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.

New Group Sessions

Today, I scheduled my first Meetup group session. My Meetup group sessions, called “Getting Jobs and Not Being Overlooked.” The group sessions help individuals who are looking for work and, unfortunately, feel they are being overlooked for the jobs they want. And, no, I do not think they are paranoid. It actually happens every day.

There are many things that employers worry about when they hire somebody, especially somebody who is a little longer in the tooth. And according to statistics, employers are correct to worry about it. However, you are a person and not just a set of statistics. As long as you can show you are a viable person able to do the job, you can have as good a chance as anyone else.

The first meeting is next Tuesday, the 19th of January, at 2:30 MST on zoom. We will discuss tactics and techniques for getting jobs in detail. The how to’s of present the right ‘front and center’ attitude at the interview. You will help the employer know that you are not the dawdling old-timer. Instead, you are the sharp, mature worker they are actually looking to hire.

These group sessions will run every Tuesday from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. MST and are free for at least the first four sessions that a person attends. The regular price is $25, yet for the rest of this year, because of the problems with COVID-19 and finding work, I will hold the cost down to only $10 per visit. Please sign up through “Getting Jobs and Not Being Overlooked.” On Meetup

Please ask, If you have any questions, by writing to mikebalof@reveille.rocks.  Also, feel free to ask me through Meetup. I would be glad to help you better understand any particular concerns. If you know anyone else who could benefit from such a group session, please let them know that we are out there and willing to work with them.

Thank you for being with me today. I hope to be with you again tomorrow.

My Thought

Unfortunately, tragedies, either natural or man-made, will happen at times in our lives or will happen elsewhere and have a profound effect upon us. We do need to take notice of these tragedies and understand them. And, all though these tragedies affect us, we cannot allow them to consume our lives to the point of overshadowing everything else in our existence.

In our lives, we find yourselves with many duties. There is a duty to our deity, responsibility to our country, family, and ourselves. Each of these duties should be kept in balance. To allow a tragedy or problem with anyone to overshadow others or to render us incapacitated towards our responsibilities in other areas does not help you, others, nor the situation.

This week we have seen a violation of our democracy. I will not debate whether it was caused within or without the government. We should not react in kind because this is not how we handle concerns and problems in America.  We hold to the rule of law, and that is where we must settle this matter.

Although we cannot stand for this type of insurrection against our government, we must be careful not to become, ourselves, the thing we hate. We need to ensure calmer heads and truer values prevail. And hopefully, we should ensure that they come from us.

I am not sure what causes people to sink to a level where they feel they have a right to act out in such vandalism and mayhem. I would like to stress here that nothing is ever won worth having by sinking to the lowest level that mankind can offer. The day is won when you encourage others to rise to your level. For within that battle, all win.

This week, we have seen how low our nation could fall. Our goal is not to leave it there, rather play a part in helping it to rise again, as we always do, to reclaim the status of that shining beacon on the hill.

Thank you for being with me today. We hope to be with you again soon.

Have You Started

We are six days into the new year. Are you working on the new you? Are you finding ways to make your life more productive, happier, or more meaningful to you? If you are working on it, great. If not, I hope it’s because you already have everything you need and everything you have ever desired. If you are delighted and want for nothing, you should not change. You live the life that the rest of us genuinely envy.

If you were not quite that fortunate, then I have to ask a question. What do you find missing from your life? If you’re not as portrayed in the paragraph above, obviously, something is missing. At this point, there seem to be two choices. One is just sitting there and pouting, blame everybody else, and just be miserable. The other option is to get out there and do something about it. So the question stands.  If you don’t have everything you want, why not, and what do you do about it.

I’m not trying to push everybody into a greed fest. I’m just asking a question. If you want something you don’t have, is it because you really don’t need it or care about it, or is it that you’re just not trying hard enough?

Often, it boils down to priorities. With so many things we could have within the world, we have to choose what is most important at the moment. And that is a sage thing to do. And if that’s what you have to do and where you are, it is absolutely OK.

On the other hand, if your lack of something is caused by your ‘get up and go’ having ‘got up and went.’ That is another matter. Suppose you’re not getting what you want out of life because you find yourself stuck in a rut and just not able to actively pursue your needs. In that case, you are at the point you need to find yourself a new direction and some energy to follow it.

