Thank Goodness It's Monday #454

WHAT’S WRITTEN ON YOUR HEART?

 

It’s been a lot of Mondays (454 divided by 52 = a bit short of a decade) since these weekly messages began their routine appearance as part of a multi-platform program created with my buddy Eric Taylor and The EmpowermentGroup.

Our first connection had been at a public event perhaps a year or two prior.

After that we spent some time assessing each other, trying to figure out just what the connection was between an older, words-on-paper, pass-along business soft-skills, jacket & tie guy (that was me at the time) and, dare I say, a brash, young, great-on-the-platform, hyper-energized, fit and trim people-motivator like Eric (often decked out in preferred-at-the-time Tony Robbins look).

To cut to the chase: In those ancient days of business “courting” we discovered much in common and that our complementary talents played nicely and well together. A mutual acquaintance noted once we were like Lennon and McCartney, which I always took as a compliment (although I’ve never been sure who’s who in that equation).

The grandest production of those days became, as I have suggested above, a multi-media program conceived as and modestly tagged, How to Have Your Best Year Ever. 

The BYE elements consisted of ballroom-filling half-day presentations, CDs and DVDs, ring binders filled with stuff from all the productions and more, e-delivery of content (before the idea of an “e-book” had seriously entered the equation), and weekly outreach, free of charge and low on promo, to anyone who would have us in their e-mail box.

 

Fast forward to 2014: The world has spun on its axis and made its circuit around the sun many, many times since TGIM #1. The road has been winding and sometimes challenging. Other paths have crossed ours and we’ve investigated them in our own way. And through it all –

 

The journey has been interesting, enlightening, rewarding. We’ve met good and stimulating people who challenged us. And, I like to believe, on all sides of those “meetings” we’ve all come away better for the experience.

 

So that gets us to today’s TGIM headline.

It’s a reference to a source, mentor, guru – you pick the description -- and a touch point that Eric and I, as Best Year Ever kind of guys, found we had in common in the early going.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

It’s been my custom in over two score-and-then-some years of writing for a business audience to pepper my editorial input with what I deem worthwhile and actionable quotations from noteworthy individuals. When I did this in an early exchange with Eric, his response (as I recall it) was the equivalent of –

 

“I love Ralph Waldo Emerson!”

 

OK, maybe not literally that. But close enough to win me over inasmuch as I, too, “love” the eminently sensible and quotable RWE.

I have little doubt this moment was influential in cementing our “You know, I think I can work with this guy” decision and has informed our relationship in the years since.

 

So … In its way this TGIM #454 post brings things full circle.

Visually it’s from the Volume of Contentment we’ve been sharing much of this month.

 

TGIM Takeaway: Thoughtfully, philosophical and realistically it’s precisely the kind of “How to have your Best Year Ever” guidance guys who “love Ralph Waldo Emerson” can heartily endorse:

 

 

TGIM IDEA IN ACTION: Write it on your heart this Monday.

 

And Tuesday … 

 

And Wednesday …

 

And …

Every Day of this, Your Best Year Ever.    

 

Geoff Steck
Chief Catalyst
Alexander Publishing & Marketing

8 Depot Square

Englewood, NJ 07631
201-569-5373
tgimguy@gmail.com

 

P.S.  "I am going into an unknown future, but I'm still all here, and still while there's life, there's hope." John Lennon (October 9, 1940- December 8, 1980) said that, prophetically in December of 1980.

Thank Goodness It's Monday #448

CAN YOU NAME THE U.S. PRESIDENTS?

IN ORDER?

I can’t.  Probably will never be able to. Even with a visual aid.


Who held the job before the guy who was before Lincoln?

Who replaced Ulysses Grant? Who followed Woodrow Wilson?

(The end of this post fills in the blanks.)

But on this Presidents Day 2014 it feels like something that, perhaps, a patriotic citizen ought to be able to do.

 

Of course I do know someone who, even more than simply knowing the Presidents in order, uses the appeal of that bit of memory mastery to demonstrate the potential of, and train others in feats of, monumental mental dexterity.

Now if I could only remember his name …

 

Just joking. Of course I know it. He’s two-time USA Memory Champion -- 

 

Ron White. You may know him as well from numerous television appearances.

