Category: Uncategorized

Are You Looking in the Right Direction?

Thank you for being with us for another throwback Thursday.  This was originally published on February 6, 2017

We are often in search of something. Moreover, there are various types of people out there who are willing to lead us on that search in exchange, in exchange for something they want. They may want money or attention, or understanding or to believe they are doing good or fulfilling some purpose. They do want something.

The question is, do those offering you guidance understand what you are looking for and can they really provide what your needs require?

I find it interesting that our eyes set at the front of our body on the high ground and focus outwards. Unless you look in the mirror, you do not see an image of yourself, and it is hard to see what goes on behind the eyes. If you have to look around behind yourself, again you will need more mirrors with images.

The question I have today is, ‘Are you looking in the right place?’ Or, are you running all over the place looking here and looking there for answers? Do you seek things in many places, yet, never seem to be able to find them? Do the claims of others somehow generally leave you short of where you want to be, feeling somehow less, and somehow again without.

There is another place you can look. The location is one of the hardest to recognize, and yet one of the easiest to get at. You need to look within yourself.

Is there anybody who knows you better than you do? Who knows what you want? You do. Who knows what you like and don’t like? You do. Who knows how far you are willing to go to get something done, and done the way you want it done? Oh yeah, that is you. Okay?

Reach out to the world to collaborate, to communicate, to solve technical issues, and to learn new ideas. Never let others tell you who you should be or what you are and are not.  You are on track to being the best person you possibly can.  Just listen to that person in the mirror.

Would you like to discuss the idea of internal growth?  Please leave a comment. And, You can always reach me at mikeb@reveille.rocks.

 

Balancing Our View

Art and life are a lot alike.  Each will take you wherever you would want to go, all you have to do is add some imagination. I work in watercolors and in aqua oils. Although I’ve done 2 years at the local community college studying watercolor, much of my work in oils stems from Bob Ross and other PBS art shows.

In part, you need to balance your darks in your lights. If you have the painting with all light colors, it doesn’t mean anything because there’s nothing to contrast them against. And if you make everything dark, it means very little for the exact same reasons. And so, you need the dark hues, and the light ones so that each can accentuate the other.

Life is much the same. If you are winning the lottery every week, and always flying from one vacation to another, and everything is permanently just perfect, how do you know how you are doing? If your life is forever dark, with no saving grace, no belief in a future, and no dreams and everything is continually just sad, the same question applies. How do you know how you’re doing?

We have to live life knowing it is not always going to be super bright and smooth all of the time, and it should not be dark and discouraging all of the time. We have to find our balance. In the kaleidoscope of our life, things will drift in and out of focus and in and out of frame. In the revolutions of our hues, there will always be good moments filled with brightness and happiness. And there will be the dark times of sorrow and loss.

We do not wish to dwell on only one or the other, for both are important, and both have meaning. Each accentuates the other. And each, in its own way, makes the other an enhanced experience. It allows us to stay grounded and understand everything in life is there to be lived and respected for what it is.

There is brightness, and darkness in everything. It is up to each person to determine how it is to be viewed. I say that because in truth, just like everything else in this world, what is often seen is up to our own interpretation. That’s true.

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

May I Ask A Question?

Today I would like to ask you a question, and I hope that you take a few minutes to respond to it. I have to assure you that this is not a question that’s going to lead to me trying to sell you something. I am not setting you up for a future email funnel or phone calls. And we can do this, so you don’t even have to give me your email address. I’m just doing a little pure research.

The question is elementary and twofold. If you like your planner and personal appointment system, what do you like about it? The second question is along the same lines. If you don’t care for your planner and appointment system, why?

I talk with people who love their systems, and I spoke with people who hate their systems. Sometimes, both sides can be given to me by the same person. There are a lot of planning and appointment systems on the market, and most of them will have something we like, and many of them will not cover aspect that we wish they did. Many times, we end up picking and choosing and end up with something that is much less than we would really like. This is because we cannot find a system that has everything we desire, or the system we desire costs more than we are able, or willing, to spend.

I find myself in that quandary also. For me to understand this better and maybe discover what I’m looking for, I need to talk to my friends and mentors (You.) If you would, please send back a comment and tell me what you think about the systems you use, and what you find good and/or bad about them.

I thank you very much for your help in considering and answering this. And, as one friend and mentor to another, if there is anything I could do to help you, please let me know. I am always willing to help.

Thank you for considering and doing this for me.

Thank you for being with me today, and I hope to be with you again soon.

 

Maintenance

America has an exciting history. She came from an oppressed society and has grown to be the number one country on the planet. As a republic, it stands as a shining beacon of what other countries may hope to be someday. And like all democracies, America faces growing pains as we face the 250-year mark.

Not all democracies last much longer than 250 years. It depends on the upkeep and care that is given to the country. And, how the nation is used. The second law of thermodynamics is that everything will deteriorate. If we want our democracy to last, we will need to put some work into maintaining America.

