Author: Mike Balof

A retired Air Force Master Sergeant, Mike used to lay in bed at night and worry about what would happen if his plant closed or found himself without a job. One day his plant closed. Rather than panic and hysteria (OK, maybe a little) Mike found himself carried away on the adventure of his life. Mike started with the best job he ever had working at Home Depot. He spent 8 years working with job seekers at a local workforce center, helping them to find employment. He then started his own company developing courses, writing books and urging others to follow their own paths into the future. Mike holds a Master of Arts in Adult Education and Training and a Bachelor of Business Management, earned through the University of Phoenix and an AAS degree in Electronics Systems Technology from the Community College of the Air Force. Mike is a member of the Delta Mu Delta Business Honor Society.

Where Are the Answers

It is not that I’m a doubtful soul. It’s just sometimes I look at some of the news that is run, and I begin to wonder why? And, what are they trying to hide? Something happened a year ago, and it was taped, why wasn’t it brought up then? Especially if it was devastating are degrading to a large group of people.

I understand that sensationalism is often saved until the book is ready to debut. And sometimes, national news is the greatest advertising one can obtain, not to mention that it’s free. Yet, how truly meaningful and caring is the writer if they sit on the knowledge of wrong-doing until the book is written and they can make a buck off of it.

I canot entirely blame the writer. After all, money is money, and without income, it’s hard to buy the groceries. What really bothers me is professional news organizations with limited airtime, choosing to sensationalize tell-all books when there is news which goes unreported. It almost starts to feel like the standard government plan of ancient Rome. Keep the people entertained and fed.

Truthfully, I cannot even blame the news people. So many viewers watch shows where people are invited to discuss their personal problems. When two or three are on stage the screaming, cursing, and name-calling commence. If the audience is lucky somebody throws a punch or chair. Then the host opens an envelope to reveal a paternity test, or drug test, or the results of the lie detector. Then, the show is over with a few lives better and most lives even more devastated. It makes me wonder, is this the modern-day video Coliseum, although I’m told people watch these shows so they can feel that there are people worse than they are.

Do we want to make our decisions based on the fact that there are people that are worse than we are? Or, do we want to make our decisions based on something good that we can strive for? It is up to each of us, and the answers are not within mass distribution. The answers are within ourselves. If others won’t turn off the conspiracies, the hatred, and the false entertainment. Maybe it’s up to us to turn off the sensationalism and find something better to do.

Mondays

Thank goodness, it’s Monday again.

Have I ever explained to you how vital Monday is? Monday is the most important day of the week. If there were no Mondays, there would be no Fridays. Without a Friday, there would be no weekend. I am sure you see where I am going with this.

Actually, days and times became important as the railroads developed routes and started transporting goods and people. You needed to know when your train was going to be at the station so you can get on. You Needed to have your crop to market and in a boxcar on a specific day and time. And, you needed to know where all the other trains were, so you didn’t run into one.

The truth is if you don’t have a job that requires things to happen on certain days, or don’t watch network television where you need to know exactly what day it is, so you could watch your favorite show at a particular time, the day and time doesn’t matter as much.

Day and time are actually relative concepts. Most of the time zones are measured in relation to Greenwich, England. Why there? Because in 1675 the English were trying to map the world. Naval explorers needed to the exact time to know where they were in the world in relation to Greenwich, England.  The time and a sextant could give them both the latitude and longitude of where they were.  It still took until 1880 for Parliament to officially acknowledge Greenwich time.

Today with people working independently and streaming online, the knowledge of time day to day and minute to minute is still good to know, just not as vital as it used to be.  That is unless you are a pilot or an astronomer.

I am still thankful for Mondays.  They give me hope for the weekend.

Enjoy Your Life

I learned something new yesterday. Something that I had been told before in many ways and something I know we all often hear. It took a visual look to understand. Just because we grow old does not automatically mean we fall apart.

We don’t keep from falling apart by not being active, not going out, and not doing anything that would stress the body. For that’s the surest way to fall apart and to deteriorate. I realize that what I need to do is stay as active and engaged in life as possible.

I take my cues on this from people that I have seen throughout my life. Some friends, some family, and some actors who were old when I was young. What I have learned is that barring major health concerns, you have the big ability to stay active, stay engaged, and do the majority of whatever you want to do as long as…

We can be ourselves as long as we remain active. You don’t have to take up mountain climbing, or skydiving unless that’s what you do now. You want to stay engaged though, with friends and activities you either want to do or have always wanted to try.