Or perhaps you met him live and in person at programs I was involved with some years ago, produced locally by my friend Eric Taylor.

 

And in that regard, while I do not embody much of what Ron preaches and practices, those among you who know Eric personally may recognize that Eric did learn from the master and has achieved a level of proficiency, particularly in the discipline of name retention.

 

But before this turns into an advertorial …

Let’s get back to the TGIM Presidents Day theme.

 

At those ‘live and in-person” events, after sharing his refined-for-the-21^st Century version of the 2500-year-old Roman “loci” structured memory training and development strategy, Ron used physical cues in the hotel ballroom where the training was taking place to aid the attendees in recalling the Presidents, in order.  And, by and large –

It worked. After a drill or two, folks who were initially challenged (me, too) were pointing at objects in the room and calling out – 

George Washington,

John Adams,

Thomas Jefferson,

James Madison,

James Monroe,

John Quincy Adams,

Andrew Jackson,

Martin Van Buren,

and so on …

Impressive, right?

Well … You’ll note that at the outset of this TGIM I allowed that I could not replicate the Presidents-in-order listing feat.  So you might, quite correctly, conclude that perhaps –

 

I’m not so enamored of the idea.

Before I get down to why, I do want to say I don’t demean the ability to do this kind of memorization. There’s a place for it and usefulness to it, I’m sure. But it’s something I just can’t get enthralled with.

In fairness, I do wish I had the personal horsepower to incorporate the basics of face/name recall into my repertoire. It’s difficult to argue with the legendary Dale Carnegie Principle #6 from How to Win Friends and Influence People: 

“Remember that a person’s name

is to that person

the sweetest and most important sound

in any language.”

And, when I have a “the face is familiar, but I just can’t get the name” moment, I hang my head in shame when I recall Ron’s admonition, “My dog remembers your face, right? And he’s never once gotten a name right.”

Bow, Oww. But about the idea underlying the application of these memory hooks …

I stand with Albert Einstein. (See TGIM #447. Seems I’ve stuck on Uncle Albert these days.)

 

Point is:In response to a reporter’s query admitted not knowing the speed of sound, Einstein is alleged to have expressed the view –

"I never commit to memory

anything that can easily be looked up in a book."

Truth in quoting: The more accurate citation of that sentiment, dating back to the New York Times in the 1920s and alluded to by scholarly  Einstein biographers ever since is:

“[I do not] carry such information in my mind

since it is readily available in books.

...The value of a college education

is not the learning of many facts

but the training of the mind to think.”

AH-HA! Moment: I know the first version of the quote because I’ve heard it enough times to have it “memorized” albeit perhaps somewhat imperfectly. 

AH-HA! Moment in Action: I get to share the more accurate version and get to use it to support my position because I’ve tried heartily to train my mind to question and challenge and think. And then I took the time and trouble to dig down through the search engine layers (somewhat the equivalent of reference books in our wired world) to find trustworthy, vetted, authoritative sources with citations.

TGIM PRESIDENTS DAY TAKEAWAY: We err greatly when we mistake rote learning and accumulating “facts” for gathering knowledge and wisdom and reaching for understanding. 

Consider: No doubt the Presidential giants who come easily to mind on this day embodied the always-be-learning ethos. 

Surely they had a remarkable command of much factual information. But they didn’t let it sit idly in their heads or parrot it back as the unyielding answer to challenges that confronted them. They explored what they knew … added to that knowledge … adjusted their thinking for the circumstances of the moment … gathered input and counsel from others and were open-minded in evaluating it.

TGIM ACTION IDEA: On this Presidents Day, rather than fret about whether we can pass the POTUS-listing test, we might consider it our patriotic duty to take an oath to resolve to be more Presidential in our thinking – emulating the best who held the office (whomever and whatever that means to you; no doubt your list doesn’t match mine).

Hail to the Chief. 

And hail and farewell for today to you.

Geoff Steck
Chief Catalyst
Alexander Publishing & Marketing

8 Depot Square

Englewood, NJ 07631
201-569-5373
tgimguy@gmail.com

P.S. They may all be giants. Of course you have an opinion about who are/were the Best Presidents and Worst Presidents. 

