Silly as a Goose!

When my son John was little I would get him to giggle when I told him he was "silly as a goose."  Boy was I off the mark.  Although it was fun to get John to laugh, it turns out that geese are anything but silly.  Matter of fact geese are one of the greatest examples of encouragement and teamwork on the planet.
When you see Canadian geese flying along in a "V" formation, you might consider what science has discovered as to why they fly that way.
As each bird lifts it wings, it creates an uplift for the bird immediately following.
By flying in the "V" formation, the whole flock adds at least 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew on its own.
People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going more quickly and easily because they are traveling on the thrust of one another.
When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go it alone, and quickly gets back in formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird in front.
If we have as much sense as a goose, we will stay in formation with those people who are headed the same way we are.
When the head goose gets tired, it rotates back in the wing and another goose flies point.
It is sensible to take turns doing demanding jobs, whether with people of for the geese who are flying south for the winter.
Geese "honk" from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.
What messages do we give when we "honk" from behind?
Finally...and this is important...when a goose gets sick or is wounded and falls out of formation, two other geese fall out with that goose and follow it down to lend help and protection.  They stay with the fallen goose until it is able to fly or until it dies, and only then do the launch out on their own, or with another flock to catch up with their group.
If we have the sense of a goose, we will stand by each other like that.
Silly...actually its quite a lesson for all of us, whether in our personal or professional lives.

Say What???

OK I need some help with this one.

There are two billboards about two blocks apart near where I live.  I pass these billboards almost everyday.  Does anyone else other then myself see the irony and wonder who to believe?

Billboard One has a big picture of Warren Buffett.  And there's a quote from Buffett that reads: "Always invest in the long-term."  So apparently this is wise, sage advice from the Oracle of Omaha.

Billboard Two has in bold, large letters:  "Judgement Day, May 21, 2011." According to my calendar I have less than a month to get packed. It goes on to tell everyone they better hurry up and get right with God because the end is near.  (Personal Note:  I've never figured out that if you believe in God and heaven why this is such a bad thing that you have to WARN people).

Maybe this is why so many people are confused these days.  They are on information overload and really don't know what path to take and so they stay stuck in the middle.

On the Trail of Success-What an Adventure!

As many of you know I'm an adventure runner.  Mountains, rivers, mud, bogs, rock slides, big changes in temperatures, wild animals are all a part of any adventure run.  Learning to adapt "on the run" is critical.  For some runners, lack of being able to adapt to the conditions determines if they make the finish line.
Along each route of any adventure run, course directors will instruct runners to look for markers at given distances to make sure they're on course.  Miss a marker and you could be in a bunch of trouble and get really lost.  Then you do your best to back track and you lose precious time.
Being successful in life and staying on course is much like an adventure run.  You need to keep your head up to see what's coming so you won't be surprised and will know in advance how to handle any obstacle that might stand in your way.
Remember those course markers I mentioned that you look for in a run?  Sometimes they are little red flags stuck in the ground.  Other times they will be little ribbons tied on tree branches.  Whatever shape they take you know they are out there and as a runner its your responsibility to see and follow them.  Doing your own thing in an environment your not familiar with is not encouraged. 
Seems like that's the course many people today are taking in their lives, occupation, relationships.  They are just kinda 'winging it' and then they wonder why they're not moving towards their goals in life.  Of course, I'm assuming they have goals and that's another topic all together!
So here are the 'course flags' one needs to look for in completing the course set before them.
Marker 1    Work on Your Attitude;  Having a good attitude in the single most important key to success in anything.  Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.
Marker 2    Believe in Yourself.  Others see you as you see yourself.  When you believe in yourself and confidently express your unique "I" in the world, success is virtually guaranteed.  When you believe in what you do and it's a reflection of 'who you are' inside, you become a magnet to exciting opportunities.
Marker 3    Commit to Being the Best at What You Do.  The most successful among us do what others can't or won't do.  You have to commit to yourself.  That takes strength and determination.
Marker 4    Sacrifice Time, Money, and Instant Gratification, but Never Sacrifice Your Self-respect.  In order to be successful, you have to make tough choices that will go against your desires in order to focus on your values.  You will always forego short-term gratification for long-term gains.
Marker 5  Persevere.  You Gotta Keep Going.  Success comes to the last person standing.  Most people never become successful because they simply didn't try hard enough.  Whatever you do, you can't give up!


