Originally uploaded by rougerouge

In case you haven’t noticed the global economy has been on the rocks of late. If you do nothing but listen to the news reports, it would seem things are falling apart. The Dow is plunging, foreclosures are on the rise, and you keep hearing unemployment is growing. Chaos and uncertainty seem to be the order of the day. It would be tempting to retreat from the things that make one successful, whether in business or in life.

One thing I have noticed over the past few months is that excuses seem to be on the rise. “It’s not my fault, it’s this economy.” If I am certain of one thing, it is that I am tired of hearing people use the economy as an excuse.

Blaming the economy may be en vogue, but it’s a dangerous path to follow. The economy may make some aspects of your financial life difficult, even different, but you should hesitate to use it as a go to excuse. Here’s one of my bullet filled lists:

The economy is no excuse…

• … for a poor attitude. No matter what is going on in your life, having a poor attitude will rarely help you overcome your problems.
• … for poor customer service. In fact, blaming the economy for your poor customer service (I have seen this first hand) will do nothing but ensure the economy is a legitimate excuse for your unemployment. Nothing but the very best customer service should be every organization’s goal if they want to survive the economic downturn.
• … to give up. As uncertainty sets in, there will be those who will feel as if there is no use plodding through the tough times. Things may be a little tougher than they were in years gone by, but they will be much worse if you just give up.
• … to toss aside your goals. You may have to alter them some, but to simply toss them aside is akin to giving up. Those who will come out on top during this time period (no matter how long it lasts) will undoubtedly be those who persevere.
• … for treating others poorly. It’s true that stress levels may be a little higher, but there is no excuse for behaving like you’re the only jerk who’s being affected by a poor economy.

I could probably add more to this list, however I feel these are some of the most important. Do you have any more?

Decorative Look
Originally uploaded by drewmaniac

This month: The Importance of our Character

One’s good character consists of many different traits. Integrity, courage, discipline, vision, compassion, and many others to name a few. They are often a reflection of our personal mindset and composite of our habits. Though some may argue otherwise, character matters.

“Be more concerned with your character than your reputation. Your character is what you really are while your reputation is merely what others think you are.” ~ John Wooden

“Good character is not formed in a week or a month. It is created little by little, day by day. Protracted and patient effort is needed to develop good character.” ~ Swami Sivananda

“Good character is more to be praised than outstanding talent. Most talents are, to some extent, a gift. Good character, by contrast, is not given to us. We have to build it piece by piece-by thought, choice, courage and determination.” ~ John Luther

“The influence of individual character extends from generation to generation.” ~ Iain Macleod

Originally uploaded by miabuelanoloentiende .com

It’s been said before that people don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care. When you care, people know it. They will sense it. They will see it. You should not have to tell them.

Think about it. If you want to succeed in just about anything you have to care. Want that promotion or new job? You’re going to have to care. Want your children to grow up in a loving, protected environment? You’re going to have to care. Want everyone to listen to what you have to say when you give your presentation? You’re going to have to show them you care.

You’re not going to get very far, or have a very meaningful existence if you do not care. Your friends, family, audience, co-workers, employer, employees, customers, voters, volunteers, and so on will need to know one very important thing if they will ever place their confidence in you. That you care.

Do you care?

Renzo Piano: The New York Times Building
Originally uploaded by Dom Dada

I found myself in New York City for the first time in my life this past Tuesday. Thanks in part to the VIP invitation I received from Seth Godin to his Tribes event at the New York Times. Many thanks to him for the opportunity. To say I was excited would be an understatement. It was great to be able to meet Seth in person and meet some very cool people who were there from all over the world (literally). Aside from meeting everyone, Seth’s presentation was excellent. If you didn’t walk out of there with some great ideas, inspiration, or a willingness to lead you must have been sleeping.

Then, there was New York. In the mere 24 hours or so that I spent there I was able to very quickly visit Times Square, Broadway, Ground Zero, & have lunch at La Mela’s in Little Italy. It was a great experience. Especially for my first visit to the city. I look forward to going back someday, with more time to see the sights.

Highlights, quotables, & some lowlights.

