Tuesday, February 28, 2017

Show respect

The best way for you to show your respect to people is to ALWAYS follow up and return calls and email. We are all busy and it only takes seconds to return a email, even if it is just to say that you are busy and will reply later ( and be sure to reply later).
When someone doesn't return your call or email how do you receive it ?
I feel as if I am not important enough to that person. And I'm not I guess because they cannot even take a few seconds out of their day to reply something..anything.
Showing respect is much more than just saying sir and mame ..
Let your actions SHOW respect..

Monday, February 27, 2017

Which side are you on ?

You might be a young man with the mountain in his step
In search of El Dorado, but you haven't found it yet
Or you might be an old man with his whole life at his back
And you can hear eternity whispering down the track
Or maybe you're a woman, or just about to be
And you can feel the generations swimming in your sea
But you know that it's coming, as surely as the dawn
The battle for the future, baby, which side are you on?

Come on come on come on if you're coming
Come on come on come on
Come on come on come on if you're coming
Which side are you on?
Come on come on come on if you're coming
Battle lines are drawn
Come on come on come on if you're coming
Which side - which side are you on?

Which side?
The corporations attacking
The natural world - drilling and fracking
All done with the backing of the craven and corrupt
Or the ones who fight
For the Earth with all their might
And in the name of all that's right
Confront and disrupt

There's a restlessness out in the street there's a question in the air
How long if this theft goes on will our country still be here?
People know the game is rigged even as they play
They see their expectations slowly slip away
They've got subsidies for billionaires, there's a bailout for the banks
A monopoly on medicine, and a sale on armored tanks
The whole damned country's being sold - out that revolving door
Between Washington and Wall Street like it's one big Dollar Store


Which side - which side are you on?

Which side?
The bankers and their special friends
Who rob you time and again
Who like to pretend they're the only game in town
Or the people who
Hope with everything they do
They can build something new
And turn this world around

Who owns the elections? Who profits either way?
Who ends up with all that money politicians pay?
To be the fearless leader, to put themselves across
To be the one entrusted with the profit and the loss
You try hard to believe that when you cast your vote it counts
But elections are won with money in ever larger amounts
Take the money out of politics and maybe we might see
This country turn back into something more like democracy


Which side - which side are you on?

Saturday, February 25, 2017

Wisdom

More wisdom from Gerry Spence, a successful trial layer and writer:

Wisdom usually does not fall from high places. The mighty and the splendid have taught me little. I have learned from my dogs than from all the great books I have read. I have learned from my children than from all the professors who have importuned themselves upon me in the exercise of their tenure. The wisdom of children is the product of their unsullied ability to tap their innate fund of knowledge and innocently to disclose it. The wisdom of my dog is the product of his inability to conceal his wants. When he yearns to be loved, there is no pouting in the corner. There are no games entitled " Guess what is the matter with me." He puts his head on my lap, wags his tail and looks up at me with kind eyes, waiting to be petted. No professor or sage ever told me I might live a more successful life if I simply asked for love when I needed it. 


Friday, February 24, 2017

Understanding the neurotic need for Power

This is. Excerpt from a book written by Gerry Spence, a very successful trial lawyer and writer:

Understanding the neurotic need for Power:
Many in positions of power take up such posts in The fulfillment of a neurotic need to exercise power over others- prison guards, police officers, some judges, some deans, some teachers, almost all politicians- you understand. Insecure, afraid, those who must maintain control are, indeed, lonely and frightened. Their awful sense of vulnerability is a disease of the psyche. It is marked by a dark, smoldering misery. Such people most frequently treat their disease with massive doses of power that manifests itself in anger, cruelty, and agression.
I think of Pluto, who said, " Access to power must be confined to those who are not in love with it." The old saying is old because it is true: " This will be a better world when the power of love replaces the love of power."

