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January
2000
Happy
2000 !
The
Brick Layers Story
I
was walking to work one day when I saw 3 bricklayers setting up to build
a wall. When I was returning home at the end of the day, I passed
the same three bricklayers laboring at their work and was curious of the
progress they made during the day. The first bricklayer had about 3
rows of brick laid for his portion of the wall and was grumbling
to himself. The second bricklayer had built his part of the wall to
about shoulder height. The third bricklayer, however, was already on
scaffolding and had built his piece of the wall 18 feet high. I
thought this was interesting and decided to ask the men about their
progress.
I
said to the first bricklayer, "Excuse me sir, what are you doing?"
"I'm
laying brick" he snapped, "Now leave me alone."
I
went over to the second bricklayer, who was lackadaisically adding another
brick to his top layer. I said, "Excuse me sir, what are you doing?"
"I'm
just building another wall" he said, yawned, and returned to work.
Then
I went over to the third bricklayer who was by now twenty feet up on
the scaffolding and was whistling and
singing to himself. I hollered up to him, "Excuse me sir, what
are you doing?" I had to ask the question 3 times before I got
an his attention. When I did he hollered back down to me, "Sorry
son, I can't talk
to you now, I'm building the Cathedral !"
REMEMBER.....IT'S
ALL ABOUT ATTITUDE
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of Newsletter Archive
February
2000
Happy
Valentine's Day !!
Totally
at Ease to Speak
I
can not trust you to understand unless I do. From times that I was just
hanging on, I have come to embrace a concept of higher love. The concept
of unconditional regard which at times was fantasized and now realized,
sets my soul on fire.
How
fragile the bond between us if I cannot trust you to accept me for what
and who I am. Recognizing that being trustworthy does not demand that
I be rigidly consistent, but that I be dependably real. I continuously
feel reassured that in our relationship I am moving in the right direction.
The
continuous challenge: to risk, to evaluate, to grow and to shun all
limits for understanding an internal component of myself; my tolerance
and commitment for change.
At
times, I experience a transformation, a revitalization, a rebirth, when
unlocking an amazing mental and emotional
potential; becoming truly self-directed, self-motivated and loosing
the feelings of my intimate fears.
The
joys and nature of trust are by no means an accidental persistence of
truth, but the well-meaning and well-directed actualization of investing
in yourself with the most important product being authenticity.
As
the paradox of perfectionism, and confusing inferences with reality
are sometimes my own ticket toward effectiveness and hibernation; I
listen and learn and capture the precious moments to maximize momentum
toward bolstering my self-worth. Discovering my inner priorities, working
through goal incompatibilities and striving for goal congruency with
feelings, thoughts and actions.
As
self-understanding is an intrinsically rewarding source of pleasure,
the joining of that experience with another brings me closer to the
integrative wholeness I search for.
I
will love you always for helping me discover the path toward inner freedom.
Top
of Newsletter Archive
March
2000
"Dead
Horse Management" or "When Do I Get Off This Thing?"
Ancient
wisdom says that when you discover you are riding a dead horse, the
best strategy is to dismount. However,
in organizations we often try many other strategies, including the following:
1.
Changing riders.
2.
Buying a stronger whip.
3.
Falling back on: "This is the way we've always ridden."
4.
Appointing a committee to study the dead horse.
5.
Arranging to visit other sites to see how they ride their horses.
6.
Raising the standards for riding dead horses.
7.
Appointing a task force to revive the dead horse.
8.
Creating a training session to improve riding skills.
9.
Comparing the state of dead horses in today's environment.
10.
Changing the requirements so that the horse no longer
meets the standard of being dead.
11.
Hiring a consultant to show how to ride a dead horse.
12.
Harnessing several dead horses together to increase speed.
13.
Increasing funding to improve the horses performance.
14.
Declaring that no horse is to dead to beat.
15.
Doing a study to see if outsourcing will reduce the cost
of riding a dead horse.
16.
Buying a computer program to enhance dead-horse performance.
17.
Declaring a dead horse less costly than a live one.