When you fade down into yourself, start using the television more than the front door, and start finding that you can count your friends on one thumb, it’s time to get up and do something.

I am working on talking to old friends, learning new skills, taking care of the house and helping my wife. I write blogs and books, design and publish training courses, and am studying to become a Neuro Linguistic Program (NLP) life coach.  I also have to take good care of my body to eat correctly, use the sunblock, and take care of the skin.

I encourage everybody to keep going as long as you can. Laugh a little, and it goes even better. Share something with friends and you both gain from experience. And don’t forget to breathe.

And please don’t forget, have a great day.

Owed?

I have noticed that more and more people want more and more things for themselves, and they feel as though the things they want are owed to them.

I quite often ask the question, ‘Why?’ In this case, the why question is ‘Why do you feel it’s owed to you?’ This question followed by, ‘And what have you done to deserve it?’

Many people have gone over and above to earn the things they would like.  And yet, the questions above are still relevant.  Why, and What. Are you a mover and a shaker? Or are you the person who waits and then does most of what you’re told?  You showed up for work every day? That’s great. Isn’t that part of what the paycheck compensates you for?

 Did you lead a team or work personally to do something which caused revenue to grow within the company? Did you cut costs or overhead, or save the company significant amounts of money in some other way? Did you do something else that positively affected the bottom line? 

The question is what did you give to the company or others that makes you deserve the big-ticket item?

If you can’t point to something special you did, you can’t really grumble. Most people who want to earn the bonuses and rewards start off by first ensuring that the company they work for offers rewards and bonuses for excellent work.  Then find out what the criteria are for earning awards. And finally, make a plan and do what it takes.

Saying and thinking you deserve a bonus or reward and actually doing the work to earn it are two different actions. If you really want the glory, do the work.

 

Failure Is Seldom an Option

Failure is seldom an option.  Yet, it does happen. 

As you start a new position, you need to learn that job and all the ins and outs that go with it. You need to start some projects and actually see them through to fruition. It is good to know what success feels like and how to handle success.

You also need to know what it feels like to fail. You need to know how to pick yourself back up and move on.  You need to either try again and succeed or understand why the failure occurred and how to avoid the failure next time.

The lower you are on the ladder when you fail, the less painful failure will be. The higher you are on the ladder when you fail the far more painful failure will be for both you and others affected.

The better you understand your job, the better you will be.

It’s All Down the Curve

Do you know what direction you’re going? Do you feel everything is an uphill climb? Do you feel too exhausted even to start in a direction? I have some fantastic news for you. Things are getting easier all the time., And, so is getting started on something.

I imagine most of the people who read this blog are on earth. I want you to picture our world as an orb and you standing on it. In relation to where you are, and the earth is, the world is below you. And relative to where you are it moves out in every direction Curving Down about 32.6 feet every 10 miles.

round earth
round earth

Any direction you walk in is walking down the curve. This only varies if you live near large hills or mountains where their rise negates the curvature of the earth for that point in space. So if I walked down the curve a quarter of a mile does that mean I’m walking up the curve to get back to the starting point? Not really

Were held on the earth by this beautiful thing called gravity. And gravity pulls us towards the center of our world. It does so gently, allowing most of us to skip or hop. And it is the gravity which follows us as we walk across the earth and allows us to still see the orb is the point under us in relation to where we are standing, and every direction goes down its curvature. Thus, wherever we stop the earth’s still under us. The horizon is still balanced around us (all things being equal on a flat terrain we should be able to see 2.999 miles to the horizon.) From wherever we walked to, from where we stopped, we are once again walking down the curve of the orb, or rather earth.

It seems that wherever were walking to or wherever were coming back from as we move we are moving down the curvature of the earth. At least by these theories, it sure looks like it. When you feel too tired to get started, just remember that at least you get to walk down the curve to get it done.

Facing the Future

I am the last person who should preach on forward thinking. I always seem to find myself dwelling in the past, grumbling about what I “could, or would, or should have done.”  And after many decades of doing this, I can give you one true statement about it. All of the looking back in the world won’t change what happened in the past.

Having said this, I also have to say there is a sense of understanding in knowing your past. Using the past as a learning platform allows us to better understand new things as we look towards and move into the future. And, since we are people in motion, whether we want to be or not, we need to be looking in the direction we are going. No one is going back towards 1950, or 1940.

