Courtesy is Contagious

It Begins With You There are public service announcements (PSAs) on the subways.  One is: “Courtesy is contagious, and it starts with you”.  Sounds good, but I wonder if anyone’s listening. The doors open and everyone pushes trying to get on and off at the same time – forgetabout courtesy there.  Old and young get on and whoever gets to the seat first sits down – not much courtesy there for the seniors among us.  Pregnant woman, people with disabilities, mothers and fathers with young children, shoppers with bags – nobody makes eye contact with them, let alone gives up a seat.  Newspapers, Kindles, paperbacks and PDAs – seems people can pay complete attention to those and never notice someone who’s looking for a little courtesy.  Maybe people just can’t hear the PSA. I’ve been watching this for a year and it’s not about the PSA – right?  I mean, aren’t these the kinds of things you learn as a kid and just do because it’s the right things to do.  But when’s the last time you saw someone help someone cross the street, or carry a heavy bag or stroller, or any of the hundreds of other acts of kindness that could and should be happening spontaneously throughout the day.  So I started watching – you know, standing at the corner rather than quickly rushing across the street, watching people on the subway rather than reading my paper – that kind of watching.  And what I’ve started to see are the acts of kindness I thought weren’t happening.  Seems that these get lost in the overall shuffle. Saw a guy help a women carry her stroller up the 32 steps from the underground subway station.  Saw an older woman help a blind person onto the subway and into a seat.  Watched a kid help an elderly man and woman across a busy Manhattan street.  Mine is a half-assed survey but the examples are there.  I guess there really are lots of boy and girl scouts around – I guess they’re just hard to spot.  Maybe that’s because they don’t jump up and down like pro athletes when they do these kind acts - are we so jaded or busy that we just don’t see them unless they do? So now I’m wondering whether it’s the PSA (that many times can’t even be heard) or are these New Yorkers just hard wired to do it simply and quickly and then move on?  So I asked – no, I really just commented to a few when they were done – and they just shrugged like it’s no big deal.  And that’s the moral to this story: helping others, random acts of courtesy – they are everyone’s responsibility and people just do them because they know it starts with them.  No big deal; no cause for celebration; just the right thing to do.  So pay attention with all your senses today and see if an opportunity presents itself, and then, as the end of this PSA says: “Stand up for what’s right”! My message this week is about participating in things, fully: “The willingness to accept responsibility for one's own life is the source from which self-respect springs.” -Joan Didion Joan Didion (born December 5, 1934) is an American author best known for her novels and her literary journalism. Her novels and essays explore the disintegration of American morals and cultural chaos, where the overriding theme is individual and social fragmentation. How much responsibility do you accept for your actions?  Really – be honest!  You probably know people who say they accept responsibility but actually don’t.  And if that’s the case, stop and analyze how that kind of disconnect happens, see how what they say is at odds with what they do, think about how they mislead themselves and think they’re convincing others,  and try to learn from what you see.  In life, it’s all about learning from those around you, and honing your thinking and skills by watching others, and getting and being better by avoiding the pitfalls you see.  Because if you can learn, and be better, then you’ll probably be more successful at the things you do in all facets of your life. Because if you can recognize the little ways that people deceive themselves then you might learn how to see and recognize some of those mistakes in yourself before they happen.  And all of that will lead to the place from which self-respect springs.   Stay well!