18.
Forming a work group to find uses for dead horses.
19.
Changing the performance requirements for the horse.
20.
Promoting the dead horse to a supervisory position.
Top
of Newsletter Archive
April
2000
A
young life insurance sales agent walked into a factory and asked to
see the sales manager. When the manager finally greeted her in his office,
the agent nervously said, "You don't want to buy any life insurance
do you?"
"No,"
replied the sales manager, curtly.
"I
didn't think you would," said the agent as she got up and headed
for the door.
"Wait
a minute!"said the sales manager. "Come back here."
"You
are without a doubt the worst salesperson I have ever seen."
The
agent looked down. "Yes I know...."
"Listen
you've got to have enthusiasm when you sell - you have to be positive,
not negative. You have to believe in yourself."
"Yes,
sir."
"Now.
look, I'm a very busy man, but I'll show you how." And for the
next 30 minutes the sales manager gave the young agent all the benefits
of his experience and wisdom.
"I
don't know how to thank you," said the agent.
"That's
all right," said the sales manager. "Now, because you're obviously
new at this, I'll buy a small policy from you."
The
agent quickly dug out a policy. The sales manager signed it, then said,
"Remember, don't go in cold, not knowing what you're going to say.
Work out a planned and organized sales presentation."
The
agent smiled. "Oh, I have. What you've just seen is my organized
approach to sales managers."
Top
of Newsletter Archive
May
2000
Quotes
Good
humor is one of the best articles of dress one can wear in society. ----William
Makepeace Thackeray
An
individual's worth has very little to do with salary, possessions
or position.
Do
all the good you can, by all the means you can. ---John Wesley
It
is good to learn the wisdom of compromise, for it is better to bend
a little than to break.
Only
the passions, only great passions, can elevate the mind to do great
things.
---Denis Diderot
The
best way to get even with someone is to forget.
To
be productive, constructive, original and imaginative is to master the
art of creativity.
A
person is only as good as his or her word.
It
is a mistake to surround yourself with only the people just like you.
Throw off that worn comforter - and replace it with a crazy quilt of different
and imaginative people. Then watch the ideas erupt. ---Betty Bender
Be
enthusiastic about the success of other people.Learning to live with
one's weaknesses depends on neither hating them nor justifying them.Be
a yardstick of quality. Some people aren't used to an environment
where excellence is expected.---Stephen
Jobs
Every
tomorrow has two handles. You can take hold of the handle of anxiety
or the handle of enthusiasm. Upon
your choice so will be the day ahead of you.
A
winner can smile all the time, but it takes a real winner to smile when
you lose.
---Richard
Lee Petty
Change
your thoughts, and you change the world.
Top
of Newsletter Archive
June
2000
Something
To Think About
If
someone betrays you once, it's his fault;
If he betrays you twice, it's your fault.
Great
minds discuss ideas;
Average minds discuss events;
Small minds discuss people.
God
gives every bird its food;
But does not throw it into its nest.
He
who loses money, loses much;
He who loses a friend, loses more.
Beautiful
young people are accidents of nature;
But beautiful old people are works of art.
Learn
from the mistakes of others;
You can't live long enough to make them all yourself.
The
tongue weighs practically nothing; But so few can hold it.
You
either control your attitude or it controls you.
A
year from now you may wish you had started today.
It's
not how far you fall, but how high you bounce.
A
great leader never sets him/herself above his/her followers, except
in carrying responsibility.
Some
men go just where they want and some men never go.
Top
of Newsletter Archive
July
2000
Components
That Lead to Success
Top
of Newsletter Archive
August
2000
REPUTATION
AND CHARACTER
The
circumstances amid which you live determine your reputation; the truth
you believe determines your character.
Reputation
is what you are supposed to be; character is what you are.
Reputation
is the photography; character is the face.
Reputation
comes over one from without; character grows up from within.
Reputation
is what you have when you come to a new community; character is what
you have when you go away.
Your
reputation is learned in an hour; your character does not come to light
for a year.