Now go out and run your life's course knowing that the markers are out there to guide you to the finish line and that great feeling of accomplishment!

Living Outside Your Comfort Zone

As we explore and expand our boundaries, here are some thoughts regrading comfort zones - and how to get outside of them.


1)  Acknowledge Your Fears
     At the root of all hesitation to change is fear.  Fears are natural.  They are also rooted in basic physical and emotional needs.  Acknowledge and understand your  fears one by one before taking steps to address them...don't tackle them all at once.
     If you don't acknowledge your fears it will be difficult to recognize and characterize your success once you've overcome them.
2)  Check Routines - Chuck Some
      There's value in routine.  But like anything valuable, routines ought to be subject to evaluation.  Sometimes our routines can turn into ruts.  At that point, it's time to actively consider your routines and whether or not they need to be swapped for something different.
3)   Expand Your Boundaries of Comfort
       Expand your collection of life experiences with which you're comfortable.  What may have been uncomfortable yesterday is comfortable today.
4)   Don't Play Trading Places
       Don't wish that you had someone else's life.  Find out what it is that admire and value in that person's life.  Focus on one aspect and try to be that in yours.  Let your choices and actions reflect your values.  In other words:  LIVE DELIBERATELY.
5)   Think: What's the Worse That Could Happen?
       If you are staring down a fear and you know the risk you need to face it, ask yourself: "What's the worse thing that can happen"?  When you consider the worse case scenario, you may just realize that the consequences of failure aren't that bad.
       When considering our life choices, one friend recently asked me, "But really, what do you have to lose?"
       Good Question!

Whose Life Is It Anyway?

I was watching a TV show the other night about this church and its youth pastor I think in Washington State.  It had the usual story line...nice, energetic, enthusiastic pastor with a bubbly, cute, outgoing wife.  The congregation loves this couple.  And then as my grandma would say when she got fired up about something
(and my Grandma never swore) this church went to "hell in a hand basket."  Literally.  I'm not here in this blog addition of LifeWorks to argue theology, who God is, and what He tells us to do.  I have my own convictions about those things as I'm sure you do.

In this true story, I am amazed, but not surprised at what occurs with this church.  The youth minister's wife ends up dying in a house fire while her minister husband got up early, turned on the space heater for his wife (hint hint) and goes duck hunting.  This guy is a slug.  To make a long story short he does the following with members of his own flock:
*He and the church secretary end up having one really weird relationship because God is "talking" to her!  She shares her revelations with the youth minister.  One being that his wife will die.  And then the two of them..well..you know.
*The youth minister convinces a married woman in the congregation to meet him at a local hotel for an ongoing sexual encounter. (Three weeks after his wife's death).  The purpose: To strengthen her 'trust' in God and show it.  uh..OK  She goes along with this line of baloney.  She and her still  husband have been in counseling now for years!
*Hold on for this one.  He has a sexual relationship with his now former mother-in-law after the death of her daughter, once the youth minister's wife!  Her reasoning and I use that word loosely, "to help fill a void in my life and his."  ICK!
*The minister has "closed door counseling sessions" with other women, who it should be noted, believe in this guy and do as they are told.  All after the tragic death of his wife.

You get the picture right?  Those of us who watch these goofballs always end up asking, "How could they fall for this?"  "What were they thinking?"  Honestly you watch these people who were educated, professionals, married, parents, "yadda yadda "as Seinfeld would say.  They look normal, talk normal, dress normal.