• The “celebrity” I was most excited about seeing was not Seth Godin. It was Natalie Portman (sorry, Seth). I crossed paths with her at JFK as she and her dog boarded a plane for Los Angeles. We walked right by each other and for a brief moment our eyes met. If that doesn’t sound stalkerish, I don’t know what does.
• “Things don’t spread because you want them to. Things spread because people want them to.” ~ Seth Godin
• Lunch at La Mela’s. Excellent food. Great conversation with the waitress, some of the other customers, and Able Ferrara (who I had never heard of before). I just really enjoyed the atmosphere in Little Italy as a whole.
• Times Square was great to see in person. A huge tourist trap though.
• My hotel was ah… er… less than desirable. Long story here, but let’s just say I wish they could have provided an iron. Is that too much to ask?
• “Once there are no outsiders, there is no tribe.” ~ Seth Godin
• The trip back turned into one long night. Diverted to Raleigh-Durham I ended up spending the night in the airport. Had an early morning flight out of there to Dallas-Ft. Worth and then to home (Kansas City).
• “Not Climbing the Corporate Ladder” ~ A t-shirt of one of those in attendance. I cannot remember his name for the life of me now.
• Going from the fast pace of New York City to um… the slow motion pace that is Joplin, Mo. is staggering.

I took quite a few photos. I had hoped to have them uploaded by now, but my Photoshop is having some issues for some reason. I’ll get them up as soon as I can.

#186
Originally uploaded by Noah K

So you’ve just been fired. What now?

1. Be honest with yourself. Were you fired because of your unacceptable actions? If so, maybe it’s time to be honest with yourself and make some changes now.
2. Wake up early every morning. It might be tempting to sleep in or break your regular morning routine, but that is a trap you want to avoid. You still have a job to attend to. It now involves job searching, interviews, and finding gainful employment.
3. You’re in good company. It’s going to be easy to begin to beat yourself up and worry about the “what if’s”. You shouldn’t. According to Business Weekly, the average employee has a 1 in 3 chance of being fired. Just remember that you are in good company. Lance Armstrong was fired when he learned he had cancer in 1997. It’s pretty clear he bounced back. J.K. Rowling was fired from her job as a secretary when it was learned she was writing stories on the company computer. J.K. ended up on government assistance and wrote much of her first Harry Potter book sitting in cafe’s in Edinburgh, Scotland. The list of people who have had to endure being fired is long and notable. Don’t beat yourself up.
4. This is an opportunity. Sometimes the best thing that can happen to someone is to be fired. Baseball manager, Joe Torre was fired in the early ’90′s by the St. Louis Cardinals. His teams had been mediocre at best because team ownership was unwilling to spend any money at the time. Joe was then offered a job as the New York Yankees skipper. I think we all know what happened after that. Treat your firing as an opportunity. You have been provided an opportunity to better your life that you may never have taken if you were still working with your former employer.
5. Be honest with prospective employers. In interviews expect to be asked why your employment was terminated by your previous employer. The worst thing you could do is lie about it. It will come back to haunt you if you do. Be truthful. Even if it hurts. Most prospective employers will appreciate your candor. However, avoid trashing your former employer. Even if you at positive you were treated unfairly when terminated.

Many are saying we have uncertain and difficult times approaching us. It may be true. There could be a chance you will be handed your walking papers just because your company is not performing well in the current economy. These rules will still apply. There are jobs out there. The worst excuse you could find yourself making is the one that discourages you from turning your dismissal into a positive because, “times are hard”.

So you’ve just been fired. Now what?

Toilet paper roll and pink tile
Originally uploaded by iva_01

“Personally I’m always ready to learn, although I do not always like being taught.” ~ Winston Churchill

Isn’t that the way many of us are? We all clamor to learn more and more (to which there is no end) and yet when we are taught we have a tendency to grumble. We run the other way. We become defensive. We think we know it already. We think we know it all. We close our ears. We have a desire to learn, but we want to learn on our own terms. Especially when we’re doing something wrong or in a way that is just not working.

Not all constructive criticism will benefit us. Not all new ideas are very good, or even new. Yet we should always be willing to listen and consider them when presented to us. Refusing to listen is refusing to be taught, even when we believe we are ready to learn.

hello!
Originally uploaded by isofoto

Let’s hope this isn’t as cheesy as that song by Aaron Neville and Linda Rondstadt.

I don’t know much, but this I know:

• I dread working out as much as the next person, but I’ve never finished a work out and regretted it.
• I have decided not to work out and later regretted it.
• Sometimes you have to jump into the fire if you are ever going to accomplish anything.
• Standing for something that is right is always more rewarding than sticking your finger to the wind and seeing what everyone else thinks.
• We should not confuse waiting for patience.
• When speaking, you can say much more in 20 minutes, than you can in an hour or more.
• When blogging, you can say much more by keeping it pithy, than ranting on and on. Note to self…
• When talking to someone, listen more.
• A decision is always better than no decision.
• A vote cast is always better than voting “present”. More than anything, I’m saying it should not even be an option.
• A cluttered home and work space can lead to a cluttered mind.
• I’ll take substance and quality every single time. Especially when presented with the alternatives.
• Being entertained is not everything.