The Journey

"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.” – Marcel Proust

It is ALL about the journey .. in our personal life as well as our work life.

Looking back at both I love my journey, the people that I met and have the pleasure of working with has made my journey a blast. Because of the job I had most of my life, head of operations for a multi million company that worked all across the United States I was able to meet hundreds of people all over the map and my blessings to know and work with all of them has richend my life. The good , bad and even the ugly was all part of the wonderful journey, I learned from all of it.

And the times that an agent, driver or fellow employee said thanks to me and told me that I may have made a difference in their life was truly my reward.

The same goes for personal life, I met my wife in 1980 and we married in 1981 and had our daughter in 1983 and my son in 1988 and the Ride has been amazing. My daughter is married to a great guy now and have a son and my son is married to an amazing woman and have a son too. The journey each and every step of the way was crazy fast, it really is like a blink of an eye, at one moment I am playing on the floor with my feet in the air with my kids to the song Barefooten and the next moment I am playing on the beach with their kids..absolutely an awesome journey.

The other day my daughter, now 34 ,with Phd , married with a 9 year old, called me to just say thank you and say how much she always appreciated my positive words I shared with her and the time and hugs we always have with each other and how important family is to her because of the example of what she saw growing up - that my friends is what it is all about.

Enjoy your journey !

Listen to your junkman

A Line from a Bruce Springsteen song is ..
Listen to your junk man.......he's singing.
I love that line and helped a lot through some stress days at work.
As I dealt with people in their nice suits and ties or their " buisness attire" I found most of them to be greedy back stabbing individuals and others to get so caught up in the corporate ladder they loss their soul and forgot how to just enjoy the day.
Some of these same people look down on others that work hard for their paycheck, they may not dress real nice when they get ready for work because their's is a job that requires sweat and possibly dirt. But on the days I went to work I would notice those people smiling and as Bruce said in his song..listen to your junk man..he's singing.
Judge not and be not judged.
Most of God's work is not done by people in a suit and tie.
Enjoy the day.....and Listen to your junk man.






https://youtu.be/jl1BSehj5Ss

Life

Life is what happens to you as you're busy making other plans.
Life comes at you fast and with today's technology you can caught up with the stuff that really doesn't matter.
Everything in moderation.
I always preached that to my kids, everything in moderation.
Is drinking alcohol bad ? Not if you do it in moderation and not allow it to be a crutch.
Is social media bad ? Not if you use it properly and not allow it to take over your life.
Same with eating deserts and sugar- it is not bad unless you abuse it - sugar can be bad for your health if you have too much of it but in moderation it is sweet and delightful.
Enjoy the day, remember to stay in charge of your life, of your day.
Look up, smile and enjoy the moments.

Stop complaining

Stop your wining and complaining..
You think you have problems till you have REAL problems.. I am watching the natural disaster happening in the Houston TX area..measuring the rain in feet. People trapped in their homes that are being flooded trying to find a way out..those are problems and that is real life.
Do you have your health ?
Stop wining.
Do you have a home and people that love you ?
Stop complaining.
Are you wanting more..that is ok but meanwhile be thankful for what you DO have and for the people in your life.
If you want to do better then be better, be a better friend and a  better worker
Ask what YOU can do better and if you are in a dead end job or you are being dis respected- get out.
Respect yourself first and if you are totally unhappy with the people around you then change-
You have the power ..so stop complaining and ACT.

We're Gonna Make This Day..

Got a quarter...
I passed out last night and I never made it home.
Wound up on a bus to San Antone.
My head hurts bad and I ain't wearing shoes.
Going to find my wallet and my way back home to you.

We're gonna make this day.
A little better than the last.
It's amazing how slow days like this can go.
Find a way to wash away.
Any regret you have, don't let this moment pass.
Live inside this day.

I got cuffs on my hands.
Chains on my feet.
I got locked up for the second time this week.
And I know I make you cry but girl my love is true.
I'm going to find my wallet and my way back home to you.

