We Hid Some Matzoh ...

WELCOMING THE SPRING HOLIDAYS

In my household we generally prefer a humanist approach to "religious" holidays, all the while acknowledging and honoring cultural and family traditions.

President Obama
hosting a White House Seder
in 2009.

In this spirit, we'll celebrate Springtime renewal and rebirth with our version of a Passover Seder on Friday evening.

 

President Obama and family
joined by the Easter Bunny
for the traditional
White House Easter Egg Roll,
also in 2009

And ...

Remembering that the so-called "Last Supper" of Christianity is rooted in a Passover Seder, we'll keep the connection in mind as we keep an eye out for bunnies, brightly dyed eggs and candy treats on Easter Sunday.

At our Seder we'll use a Haggadah (the book that guides the order of the Passover meal; Haggadah means "telling") that has been adapted over the years from a variety of sources, from the classic Maxwell House text to quite secular references.

In many Passover observances the meal (which includes four cups of wine) involves long discussions of what transpired, why and how it should be interpreted through the ages. This can consume a big stretch of time and, despite traditions that are meant to include the participation of young people, can actually be a bit wearing on all gathered -- wine consumption notwithstanding. 

So here's a time-saving solution. When I searched my computer for the past year's edition of our Homegrown Haggadah to update for 2012, I found this Two-minute Haggadah, a bit of humor I saved from sources unknown some years ago.

I found it entertaining and hope you do as well.

****

The Two-Minute Haggadah

A Passover service for the impatient.

Opening prayers: Thanks, God, for creating wine. (Drink wine.)
Thanks for creating produce. (Eat parsley.)

Overview: Once we were slaves in Egypt. Now we're free. That's why we're doing this.

Four Questions: 1. What's up with the matzoh?
2. What's the deal with horseradish?
3. What's with the dipping of the herbs?
4. What's this whole slouching at the table business?

Answers: 1. When we left Egypt, we were in a hurry. There was no time for making decent bread.
2. Life was bitter, like horseradish.
3. It's called symbolism.
4. Free people get to slouch.

(Heat soup now.)

The four kinds of children and how to deal with them:
Wise child—explain Passover.
Simple child—explain Passover slowly.
Silent child—explain Passover loudly.
Wicked child—browbeat in front of the relatives.

Speaking of children: We hid some matzoh. Whoever finds it gets five bucks.

The story of Passover: It's a long time ago. We're slaves in Egypt. Pharaoh is a nightmare. We cry out for help. God brings plagues upon the Egyptians. We escape, bake some matzoh. God parts the Red Sea. We make it through; the Egyptians aren't so lucky. We wander 40 years in the desert, eat manna, get the Torah, wind up in Israel, get a new temple, enjoy several years without being persecuted again.

****

To All: Spring is the season of new growth and new life. Every living thing must either grow or die; growth is a sign and condition of life. The most significant growth for a human being takes place inwardly. We grow as we achieve new insights, new knowledge, new goals.

My wish for you: Zeisen Pesach … Happy Easter … Shalom … Peace …

Geoff Steck
Chief Catalyst
Alexander Publishing & Marketing

8 Depot Square

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

P.S. I'll email you a copy of our slightly longer, bit more traditional, Homegrown Haggadah if you reach out to tgimguy@gmail.com. Just put Haggadah 2012 in the subject line. I'll bounce back an attachment asap (hey, I've got a lot of eggs to hardboil for both traditions). 

Thank Goodness It's Monday #351

HEAR THE RIGHT MESSAGE 

Here's a cheerful little story that should make you smile after a week of Supreme Court palavering and campaign trail politicking about Healthcare Law: 

Groucho Marx (as Detective Sam Grunion)
and aspiring actress
Marilyn Monroe (as Grunion's client)
in the last Marx Brothers movie
Love Happy (1950)

A few days after examining his oldest patient, a doctor encounters the elderly man walking down the street. His arm is wrapped around a beautiful woman who is clearly generations younger. And the very senior citizen is grinning from ear to ear. 

“Well," says the doctor greeting the man, “You're really doing great, aren't you?”


“Just doing what you said, Doc,” the man agrees. “You said, get a hot mamma and be cheerful.” 

"I didn't say that," the physician replies.

"I said, ‘You've got a heart murmur. Be careful.’” 

Cute, right?

But also insightful. 

While health and fitness certainly play a role in our well being and success, our outlook plays a vital role as well. A mounting body of scientific evidence tells us that cultivating a "positive mental attitude" is as important to our well being as watching our diet and getting adequate exercise and rest. 

