Vote

 

Are you unhappy with your local or national government?  Do you wish you could weigh in on the direction of our country?  Would you like to be heard?  Your opportunity is now.  Voting is both a right and an obligation.  Although not uniquely American, voting is woven into the fabric of this great country.  We may not always like the options or the process.  We may not care for the party system or the outcome, however we have the opportunity to participate.  Voting is speaking up.  Voting is taking a stance.  Voting is a privilege.  Take some time to educate yourself on the issues and candidates and then exercise your right to vote!

We have the privilege….let’s take advantage of it and go vote!

Just Do It!

 

Yes, it is the Nike slogan, but it is more than that.  I am a renowned procrastinator, just ask anyone on my team (especially my trusted assistant – it drives her crazy)! This MMM should have run three or four weeks ago. I have been talking about getting back out with my Saturday running group since January. I have plenty of logical arguments (excuses) for my delays...

·         One must be 100% confident in their plan to get started, NOT REALLY!

·         Every possible option must be vetted in order to begin, NOPE!

·         The end result must be clearly visible and virtually assured to start a project, NOT EVEN!

We have all heard the phrase “Analysis Paralysis”. It applies to both decision analysis and implementation analysis. Too much analysis kills decision making and hinders implementation. At some point in the process, it is more important to just get started.

Old Chinese Proverb

-          “The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago. The next best time is now.”

You don’t have to know how fast it will grow, what it will look like in ten years, or if it will provide the right amount of shade. You just need to plant the tree today so it can start growing.

Just Do It.

Thoughts on Change…

Stagnation should not be an option in life, but it is.  As humans we must change, grow, develop, and mature.  Failure to do so leads to stagnation, which in turn leads to boredom, failure, and frustration.  The world constantly changes around us.  The last fifteen months of the pandemic has led to even more change than normal, drastic, and unprecedented change. If we do not adapt to change, we will be left behind.  That is true as much in our work world as it is in our home life.  The business world of instant communications, corporate transparency and the world-wide economy is drastically different than it was just a few short years ago.  In the same way, raising kids is not what it was just 5 years ago, never mind 25 years ago. 

It is important that we embrace change in order to keep up with the ever-changing world, but more importantly to grow personally.  We cannot control the change that takes place around us but changing ourselves is a choice.  We can choose to change for the good.  Below is a great quote on the topic of change and why it is so important in our lives.

"Change is the Law of Life. Those who only look to the past or present are certain to miss the future."

- John F. Kennedy

Optimist/Pessimist

I would not describe myself as a wild eyed optimist.  Some might think of me as more of as a bit of a pessimist.  At least that is what my kids and some of my more entrepreneurial employers have told me.  I like to consider myself more of a realist.  I like to know all the possible outcomes and understand all of my options.  I like to have backup plans in place.  I like to understand the downside risk in situations.  Maybe those things do make me pessimistic, I don’t know.  I do know that the ability to see opportunities in the face of challenges is a virtue.  In times like these it is a virtue we should all strive to possess.  While realism is a good thing in troubling times, it takes optimism and hope to get through such times.  There are opportunities out there, even in these difficult times!  

A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity;

an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty

--Sir Winston Churchill