Thursday, February 23, 2017

Use your kids

Do you have small kids at home ? Grandchildren? Nephews or nieces ? - Use Them !
When you start getting stressed or you get lost in the busy of the work day take a time out. Take a few hours or a half a day to just hang out with whatever kids you may be blessed with in your life.
They have the secret, they still have imagination and still enjoy the simple things in life. Look in there eyes and watch them, play in their world for a bit and your stress will slowly slip away.
I can remember years ago I was having one of those summer stress days in the moving business, most likely mid July, and I took a few hours to head home to play with my son. He was probably around 8 years old, we went in the backyard and just played imaginary sword fighting and ran around and enjoyed the day and it did wonders for my attitude.
Today a few hours with his son, my grandson, can do the same.
Need a attitude adjustment? - Use your Kids !


Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Write it down

Writing things down help commit it to memory.
With people using email and computers more we are writing things down less and less, the younger generation's hand writing is suffering from that too and it is known that when we write things down the brain has a better chance of remembering it. Something about writing it seems to work better.
Writing thoughts will also help you with your thoughts, it can help organize your thoughts before you verbalize it and give you a chance to think about it , add to it later or reorganize it.
As a thought hits your mind write it down !

Tuesday, February 21, 2017

Fate

Fate is a wonderful thing.

The river if fate has lead me to some beautiful things my entire life..you just have to believe.
People enter your life for a reason, did you ever see the movie Slumdog Millionaire? In the movie you travel with this young boy through his life and in the end he thinks back to many of his memories and people that he meant and they have helped him. The river of fate took him through some horrific times as as a boy and he went through a lot but it all meant something.
Trusting in the river of fate does not mean bad things will not happen but there is a lesson in everything and everyone we meet. As we grow older we can't help but to reflect on our life's and the people that come in and out and how they direct us and how we learn from them.
It is pretty cool.
The secret is to always think of life as a lesson, our job is to continue to learn and to help others and appreciate the people and the lessons in our life.
Enjoy The Ride ! And the River- TRUST

Monday, February 20, 2017

Never forget

Never forget where you came from.

Always remember what it was like when you were learning your trade, remember those that took the time to help you. Remember the tips and suggestions and the helping hand.
Remember and pay it forward.
We all had people that we looked up or that we observed and learned from , those people were put in our path for a reason. Most people our put in our path for a reason and we can still learn if we take the time to actually "see" the people we happen to meet in the course of a day. That old man probably has some cool stories to share, the older lady could probably share some remarkable stories.
Take the time to listen and never forget how you got where you are and where you came from.

Saturday, February 18, 2017

It's My Job


"It's My Job"

In the middle of late last night I was sittin' on a curb
I didn't know what about but I was feeling quite disturbed
A street sweeper came whistlin' by
He was bouncin' every step
It seemed strange how good he felt
So I asked him while he swept

He said "It's my job to be cleaning up this mess
And that's enough reason to go for me
It's my job to be better than the rest
And that makes the day for me"

Got an uncle who owns a bank he's a self made millionaire
He never had anyone to love never had no one to care
He always to seemed kind of sad to me
So I asked him why that was
And he told me it's because in my contract there's a clause

That says "It's my job to worried half to death
And that's the thing people respect in me
It's a job but without it I'd be less
Than what I expect from me"

I've been lazy most all of my life
Writing songs and sleeping late
Any manual labor I've done purely by mistake
If street sweepers can smile then
I've got no right to feel upset
But sometimes I still forget

Till the lights go on and the stage is set
And the song hits home and you feel that sweat

It's my job to be different than the rest
and that's enough reason to go for me
It's my job to be better than the best
and that's a tough break for me
It's my job to be cleaning up this mess
and that's enough reason to go for me
It's my job to be better than the best
and that makes the day for me



Jimmy Buffett

https://youtu.be/S5OgKeyPGFg 

Friday, February 17, 2017

Goals

Goals are very important, goals give you something to strive for.
You should have daily goals , short term goals , goals he want to achieve in 5 years and then long range goals. Where do you see yourself in 5 years and in 10 years?