It's a Dog's Life

A Dog's Life I’m always writing about and talking about our dogs.  Two Jack Russell terriers, 10 year’s old, born in the same kennel a day apart, and given to us by our daughter as a holiday surprise.  And they came with the names she gave them: Will and Grace. And from that moment they’ve run our lives. We’ve moved them from Las Vegas, to Laguna Beach, to the Adirondack Mountains, to Brooklyn. Very different places, but they’ve always adapted even when we thought they wouldn’t. Because we’re devoted to them they’re loyal to us; and they’re thrilled no matter where they are as long as they’re with us. That’s love. Unconditional love. And a good lesson to learn. That’s the cool thing with dogs – they’re not only our best friends but they’re also pretty good teachers. Another cool thing about dogs is that most of the things you do with them are their favorite things. Time to eat – that’s their favorite thing. Time to go to bed – well, that’s their favorite thing too (these two sleep not only on the bed but under the covers). Give them a bone or a doggie treat – hey, those are favorite things too. Want to take a walk – hurry up, cuz that’s their favorite thing!  Sitting in the sun – oh my, that’s a really favorite thing too! And speaking of walks, these two can take up to an hour to walk around the block, because no matter how many times they’ve taken that same path, there are so many smells to be sniffed that are new and exciting. My friend Kate from Laguna Beach calls it p-mail (just a little dog walker’s humor). But you can just picture it: noses to the ground, scampering from one spot to the next, all the while excited to be doing… their favorite thing. And the lesson here is that no matter how much you think you know something, or how accustomed you are to doing something, or how mundane the task might be, you should always be curious and excited because that’s the first time you’re doing it that time.  A few years ago I had the chance to watch Sting sing Roxanne to a convention group – and even though he’d probably sung that song hundreds of times before, he sang it to them like it was the first time. We asked him how he could have it seem so fresh and new? “Well, he said, to them it was the first time”.  Huh!  He was so right. Like our dogs are so right. It’s always best to be in the moment, to be so excited and curious and full of wonder in every moment. That’s how to get the most out of life, to live life to the fullest, and to be the most and best you can be.  That’s the lesson from the dog’s life. My message this week is about acting and being professional: “The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority.”   -Kenneth Blanchard Kenneth Hartley Blanchard (born May 6, 1939) is an American author and management expert. His book The One Minute Manager has sold over 13 million copies and has been translated into 37 languages. Ever see a professional try to push someone into doing something? Unless they’re a Sumo wrestler, chances are that the professionals you know in business or your personal life are the kinds of people who help guide rather than push you into things.  That’s because the key to being successful at anything – leadership, friendship, mentorship, stewardship – all of these and more rely on the not so subtle art of influencing others. Being good at what you do, being knowledgeable about the things you do, being humble in showing what you know – these are the things you look for in others and what others will look for in you. Never underestimate the needs that people have to learn new things or to be helped to better understand the things that confound them. Be aware of how you approach people:  be open, understanding, sensitive and patient, and show them through the strength of your influence how they can be better. In this, showing is always better than telling! Stay well!

What a Year!