If you find yourself stuck, without the energy, or unable to find the right direction, I am here for you. Starting on Tuesday, 19 January, at 3 p.m. Mountain standard time, I will be hosting a group session for people to share where they are. Also, where they want to go and ask for sharing ideas and ways to get there.

For anybody who wants to join, I will make the first month free. After the first month, the fee goes to $10 a week. When my website publishes in the next week or so, you will also find discount coupons for other assistance which I offer.

Please keep an eye out for this blog, and I will keep you informed on what is going on within Reveille.Rocks, and hopefully, you will find some items which will be of great use for you.

Thank you for being with me today. I hope to be with you again tomorrow.

It Is New, Now What?

Welcome to day five of our new year. And congratulations on making it here. Now the question is, what are you going to do?

I’m not talking about the facade of goals, which will be gone in a few months. I am not worried about what you want to be 10 years from now. What I’m asking is, now that you are in the new year and the year you hate is now behind you, what are you going to do.

I grant everyone the fact that last year was horrible. The year was one problem after another building to one calamity after another. But you have made it through, and here you are. You own a new year, a new day, and hopefully a better way.

Yes, I know the date on the calendar did not change the status of things on the ground. That is not the point, though. The fact is you drew a line in the sand to get a new year. Now you have it. If you do nothing to make this year better, you just have what you had before. If you do better in your life and your situations, you will have better outcomes.

Does this mean hard work? When did getting what you wanted out of life not mean hard work, planning, and a fair share of elbow grease and midnight oil? The nice thing is whether you know it or not, you can do this. Can I do it for you? No. Can your parents or kids do it for you? Absolutely not. Every time you look at a smiling CEO, a farm doing well, or a plumber happily doing the job, you see people doing the things they love. They are there because they took the time to learn and grow within their careers and professions. 

You have come this far. Do not give up on yourself now. You are in a new year, and you are closer to the cusp of getting what you want than you were a year ago. It’s time to forge forward, not backslide.

I tell you these things for the good of all of us. When someone succeeds, we all raise just a little; and when we fail to try, everyone else sinks just a bit. It’s not that I’m worried about everyone being let down. I just don’t want you to be back here a year from now asking the same questions about what happened.

Thank you for being with me today. I hope to be with you again tomorrow.

Even Apart

No matter how far or scattered our loved-ones are,

and no matter where they lay their head to rest tonight,

we do not fear.

It is because we know where they live; they live within our hearts.

Happy Thanksgiving Eve

The Challenges are Here

These are challenging times. Challenges offer both dangers and opportunities. It is up to us to look at what is going on and the best thing we can do in any current situation.   Only each of us can turn our work into success or failure.

We have to have one of those ‘Person in the mirror’ talks with ourselves and ask a few questions. The questions are relatively straightforward. What do you want, and what are you willing to do to gain your objectives. It is up to you to balance what you’re ready to put into a project to get the desired output.

Only you can chase your dreams. Only you can decide what you need, what you want, and what you were willing to do to grab the brass ring. If you are not journaling, this is the Time to start. Only you can do this, and if you don’t take notes, things can get very chaotic very quickly.

I cannot do this for you; however, if you truly desire to talk with someone, I am here. In two weeks, I will be starting group sessions online where you can speak of these things and share with others to get more views and facets of the diamonds you are building.

If you are interested in joining the group, please contact me at Mikeb@reveille.rocks. The group is free for the rest of the year.

Thank you for being with me today. I hope to be with you again tomorrow.

Greed or Fear

I am tired of living in fear of losing a job that does not help me as a person.  I am also not as greedy as others may think.  I measure my wealth in the service I can do for others and the joy I can share.  My goal is to help where and whom I can, stay clear of those who would entrap me to feed their greedy goals, and do my best to live rather than fear.

I do not believe this makes me a pioneer, or a pirate, a mutineer, or just not one who follows money first, a renegade, or just resigned.  I know that in no fear, there is freedom.  Moreover, in not chasing the currency, a public feast of looking at the world through a different set of needs and values appears.

Do I suggest everyone stop work and let the economy come to a halt? Absolutely Not!  I propose that we take the time to look at the person we see in the mirror.  Look closely and see if that person is someone you would like to be.  If not, maybe consider what would help make the person in the mirror equal to your expectations of them.

When you make plans, plan how you can meet your obligations for yourself, your family, friends, and culture while staying true to you.  Being true to yourself is not greedy.  It is planning to reach your full potential.  Greediness would deny your best work to the rest of the world.