Think about it, visualize it , what should you do to position yourself to best obtain your goals?
I am not talking about money , I am talking about personally as well as professionally.
What makes you happy? Where is your happy spot? You deserve to be happy and only YOU can make yourself  happy.
Don't use your time blaming others, what can YOU do to improve ?
Daily goals are just as important and the best time to make those goals are the day or days before.

Be prepared, position yourself to succeed. Preparing means looking at your day ahead and taking control, do not leave anything to chance. Do you have everything you need to DO YOUR JOB ?

Ask the questions- stay in control of  your day, your week- your life and appreciate your opportunities and the people in your day- remember you should always want to learn and you can learn from everyone you meet- if you truly SEE them and listen.

What are YOUR goals ?

Thursday, February 16, 2017

Fake News

Fake News is in the news a lot lately and I can attest that fake News is all around us.
I am not talking about fake News in the political world, I have heard fake News and gossip my entire business life. People making up stories about me or others or even the company.

I say always consider the source and do your homework, if you have a question go right to the person and simply ask. Do not buy into everything you hear, remember most people have their own agenda.
If someone is slinging a lot of mud at one person or in a certain direction- beware - that normally means they are trying to avert attention from them- a classic move.

I have had to make tough decisions in my 40 years of management but I was always truthful and tried my best. Behind closed doors I always had honest conversations with a person and I always kept those conversations private so when I heard rumors I knew the truth and that person knew the truth but I did not find it proper to air my side in public.  No matter what I still wanted to protect the other person , even if being attacked and lied about. It is very difficult at times but in most cases after time goes by the person that was spreading the lies would come back to me and apologize- they knew the truth and so did I.

So beware of fake News and gossip- it is mostly mis-direction.

Wednesday, February 15, 2017

Follow through

Follow through !
It amazes me that people do not follow up on what they say or promise. I see it every day and in all walks of life, people tell you something that they will do or look into and then you end having to chase them for the result or the answer. If you want to stand out simply do what you say and follow up. 
Call, email,text but get back to people- do not let the day go by or use the lame excuse that you were too busy- it all comes down to RESPECT.
People appreciate follow up so they know that you were not just giving lip service and that you respected them. If you do not have the answer yet then say that but follow up.
 If you just want to say thank you- follow up- And follow through.
Let them know they ARE important to you and that you listened and that you respect them. 
It cost you nothing but it will help build a reputation that you can be proud of .

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Friends

How many true friends do you have ?
Who can you trust?
As we go through life we find that many people we meet have their own agendas , which is fine but for some to get ahead they feel they need to pull others down. Unfortunately that is life but do not let that harden you and do not buy into that philosophy.
It is easy to turn sour after you get burned enough times by people that may lie to you, especially those that you may have trusted but try to remember that in the end they will be judged. And I truly believe that they did not start out that way,  somewhere along the way somebody lied to them and hurt them so they chose the road of revenge of hate and they got hard.
Resist that feeling as easy as it is, forgive and stay positive and move on. That is much easier said then done and you will get hurt and angry, it is human nature but when you forgive and learn from it you will lighten YOUR shoulders and see life clearer.
Always look for the good in people, it is there somewhere, you may need to step away from the situation to get a clearer picture and there is no magic wand but do not become hardened and turn to the dark side.
There is more good in the world then bad but you will run into the bad.
Stay Strong, have faith and remember " no man is a failure who has friends " - A Wonderful Life


Monday, February 13, 2017

Care

The number one ingredient to success is caring..if you sincerely do not care about the person in front of you - you will never truly succeed.
What is success to you ? More money ? Titles ?
I always said that my true reward was when a driver, employee or agent said thank you to me and that I helped them and that I made a difference.