We all do. And over the years there have been repeated attempts to gather the objective opinion of historians and political scientists to rank POTUS office holders, focusing on presidential achievements, leadership qualities, failures and faults. 

In the spirit of this TGIM message I encourage you investigate on your own, if you wish. But as you proceed I’ll share a cautionary observation voiced by John F. Kennedy (who, these days, ranks in the top 20 but seldom in the top 10). 

In 1962, speaking to David H. Donald, noted biographer of Abraham Lincoln, Kennedy voiced dissatisfaction and resentment with historians who had rated some of his predecessors. Kennedy said, "No one has a right to grade a President—even poor James Buchanan—who has not sat in his chair, examined the mail and information that came across his desk, and learned why he made his decisions."

Thank Goodness It's Monday #440

GIFT ENCLOSED!

OPEN TODAY!

DO NOT SAVE UNTIL CHRISTMAS

 

Have you seen the Christmastime social-media-distributed “prank” I’m about to describe?

Upon scanning their boarding passes at a special kiosk at the gate, airline travelers are interrogated by a live-but-video-connected blue-suited Santa who smooth talks them into naming a “gift” they would like for themselves for the holiday.

We see some highlights of these conversations and --

 

►   The adult answers run the gamut from “socks and underwear” to the seemingly outrageous giant flat screen TV.

►   The kid answers are, well, typical kid answers, sometimes given with a charming reluctance.

 

Then the video production cuts to great dashing around while, unbeknownst to the high-flying travelers, the gift wishes of the plane full of passengers are acquired by the airline …cheerily wrapped  … ultimately delivered at the flights destination via luggage carousel … to the surprise and delight of the travelers (especially the guy who wanted the flat screen).

 

Bah! Humbug! While the comments of many viewers suggest they find this scenario delightful and full of seasonal brio, the whole thing –

Really ticks me off. At many levels.

To catalog just a few:

·         It’s a commercial, dammit, not much more and intended as such.

·         And I find the whole idea crass.

·         Imagine the cost.

·         Why such generosity for presumably more-affluent-than-many airline travelers?

·         Imagine how, if the airline wanted to endorse the gift-giving spirit of Christmas, that expense might have been more charitably dispersed.

·         And why didn’t we see the Christmas wishes of those who asked for world peace, or for a cure for little Jimmy’s cancer, or to be reunited with absent loved ones, or … 

I think you get the idea.

 

I DO NOT “Like.” While I probably do like a substantive, tangible, material holiday gift as much as the next person, you can’t win my admiration and respect with that kind of twisted representation of holiday goodwill. 

So why this rant, under the guise of a headline about gift giving?

 

Years ago Eric Taylor and I started a business conversation that has evolved into a friendship and more-than-a-few frank discussions of better ways to set and accomplish one’s goals, manage time, interact with others – generally how to live in a fulfilling and meaningful way.

It’s a continuing and evolving conversation. We respectfully sort through positions and points of contention … try to convince and influence one another … keep an open mind … accommodate new input … agree to disagree about some strongly held but not objectionable positions.

And while we are two distinct and different people, there are a number of positions we hold steadfastly in common, one which we find is most easily conveyed at this time of year, using the language of the season:

 

It Is A Season For Giving

 

But unlike the tangible, material, commercial “gifts” featured in the makes-me-angry airline-commercial-in-the-guise-of-holiday-cheer, we agree that one of the best gifts any one can give at this or any time of the year is –

The Gift Of Yourself

 Your love.

Your time.

Your thoughtful involvement.

 

A number of years ago when we shared a holiday message about this gift that keeps on giving Eric pointed out that –

 

This enlightened and enlightening present is –

 

        … something that everyone wants

        … one size fits all

        … requires no last minute shopping or trips to the mall

        ...  is essentially free, and

        … no wrapping is required.

It’s that simple. This “gift” is what those you care most about really want.

TGIM Takeaway: And, when you ponder and understand the fullness of the concept, you’ll know that it’s the only gift of lasting value that you alone can give.