Equally exciting evidence comes from a study of people who have already had a heart attack.  They were randomly assigned to two groups before going through a standard cardiac rehab program for an entire year. 

·         Some patients just went through the regular rehab program, going to the hospital three times a week.

·         Others also watched a comedy video while they were there for their rehab procedure.  Each patient got to choose the video watched, so they presumably selected one that was funny to them. 

At the end of one year: The comedy-watching group had suffered significantly fewer additional heart attacks during the 12-month period, along with fewer episodes of cardiac arrhythmia.  The patients who watched comedy videos also had significantly lower blood pressure (there were no blood pressure differences between the groups at the beginning of the study).  

So, even if you’ve heard the old Hot Mamma joke before – 

I hope you smiled. Humor plays an important role in promoting cardiac health even if you’ve already had a heart attack. 

TGIM Takeaway: We should take both versions of the doctor's advice to heart (so to speak) -- what he actually said and what the elder patient chose to hear.  

TGIM IDEA IN ACTION: No doubt we should be careful of the habits we incorporate into our lives. But perhaps the "habit" we should be most careful to cultivate is a cheerful attitude.  

It's good for the mind, body and spirit. 

Cheers, 

Geoff Steck
Chief Catalyst
Alexander Publishing & Marketing

8 Depot Square

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

P.S. So, realizing his patient was hearing impaired, our doctor was able to have his patient fitted for a set of nearly invisible hearing aids that allowed the elderly man’s hearing to be restored to 100%.  

After a period of adjustment, the senior citizen went back to the doctor for a final evaluation. The doctor was quickly able to confirm, “Your hearing is perfect.” 

And the physician added, “Your family must be really pleased that you can hear again.”  

The gentleman replied, “Oh, I haven’t told my family yet. I just sit around and listen to their conversations. I’ve changed my will three times!”

Thank Goodness It's Monday #350

USE MARCH MADNESS AND PYRAMID POWER

TO ACHIEVE UNPRECEDENTED SUCCESS

Nearly 100 TGIM’s ago, shortly after his death, I posted (not here) about the legendary UCLA basketball and “real non-sports life” coaching wizard, John Wooden. Although departed from this realm for several years, his guidance will likely be shared well into the future; it’s so universal and actionable. 

So, with March Madness 2012 grabbing headlines, (and because my colleague Kim Players recently cited Coach Wooden on Facebook and thereby unleashed a flood of worth-recalling memories), I’m taking this opportunity to reprise that classic TGIM.  

Hope you find it worthwhile and, if you recall it, I trust you’ll benefit from the “tickler” value of its (slightly edited) repetition. 

HOW YOU CAN TAP INTO PYRAMID POWER

Pyramid power, in some contexts, refers to alleged supernatural or paranormal properties of the ancient Egyptian pyramids and objects of similar shape.  

In the 1970s it was a hot topic with a number of bestsellers featuring the phrase. 

With this power, model pyramids were said to preserve foods, sharpen or maintain the sharpness of razor blades, improve health, function as a thought-form incubator, and cause other dramatic effects. 

It's not clear who coined the term "pyramid power." It’s one of many pseudoscientific theories regarding pyramids. Personally – 

I think they’re bunk! 

So what’s up with this TGIM?  

I also think there’s -- 

One noteworthy exception: On December 2, 1973 (how’s that for precision).

I came across a Pyramid Power example that I guarantee you is effective beyond a doubt and – when fully understood, mastered and implemented – can change your life. 

Want to see this Pyramid Of Success? On December 2, 1973 the New York Times Magazine arrived with this cover:

It’s all very stylized and of the period but – 

 Hey, man. It was the early ‘70s.  

I snipped off that cover, rubber-glued it to an old shirt cardboard and kept it my top desk drawer at work until the glue ate through the newsprint and the whole thing crumbled to dust. 

But now I don’t need it because the image is only a mouse click away. 

Too “hip” for 2012? I don't think so. You see, the original Pyramid Of Success was developed by the legendary basketball coach:

John R. Wooden

Born and raised in Indiana, Wooden began developing the foundation for the Pyramid in 1934. The core Pyramid Of Success was complete 14 years later, when Wooden was named head coach of the UCLA men’s basketball team although he continued to refine it over the years. (There's a giant, printable version available at Coach Wooden's official site.)

It took another 15 years for UCLA to win its first of 10 NCAA basketball championships under Wooden. Wooden achieved unprecedented success with his program. The “superstars” he coached, and the lives he shaped, are many and many are legend. 

