We don't see things how they are, we see things as we are. Bias is going to happen. It's practically impossible to be completely impossible. Yesterday I had a conversation with a few friends, all of whom I care about and respect, none of whom I agree with on the question of politics.
I am a libertarian. I don't believe the government has ever solved a problem. I think whenever the government sticks its nose in a problem, it gets worse. I think of welfare and education as two glaring examples of where the government got into areas with the stated intention of helping and have done more harm than good. When my liberal friends mention this. I tell them that as education spending has increased so has the rate of illiteracy in the US. The best they can do is say it has to do with Republicans. Who cares? The point is that it doesn't work! That's how I see it.
I have hard times like anyone else. I am proud of what I have endured and overcome in my lifetime. I also know that my hard times haven't been all that bad. I have learned to look at these things as challenges designed to make me stronger. I have learned not to yell every time I get a flat tire, cursing God and asking why the universe hates me. I don't care. These are bumps in the road, not roadblocks. The really serious ones are detours, but there is no turning back. I passed the point of no return a million miles ago. I wouldn't want to go back even if I could.
The biggest reason I am a libertarian is my belief in people. I believe in the power of every person to affect his own life. I believe you can be born in a ghetto and become president and I believe you can be born in a mansion and wind up eating out of dumpsters. I believe this is the beauty of life. I believe this is why there isn't, and should never be, a constitutional "guarantee" of happiness. All we are given is the opportunity to pursue it. How fast are you willing to run? Are you a jogger, or are you going to run until your sides hurt and your mouth tastes like pennies and your knees feel like they'll collapse under your weight?
Are you running from your problems or are you running after happiness, a better life, success, and the blessings that are yours to be earned? Are you looking for opportunities or excuses? Are you a woman, and therefore disadvantaged? Or are you a person of substance and therefore unstoppable? Are you a person of color? Or are you a colorful, imaginative person who knows no bounds?
Everything in your life, your upbringing, your race, religion, gender, orientation, age, background, your name, your family, literally everything about you can be a reason or an excuse. It's all in how you see it.
Thought for today:
- When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change. - Jim Rohn.
God bless you. Make it your best day yet.
- Adolfo
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Saturday, August 14, 2010
Friday, August 13, 2010
Day # 78 - The box! What's in the box?
Don't you hate the expression, "think outside the box"? Isn't using that expression indicative of "inside the box" thinking? In my experience, creative thinking shouldn't be categorized. You should just think. Allow your mind to do it's thing. Don't talk to yourself about limits or boxes because these activities take away from what you should be thinking about. I am a curious individual and I want to learn about most things. I want to understand everything. Maybe I don't want to understand math. I just don't see the point. It's been over twenty years since high school and I was right and the teachers were wrong: I have never used algebra in the real world. Who's the smart one now?
Don't answer that.
Creative thinking isn't about painting on canvas or writing poetry. It's about finding solutions to problems. It's finding a way around or over when through is not an option. It's understanding that you don't have all the answers. Actually, it's admitting you don't have all the answers. Creative thinking leads to creative actions and it takes guts. It takes the kind of courage a lot of people don't have. The sad part is that they don't even realize that fear of the new is the millstone around their necks.
The worse that can happen when you try a new approach is that your approach fails and you have to try something else. You didn't fail. You only fail when you fail to try. Forget the box, get off your cowardly ass and make something happen. Failure is the opportunity to begin again more intelligently. Never beginning in the first place is casting your failure in bronze.
When you try a different approach, there will be "in the box" thinkers who will shoot your idea down. I think of them as in a cage rather than a box. These nay-sayers are slaves to convention, to fear, and to insecurity. They make up their mind about a project before even thinking it through. These are the people with a head full of dreams and a pocket full of lint.
Yesterday I told you about a consulting gig I am doing. I have never really been a consultant, but someone saw my ability and I decided to give it a shot. The result was like yoga for the mind: I found myself using muscles I didn't know I had.