 

TGIM IDEA IN ACTION: ‘Tis the season. Give the enlightened and enlightening gift of yourself, your love and your time and your involvement, unconditionally, now and throughout the New Year. You’ll soon realize this cost-free present will yield an abundance of riches for the giver and the receiver far greater than you could ever imagine.

One last cool thing about this gift:

 

It’s a gift that’s sure to be “returned” to you in so many ways.

What more could a giver ask for?

Geoff Steck
Chief Catalyst
Alexander Publishing & Marketing

8 Depot Square

Englewood, NJ 07631
201-569-5373

tgimguy@gmail.com

P.S.  Just in case you considered giving us a gift this holiday season … here’s –

HOW TO DO IT:

Re-gift this message.

Thank Goodness It's Monday #412

SPOILER ALERT:

THIS “MAN OF STEEL” PREVIEW

REVEALS 10 SECRETS OF SUPERMAN

The next Superman movie -- “Man of Steel” opens this Friday.  

It cost $200+ million to make. It’s intended to inaugurate a Batman/Dark Knight-sized series. Like that 21^st Century interpretation the newest Superman is supposed to be darker, more brooding, introspective, and conflicted than previously.

At one point, early reports say, the Man of Steel sports a long beard which has given rise to much speculation about the secret of how he shaves.

And the red shorts over the blue, uh, long johns? Gone.

 

Spoiler alert: I care … but not that much.

 

Here’s why: It’s a movie. It’s real life that has real lessons about real issues.

 

Certainly there are movie “touch points” that serve well as shorthand to better communication and understanding. And as I often do in TGIMs (and as I’m doing now) they’re a useful bridge or default to make a connection or a point. 

Like this: An early and significant writing collaboration with my friend Eric Taylor was a chapter on “Heroes” in a volume entitled 101 Ways to Improve Your Life. It’s about a real Superman who also brought a distinct grace and character to the portrayal of the character Superman. 

Christopher Reeve

It’s primarily Eric’s story.

Based on his experience.

Told in his voice.

The outline version I’ll share below is one of the earliest recountings. I know it underpins Eric’s being. Today I simply want to add that, in the nearly a decade I’ve been a part of it, it has become a great influence on my abiding philosophy as well. 

 

It’s that important. So, before you head for the multiplex and shell out for tickets, popcorn and a jumbo drink, read this … reflect … and, I hope, relate.

10 Life Lessons I Learned from Superman

(and How They Changed My Life Forever)

For many, the actor who epitomized the character “Superman” is Christopher Reeve, and as millions know, at the height of his career he suffered a tragic accident that left him totally paralyzed, unable to care for himself or, initially, even to breathe unassisted.          

With the support of his wife, Dana, Chris persevered and battled back, becoming a vigorous advocate and the public face for research that develops treatments and cures for paralysis caused by spinal cord injury and other central nervous system disorders. The foundation that now bears their names has awarded hundreds of millions in research grants to the world’s best neuroscientists and Quality of Life grants worth over $15.7 million to nonprofit organizations that help improve the daily lives of people living with paralysis, particularly spinal cord injuries.          

Christopher Reeve redefined courage and hope. His strength, determination, and compassion inspired the world, but what I think is the superhuman part of the story has not been fully told. There’s more to this story for me and greater lessons for us all.           

It was my distinct privilege to produce Chris’s last public appearance in New Jersey. I’ll never forget it—or him. He died on October 10, 2004, just 11 days after the event. He is my hero.          

Christopher Reeve taught me 10 lessons that day. I know that they apply to you, and that when you decide to take them to heart and act on them, they will change your life, too.

1. Empower yourself first! The only way to truly connect with another human is to connect with yourself first. Compassion, rapport, and caring all come from allowing, understanding, and knowing yourself first.

Action Idea: Take time out of each day (even if by self-appointment) to reflect on the day, week, month, or year. Evaluate the words you chose to speak and the actions you chose to take. Ask yourself the critical question, “Am I being congruent with what I truly believe and value?”

2. Refuse absolutes. Anyone who says “that will never happen” doesn’t understand faith, persistence, and belief. There are few, perhaps no absolutes. The world was once thought to be flat; Christopher Columbus debunked that myth and created a paradigm shift for mankind. Christopher Reeve should not have survived as long as he did and accomplish as much as he did after his accident. 