What a Year It was one year ago that we packed our bags and dogs and headed to Brooklyn.  Never thought we’d be here a whole year.  And certainly didn’t think we’d be starting a second one again so far from our home out west. Had to get used to the noise of the city, and not having a car, and having to walk or take a subway wherever we wanted to go, and carrying just the groceries we needed for that day, and walking the dogs on the busy streets, and living with the hustle and bustle of the Big Apple.  Never thought we’d actually like all those changes, but we did. Had to leave friends and family behind and live where we didn’t know anyone.  But after a few days the unknown started to become familiar, the schedules of things started to become routine, the things we feared from afar slowly started to seem secure, and the perceptions we had slowly became realities.  Now don’t get me wrong, I still hate change (don’t we all), but this tiny apartment, which is the 15th place we’ve lived in since getting married more than 36 years ago, and the new surroundings and work now are part of the rhythms of our current life.  And the hopes and dreams we had on that plane ride out here a year ago are now woven into the fabric of the lives we now lead. In the end, it really is about seeing the possibilities in the things that we’re presented with.  We can always get caught up in the seemingly unfair turns that our lives take, but the road doesn’t look so long or scary in the rear view mirror and the things outside the windows of our lives are now beginning to define who we are, the trick being to more clearly see out the window or windshield. In the distance are the theaters and museums and parks and rivers and changing seasons that all hold so much wonder and promise.  But still I was sweating the small stuff, like I worried about how the dogs would take to the radical change of environments – actually they were just happy to be with us and going for walks is the same bonus here that is was and is anywhere.  To them, there’s a whole new world of smells to be sniffed…. there’s a lesson in that for all of us. When’s the last time you could walk to enough restaurants that you almost never had to eat in the same on twice; of course we found some favorites and in them we became recognized regulars.  When’s the last time you could easily walk to the park, and to get groceries, and to buy flowers and wine from people who slowly stopped being strangers.  Not surprisingly, we’ve grown comfortable and familiar in these new surroundings – like many would under these circumstances.  When’s the last time you had to change doctors and dentists and hair stylists and gyms and all the other things you’ve gotten familiar with.  Funny, but the new ones quickly start to seem like the old ones (and the people in each of them look nearly familiar).  Yep, we all cringe at the thought of change, but fortunately, we are, in fact, adaptable enough to change. I’m writing this on the train from Long Island to Brooklyn – the bonus is being able to write rather than drive with gritted teeth through rush hour traffic.  I’m wearing a winter coat instead of the warm weather gear I’d have on back home in Laguna Beach – but I’m now one of the happy ones who remark about the great winter weather we’re having here in what is normally the frozen and frigid Northeast.  I’m headed back to our little apartment in the middle of Brooklyn in the heart of the Big Apple – and yes, the glass is half full because it’s the weekend and I can get out the New York Times and check out all the great entertainment choices we have. Because we didn’t have to pack up and sell our home, this started off feeling like an adventure.  And every day we had to remind ourselves that adventures at any age are good; so we took lots of deep breaths and tried not to worry about what we didn’t have.  Because what we did have was good enough. Yeah, we had uncertainty, but we had each other.  Of course, we had ups and downs, but again, we had each other.  And after more than 36 years, it’s comforting to know that that’s more than enough.  So it’s been a good year.  And now we’ll get up on our tiptoes and look over the horizon at the next year to come.  Together.  Good enough! My message this week is about never being afraid to try:                              “Try and fail, but don’t fail to try.” -Stephen Kaggwa Stephen Kaggwa is a young Ugandan restaurateur who immigrated to the USA in 2002. Since 2006 he has owned and operated an African (Ugandan) cuisine restaurant called Tam Tam's in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Lots of people have uttered quotes like this throughout time, and it’s noteworthy that a young immigrant understands this sage advice.  How many times as a youngster did you fall off your bike, only to have your parents get you back on with a friendly “try again”?  How many times did you try something for the first time – at work or in sports – only to come up short and have a coach or colleague urge you “try again”?  Ever hear the saying: “nothing ventured, nothing gained”?  Lots of different ways to say that it’s better to have tried and failed at something than to never have tried at all.  Because it’s only by trying that you’ll put yourself into a position to do the right thing or even possibly win or succeed.  And never giving up is the only way you’ll ever have a chance to do something great and grand.  So go ahead and try, and don’t worry if you fail; what you’ll learn will be invaluable. Stay well!