Now I'm back on the street.
Thumb in the air.
Don't know how the hell that I got here.
But I'm gonna hitch that ride.
If it's the last thing I do.
Gonna find that wallet and bring it home to you.

We're gonna make this day.
A little better than the last.
Know don't you let this life come whoop your
Find a way to wash away.
Any regrets you have
Don't let this moment pass.
Live inside this day.

Zac Brown

Dead Weight

Are you angry at someone?
Did someone do you wrong ?
Are you carrying around that anger?
That is called " Dead Weight".. let it go.
Dead weight will only slow you down and make YOU angry and then no one wins.
I believe in Karma and if you go around angry and being negative then you will push people away and your space around you will be filled with nothing but negative.
Because I believe in karma I also believe that those that did you wrong will have to answer to their own conscience and to a bigger end and they will be caught in their negativity until they see the light.
We all go through ups and downs and maybe they had reasons at the time to do what they did or say what they said...do not allow their problems to become your problems.
Let go of that Dead Weight.

My Political Wish List

Here is my Political Wish List -

- Get big money out of politics , elections and lobbyists
I know this is unrealistic but this is MY wish list, we opened the door by allowing businesses and corporations to give to whom they want in elections and of course they are one sided and want to profit so they will do whatever necessary to get politicians in their back pocket.

- No speech writers
I was younger when I realized that the speech I was listening to was not the words of the man speaking, I think it may have been Reagan. I want to know what the person thinks not his or her army of professional writers.

- Real Time Fact Checker
With today's technology we can fact check and Google anything within seconds, we should fact check every politician in real time, have a banner running right below them as they speak.

- Term Limits
We must have term limits for all Senators and Congressmen, back at the beginning of this grand experiment in Democracy George Washington did not want a third term because he knew that the Presidency needed term limits. He knew that as a nation and to hold true democracy we did. Not want the Presidentcy to be a dictatorship or to be a king, the same must happen for Senators and Congressmen. With the same politicians in office for decades they are always in reelection form and become to be holding to the people and businesses and lobbyists keeping them alive.

One can dream...that is MY dream and wish list for this great experiment of the United States of America....still the land of opportunity!

Professional Drivers and Sleep Apnea

AUGUST 15, 2017 – On March 10, 2016, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA)  issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking concerning Moderate-to-Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) in safety-sensitive individuals.  The proposed rulemaking was originally issued to address potential safety risks with OSA workers. It also aimed to provide guidance for medical examiners on how to diagnose OSA when they administer medical examinations for medical certificates.

However, on Tuesday August 8, 2017, the two respective agencies withdrew that proposed rulemaking. In the notice, the agencies stated that they “believe that current safety programs and FRA’s Rulemaking addressing fatigue management are the appropriate avenues to address OSA.”

The FMCSA will consider an update to the “Bulletin to Medical Examiners and Training Organizations Regarding Obstructive Sleep Apnea,” specifically addressing how the physical qualifications standard and related advisory criteria concerning respiratory dysfunction apply to drivers who may have OSA. The purpose of this update is to “ensure that medical examiners fully understand their role in screening drivers for OSA, identify drivers at the greatest risk of having OSA, and refer only those individuals to a sleep specialist for testing.” Currently, medical certification determinations for drivers with OSA will be made by the examiner based on their medical judgement rather than a federal regulation or requirement.

FMCSA will also continue to recommend driver and employers use the North American Fatigue Management Program (NAFMP), which is a voluntary, web-based service education and training on the causes and effects of fatigue, including OSA. Drivers currently under FMCSA will see no change to the process of medical certification.

https://www.foleyservices.com/news/sleep-apnea-proposed-rulemaking-withdrawn/#comment-10900

Believe

The biggest part of accomplishing your goals in life is to believe!
You have to believe in your goal and your journey and visualize what it is you want and it WILL happen.
You have the POWER , the power to make things happen if you choose it but you have to first see it and trust in yourself.
Do not waste your time with hate or revenge or it will just slow you down and take you off your path.
Believe..be honest ..trust