When I started HoneyBee Party Rental, I had no idea about the party rental business. I had never rented a bounce house for my own children. Didn't know the first thing about it. But when we decide to do it, I went all in. I spent the money, did the research and learned what to do by watching my competition and what not to do from my own mistakes. Some of those mistakes were costly, but they were an investment in my development as a business owner.
Two thoughts for today:
- When a true genius arrives in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against him. - Jonathan Swift
- Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds. - Albert Einstein.
Declarations:
- Day by day in every way I am getting better and better.
- I am unlimited. I am creative. God never gives me more than I can handle. I just need to believe in myself as much as He does.
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Don't answer that.
Creative thinking isn't about painting on canvas or writing poetry. It's about finding solutions to problems. It's finding a way around or over when through is not an option. It's understanding that you don't have all the answers. Actually, it's admitting you don't have all the answers. Creative thinking leads to creative actions and it takes guts. It takes the kind of courage a lot of people don't have. The sad part is that they don't even realize that fear of the new is the millstone around their necks.
The worse that can happen when you try a new approach is that your approach fails and you have to try something else. You didn't fail. You only fail when you fail to try. Forget the box, get off your cowardly ass and make something happen. Failure is the opportunity to begin again more intelligently. Never beginning in the first place is casting your failure in bronze.
When you try a different approach, there will be "in the box" thinkers who will shoot your idea down. I think of them as in a cage rather than a box. These nay-sayers are slaves to convention, to fear, and to insecurity. They make up their mind about a project before even thinking it through. These are the people with a head full of dreams and a pocket full of lint.
Yesterday I told you about a consulting gig I am doing. I have never really been a consultant, but someone saw my ability and I decided to give it a shot. The result was like yoga for the mind: I found myself using muscles I didn't know I had.
When I started HoneyBee Party Rental, I had no idea about the party rental business. I had never rented a bounce house for my own children. Didn't know the first thing about it. But when we decide to do it, I went all in. I spent the money, did the research and learned what to do by watching my competition and what not to do from my own mistakes. Some of those mistakes were costly, but they were an investment in my development as a business owner.
Two thoughts for today:
- When a true genius arrives in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against him. - Jonathan Swift
- Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds. - Albert Einstein.
Declarations:
- Day by day in every way I am getting better and better.
- I am unlimited. I am creative. God never gives me more than I can handle. I just need to believe in myself as much as He does.
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Thursday, August 12, 2010
Day # 77 - Wasted Emotion
I have been contracted as a consultant. Someone has asked me to lead the negotiation to buy an existing business - one that is in trouble. I sat down with the owner of the business last night. It was the first date. Rule number one in a first date should be show respect and go slow. Unfortunately, we are working on a very limited time frame. We have about two weeks to get a very complicated deal done. I love this. Fun!
I initially sat down with the owner and the members of the group that want to buy the group. I made a tactical error by laying my cards out on the table first. I had some knowledge of the owner's situation, but still, I should have played my cards closer to the chest. The owner answered my questions, we chatted, and it seemed like I was stuck about ten feet shy of first base.
So I asked for a tour of the facility. I stayed real close to the owner, letting the others trail behind. We chatted and I nodded, showing my approval for all that had been accomplished.
Finally, I got the owner alone. Time for romance. She told me she was recently widowed. She told me how much money she lost. She told me about her immigrant background and her struggles and then started, on her own, to reveal things that she had been reluctant to reveal when the entire group was together. My plan worked. She told me everything I needed to know and essentially mapped out my strategy for me.
Now, there are two paths here. I can be a bastard and probably get the business for practically nothing. There is some risk here because a white knight can swoop in and rescue the business owner, leaving my group with nothing.
I don't want to do that because the risk outweighs the reward. I also see no point in trying to screw the owner. I want her to walk away believing she won. I also want my client to walk away believing he won. It is not impossible for everyone to win in a negotiation. In fact, it's preferable. We are beginning our due diligence and we'll see where we land. When I know, you'll know.