Last week my heart was full and I was totally overwhelmed with post, text, emails and calls from people around the country thanking me and telling me I helped them. I was blown away and felt so blessed. My wife and kids told me that was from over four decades of caring and helping people.
I never claimed to be smarter then anyone else but I quickly learned at a younger age that so many people that I met and worked either for or with did not care about others. They went through their day half listening and not following through or even calling back people. They mostly worried about themselves and thought that their title would bring respect.

I also had a great mentor, Paul Arpin, Paul cared about others and treated everyone the same. Rather you emptied his trash or were a VP he always took the time to look up and say hi and ask how you were. The key from there was he also listened ! He was tough and during working hours he was there to work and expected the same from you but he also took the time to listen and care and he got to know you.

Last week proved to me that you can make a difference, one person at a time. I cannot ever express in words how fulfilling it is to know that in some small way you played a role in another person's life.

If you want to succeed, stop- look up- listen and CARE.

Saturday, February 11, 2017

Lemonade

When life hands you lemons..
Businesses are changing , I get it ..and we have to change with them.
People will come and go and business owners have tough choices to make but the name of the game in business is profit and as the world changes and each related industry or business they have to continue to reinvent themselves. In doing so sometimes they have to make hard decisions, I get it.
So indivually that means we all need to be ready for the unexpected and that may mean changing jobs.
Change is difficult for all us but sometimes it is not only inevitable but necessary.
Have enough faith and confidence in yourself to embrace change, run towards it, look forward to meeting new people, learning new processes, that is what life is all about..learning.
It will hit all of us both personally and professionally, no matter who we are and what we do.
It's ok- it is all part of the master plan..Life..Live it !!

Tuesday, February 7, 2017

Humility

10 questions humble leaders ask themselves:

  1. How might I acknowledge the importance of others?
  2. How might I invite constructive dissent?
  3. Who holds alternative perspectives?
  4. How can I open channels that enable others to offer challenging feedback?
  5. What might I say or do that expresses confidence in others?
  6. How might I connect with people with less status?
  7. What is my greatest contribution? How might I bring it?
  8. Who can I brag about?
  9. How might I help others get what they want, while they serve our vision and mission?
  10. How might I stretch myself? Playing it safe is self-protection.
 

     

    If you have an ego problem, find a humble leader and ask them to be your mentor. Seek a coach who will challenge you to make your greatest contribution.

     

    Egotistical leaders, who aspire to humility, hold the key to success within themselves. Use the desires you have for yourself as triggers to turn toward others.

Monday, February 6, 2017

DO YOUR JOB

DO YOUR JOB

That has become the motto of the NEW England Patriots-
They are the perfect example of a team mentality and having team buy in.
Everyone on the team does their job and they are all ready when their time comes up, it does not matter what the position is- they are ready. They are coached from day 1 to prepare - to study and to be ready.

It is the perfect example for any business-
You need to build a team around you to succeed and you need to always be ready for anything and to prepare so that when a situation arises - you are ready.

If you notice another successful building block with the Patriots is there are no individual egos - it is simply not allowed. To be a true team member you need to respect those around and know that you are only as strong as your weakest link- so you need to help lift others up.

It is not just luck or circumstances that have made the Patriots winners over their 17 year run it is very hard preparation and studying - and knowing your role.

DO YOUR JOB !




EGO

7 indications you might be egotistical:

  1. Egotistical leaders seek status over service.
  2. Egotistical leaders walk into meetings focused exclusively on what they want from others.
  3. Egotistical leaders need others to make them feel important. You’re egotistical if you often feel slighted.
  4. Egotistical leaders compete with others, rather than themselves. You’re egotistical if the aspirations and success of others offends you.
  5. Egotistical leaders hover around the most important people in the room.
  6. Egotistical leaders look for the seat of prominence at the table.
  7. Egotistical leaders feel no one else is quite good enough.

Friday, February 3, 2017

Serve or be Served

As a leader do you want to Serve or be Served?

Some seem to think that as they rise in power or in title they should be served.  Even those that own their own business must remember that with great power comes great responsibly.
We should always want to serve and help those around us and through that we will grow and proper.
Once we feel bigger than others or more important we start our decent downwards, a politician once said be nice to people on the way up because they are the same people you will meet on the way down.

