     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

Mar 07 2011

Daily Commutes: Exhilarating or Zombie Zone?

To and from work, are you

                                        

wide-eyed and bushy-tailed

                                   

… or in a trance-like state?

                                                             

DOES IT MATTER? Well, does your job attitude matter? Your family attitude? What goes on with you in that little Twilight Zone commuting-to-and-fro time window? Are you looking and acting like you just stepped out of (or into) some weird, skin-crawling Steven King story? How does your daily commute impact your business? Career? Family?

                                                                                                                                                                              

Or, hey, maybe you’re hop-skip-jumping along in time to your happy whistling? (Hmmm, hard to remember the last time I heard someone whistle. Once it was commonplace, but now suggests serial-killer symptoms.) Or, no, I was, well, I was  going to substitute “humming” but that’s come to signal readiness for being committed, y’think?

I’m asking all these questions because I have been, alternatively: a tiger, a puppy-dog, and a zombie commuting to, from, and through a wide variety of career pursuits.

I’ve run the proverbial gamut of commuter vehicle experiences from choppers to car pools, and here’s some of what I found . . .

                                                                               

Years of Fortune 500 corporate client travels and commuter trains so jam-packed and smoke-filled, I often gave up a seat to stand, freezing, between the deafening, open-air train car connection spaces (an hour each way on those rare occasions when schedules were actually met), hanging on for dear life. And I won’t even mention the rain.

Ah, yes, and there was always at least one time when briefcase snaps failed or a coffee lid wasn’t secured!

Those enlightening death-defying train rides definitely fed appreciation like no other for the plastic suburbs and phony weekend-warrior neighbors.

I mean imagine racing home from the railroad station to screaming kids, barking dogs, complaints about dinner being cold and a mountain of bills. 

But, alas, those late arrival, go-getter young executives –after working long past punch-out time, in efforts to excel and earn more– often found that state of pandemonium a welcome greeting!

                                                       

In fact, it was almost a treat compared to straddling the clanking, jerking, bucklings that connected the stinking (slippery when wet) rail-cars after a stressful workday.

Then there were years of driving (and standing still on “expressways”) and tolls, bridges, bus fumes, and broken windshield wipers. I wonder how many hours wasted away waiting in lines and at traffic lights and in (cough!cough!cough!) claustrophobic tunnels. No, never mind, I really don’t want to know. It would make me crazier than I am.

So, take a taxi! Yeah, right! Talk about crazy. Besides that drivers must have to pass a taxi test that proves they can’t speak English, they all have their little trade secrets about longer routes to take passengers who are in a hurry, more dangerous routes to take passengers who look nervous, etc. Taxi? No thanks! 

____________________

Besides, I ditched all that nonsense years ago when I took the big leap off of payrolls and benefit plans and came crashing to Earth as (Ta-ta-ta-ta-tah-tah!) . . . poorer than a ragged beggar, more headstrong than the bull in front of the Stock Exchange, able to leap onto prospective clients in a single bound . . . Look! . . . Up in the air! . . . It’s . . . It’s a corporate mogul . . . it’s a pocket-padding politician . . . NO! IT’S ENTREPRENEURMAN!

Yup, that’s me! Shucks! You’d never recognize that frazzled commuter anymore. Now I just run up and down the stairs to my basement office, bathrobe aflutter, with an armful of pantry snacks, writing fool that I am, remembering the good old commuter days, and being soooo thankful to be struggling in small business with big happiness!

                                                                                  

# # #

Your FREE subscription: Posts RSS Feed

Hal@Businessworks.US or 302.933.0116

 “The price of freedom is eternal vigilance!” [Thomas Jefferson]
Thanks for visiting. Go for your goals. God Bless You.

Make today a GREAT day for someone!

No responses yet

« Prev - Next »




Search

Tag Cloud