The woman's story is sad. No doubt about it. If I weren't trying to buy her business for someone at the best possible price, I would have choked up at all she's gone through. But emotion is a luxury I can't afford in this situation. All I am trying to accomplish is the most perfect deal possible: One in which my client is happy, and the seller doesn't feel like she got screwed with her pants on. Because her situation is so dire, she is within weeks of losing her entire investment. I could run out the clock on her and force her to make the deal I want, saving my client a ton of money. But I want good karma on this deal and every other deal I make. I also happen to know my client has money enough to make this fair. It's important to know what cards the other person is holding, but you also need to look at your own cards.
I've always referred to sympathy as a wasted emotion. If I feel bad for you, I will only end up hurting you. I will want to coddle you and baby you. I have a friend who has a son who is deaf. One day, we were talking about him and I said, "pobresito" which is Spanish for, "poor kid" (roughly.) Her eyes flashed with anger and she corrected me like a schoolteacher. She told me "poor kid, my a**! There's nothing wrong with my son." She probably wouldn't remember the conversation, but I will never forget it. She changed something in me.
Why do we always tell people to stop feeling sorry for themselves but never to stop feeling sorry for others? Empathy is a thing of beauty, to try to understand what a person is feeling is admirable and broadens our humanity. To feel sorry for them takes away their humanity.
I'll keep you posted on the deal.
- Adolfo
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I initially sat down with the owner and the members of the group that want to buy the group. I made a tactical error by laying my cards out on the table first. I had some knowledge of the owner's situation, but still, I should have played my cards closer to the chest. The owner answered my questions, we chatted, and it seemed like I was stuck about ten feet shy of first base.
So I asked for a tour of the facility. I stayed real close to the owner, letting the others trail behind. We chatted and I nodded, showing my approval for all that had been accomplished.
Finally, I got the owner alone. Time for romance. She told me she was recently widowed. She told me how much money she lost. She told me about her immigrant background and her struggles and then started, on her own, to reveal things that she had been reluctant to reveal when the entire group was together. My plan worked. She told me everything I needed to know and essentially mapped out my strategy for me.
Now, there are two paths here. I can be a bastard and probably get the business for practically nothing. There is some risk here because a white knight can swoop in and rescue the business owner, leaving my group with nothing.
I don't want to do that because the risk outweighs the reward. I also see no point in trying to screw the owner. I want her to walk away believing she won. I also want my client to walk away believing he won. It is not impossible for everyone to win in a negotiation. In fact, it's preferable. We are beginning our due diligence and we'll see where we land. When I know, you'll know.
The woman's story is sad. No doubt about it. If I weren't trying to buy her business for someone at the best possible price, I would have choked up at all she's gone through. But emotion is a luxury I can't afford in this situation. All I am trying to accomplish is the most perfect deal possible: One in which my client is happy, and the seller doesn't feel like she got screwed with her pants on. Because her situation is so dire, she is within weeks of losing her entire investment. I could run out the clock on her and force her to make the deal I want, saving my client a ton of money. But I want good karma on this deal and every other deal I make. I also happen to know my client has money enough to make this fair. It's important to know what cards the other person is holding, but you also need to look at your own cards.
I've always referred to sympathy as a wasted emotion. If I feel bad for you, I will only end up hurting you. I will want to coddle you and baby you. I have a friend who has a son who is deaf. One day, we were talking about him and I said, "pobresito" which is Spanish for, "poor kid" (roughly.) Her eyes flashed with anger and she corrected me like a schoolteacher. She told me "poor kid, my a**! There's nothing wrong with my son." She probably wouldn't remember the conversation, but I will never forget it. She changed something in me.
Why do we always tell people to stop feeling sorry for themselves but never to stop feeling sorry for others? Empathy is a thing of beauty, to try to understand what a person is feeling is admirable and broadens our humanity. To feel sorry for them takes away their humanity.
I'll keep you posted on the deal.
- Adolfo
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Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Day # 76 - Opportunity
Opportunity has a way of showing up at what seems like a bad time, an inopportune time. The truth is, opportunity always shows up at the right time but we are often not prepared or we are too scared to take the plunge. This can be in business, in relationships, at our jobs, or in any other aspect of life.