B&H

B&H My computer died. It seems that everything I do and have and know is loaded on that computer, and because it’s a laptop and gets carried everywhere with me it’s taken its share of lumps over the past few years. And going through its electronic demise was very unsettling. So I bit the bullet and bought a new one. But this isn’t about computers. I used the old and failing computer’s internet connection to surf the web for information about all the available options: Desktops, Laptops, Notebooks, Chromebooks, Tablets,  Ultrabooks - everyone has an opinion, everyone has a favorite. And then I surfed for all the options on where to buy one - I could buy from a brick and mortar store or online – there are so many options, so many confusing choices.  And then someone said to go to B&H Camera. Go to a camera store for a computer?  Yep - it’s a huge, block-long store near Madison Square Garden with everything for cameras, including computers. So I went and, don’t you know, had a one-of-a-kind experience. This is about that experience. Here’s what it says on the B&H website: Since our store opened more than 35 years ago, we've gone beyond simply supplying you with professional gear. We've aspired to share our knowledge of technology with you in the most personalized way. Visit our store, and you'll find a sales staff made up of industry professionals who share your passion for technology and will help you use it to its fullest potential. As you choose from over 235,000 products, feel free to enlist their help. That’s a mouthful, and since everyone says something like that, it’s pretty easy to dismiss it as some kind of hype.  But from the moment you step into this huge store you begin to experience something extraordinary. This place has nearly 3,000 employees, all of whom seem to know the answer to just about anything you can ask.  We’ve all been to stores and malls that have the necessary signage, but this place has intersections and stairways that are clearly marked and backed up by scores of employees giving or clarifying directions. Busy stores have lines that normally seem like a trip to the DMV, but this place has clearly marked lines leading to sales, ordering, cashiering and checkout. And everyone was friendly, helpful and upbeat – unlike most of the stores that advertise heavily, promise mightily, and disappoint regularly. When’s the last time you got no-nonsense help about the latest electronic gadgets from someone that wasn't trying to convince you to buy something you didn’t want or need? Nobody was pushy here! How often do you go to places like this and end up feeling confused or stupid?  Didn’t happen here! Every employee was knowledgeable without being full of themselves or pushy.  And take it from an old HR guy – that’s not easy. And because of all the goods and all those smiling and helpful employees, you almost don’t notice the most amazing thing about this store. Constantly running through the floors, walls and ceilings is a conveyer system. So when you get help on the floor and finally figure out what you want, you get in a line to one of 75 order takers who key in what you want, and voila, while you’re standing there talking, up comes what looks like a milk crate with all you ordered.  You check it out, confirm it and then head to a line of cashiers. Give them your name and they’ve got the invoice all ready.  Next go to checkout and your crate of goods is now packaged up and waiting for you.  And out you go. This was low tech, high tech and high touch all rolled into one. Why isn’t every retail or service experience like this. Why is it that we can count on one hand the number of smart and innovative sales and service experiences like this?  Why is it that so many of the companies we rely on for the everyday things we need don’t seem to put much emphasis on getting great service right. The answer is that it takes lots of care and training to create something like this. Average is not good enough today, and anyone trying to get away with providing average quality and service won’t survive. Here’s what Thomas Friedman wrote in this week’s New York Times: There will always be change — new jobs, new products, new services. But the one thing we know for sure is that with each advance in globalization and the I.T. revolution, the best jobs will require workers to have more and better education and training to make themselves above average. When you see something as good as this it’s a good idea to thank somebody: I stopped and thanked several of B&H’s employees for a job very well done, and  I wrote to the owners and thanked them for being astute and detail-oriented enough to provide this kind of experience. Most of us are pretty jaded from all the average experiences we have – so if you see or experience something above average be sure to thank those responsible. Doing that will slowly but surely raise the level of service we expect and experience, and it will reinforce the good efforts by others. Don’t take anything for granted, don’t accept less than great quality and service, don’t forget to do what it takes to reinforce the best behaviors you see and experience today. My message this week is about doing what it takes to be more than average: “Big thinking precedes great achievement.”   -Wilferd Peterson Wilferd Arlan Peterson (1900 - 1995) was an American author who wrote for This Week magazine (a national Sunday supplement in newspapers) for many years. When it comes to team spirit, there’s nothing that reinforces it like winning. That’s because winning is the ultimate achievement.  And the best way to win is to think that you can, believe that you can, and act like you can. Of course there’s also the prep work and practice that goes into transforming individual effort into team work.  How often have you seen boasts and promises proven to be false because the ones doing the talking think that’s all it takes to defeat the challenges and competition that exists in so many aspects of life?  And how often have you believed those boasts but then found them to be lacking the key ingredients? Those ingredients include the things that nourish the will to achieve and win, like hard work and practice, patience and perseverance, team work and team spirit – these are the big things that winners believe in. If you and your team want to win at anything today you should dream the big dreams and do the hard work that always precedes big achievements. Stay well! PS: I got an ASUS Ultrabook.  And if this computer turns out to be half as good as the experience of buying it then I’ll be a very lucky guy indeed.