Think of America as it started out as a family with a horse. As America grew we added sailing boats, and paddle wheelers. Before you knew it along came the Model T Ford and the Stutz Bearcat. We learned how to fly, dropped our ideas of isolation. And now, we work in outer space. And yet as we go along, we sometimes forget to maintain the system which got us to this point.

You have seen me write more than once about having things and having real estate is nice. But the important things are the people, their thoughts and ideas, and their dreams. Things don’t make a country great. People do.

 Today, it looks as though America is starting to think less about what made us great. It seems as though we have fallen into a rut of name-calling and finger-pointing. If we are going to move past the 250-year mark and go on to survive and grow as a nation, we are going to have to stop finger-pointing and learn to work together.

The only way I know to do this is to stop blaming others and start looking inside to see what we can do better. We can do it. What we face now we have encountered before. And, we did not overcome it by beating the other side down. Instead, we learned to work together. We learn to talk and compromise. We learned that when we came to these’s shores, we set aside our common differences to forge one nation of a pluralistic society with the rights to our own race, color, creed, genders, and abilities.

Today, we are fortunate to have America in the good things that America does. If we want to keep it that way each person who lives here has an obligation to help shine her up and keep all the parts running smoothly.  We do so in honor to those who have come before us and as a duty and a hope for those who come after us.

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

Our True Wealth

Last night we had a drawing in a lottery for 1.6 billion dollars. And today, someone woke up being $1.6 billion richer.  No one knows yet who that person was, although we do congratulate them. It is a beautiful thing to be blessed with life-changing money, and we hope that the money helps people to change for the better.

I would like to mention, money plays a very minimal part in what makes us wealthy. Wealth is measured, not in what comes into a person as far as money, land and other tangibles. Real wealth is viewed as what we pass along and is mostly intangible.

Our real wealth is what we give to others. It is usually those things money cannot buy. A smile or a kind nod to a stranger, a hug to somebody who is sad, or taking time to listen to someone who has something to say, are all internal wealth measurements.

What we have in the bank gathers very little interest in comparison to the little things that we do for others every day. You may not see the benefit you accumulate on your actions, yet I can assure you that as these actions take place in the hearts of many, interest grows. And, you will find out in time, the interest you gather in the hearts of others will be shared from their hearts to even others.

It only takes one or two who are sharing goodness to make a whole block, neighborhood, or even an entire city wealthier than it ever imagined. Please remember that things are only things. Whether it is the school or a city or a state, or just the block we live on, it takes people to make things worthy and wealthy.

I just realized I’m a people. And you know I bet you are one too. I wish us both good health and good inner Wealth.

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

Business Ventures

Books are great. And it’s always wonderful to be able to sit and read and learn from the actions and exploits of others. It is even a good way to save a little. They say that failure is the price of learning. If you can read a book and learn from someone else, you’re actually receiving free knowledge, although secondhand, as based on someone else’s success or failure.

You never really know until you put your own ideas to the test. If all you do is read books, and reading is essential, then you know what the writer has told you. You do not see the rest of the story, parts the author left out. And in those details, the ones you do not learn in books, lay the aspects of success and failure. To truly succeed you have to go forth and try.

I am not saying you need to fail to succeed. Failure is often overrated. You do have to go forth to see what works and what does not. And, you must know when to go straight forward, and when to pivot into a new direction. You pivot when you see you are up against insurmountable odds which would bury you should you continue to go towards them.

What else can you do to mitigate failure? You can watch others. Find mentors and ask questions. Study what happens to businesses and plan for success. Will this guarantee you freedom from failure? No. It will, though, give you a fighting chance.

If you’re looking for absolute guarantees, business is not the best place to be. Business faces too many variables which range from government regulation to manufacturing, to labor and, most fickle of all, to the customer.

I am not suggesting you avoid business ventures. Read books, find mentors, ask questions, study what’s going on, and do your best. When it’s your business, just know that there is no backup. Your business is you, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health. Work to make your ventures prosperous.

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

 

 

 

 

Staying Active Is Important

In life, the need to understand what got us to where we are is Important. The reason is simple, we need to keep growing, and the best way to do that is to stick with what works. The world doesn’t stop to rest and say that it has done enough. The world keeps on moving and growing, learning and capitalizing upon what is known. If we are to stay relevant, we need to stay abreast of the new knowledge and understand how it works with what we already know.

Many times, as people succeed, they wish to sit back in the comfortable chair. They want to enjoy what they’ve done and the rewards they have reaped. And yet you take a look at those who do more and live longer and have more productive lives, the one thing you notice is they are always active. They have their schedules and their standard routine which they stick to on a regular basis.

My mom is 88 years old. Although my mom has her fair share of health concerns, she still does the laundry on a weekly basis. If you look to the actors of Hollywood, beloved actors who last the longest are those who stay active and keep to their routines.  Some of the biggest names in finance, live lives of simplicity and routine.