The truth is, you are never ready for monumental change. Nothing in the world prepares us for watershed moments. It's hard to prepare for what you have never experienced. Notice I said it's hard, it's not impossible. The one way you can prepare is mentally.
You need to have the right mindset. Keep reminding yourself that you are capable of succeeding at whatever comes your way. Even if it feels like the opportunity is never going to come, stay prepared. Like an army that is always training for a war that may never come. If the need arises, there is no, "Wait a minute while I figure out how to load my rifle."
I have missed countless opportunities because of my own preconceived notion of what being ready is supposed to look like. I have looked at opportunities and listed the "Cons" without listing the "Pros." I have purposely sabotaged myself because of this idiotic notion that the right opportunity would come along when I was 100% ready.
Guess what? Ain't no such thing as 100% ready. When it's time to go, you go. Grab your parachute and make for the door. Worry about whether it will open once you're on the way down.
Today's Lessons:
- Each opportunity only knocks once. If it's not for you, fine. But never let fear or the feeling that you are unprepared keep you from pursuing the opportunity.
- Failure is an opportunity to begin again again more intelligently.
- Many people miss opportunity because it is dressed as work.
- An opportunity coming along is not a guarantee of success. It's only a shot at success.
Today's Declarations:
- Day by day in every way I am getting better and better.
- I will have the courage to accept opportunities that come my way.
- I will spend a portion of each day preparing for the opportunities that God is sending my way. And I will create opportunities for myself.
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The truth is, you are never ready for monumental change. Nothing in the world prepares us for watershed moments. It's hard to prepare for what you have never experienced. Notice I said it's hard, it's not impossible. The one way you can prepare is mentally.
You need to have the right mindset. Keep reminding yourself that you are capable of succeeding at whatever comes your way. Even if it feels like the opportunity is never going to come, stay prepared. Like an army that is always training for a war that may never come. If the need arises, there is no, "Wait a minute while I figure out how to load my rifle."
I have missed countless opportunities because of my own preconceived notion of what being ready is supposed to look like. I have looked at opportunities and listed the "Cons" without listing the "Pros." I have purposely sabotaged myself because of this idiotic notion that the right opportunity would come along when I was 100% ready.
Guess what? Ain't no such thing as 100% ready. When it's time to go, you go. Grab your parachute and make for the door. Worry about whether it will open once you're on the way down.
Today's Lessons:
- Each opportunity only knocks once. If it's not for you, fine. But never let fear or the feeling that you are unprepared keep you from pursuing the opportunity.
- Failure is an opportunity to begin again again more intelligently.
- Many people miss opportunity because it is dressed as work.
- An opportunity coming along is not a guarantee of success. It's only a shot at success.
Today's Declarations:
- Day by day in every way I am getting better and better.
- I will have the courage to accept opportunities that come my way.
- I will spend a portion of each day preparing for the opportunities that God is sending my way. And I will create opportunities for myself.
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Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Day # 75 - Write Now!
Sometimes a traumatic event can reveal a talent or an ability. I am not suggesting that I have either. But I never wrote until I got divorced. I became a father at 19, my second son was born just before I turned 21 and my wife left me just after I turned 22. My older son was in New York and now I had nothing. I was 22 years old, barely more than a boy, and missing my boys so much I wished for death and considered doing it myself.
Instead, I wrote. I started writing poems. Day after day, I wrote. Short poems, long poems, haiku, I just wrote. Some rhymed, some didn't some were dark and serious, others were silly or romantic. All were heartfelt and all were therapy. Eventually, I graduated to short stories. I wrote dozens of those, and tons of essays. My collection now includes six feature-length screenplays, five novels, and this endless blog you are reading.
Guess what? I didn't commit suicide. Yes, I know that's obvious since I am not writing this via Ouija board, but the greater point is that writing allowed me a constructive way to release the pain I was feeling from missing my sons, and having a failed marriage. I shared some of my work with friends. I had one friend in particular who would want to hear new poems as I completed them. This was a great self-esteem boost.