That's Life These are the best of times, and the worst of times. Every day that we wake up there are lots of things that fall into both of these categories.  And that’s life. The best of times: I was invited to attend a 60th birthday party in Las Vegas for a friend I’ve known for more than 40 years (but haven’t really seen all that much in the past 20 years). His wife planned it as a way of making a bunch of 60-somethings feel something different than being 60-something.  Lots of ways to do that (I guess), Vegas being one of the best (or maybe the most popular). There were two distinct groups of attendees: the first included a small number of friends and relatives who knew the birthday boy from years ago, but not so much now; the second were guys who are and have been contemporaries during roughly the last 20 years. Amazingly, all of us got along like we’d known each other the whole time. And also amazingly, the friends that he’d attracted then and now were exactly the same. Lots of what we did fell under the heading of “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas”, but not everything. We roasted the birthday boy at dinner one evening – everyone getting up and telling personal stories about experiences they’d had with him. Interestingly, the stories from long ago from the rear view mirror were strikingly similar to those that were contemporary as seen through more current window panes. The point I’m trying to make is that real friends stand the test of time and can easily slip back into the bonds of friendship even when time intervenes.  It’s the lucky ones who have this, and have the opportunity to see that this is in fact true.  Having an experience like that is the best gift anyone can give, or get. The worst of times: I was also going to Vegas to see my Mom and her ailing boyfriend of 9 years. It’s interesting that as our parents live longer, some go through the experience of losing long-term spouses and establishing new relationships for comfort and companionship.  It’s a bit confusing for the families, but in the end it’s interesting to see how our parents start acting like our kids and how we deal with role reversals like that. In our case, Mom and Jerry lived a more than active life and had more activities and friends than we did.  So it was hard to see them start to slow down. And then I got a call as I was boarding the plane that Jerry died.  Good that I was going. We met his kids, all of whom are grown and live around the country.  They had a memorial service there for all of Jerry’s friends, and while funerals can be somber, this one was a rollicking celebration of life. His kids told of growing up with their Dad, and everyone was polite as they learned more than they’d known. And then, one by one, the friends got up and told stories of dinners, and dancing, and learning and playing bridge, and movies, and attending a weekly classes for seniors at UNLV, and all kinds of other activities that would exhaust much younger people.  If ever there was an example of 85 being the new 65, this was it.  And while we most often dismiss those kinds of clever claims as less than realistic, this one seemed very real.  This group showed how living life to the fullest was a great idea.  Not a theoretical idea, but one that was real and inspiring to all. As I flew home on the redeye Sunday night, all of these thoughts swirled through my tired mind. Life really is a mixture of good and bad; life really does present us with daily challenges and opportunities; and life is something we need to treasure and live to its’ fullest every day. Trouble is, every day is bogged down with the mundane things of life that often get in the way of or blind us to the greater things about life that are all around us.  And it usually takes an event, or in this case, a couple of contrasting events, to shake us into recognizing that if we don’t live our lives to the fullest we’re apt to miss something both good and important.  In any event, birthdays and deaths shouldn’t be the only times we connect with those who mean the most to us. Take time today to reach out to those you love – don’t let another day go by without telling them and thanking them.  That’s life. My message this week is about taking responsibility for the things that are important and mean the most to you: “Be careful how you live; you will be the only Bible some people ever read.” -William J. Thoms William John Thoms (1803 – 1885) was a British writer credited with coining the term "folklore" in the 1840s. Thoms' investigation of folklore and myth led to a later career of debunking longevity myths. Hence, he is the "father of age validation research" to demographers. How will you live today?  And how will others perceive how you live today?  When you own something, everyone seems to keep an eye on you.  When you were in school – people probably watched how you kept your desk or locker.  Today, if you own a home – they’ll watch how you keep the lawn.  When you own a car – they’ll watch if you keep it clean.  And at work – they’ll watch whether you keep your work area neat and clean, and what your desk looks like, and the quality and timeliness of your work.  We are responsible for, and thus own, all these things, and how we keep them and deal with them will be watched by people around us.  Our actions will always be read and noted, so be careful what you do with the things you own – these will be the tales that people will read and remember about you. Stay well!