Character Counts

Character Counts.
The Six Pillars of Character-
Trustworthiness
Respect
Responsibility
Fairness
Caring
Citizenship
The ONLY foundation for your success in life is Character.
You build your foundation every day with how you treat others and following up on what you promise- you need people to understand that your word is your bond .
You build your foundation by being loyal and by being honest.
You build your foundation by staying away from gossip and putting others Down.
Character Counts , in your buisness life as well as your personal life.
If you mess up , learn from it , don't beat yourself up - pick yourself up.
Who do you want to be ?
Build your foundation and work on it every day.

Communication

If you are in business the number one goal should always be - communication.
How can you improve your communication?
Can you be better at getting ahead of things?
Can you improve letting others know what you are doing or thinking or wanting ?
Can you be more positive in your communications ?
Can you be better at answering email or returning calls ?
Nothing says " I do care about you " more then not answering an email or phone call.
If you are anticipating a rough call or an unpleasant conversation all the more reason to head it off earlier rather than later.
Your responsiveness tells people something, don't just tell them that you care- show them- respond immediately and here's the important one- FOLLOW UP .
Want to do better ?-  be better- communicate.

Hate

Only love can conquer hate.
If everyone is yelling no one is listening, you believe what you want and I will believe what I want.
We can have different opinions and still coexist, in this great experiment of America we wanted diversity and welcomed all religions and color and we put a great big stamp on it at the very beginning of this experiment with the first and second amendment.
We ALL want the same thing, to enjoy our time here however and with whomever we choose and in order to provide and have a roof over our head and food on our table we All need to work, after work we want to go home or out for a bit..we are not that different.
We get angry when we try to impose our views on others and they don't want to hear it.
Walls and Anger are not the way to get what we want and remember all we all want is to enjoy what time we have here on the green earth, and our time is limited.
Did we make a mistake with this great experiment over 200 years ago ? Can the people learn to coexist and get along ?
People are not born hating...just watch some kids playing.

60

I have been on this Earth for 60 years as of today.
It has been a crazy wonderful ride so far and I would not change a thing, there are certainly reasons for everything and life takes you down certain paths and put people in those paths for a reason.
I do ask the good Lord "why" why has he guided me so and put so many wonderful people in my life and I do believe that he has given me opportunities so that I can learn and help others. All I have to do is trust and be honest and do my best.
I have learned and worked hard from my first job washing dishes at age 16 and stocking shelves at age 17 and on every job that I have had the opportunity to be in ever since.
Thank you mom for showing me love and showing me what true sacrifice is and how to always treat people with respect and how to be honest.
The good Lord helped put people in my path that changed my life from my cousin Bob who took me under his wings at an early age and introduced me to hunting and fishing to my.first scoutmaster at age 11, he helped give me confidence in my self gave me the love for camping and appreciating nature.
The big one the good Lord put in my path was in 1980 when a young girl came in the store I was managing at the time at our Mall, my wife Lisa -I did not know it then but my life would then take a change that would take me down many beautiful paths - we married the next year.
God blessed me in 1983 and 1988 by sending me two beautiful kids, my daughter Jillian and my so Michael, watching them grow and being a part of their lives has been my life and now watching them with their marriages and children are my true rewards.
Work wise Frank D gave me my first big opportunity at age 20 and trusted me to his asst manager and then manager at age 21, then my next big one- Paul and David Arpin- David hired me in 1985 to learn and run his operation. He and his dad had the patience and saw something in me and stuck with me and taught me and mentored me. When I started Arpin was a 7 million dollar company and when I left 35 years later it was a 200 million dollar company andalong the way I made so many friends across the country that I could not possibly list them all but know that they all have a place in my heart.
What a wonderful ride, and now the good Lord had put an opportunity to be part owner of a Theatre in my path. I happen to love music and live theatre and helping people so I will see where this path takes me and the people that I will meet and learn from.
I love my wife, I love my life !
Thank you Jesus.
Trust and be kind and let life take You on your ride and your paths.