I picked myself up, got my G.E.D.and enrolled in college. I went back to reading books with a vengeance. At this point, I was nearly 25 years old and I knew I was behind schedule. I never finished college, but by 27, I had my first management job. I am now (12 years later) a director, working at an executive level overseeing sales and marketing for two hotels and a restaurant. I am responsible for creating revenue so people can keep their jobs, I am a well-known and (hopefully) well-liked, respected member of my community. I have successfully run my own business and non profit organizations. I am on a first-name basis with elected officials and public figures (please don't hold that against me.)
Why do I tell you this? I am not bragging. I don't expect you to be impressed with this because I am not impressed with it. But it's not bad for a a Cuban-Arab-Euro-African-American kid from Hialeah. And why was I able to do this? Because I chose to write. I chose to use the gift God blessed me with. I chose to express myself.
A lot of people who knew me then don't recognize me now. The ex-wife who so brutally dumped me has told me repeatedly that she made a mistake. Her mistake was youth. It's hard to see into the future when you've barely any past. Nevertheless, that ship has sailed and she'll never come aboard again.
So now, at 39 years old, I am at a crossroads. I found myself in a bit of a rut. I had pursued writing for about ten years. Never found and agent. (Well, I found hundreds of them, none of whom wanted to rep me.) I was unwilling to become a waiter in order to pursue my grander ambitions. I am a capitalist, but with a decidedly artistic bent. If, during the last 17 years, you woke me up at 3:00AM and asked me what I wanted to do with my life, I would have told you to get the hell out of my house. Seriously, I would have answered, "I want to write. I want to speak publicly. I want to reach people."
I decided to start this blog and the project it chronicles to better myself and it has had unintended consequences, all of which have been positive. I have now written for 75 days straight, which is remarkable. Don't think so? Try it! Maybe this is God's way of making me work the fat out of my soul (as Hemingway put it.) I know I am becoming more aware of the world around me because I spend every today thinking about what I will write tomorrow. I go to bed having no idea what the topic will be and wake up with something rolling around upstairs. That's how today happened. I have no idea about tomorrow, but this is the beauty of what I'm doing. It's like driving for the sake of driving. I have no idea where I'll be when I run out of gas, but it doesn't matter, because getting there is all the fun.
The lesson today is to find your talent, find what makes you happy, and pursue it. Not at the expense of your well-being or of your family's security, but if you have not yet started your family, this is the time to chase the dream, to drive until you're out of gas.
God bless you. May He protect and guide you as you pursue your dreams. And make it your best day yet.
- Adolfo
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Instead, I wrote. I started writing poems. Day after day, I wrote. Short poems, long poems, haiku, I just wrote. Some rhymed, some didn't some were dark and serious, others were silly or romantic. All were heartfelt and all were therapy. Eventually, I graduated to short stories. I wrote dozens of those, and tons of essays. My collection now includes six feature-length screenplays, five novels, and this endless blog you are reading.
Guess what? I didn't commit suicide. Yes, I know that's obvious since I am not writing this via Ouija board, but the greater point is that writing allowed me a constructive way to release the pain I was feeling from missing my sons, and having a failed marriage. I shared some of my work with friends. I had one friend in particular who would want to hear new poems as I completed them. This was a great self-esteem boost.
I picked myself up, got my G.E.D.and enrolled in college. I went back to reading books with a vengeance. At this point, I was nearly 25 years old and I knew I was behind schedule. I never finished college, but by 27, I had my first management job. I am now (12 years later) a director, working at an executive level overseeing sales and marketing for two hotels and a restaurant. I am responsible for creating revenue so people can keep their jobs, I am a well-known and (hopefully) well-liked, respected member of my community. I have successfully run my own business and non profit organizations. I am on a first-name basis with elected officials and public figures (please don't hold that against me.)
Why do I tell you this? I am not bragging. I don't expect you to be impressed with this because I am not impressed with it. But it's not bad for a a Cuban-Arab-Euro-African-American kid from Hialeah. And why was I able to do this? Because I chose to write. I chose to use the gift God blessed me with. I chose to express myself.