Plan Ahead

 Plan Ahead

I love listening to those goofy brothers on NPR talk about cars.  Let’s face it, most of us grew up with cars and still define ourselves by the cars we drive.  And even though I’ve been in the big city without a car for nearly a year, I’m still a California guy humming ‘get around, get around, I get around…”

So it was a nice surprise when a friend who was going away for a month asked if we wanted to babysit her car. Hey, we’d have wheels and wouldn’t that be fun. On the appointed day we took the subway and picked up our loaned wheels. As we prepared to drive away, all the while thanking her profusely for letting us borrow the car, we heard but didn’t really understand when she said it was a good deal both ways. We smiled and nodded as if we knew what she was talking about.  NOT.

So we took a leisurely and luxurious ride home, and when we got to our neighborhood I proceeded to drive around looking for a parking spot, and then drove around some more looking for a parking spot. I finally found one, proudly and expertly parallel parked and walked the few short blocks back to our apartment.  Next day I thought I’d be a sport and go see if the car was ok – and as I walked to where I had parked it, it wasn’t there. Ok, so maybe I was confused.  I walked around some more and, guess what – it wasn’t there.

I freaked out. The police have a website that will tell you if they towed it – all you need is the make, model and license plate number.  Who has that – especially on a car that’s not yours?  Our friend had that information but she was on her way out the door.  But she got it for us, we entered it into the website and, don’t you know, they had the car. Next, I had to find the impound lot and give them a copy of the registration, a driver’s license and check or credit card that all had the same name on it.  Of course my name wouldn’t be on the registration, even if I had the registration. My wife noted that we needed a notarized statement from the owner attesting to the fact that we were legally, if only temporarily, the possessors of the car. So we called our friend back, just as she was leaving, and she miraculously had a neighbor who was a notary, scanned the letter and a copy of the registration and emailed it to us.

Stuff in hand, I found the impound.  It wasn’t nearly as confusing as the DMV and they efficiently took all my information, then took a rather large check and pointed to a sign that said “wait here for escort”.  I got in that line, put my hand in my pocket for the keys and discovered I’d left them at home. That was it for me.

As I stood there with a terribly forlorn look on my face, that old adage popped into my head: Plan Ahead.  And that’s the lesson of this sad tale.  If only I had planned ahead.  If only I’d taken a moment to learn and know the rules, to study the things I needed to know, to plan how I was going to deal with what I was doing, to have a backup plan if things didn’t go right, to talk ahead of time with my others about the complexity of what we were doing or getting into, to stop when disaster struck and calmly assess my options, and to think everything through.  All of this was relevant to my experience, and it all applies to all the other things we do in life each day too. And out all this I’ve come up with one more New Year’s resolution:  Plan Ahead.

And my message this week is about another New Year’s resolution that some have made:

“Help Others”
 

At the end of the day there’s nothing like helping others.  You can always help yourself – that seems to come naturally. You can do what you do… for you, but the real value comes when you do what you do for others.  You can talk to yourself, you can walk with yourself, you can cook for yourself, you can clean up after yourself, you can work for yourself, you can read to yourself, and you can always think for yourself.  But where’s the joy and satisfaction and value if at the end of the day you’re just left with yourself. The best part of life is sharing, collaborating and engaging with others. Self-satisfaction – the kind you get when it’s all for and about you - is far less rewarding and fulfilling than the satisfaction you get from doing things with and for others.  Look around – you’re not alone.  Listen – there’s a world of people and stuff all around you. The key to real success and satisfaction is the way you play and work with others, is the way you engage with others in common pursuits, is the way you feel when you experience the reactions of others. Make a point of helping others – today and every day.