But if we keep in mind that no matter who we are and no matter what title we hold we are here to help and serve others then we will continue to learn and reap life's true reward.

Another saying is " to not get too big for your britches "

We all started somewhere and in today's ever changing times it is even more important to stay humble because that younger version of you is already probably light years ahead of you in technology so you best find a bridge and try to not only serve and help others but we can learn something everyday from everyone we meet- IF- we stop and truly listen and care.

It is best to Serve


Thursday, February 2, 2017

When you're alone

Ever feel alone ?
Well you're not alone.. we all feel that way at one time or another.

I think over the road drivers have more time alone then the office worker or most employees , they can drive hundreds of miles by themselves every day and they have a lot of time to ponder and if the last person they spoke to said something that bothered them that will fester for the hundreds of miles.
And because of that they can feel very alone and angry.

The fact is we all have days that we may feel as if we messed up, days that we wonder if we are on the right path and even if we are not physically alone in a truck for miles we can feel alone.
We have a tendency to let things fester inside rather than say things out loud, mostly because we can become defensive and rather then approach the situation calmly we may fly off the handle and then we begin our spiral and so begins the isolation.

The fact is we are all the same , we all have those days and rather you want to believe it or not you want to be liked and when you are not you can go the total opposite direction and say the heck with them, who needs them anyway and the gap begins and we all lose and most times it is over something ridiculously small. Sometimes it is just because the person caught you at the wrong time and you were already angry over something else, something that had nothing to do with them or the situation.

What to do ?
First step to recovery of any problem is to self reflect and to ask yourself what you could have done differently. Sometimes it may not even have been you, it may have been the other person's turn to overreact. In either case.. let it go.. talk it out and the sooner the better.
Do not allow it to fester.

You are not alone.
 
 
 
 

Wednesday, February 1, 2017

1964

This Was the Year…1964
U.S. President
 
Lyndon Johnson
 
Time Magazine Person Of The Year
Lyndon Johnson
 
Cost of Living Cost of Food
 
New House $13,050 Granulated Sugar $ .90 for 10 lbs

Average Income $ 4,576 Milk $ 1.06 per gallon

New Car $ 3,495 Ground Coffee $ .85 per pound

Gallon of Gas $ .29 Bacon $ .69 per pound

Movie Ticket $ 1.25 Eggs $ .34 per dozen
 
Popular Movies Born This Year
 
My Fair Lady (Academy Award® winner) Keanu Reeves

Popular TV Shows 

Bonanza
Bewitched
The Andy Griffith Show
The Dick Van Dyke Show

 Music

 Baby Love (The Supremes)
Can’t Buy Me Love (The Beatles)
Chapel of Love (The Dixie Cups)
A Hard Day’s Night (The Beatles)
 
 
 
 

 

From our Road Warrior...Skip...


Way, back when....I think it was 1995, I had a job out of Miami that was really special....I had instructions to got to a “certain” intersection and park, call the shipper for instructions as to where to park...No problem...2 guys for 5000 pounds,supposed to be carries and an elevator, I was being paid for those, no SWEAT!.....I got here and called, he said I see you, get your guys out and stop traffic, blind side it back into that alley on your right and I'll be down there in a minute...Hit that alley like a champ, AND here he is waiting at the curb......GRINNING, like IDUNNO?

I asked him what was up, and he said you'll see.....I followed him to the elevator, went up 17 floors, and found out what this was about....Turns out he was a Photographer, except, it was porn....on the 16 floor of this building was the pool ( was in the center of the 16'th floor) and EVERY adult film actress, Dancer, AND every woman who wanted sun was at the pool that day...AND NAKED...His apartment was a nice long stroll along the inside of that building, the stroll was along the pool and 1 floor up......DANG! It took 16 hours to load.....The help paid me that day!