A lot of people who knew me then don't recognize me now. The ex-wife who so brutally dumped me has told me repeatedly that she made a mistake. Her mistake was youth. It's hard to see into the future when you've barely any past. Nevertheless, that ship has sailed and she'll never come aboard again.
So now, at 39 years old, I am at a crossroads. I found myself in a bit of a rut. I had pursued writing for about ten years. Never found and agent. (Well, I found hundreds of them, none of whom wanted to rep me.) I was unwilling to become a waiter in order to pursue my grander ambitions. I am a capitalist, but with a decidedly artistic bent. If, during the last 17 years, you woke me up at 3:00AM and asked me what I wanted to do with my life, I would have told you to get the hell out of my house. Seriously, I would have answered, "I want to write. I want to speak publicly. I want to reach people."
I decided to start this blog and the project it chronicles to better myself and it has had unintended consequences, all of which have been positive. I have now written for 75 days straight, which is remarkable. Don't think so? Try it! Maybe this is God's way of making me work the fat out of my soul (as Hemingway put it.) I know I am becoming more aware of the world around me because I spend every today thinking about what I will write tomorrow. I go to bed having no idea what the topic will be and wake up with something rolling around upstairs. That's how today happened. I have no idea about tomorrow, but this is the beauty of what I'm doing. It's like driving for the sake of driving. I have no idea where I'll be when I run out of gas, but it doesn't matter, because getting there is all the fun.
The lesson today is to find your talent, find what makes you happy, and pursue it. Not at the expense of your well-being or of your family's security, but if you have not yet started your family, this is the time to chase the dream, to drive until you're out of gas.
God bless you. May He protect and guide you as you pursue your dreams. And make it your best day yet.
- Adolfo
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Monday, August 9, 2010
Day # 74 - Political Correctness: The not-so-silent killer (of dreams)
America is a country in decline. Has been for a while. Why? So many reasons, but the one that always sticks in my head is political correctness. Our society has developed this kind of neediness, this softness, that makes it very difficult for individuals to shine and when they do they are cast as the villain. Police work is now called profiling, so when the police are looking for terrorists, they have to strip-search grandma because we don't want anyone to feel bad. When a fire department in New England conducts tests to determine who gets a promotion and not enough minorities pass, the test is deemed racially biased and unfair. I didn't know saving lives was affected by race? By the way, I am a mixed-race individual, so put your righteous indignation where it belongs: in the toilet.
Schools are more concerned with self-esteem than education, which is probably the biggest destroyer of opportunity. If a kid doesn't know 2+2, teach him, don't give him a gold star for effort. In the real world there are no gold stars for efforts that result in failure, there are only two things: the opportunity to begin again and the labor pool outside of Home Depot.
Sports leagues that don't keep score are another major component of our decline. If you lose, you should feel bad, you should hate it. If it doesn't bother you, you are more likely to let it happen again. Look at anyone who is a winner at anything, be it sports, business, or life in general. Competitors win, people afraid of losing always lose. It is what it is.
Finally, we have a government and a media that is obsessed with your failure. Millionaires and executives are painted as evil. If a poor kid scrapes his way out of the projects, you never hear about it, unless he's an athlete. If a businessman cheats on his wife, or embezzles funds or commits fraud, you hear about it for weeks or even months. (Those of you in South Florida remember the endless coverage of Scott Rothstein - The Sun Sentinel dedicate a link on their website to the coverage. This is one of the reasons I quit the news.)
80% of millionaires in this country are self-made! That bears repeating: 80 per cent of millionaires in this country are self-made! Yet, the media and the president and congress would have you believe those people cheated you out of your money and that that's the only way to make it in America. How did Barack Obama make his millions? Did he lie, cheat, and steal? Millionaire and President before age fifty in one lifetime? No way! Well, yes way. I don't agree with the man's politics, but I admire his accomplishments. What I don't admire is that he is trying to block the rest of us from the same accomplishments.
It is up to us to love our country and to make it great. It owes us nothing more than the opportunity to make our own way in the world. If we fail, it is up to us to get up and try again. If we have helped others along the journey, than there may be someone there to help us, but even if no one is there, we need to get up and keep fighting. This is what separates a winner from a loser and this is what for 234 years has separated America from the rest of the world.