Stay Well

The Right Tool for the Job

 The Right Tool for the Job 

I saw a commercial on TV this week for a Dodge Caravan, and the announcer exclaimed how it was “the right tool for the job”.  Hey, wait a minute; if like me you grew up in the 60s you’ll recognize that as the byline of Mr. Natural, one of R. Crumb’s crazy comic characters. Amazing how "far out" ideas becomes mainstream.   But now that they mentioned it, I am always looking for the right tool for the job too, and I think I found a new one.

Some background: The internet is a great source for information and ideas to use for just about anything.  Put something into one of the online search engines and you’ll get a cornucopia of information in no time. Don’t know the dates or facts for something – no problem, a quick search can rectify that.  Looking for just the right word or phrase, or the meaning of a word – that’s easy, use an online dictionary. With most of the dictionaries we use – either in print or online – there’s an actual method for deciding which words are listed.

But now there’s a new kind of dictionary – it’s called Wordnik (no kidding, I read about it in the New York Times).  Wordnik.com, is a dictionary that evolves as language does. On Wordnik, users can add new words and meanings, tag words with related expressions, see real-time search results for words from Twitter and Flickr, discover how many Scrabble points each word is worth — all on one page.  Check it out – you’ll be amazed.  And then read about how it got started, and you’ll be even more amazed.

So, when’s the last time you saw a really new dictionary?  Probably never.  But just like with Wikipedia, this Internet thing is changing the way most of the things we grew up with are done today.  I’m always looking up stuff as I write these messages, and between Wikipedia and now Wordnik I’ve gotten new tools that are right for this job.  I could never have gotten such easy access to so much information before.  And in this is one of the lessons of our times.

We are witness to an amazing array of development that produces changes to many of the things we’re accustomed to.  And we’re expected to adapt to all these new things in ways that really stretch us.  Not unlike our grandparents, who lived thru the advent of the automobile, air travel, televisions, calculators and more, we’re now experiencing changes that are more frequent and in many ways more amazing.  Who’d of thought that as kids when we marveled at Dick Tracy’s watch/phone combination or Buck Roger’s space travel that there would be things like that in our lifetimes?  Well, there are, and so much more too.  Stop and try to imagine a world without computers, the internet, cable TV and cell phones.  Could we get along without this stuff – probably.  Would we be better off without this stuff – probably not. But either way, it’s here and we should choose what works for each of us and make the most of the things life now offers.

So, go check out Wordnik.  Or go find something else that is new in this New Year.  Because no matter what, we should always be looking for the right tools for the job.  We should each be on the lookout for the new tools that can help make our jobs easier, and the results of our jobs better.  That’s the challenge of life.  And in the answers to those challenges are the wonders of life.

In the spirit of New Years, this week's message is about one of the resolutions people generally make for this holiday:

“Get in shape” -Unknown

On the surface, getting in shape is seemingly about the need to shed unwanted pounds and inches.  But there are lots of others things that might also benefit by getting in shape.  How about your attitude: is that in the right shape for this New Year? If your attitude is not as good as it could or should be, chances are you won’t approach the things you need to see and do with the openness that would be needed to make the most of them.  How about your commitment: is that where it should be to start off on the right foot?  Because if you’re not really committed to the things you need to do then they won’t get the most out of the things you do.  How about your focus: are you in the moment enough to see what needs to be done clearly?  If not, how can you expect to be the leader or role model that others might need you to be?  These are some of the things that will be significantly improved if you’re in the right shape to implement and execute them effectively.  So start getting every aspect of your life in shape today.

Happy New Year and Stay Well!