Living Your Dream..? Part I
Thursday, April 30th, 2009
"I've been reading your articles... and it's really beginning to bug me!" said the voice at the other end of the phone. Now... I'm open to criticism... so I asked him what exactly was the source of his frustration. "It's not you..." he said, "it's me. I am totally NOT living my dream!" So I asked him a question that I had asked several others this week... in fact, a question that I asked MYSELF this week. "If tomorrow morning you were… Read More
We like numbers... especially when they work for us. Numbers allow us to plan. For example, by applying the "Rule of 72", we know that if we are getting a 4% return on our money... it will take 18 years for our portfolio to double. Gee... that means at 9%, it will only take 8 years to double. Yes, I like that better. Of course, at -3% it will take... yikes, sometimes we hate numbers! But mostly... we like numbers. Numbers ground us... we can count on them.… 
I like it when diverse thoughts and diverse conversations seem to converge at one time from diverse locations to teach a lesson. It's kind of freaky... but I like it. So, I've probably seen 
Every once in a while, we all need to get a second opinion... or maybe a third. An outside, objective perspective can sometimes bring real clarity to situations, and options and answers that we would otherwise overlook. Okay... okay... maybe we don't ALL need it... MAYBE it's just me. Wow... what if it IS just me? Anyway... I digress; so let me rephrase. Every once in a while, I really need to get a second opinion... and often a third. An outside, objective… 
Okay, so what ARE we really working for? And for those of us who have often put in marathon sessions, working weeks or even months without a day off... here's maybe a better question: What are we really working SO HARD for? These are important questions, but before I take them up... I want to get to a message that was left through my "Contact" page, because it really makes the point regarding the second question above. ************************************************************************************************************… 
Okay, so if you read Part I of this post... several things probably jumped out at you: First, I am fortunate to have people in my life that aren't afraid of the truth. Second, I am blessed that they trust me enough to tell me what I need to hear... regardless. And third, I am thankful that I have grown to look and listen (most of the time) for what's good, true, and useful in any exchange. Oh, and by the way... if you didn't read Part I,… 
I remember it like it was just twenty-three years ago... because... well, it was. The excitement of planning a new business... the pride in my parents eyes. The thrill of new clothes... and new cars. The exhilaration of winning new accounts... the joy of accumulating assets. The confidence that accompanies ownership... and the control that comes when you really do have the power to decide. And the debt... yes, don't forget the debt. It was a… 
It could have been attributed to cynicism... but instead I just took it as a reasonable question that this gentleman needed to ask. You know, a few weeks ago I wrote about an experience I had with a 
So, this week I witnessed the clash of values vs. public relations. It took place in one of my favorite coffee shops and as far as I was concerned... it was over before it started. It's not that the young PR executive didn't come prepared for battle... she brought... Wikipedia. Yes, this was a discussion about personal branding... a concept which seems to be everywhere these days. I was simply minding my own business... writing an article for one… 
I spent much of the day today with friends of ours in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. Well, actually... about fifteen miles from there, but it's a town you've never heard of before, so we'll leave it at that. They are just starting a family business, and doing a lot of things right. It helps that both Chris and his wife (for now we'll just allow them to maintain their anonymity) are dedicated and diligent workers; they're… 