Today's Lessons:
- Political correctness is not good for anyone. It is a form of censorship and a destructive force in our society.
- Do not listen to the media. They would have you believe that minorities and women can't make it in the world without sports or Hollywood. This is nonsense. You can do anything you want to do if you are willing to work hard.
- Do not listen to politicians. These people for the most part are immune from the problems of real people. Governments keep growing while the economies that feed them are shrinking. How does that reflect the real world?
Today's Declarations:
- Day by day in every way I am getting better and better.
- I determine my level of success. Not the media, not the government.
- I do not need special treatment, quotas or political correctness to succeed. Everything I need to succeed is inside of me.
Get out there today and be your absolute best. Eleanor Roosevelt said: "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." Block out the negatives. Look at the beautiful and unique person God made you and see what He saw. You can do anything you want to do if you are willing to stop making excuses, stop letting others make excuses for you, and do it!
Make it your best day yet. God bless you.
- Adolfo
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Schools are more concerned with self-esteem than education, which is probably the biggest destroyer of opportunity. If a kid doesn't know 2+2, teach him, don't give him a gold star for effort. In the real world there are no gold stars for efforts that result in failure, there are only two things: the opportunity to begin again and the labor pool outside of Home Depot.
Sports leagues that don't keep score are another major component of our decline. If you lose, you should feel bad, you should hate it. If it doesn't bother you, you are more likely to let it happen again. Look at anyone who is a winner at anything, be it sports, business, or life in general. Competitors win, people afraid of losing always lose. It is what it is.
Finally, we have a government and a media that is obsessed with your failure. Millionaires and executives are painted as evil. If a poor kid scrapes his way out of the projects, you never hear about it, unless he's an athlete. If a businessman cheats on his wife, or embezzles funds or commits fraud, you hear about it for weeks or even months. (Those of you in South Florida remember the endless coverage of Scott Rothstein - The Sun Sentinel dedicate a link on their website to the coverage. This is one of the reasons I quit the news.)
80% of millionaires in this country are self-made! That bears repeating: 80 per cent of millionaires in this country are self-made! Yet, the media and the president and congress would have you believe those people cheated you out of your money and that that's the only way to make it in America. How did Barack Obama make his millions? Did he lie, cheat, and steal? Millionaire and President before age fifty in one lifetime? No way! Well, yes way. I don't agree with the man's politics, but I admire his accomplishments. What I don't admire is that he is trying to block the rest of us from the same accomplishments.
It is up to us to love our country and to make it great. It owes us nothing more than the opportunity to make our own way in the world. If we fail, it is up to us to get up and try again. If we have helped others along the journey, than there may be someone there to help us, but even if no one is there, we need to get up and keep fighting. This is what separates a winner from a loser and this is what for 234 years has separated America from the rest of the world.
Today's Lessons:
- Political correctness is not good for anyone. It is a form of censorship and a destructive force in our society.
- Do not listen to the media. They would have you believe that minorities and women can't make it in the world without sports or Hollywood. This is nonsense. You can do anything you want to do if you are willing to work hard.
- Do not listen to politicians. These people for the most part are immune from the problems of real people. Governments keep growing while the economies that feed them are shrinking. How does that reflect the real world?
Today's Declarations:
- Day by day in every way I am getting better and better.
- I determine my level of success. Not the media, not the government.
- I do not need special treatment, quotas or political correctness to succeed. Everything I need to succeed is inside of me.
Get out there today and be your absolute best. Eleanor Roosevelt said: "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." Block out the negatives. Look at the beautiful and unique person God made you and see what He saw. You can do anything you want to do if you are willing to stop making excuses, stop letting others make excuses for you, and do it!
Make it your best day yet. God bless you.
- Adolfo
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Sunday, August 8, 2010
Day # 73 - Honest dealings
We have all dealt with people who are less than honest. Chances are you are dealing with someone right now who is less than honest. We are all guilty of omitting the occasional detail. We have all told a lie. No one's perfect. It's when dishonesty becomes policy that we're headed down a slippery slope.