Having a passion for capitalizing upon, a daily routine we do our best to follow regardless of the situations, and having the desire to learn and know more, are the tools that help us stay active and feel engaged. We should never give up on ourselves. And we should always remember, it’s all the little things which add up to give us a great life.

Thank you for being with me today, I look forward to being with you again tomorrow.

In the meantime, have some fun and don’t forget to smile. It makes everybody wonder what you’re up to.

What Have You Done for #21 Lately?

We do a lot of things for many people.  The higher we grow, the more we do.  If we do our job well, we often find ourselves with more and more people attaching their projects to our time and less time for us to have to ourselves. It is all right to do well for others as long as you take care of #21. I have to ask you today, are you taking care of #21?

Granted, #21 is not at the front of the pack. Usually doesn’t get all the limelight deserved. And can often get lost in the stampede to get things done. Yet, the team would not be a whole one without this valuable player.

When you’re checking your roster of contributors and lineup of required actions, be sure to look out for the little guy. Ensure that even #21 is given a calculated blend of playing time, training time, and time for recuperation. The balance is essential because without the correct balance you will not get your best performance.

Thank you for being here with me and allowing me a little play on words. This blog contains a puzzle, and in solving it, please tell me a little bit more about #21 in the comments section. I’m not sure where everybody is reading this from. I do know where #21 lives.  #21 lives within our hearts.

I hope to be with you again soon, in the meantime don’t forget to take care of #21.

What’s your story?

Do you know your own story? Most of us can remember some of the critical points. You need to be able to talk sensibly about the important who, what, where and when. Can you give someone your story in about 90 seconds?

I thought I could until the one day a new college president found out that I was finishing a Masters degree in adult education. He looked at me and said, “Tell me your story?” I’ve done a lot with my life. But at that point, with the question coming out of the blue, I found it hard to tell him something that made sense.

I’ve had an exciting life, I was an Eagle Scout, I was in the Air Force for almost 22 years where I worked on five of the seven continents. I built computers for Apple. I have taught people how to use computers, how to find jobs, and how to write resumes.

I was a process engineer who designed the assembly lines, and the process is to build the computers. I have tracked satellites, modified satellite ground stations and worked in research and development. I have an Associate in Applied Science in Electronic Systems Technology, a Bachelor of Science in Business Management, and finally a Master of Arts in Adult Education and Training. Getting caught flat-footed, how could I put everything understandably in 90 seconds or less?

The trick is to actually think about it and practice beforehand. If I’m going to talk to the head of a technical college, I may need to emphasize different points than I would if I had to speak to a manufacturing vice president. It is not that I’m hiding anything, or over exaggerating certain aspects, I just need to talk to what they’re interested in when they ask.

Getting caught flat-footed was my own fault. We never know when an important question will come or what setting it will be. If we think about the questions that could be asked, by whom and where then we can be prepared. Running over them in our mind from time to time, just to keep them fresh is good. Taking 10 minutes a week to practice it a couple of times is even better.

There is a saying I hear a lot that talks about people not caring what you know until they know how you care. Sometimes you will never even know that people are watching you as you do something good for someone else. They see that you care and want to know more about you. Most life-changing moments are serendipitous and come out of the blue. You may not know when they’re coming, yet we can fall back on our scout training.

Be Prepared!

Powering Through

Sometimes in our lives, things do not always go as expected. Sometimes we have to accept detours, hardships, and pain. To keep going, we have to find alternatives along the way. The truth you have to understand is that you are more significant than anything trying to block you from your goals.

Sometimes you can use a superhighway to go directly to your final destination. Although, sometimes you have to find your way around obstacles. Yet, you never let those obstacles stop you from getting back on your track or cause you to throw your hands in the air, give up, and walk away.

Sometimes when you’re on the road toward success, you get hit with a deluge of bills or other costs that were not expected. This does not give you permission to quit. You need to take a step back, figure out a better budget that you can stick to, and look for other ways you can do things that are either free or less expensive.

You may not have ever experienced an avalanche of health concerns, yet I assure you they do exist. You don’t want to give up with that avalanche on top of you. You grab the shovel of determination, and you dig yourself out. You talk with the professionals, and you figure out what will keep the problem from slowing you down. You design your plan of what you have to do so this does not slow you down in the future. You take care of yourself, your body and your mind because they’re the only ones you’re getting. And you move on, to get back on that highway to wherever your goals in life take you.

I have seen people in pain. Hurt with migraines, broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, PTSD, and more surgical scars than you can imagine. These people do not quit. They power through the pain and learn new ways to cope because they understand they cannot reach their goals this side of the mountain. To succeed, they have to move over, around or through that pain to reach and achieve their goal.

I have seen this my whole life. What I’ve learned from this is to never bet against anyone. Some of the direst cases will come back to surprise you. They will not quit, and that is what allows them to obtain their goals.

If you hit obstacles on your way to your goals and are not sure of what to do, the answer is easy. Don’t quit…  Get the right information and power through.

Take care of yourself and thank you for being with us today. I hope to be with you again tomorrow.