So why do people demonstrate such poor behavior?  Why do they commit such stupid acts?  Why do they make such mind numbing choices?  It's not that hard to figure out.

1.  Trust.  "To place confidence in somebody or in somebody's good qualities, especially fairness, truth, honor or ability.  The position of somebody who is expected by others to behave responsibly or honorably."
It was obvious in this story that the assumed trust that this congregation had in its minister was being exploited.  Yep...in his devious mind, the minister was taking advantage of these good people.  But then so did Bernie Madoff.  He made billions on his client's trust in him.  But you see in both cases it was 'blind trust'. People don't ask questions and thus you have 'blind trust'.
Nowhere should anyone be so naive as to be blind to someone abusing and being deceitful for their own gain.  
Any person put in a place of trust will welcome questions by others.  Its those who double-talk and avoid questions we should fear.  It's an automatic red flag!
2.  Accountable.  Responsible to somebody or to something.
You are accountable for you.  You have to live with yourself and the decisions you make.  Investigate don't assume.  Don't play the blame game when you didn't look deeper.  Often times assuming shows a real lack of effort on your part.  You think, "ah come on why wouldn't this person tell me the truth?"  SNAP...the trap has been tripped and you've been caught.
The bottom line is no matter who you listen to or choose to follow in your life, it's up to you to find the truth.  If you don't the consequences you may experience are all on you.  You are accountable for you!

Oh and the youth minister...God called him to prison until 2025.

In my next blog I'll give you a plan on how to keep you're life in balance and moving forward.  It's about choices...your choices for the life you're living.  Trust me.

What Others Think of You...

...Is None of Your Business!
If having others believing in you and your dream was a requirement for success, most of us would never accomplish anything.  You need to base your decisions about what you want to do on your goals and desire---not the goals, desire, opinions, and judgments of your parents, friends, spouse, children, and coworkers.  Quit worrying what other people think about you and follow your heart.


I like Dr. Daniel Amen's 18/40/60 Rule:  "When you're 18, you worry about what everybody is thinking of you; when your 40, you don't give a darn what anybody thinks of you; when you're 60, you realize nobody's been thinking about you at all."


Surprise, Surprise!  Most of the time, nobody's thinking about you at all!  They are too busy worrying about their own lives, and if they are thinking about you at all, they are wondering what you are thinking about them.  People think about themselves, not you.


Think about it---all the time you are wasting worrying about what other people think about your ideas, your goals, your clothes, your hair, and your home could all be better spent on thinking about and doing the things that will achieve your goals!


"You have to believe in yourself when no one else does.  That's what makes you a winner."

Don't Take No For An Answer-

In 1947, Lester Wunderman was arbitrarily fired from his advertising job in New York.  But the young man felt he still had a lot to learn from the head of the agency, Max Sackheim.  So the next morning Wunderman went back to his office and began working just as he had before.  He talked to coworkers and clients; he sat in on meetings - all without pay.
Sackheim ignored him for a month.  When the month was over, the temperamental Sackheim walked up to Wunderman.  "Okay you win," he said, shaking his head.  "I never saw a man who wanted a job more than he wanted the money."
That kind of persistence and an inclination toward action paid off for Wunderman.  He went on to be one of the most successful advertising men of the century and is known as the father of direct marketing.  He is credited with having invented pre-printed newspaper inserts, bound-in subscription cards for magazines, and subscription clubs such as those used by Time-Life Books and the Columbia Record Club.
Advertising may not be your thing, but action must be.  What are you willing to do to achieve your dream?  What are you willing to do even if you must do it for free?  Success begins at the beginning.  And it continues with consistent action.

Action Steps

1. You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.

2. The first two letters in the word goal are G-O.

3. Some people dream of worthy accomplishments while others wake up and do them.

4. Anybody who brags about what he is going to do tomorrow probably did the same thing yesterday.

5. People will never be what they ought to be until they are doing what they ought to be doing.