A friend of mine was just put into an awkward situation with his employer. My friend is a hard worker, and he knows his business. He had decided to quit over a disagreement with his bosses, a disagreement over which he was expecting to be relieved of his position. They convinced him to stay, convincing him things would be different. Less than two weeks went by. He finished a big project and was told to hit the bricks. Literally, he had just finished the project thirty minutes prior to his dismissal. That's rough.
It's important to play your cards close to your chest, but to manipulate a person's entire life to suit your short-term goals is an awful abuse, particularly if you are the person's employer because we're talking about a person's life and livelihood.
Liars and thieves are among the worst people to deal with and the line between the due is barely perceptible. You wouldn't leave a known thief alone in your home for obvious reasons. You wouldn't believe someone you know to be a liar because you don't know where the truth ends and the lying begins. Once you have experienced this, the relationship is strained.
***DISCLAIMER***
I am not implying that I have never lied. I've told my share of lies and maybe more. But I have learned from my past experiences (read: mistakes) and have made honesty my policy. The truth eventually finds the light of day so why bother? Think of how many details you have to remember when you lie. Anyone who knows me knows I am not a detail person. I'm just going to level... with everyone.
Now, the situation my friend found himself in does not affect me in any real sense. I happen to know his employer (I know lots of people) but I don't know their side of the story. The truth is I don't want to know it. I am not indicting anyone, I am taking what I know about the situation and squeezing a few drops of wisdom from it. I don't think anyone would argue with my goal here.
Today's Lessons:
- Honesty is the best policy.
- When you're a liar, you have to remember every detail of every conversation. What hassle!
- Pinocchio. Enough said.
Today's Declarations:
- Day by day in every way I am getting better and better.
- I will be honest in my dealings with family, friends, co-workers, clients, and everyone I come in contact with.
Just be honest. Speak the truth. You'll sleep better, you'll feel better. You'll be better.
Make it your best day yet. God bless you.
-Adolfo
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A friend of mine was just put into an awkward situation with his employer. My friend is a hard worker, and he knows his business. He had decided to quit over a disagreement with his bosses, a disagreement over which he was expecting to be relieved of his position. They convinced him to stay, convincing him things would be different. Less than two weeks went by. He finished a big project and was told to hit the bricks. Literally, he had just finished the project thirty minutes prior to his dismissal. That's rough.
It's important to play your cards close to your chest, but to manipulate a person's entire life to suit your short-term goals is an awful abuse, particularly if you are the person's employer because we're talking about a person's life and livelihood.
Liars and thieves are among the worst people to deal with and the line between the due is barely perceptible. You wouldn't leave a known thief alone in your home for obvious reasons. You wouldn't believe someone you know to be a liar because you don't know where the truth ends and the lying begins. Once you have experienced this, the relationship is strained.
***DISCLAIMER***
I am not implying that I have never lied. I've told my share of lies and maybe more. But I have learned from my past experiences (read: mistakes) and have made honesty my policy. The truth eventually finds the light of day so why bother? Think of how many details you have to remember when you lie. Anyone who knows me knows I am not a detail person. I'm just going to level... with everyone.
Now, the situation my friend found himself in does not affect me in any real sense. I happen to know his employer (I know lots of people) but I don't know their side of the story. The truth is I don't want to know it. I am not indicting anyone, I am taking what I know about the situation and squeezing a few drops of wisdom from it. I don't think anyone would argue with my goal here.
Today's Lessons:
- Honesty is the best policy.
- When you're a liar, you have to remember every detail of every conversation. What hassle!
- Pinocchio. Enough said.
Today's Declarations:
- Day by day in every way I am getting better and better.
- I will be honest in my dealings with family, friends, co-workers, clients, and everyone I come in contact with.
Just be honest. Speak the truth. You'll sleep better, you'll feel better. You'll be better.
Make it your best day yet. God bless you.
-Adolfo
Start building your Success Library!
Follow me on Twitter
Friend me on Facebook
Follow A Year Without News
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