How many people do you spot each day walking backward, not looking where they’re going, just concentrating on where they have been? Does anybody here drive by putting the car in reverse and watching the rearview mirror? It is not feasible to move in a direction and not look at where you’re going.

The main problem with going into the future is that you don’t really know what’s going to happen there. You know what happened in the past, and therefore the past feels safer, not just to you, everyone feels that way. Yet, to make any journey meaningful, you have to know where you’re going, and what is happening around you.

Even if we don’t know exactly what lies around the bend, we can set some goals. And as soon as we know what we would like, we can develop a map to get from where we are, to our desired destination. Does that mean our goals are now guaranteed? No. It gives you a tool so you can see what you want to do, and the path to get there. If you can’t view where your goal is, how can you get there? If you can see the way to where you want to be, doesn’t that make the trip easier?

Have a great day. My goal is to send you another blog tomorrow.

 

 

The Worst Punishment

I learned something important this week. Something that I had thought of in the back of my mind and was able to confirm through observation. And, I figured out what the worst of all punishments anyone can ever have. Nothing to do.

You may be thinking I need something to do myself, because of all the people who would love a little time with nothing to do. The truth is we were not built to be idle. When we have absolutely nothing to do, we tend to atrophy. I figured this out by observing our homeless population who have so much time and so little to do. If you go to a park and just sit and watch, you can start to understand.

The problem is that rather than thinking of what to do next, or positive endeavors, people with nothing to do often find themselves focused on the past.  When dealing with the past, remember the people and the lessons learned, and do not dwell on it.  You cannot change the past or make it better.  The times gone by are gone and behind you.

We need to consider ways to help those stuck in the past to shift to future thinking and ways to make the future a more positive experience. I am not sure exactly what the answer to this is, and I’m going to have to work on ideas which could help this population.

If you have any ideas, please share them. I believe this can be made better. I also think that there is no quick fix to this. We will have to face the problem one step at a time.

You’re In Charge

One of my favorite actors and comedians announced today that he had Parkinson’s disease. Although I felt a little saddened by it, he stated that he felt great. He spoke of all the great things he was doing and the various ways in which he was actively helping people. 

I was moved by the fact that this fantastic person could, instead of dwelling on misfortunes, reach out to help others and live a very meaningful life. I think we should all take a lesson from this. I do not feel any life comes with a guarantee. I do believe that each and every one of us, no matter what the circumstances or how the odds are stacked, are the authors of our own stories.

It is up to us to understand where we want to go, what we want to do, and what paths we need to climb to get there. Sometimes there are traps along the way, trying to hold you back. Many times, some good people and resources can help you along your journey. Although all of this is found along the paths to your goal, only you can walk your path.

With all the well-meaning people, brilliant technology, and mentors along the way, it comes down to you. Only you can determine which goals in life you wish to achieve. Only you can set yourself and motion. Only you can choose the mentors, family, and other significant people and things you take with you.

This does not mean you’re alone. It just says you’re in charge.

Enjoy your life and remember to laugh with others. It is good for the soul.

Good or Bad

No person makes it by themselves. The poets and the singers got it right.

It is incredible, when we think of it, that for all the foibles and failures in our society, we actually function best with a community. As a matter of fact, lack of community only serves to stunt our ability to grow and do better. Although I focus on emotional growth and growth of knowledge, health and physical well-being are also often compromised.

A community is not for sissies. Just like Yin and Yang, there are positives and negatives in anything. Being part of a community is no exception. You will find much good in interacting with others, sharing, and learning as you grow within the community. At the same time, you do open yourself up to emotional pain. You find yourself open to some negative people. And not everything that you learn will turn out to be true.

This does not mean we’re better off walling ourselves off from the community. For good within the community far outweighs the bad. What we need to do, is to go into the community as I believe one great person put it, “as gentle as lambs, and is wary as wolves.”

The real trick is to absorb everything you can and then weigh it. Do your research to know what’s true or not. And, do your considerations to understand the meeting of what you have learned and whether it is good or bad based on the morals of the community, and more importantly within your framework of right and wrong within life. Only then, do you really know if this knowledge is relevant, accurate, and helpful.

Utilize and grow with the right and confident knowledge. Do not dismiss or flush out of your system the false and harmful knowledge. Instead, keep a file in your mind of things that are negative or untrue. Having the record on hand helps you from having to relearn or possibly remaking the same mistakes.