LIFE

Below if from a very good friend and neighbor and her morning...

This morning has given me pause for what really matters in life- LIFE.
I was getting on the approach ramp to 95N this morning and the cross over vehicle in front of me on the ramp hit the corner of the guard rail and flipped in the air several times, hit the guard rail again and then spun around and landed only feet in front of me.  It was like watching a movie in slow motion.  I couldn't move over, couldn't back up but only pray that I would not get hit.  When the car stopped I pulled up around it and parked my car on the highway to run to help whoever was in this vehicle.  It didn't matter who it was only that someone's life was at risk.   It was a young girl, alone, trapped in the car. I quickly yelled to a passerby to call 911 while through the windshield glass I tried my best to keep this poor young girl calm not knowing what injuries she might have.  A young woman who had been behind me also pulled over for support.  A young fireman off duty happened to come up on the scene and also called for help. The young fireman was able to get the back hatch open and the young woman was able to get out.  I was able to get the woman around the vehicle where we waited for what seemed like an eternity for the police to arrive and then the rescue.  Her injuries were not severe by a miracle of God.  For me this incident was a blessing.
 A reminder of what truly matters.  It's not what you have or don't have, but Life itself.
Hug someone today, Do something nice for someone.

Talk

Talk is cheap...

It is not what people say , it what they do that matters.
Any carnival barker can sell their product but when you get it Home is the miracle cure just colored water and sugar?

If you want to see if you can trust a person just look ... does he or she follow through on what they say ?
How do they treat people around them and how do they react with people that may disagree with them?

Actions speak louder than words.

Does the person talk in circles?
Do they not answer a question directly ?
Do they seem to talk down to others?
These all speak to the character of the person.

Character Counts.

I will take a person who speaks plainly and has a stand up character every day over the person who holds a title and hides behind his closed door in his or her fancy office , who says whatever they want to please the person in front of them.

Titles mean nothing... how did that person work his or her way up the ladder?

Watch... listen and judge for yourself... do not hitch your wagon to a false or selfish so called leader.

Dedication

There is an excerpt from Bill Belichick’s book, “The Education  a Coach “ where he speaks about his father Steve Belichick and what made him successful that rings through for those in business too:

“ Years later Bill Belichick would understand what made his father so good a scout: 

The absolute dedication to his craft, the belief that it was important, and the fact that so many people- the people who paid his salary, his colleagues, and the young men who played for him- were depending on him.”

People depending on him -

People who paid HIS salary -

Those are the values that great men like Paul Arpin had and it drove them to be better and to do better - ultimately they felt the responsibility to OTHERS- to the people around them and whose checks he signed.

He did not see just employees , he saw their families.

If you want to succeed and touch others then you need to get to the point in your life when you realize it is not all about you, then you can start the road of “ true success “.

Why do you what you do ? Why dedicate your time for something?

People depend on you, your family, your spouse, and the people around you depend on you doing your best , when you dedicate yourself to your craft you are able to put blinders on to all the noise around you and remember why you are doing it and who you are doing it for.

Fitting in

We are all unique.

We are all unique yet we worry about “ fitting in “ .

Wanting to fit in is probably something that we are struggle with from childhood, as usual most of our baggage comes from the “ growing up “ years. Did our father not spend time with you or was your mother not there ? - were you always trying to get his or her attention, wanting to fit in or was it your neighborhood friends or the dreaded kids in elementary or middle school ?

Growing up can be difficult and when we enter the full time works force we find the same crap, the clicks and the “ cool” kids ( now just older and bigger ) and we find ourselves again trying to fit in.

It is too bad because we exert much to much energy and lose far too much time caring about what other people think or keeping quiet even when we see or hear wrong being done because we do not want to make waves because making waves might mean you will not fit in.
The heck with it and the heck with them- speak out and stand up.

Most times when you work your way in you realize you do not like the people around you and worse, you begin to give up and lose a bit of yourself every day.
Care less about fitting in and care more about enjoying your life and just being YOU.
Always be polite and give people the benefit of the doubt because remember, we all have baggage.

If “ fitting in” means turning a deaf eye or a blind eye to misjustice it is never worth it.

Urgency

You should approach your job with a sense of urgency with ownership of the situation.

Every day I see a lack of a sense of urgency from people in the work place, they do just enough and then pass it on.
Wrong !
Always stay in the circle and stay on it until there is a solution, follow up and follow through. The most used quote from people that just don’t get it is - “ it’s not my job “.

By staying in the circle you learn more, by asking if you can help, you learn more. If you are responsible for something then take control, remember your word is your bond. If the ball is dropped somewhere down the line by someone else it is still a reflection on you. It is less stressful to stay in it then to just pass it on and hope.
Follow up and follow through.

If most people took all that negative energy and time spent complaining about the process and other people and spent that energy helping the process and others they would feel better at the end of the day and they would learn more of the process and maybe even help streamline it.

Take ownership and have a sense of urgency.

Criticize and compliment

Compliment in public

Criticize in private 

This should be a basic rule in life, especially in business.

You should never criticize anyone in public, you have absolutely nothing to gain and everything to lose. If you want to speak to someone about a mistake or disagree with how they handled a situation then do so in private. First be sure to hear them out and allow them to tell you their side , you may even be best served to not even address it at that time, allow their explanation to seek in and maybe get other perspective. If you do need to criticize use it as a teaching moment, what would have been the better way for them to handle it ? 

I know of bosses that fly out of their office and totally berate an employee in the middle of the room, OMG - how disrespectful and what did he gain ? Not only is the person he is berating embarrassed and angry the other people in the room are embarrassed and know that if he can do to that person he will do it to them... very counterproductive and terrible for moral.

Places to Go

I have been in many places, but I've never been in Kahoots. Apparently, you can't go alone. You have to be in Kahoots with someone. I've also never been in Cognito. I hear no one recognizes you there. I have, however, been in Sane. They don't have an airport; you have to be driven there. I have made several trips there, thanks to my children, friends, family and my retired military family. I would like to go to Conclusions, but you have to jump, and I'm not too much on physical activity anymore. I have also been in Doubt. It is a sad place to go, and I try not to visit there too often. I've been in Flexible, but it was very important to stand up right and firm Sometimes I'm in Capable, and I go there more often as I'm getting older. One of my favorite places to be is in Suspense!   This place really gets the adrenaline flowing and pumps up the old heart! At my age I need all the stimuli I can get! I may have been in Continent, but I don't remember what country I was in. It's an age thing. They tell me it is very wet and damp there. My job is done!   Life is too short for negative drama and petty things.  So laugh insanely, love truly and forgive quickly!