Peace, Love and Understanding

Goal Post

Your goals should. Be like kicking a football through a goal post, you get up each day and practice and work out and try to consistently kick the ball through...but once you make it you need to keep moving the goal post.
Complacency has no place in the work force, you should always want to improve and help the process and learn.
Paul Arpin, my mentor at work and the best buisness man I ever knew would always tell me he was learning. Paul was always moving the goal post and because of that he grew his buisness from a few trucks in the household goods moving buisness to one of the largest in the world.
Go into each day and end each night thinking how you can do it better, what went wrong in the process that can be improved ?
Who are your allies ? Concentrate more on building allies and relationships then on revenge or your enemies. You will always have haters...get over it and stay positive and move on.
Negativity and haters are dead weight- they will just weigh you down.
Stay focused on your goals- envision those goal post and keep moving them.
How can YOU improve ?

Believe

Believe in half of what you hear and less of what you see.

Believe in yourself more then anything else.

If you continue to do your best and try not to hurt others you will be ok-
You will make mistakes along the way- we are all human - that is ok too - just learn from them.

Believe in something bigger then yourself too- we all must be here for a reason -

Believe in the healing of forgiveness.

Believe that no one is better then you and you are not better then anyone else.

All we need is Love - forget the toys and stuff- less is more.

Believe

Google

Google is a wonderful thing, want to find something or learn how to do something or answer a question...Google!
Remember with good can also come bad..everything you google or post or buy on line is out there for all to see. Think twice before you post.
It had been over three decades since I looked for a different job and back then there were no home computers , yea I am that old, and now I found employers all searched me on the internet before we even spoke. Thank goodness my social Post are all positive, they can view your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, if you blog that is all out there..stay positive people.
As I always say social media not where you want to air your dirty laundry, want to bitch or complain about someone or something? Save it for that private conversation with your friend and even at that be sure they are truly your friend or else that too will come back to bite you.
Watch yourself, use self restraint and stay positive..especially on line ..it lives.

People are watching

People watch and observe how you speak to others.

Don't think for a minute that people do not know how you treat others and trust me they take note .

It can run but you can't hide and most of all you can't hide from yourself, when you act tough or holler at that fellow worker it is your reputation that takes the hit.

Remember in the grand scheme of things titles mean nothing, we are all the same and you get what you give..period.

The tough act and the abuse of power only last so long, it is a house of cards and it will fall and then the same people that push people around will ask for help and then realize how many bridges they burned. I do not care who you are or what your title is - it is how you treat the least among us that you will be judged in the end. 

You gain more with an open hand then a clinched fist , come down from your Ivy tower and look at people and listen to their stories...care.

Remember people are watching.

Me me me

I truly believe that we only BEGIN to grow when we get away from thinking the world revolves around us and start to live a life devoted to helping others.
I think it is significant that we live in the day of the " selfie" and people are so infatuated with taking pictures of themselves. I recently went to a concert and while the concert was on more people were interested in taking selfies with the band behind them then actually getting loss in their music.
It is hard and certainly at the beginning of young families and relationships I can understand being very concerned about yourself and laying down a good financial base for you and your family.
As we get older and realize that our time here is limited we hopefully find that the reward is in the giving and to pushing the lime light away from us.
I said "BEGIN" because it is a process and it is only human nature to appreciate the applause and the attention and that it itself is not a sin or wrong but doing it just for the attention is wrong.
I turn 60 in a few days and I am still learning but I do so hope that I can make a difference and help others as much as I can while I am here. I have been working full time since I was 17 and have seen and learned a lot along the way. I loved learning, still do. I learn better by being involved and hands on and watching , I learned personalities and people and it has helped me along the way.
I always tried to treat others the way I wanted to be treated- simple rule and if more lived by it the better they would be and the better we all would be.
Get away from "me" and try to be more conscious of your surroundings and others.