And speaking of “many” -- Many people believe that John Wooden is the greatest team-sport coach OF ALL TIME! 

He died June 4, 2010 at age 99. The obits and the sporting press featured much of his story but, to my surprise, few featured The Pyramid. 

Maybe one is reason is: The Pyramid Of Success is not about basketball. In fact the Pyramid Of Success has nothing to do with sports, wealth or power.  

Huh? The Pyramid Of Success is about –  

Life and leadership. Lasting personal and organizational success is enabled through personal and organizational leadership.

TGIM ACTION IDEA: Read what it says in the compartments of The Pyramid and all around it's edges. If my "cover version" is a bit too 70's funkadelic to spend time perusing, click through and find a more eye-friendly one.

It's not about hoops; it's about life. To understand the Pyramid Of Success, you must first know Wooden’s -- 

Definition of Success: 

"Success is peace of mind, which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to do your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming."

Wooden had a single altruistic and focused purpose: He wanted to provide his players with a roadmap for a full and productive life after basketball. He maintained that success on the basketball court would be icing on the cake.  

When a new team member was recruited, the next morning that player would find in his mail box an 8 1/2 X 11 mimeographed sheet which contained a pyramid of carefully and neatly ruled boxes.  

Because he believed the principles of the Pyramid should be shared freely, Wooden chose not to have the Pyramid Of Success copyrighted. 

There is a John R. Wooden Course and any number of Wooden/Success books and personal improvement tools. But the furthest thing from his mind was selling books and profiting from the Pyramid.  

Because overwhelming evidence exists that proves the validity and reliability of Wooden’s principles, the Power of his Pyramid Of Success transcends the smoke and mirrors of other mystical-minded Pyramid promoters.  

His Pyramid worked well before the ‘70’s hoo-ha. And it continues – and will continue – to work its particular magic for decades to come. 

TGIM Takeaway: Success is about continuous effort to learn, continuous effort to improve, and continuous effort to make your life and the world a better place. 

I’m not going to comment on or interpret the Wooden Pyramid components for you. I won’t because I can’t and I shouldn’t. Sharing it with you should be enough.

Go. Discover for yourself.  

Tap into its Power. And make of it all you can.  

Geoff Steck
Chief Catalyst
Alexander Publishing & Marketing

8 Depot Square

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

P.S. “It is easier to reach our potential when we learn the value of including others in our quest.” That’s the John Wooden quote that Kim Players shared and sparked this look back. Thanks, Kplay! And welcome, one and all, to the quest.

Thank Goodness It's Monday #349

MURPHY, FINAGLE, BOY SCOUTS

-- AND BREAKING THE LAW 

Had enough o’ the Irish-ness by now? Although March 17 is (finally) behind us, it feels as if St. Patrick’s celebrations have been under way all month, culminating with unprecedented extravaganzas this weekend. 

So do you have “Wearin’-o’-the-Green” fatigue?  

Or is there room for one more story related to a sounds-like-a-son of the Emerald Isle, namely one Edward Aloysius Murphy, Jr.? 

I’m hoping your answer is “Yes” because -- 

Here ‘tis: For all the Irish-soundingness of his name, U.S. Air Force Captain Edward A. Murphy, Jr. (1918-1990) was born in the Panama Canal Zone, raised in New Jersey and was a West Point graduate. And – 

He’s the namesake Murphy of –

Murphy’s Law

One thing that’s always struck me as oddly interesting is – 

Murphy’s Law proves Murphy’s Law. Sort of. 

Huh? Now I’m pretty confident at this point you’ve thought something like, “Murphy’s Law … yea … that goes something like— 

‘Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.’”

(Or, to be funny, “enythink thi’T ken Goh rong willl.”)

And you’re close. 

But no bull’s eye. That “Law” has sparked scores of corollaries and additions linked to the fundamental wisdom, some of which we’ll round up and share in a minute. But first, consider this: 

John Paul Stapp M.D., Ph.D. (1910 - 1999)
during a 421-mph rocket sled run in 1954

Murphy was, in fact, one of the engineers on the rocket-sled experiments that were done by the U.S. Air Force in 1949 to test human acceleration tolerances. One experiment involved a set of 16 accelerometers mounted to different parts of the subject’s body. There were two ways each sensor could be attached and somebody methodically installed all 16 the wrong way around. 

Murphy, it is said, then made the original form of his pronouncement, which the test subject (Major John Paul Stapp) quoted at a news conference a few days later. 