Action Idea: Have you embraced false absolutes with “security thinking?” Remove all self-imposed limitations and boundaries that you (or someone else) have placed in your mind. 

3. Become a respected and feared competitor. Respect and fear are equally important. Have the respect of your peers, but be sure that they are aware that you are playing to win every time!

Action Idea: Get close to your competitors, and let them get close to you—but only in physical proximity! Treat them with kindness and respect, but keep your eye on the prize. 

4. Get moving as soon as possible. If you allow yourself to procrastinate there will never be “enough” time for getting ready. So, when you set a goal … make a decision … experience adversity; get moving immediately. 

Christopher’s tragedy was something for which he could not have prepared. Chris knew that if he didn’t take action immediately to find a cure and to move toward walking again, he might begin to think that death was a better alternative. 

Action Idea: Decide! Once you make up your mind to achieve a desired outcome or goal, never let anything or anyone stop you.

5. You have more talent and gifts than you realize. You possess all of the resources to lead an extraordinary life. Accept the gifts, and use them to serve. 

Action Idea: Ask “What if …?” questions. “What if I could discover the cure for AIDS?” “What if I could run a three-minute mile?” “What if I give love first without expecting anything in return?”

6. Give yourself a chance—you are worthy. Let the people who love you, love you. Share your dreams and desires with those who can, will, and want to help you. Don’t beat yourself up when you fail.

Action Idea: Everything is an experience, not a test. The events that take place in our lives are not a thermometer to gauge our self-worth. The most important opinion you must possess in your life is the opinion you have of you!  

7. Nothing is impossible.  Use your personal power and have faith that you can overcome and achieve anything you set your mind to. A mindset that replaces the negativity of impossibility with that can-do positivity of what IS possible is a mind-set each of us should embrace. 

Action Idea: Faith equals persistence. If you believe you can, you can. Walt Disney said, “You will see it when you believe it.” 

8. Ignore your own feelings of inadequacy. There is almost always someone doing better than you are. The grass always looks greener on the other side, and that, as we know, is almost always a false assumption.

What‘s more important is what you are doing and what your goals are. If you honor self-promises and stick to your dreams and goals, your time will come. The real truth is that that legendary glass is always half full, and that partly cloudy is also partly sunny. These small distinctions can pay huge dividends in your life. 

Action Idea: Your mind and your body are your most prized possessions. Protect them by being cautious about what you allow to enter.

 

9. Negativity kills empowerment. Negativity drains energy, diminishes hope, blocks creativity, and steals faith and one’s ability to persist. Beware of negative self-talk and negative thinking and all the things and people in your life that are dream-stealers.

 

Action Idea: Just as empowerment begins with you, positivism in your world begins with you as well. You are a leader. Become a leader in your life first.

 

Surround yourself with everything and everyone that makes you feel good. Avoid negative people… negative news … negative thoughts. Life is too short not to be happy.

10. Giving up is not an option. You are not automatically entitled to everything in this life, but you are entitled to become your personal best. After his accident Dana told Chris, “I still love you, you are still you.” That moment, he said, his giving up was not an option. He knew that he had only one choice and one life to leave his legacy. 

What will your legacy be? What will you create? What is your purpose for being here? 

Action Idea: Winners have not quit. And, obviously, quitters can’t win. Quitting does last forever. If you have yet to discover your calling, get excited! It is about to be discovered. If you know your calling, go there with passion and serve.

Those, in a nutshell, are 10 Life and Leadership lessons Eric Taylor and I learned from a heroic real-life Superman, Christopher Reeve.

TGIM ACTION IDEA: Strive to live them every day.

Now, Go Forward!

Geoff Steck
Chief Catalyst
Alexander Publishing & Marketing

8 Depot Square

Englewood, NJ 07631
201-569-5373
tgimguy@gmail.com

P.S. There’s one more quote from Chris that, as Eric says, takes a bit of thinking to understand, but we’d like you to consider it. 

If there is no great glorious end to all this,

if nothing we do matters,

then all that matters is what we do.