Reputation
is made in a moment; character is built in a lifetime.
Reputation
grows like a mushroom; character grows like the oak.
A
single newspaper report gives you your reputation; a life of toil gives
you your character.
Reputation makes you rich or makes you poor; character makes you happy
or makes you miserable.
Reputation
is what men say about you on your tombstone; character is what angels
say about you before the throne
of God. ----William Hersey Davis
Top
of Newsletter Archive
September
2000
THE
PARADOX OF OUR TIME
The
paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings, but
shorter tempers; wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more,
but have less; we buy more, but enjoy it less.
We have bigger houses and smaller families; more conveniences, but less
time; we have more degrees, but
less sense; more knowledge, but less judgment; more experts, but
more problems; more medicine, but less wellness.
We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little,
drive too fast, get too angry too quickly, stay up too late, get up
too tired, read too seldom, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.
We
have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too
much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We've learned how to make
a living, but not a life; we've added years to life, not life to years.
We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing
the street to meet the new neighbor. We've conquered outer space,
but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things.
We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul.
We've
split the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less.
We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to
wait. We build more computers to hold more information to produce more
copies than ever, but have less communication.
These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion; tall men, and
short character; steep profits, and shallow relationships. These are
the times of world peace, but domestic warfare; more leisure, but less
fun; more kinds of food, but less nutrition. These are days of two incomes,
but more divorce; of fancier houses,
but broken homes.
These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throw-away morality,
one-night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from
cheer to quiet, to kill.
It is a time when there is much in the show window and nothing in the
stockroom; a time when technology can bring this letter to you, and
a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just
hit delete.
Top
of Newsletter Archive
October
2000
BEATITUDE
The
disconsolate stockbroker lost a fortune and came to the monastery in
search of inner peace. But he was too distraught to meditate. After
he was gone, the Master had a single sentence by way of wry comment:
"Those
who sleep on the floor never fall from their beds."
SUCCESS
-- IT'S A MIND GAME.
BUZZWORDS
FOR THE MILLENIUM
BioBreak - Heading to the lavatory.
Bottom
Line Responsibility - Authority to make all decisions about
a particular product or profit center.
Multi-tasking - Accomplishing many responsibilities and activities at once.
Ownership - Becoming deeply committed to a set of ideas or plans.
Paradigm
Shift - To look at an issue in a new way.
Proactive - Taking the initiative.
Psychographic - Information about attitudes, values and behaviors of clients.
To be contrasted with traditional biographic and demographic information.
Relationship
Marketing - Programs that foster communication between seller
and client on a regular basis.
Strategic
Alliance - Business firms bound together by contract, working
toward a common goal.
Synchronous - Parts, people or systems working well together.
Wonk - An expert, well versed in theory, who often exhibits intensity toward
his or her work.
Top
of Newsletter Archive
November
2000
What
lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters to what lies
within us.
----------
Emerson
Character
consists of what you do on the third and fourth tries. ----- Michener
Is
there more than everything? ---- Hillman
It
is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning
to live.
------
Marcus Aurelius
INVESTMENT
How
shall I rid myself of fear?
How
can you rid yourself of what you cling to?
You
mean I actually cling to my fears? I cannot agree with that.
Consider
what your fear protects you from and you will agree! And you will see
your folly.
Top
of Newsletter Archive
December
2000
HAPPY
HOLIDAYS !
MONEY
It
can buy you a House, But not a Home.
It
can buy you a Bed, But not Sleep.
It can buy you a Clock, But not Time.
It can buy you a Book, But not Knowledge.
It
can buy you a Position, But not Respect.
It
can buy you Medicine, But not Health.
It
can buy you Blood, But not Life.
It
can buy you Sex, But not Love.
So
you see, money isn't everything. The Best things in life can't be bought,
and often we destroy ourselves trying! I tell you all this because
I am your friend, and as your friend, I want to take away your needless
pain and suffering. So send me all your cash and I will suffer for you.
A truer friend than me you will never find.
"Cash Only, Please."
Top
of Newsletter Archive
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