And in that 1949 observation, here’s what he is commonly reported to have said: 

“If there are two or more ways to do something,

and one of those ways can result in a catastrophe,

then someone will do it.” 

The difference between this “original” statement of Murphy’s Law, and the variations of the “Anything that can go wrong will go wrong” statement, demonstrates Murphy’s Law acting on itself. 

A more correct attribution for “Whatever can go wrong…” is Finagle’s Law. (Finagle’s Law is actually fully named Finagle’s Law of Dynamic Negatives and it may have been first published by Francis P. Chisholm in his 1963 essay “The Chisholm Effect”, later reprinted in the classic anthology A Stress Analysis Of A Strapless Evening Gown: And Other Essays For A Scientific Eye. 

More Murphy-isms: 

·         Murphy’s Law fails only when you try to demonstrate it.

·         In nature, nothing is ever right. Therefore, if everything is going right, something is wrong.

·         And then there’s the Unspeakable Law: As soon as you mention something –

… if it’s good, it goes away.

… if it’s bad, it happens.

·         Murphy’s Law gives rise to Murphy’s Philosophy: Smile, tomorrow will be worse.

·         And Murphy’s Philosophy gives rise to O’Malley’s Observation (sometimes cited as Flanagan’s Precept or O’Toole’s Commentary): Murphy was an optimist. 

Interesting. 

Kinda funny. 

But, so what? 

Here’s what: As with Murphy’s Law, the simple fact of life is, very few things go according to plan and unfold without mishap. 

Be a Boy Scout. Be Prepared. One of the best crisis prevention techniques is to keep a wary eye out for Murphy’s Law (in any of its forms) to appear. When it does, smile knowingly because you recognize that there’s a penalty when you break the law and so you’ve prepared. 

Yes, it seems like an oxymoron to say, “Expect the unexpected and plan for it.”  

But, while it doesn’t necessarily mean having a strategy in place for every precise catastrophic occurrence (“Suppose a meteor hits the Camden plant!), it does mean identifying vulnerable areas and facing up to them. 

TGIM ACTION IDEA: Imagine worst-case scenarios and evaluate. Don’t dodge the critical questions that jump to mind. Ask and answer -- 

???  What is likely to go wrong?

???  What’s the likelihood of this happening?

???  When will I know about it?

???  What will I do?

???  Can I live with this? 

When confronted by Murphy’s Law moments your challenge is to be able to make -- and be able to act immediately on -- considered-in-calmer-moments strategies. 

After you’ve weighed the possibilities and vulnerabilities, have backup plans already in mind. (Better yet, write them down and keep two copies in two independent-but-accessible places.) 

TGIM IDEA IN ACTION: Think and prepare your basic resources – money, material, people power, etc. Know your objectives – short-term and the end point. Have a timetable (and expect the Murphy-ish Hofstadter’s Law “It always takes longer than you think, even when you take Hofstadter’s Law into account” to kick in.) Clarify priorities and deadlines. Involve others in the planning and be ready to ask for help in implementing solutions. 

When it hits the fan:

·         Implement the plan, or at least get it underway.

·         Step back, collect your thoughts.

·         Clear the decks for action.

·         Then act.

·         Gather facts from people most likely to be affected.

·         Take quick steps – right or wrong — to solve the most immediate problems.

·         Clarify priorities and deadlines.

·         Be ready to adapt at a moment’s notice. 

Of course, with all these ACTION IDEAS in mind, one final take on Murphy’s Law says: 

“If you perceive that there are four possible ways

in which a procedure can go wrong,

and circumvent these,

then a fifth way,

unprepared for,

will promptly develop.” 

But as pessimistic as that thought may be, even the slightest step toward preparedness puts you one step ahead of the unprepared. And even an unoptimistic Murphy would agree that’s a better place to be. 

That’s it for today’s TGIM: Of course, since I think I’ve covered all my bases for today, Murphy’s Law postulates that I’ve overlooked something. So my plan is to deal with it next Monday if it’s necessary.  

Good idea, right? 

Geoff Steck
Chief Catalyst
Alexander Publishing & Marketing

8 Depot Square

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

P.S. “Shredded cabbage goes great with shredded carrots and mayonnaise.”

        That’s Cole’s Law.

Thank Goodness It's Monday #348

"A MAN HEARS WHAT HE WANTS TO HEAR

AND DISREGARDS THE REST"

Music fans of a certain age may recognize today’s headline from “The Boxer” -- the Paul-Simon-authored late-‘60s “folk rock” follow-up to the iconic “Mrs. Robinson” from the movie The Graduate.  

It’s an interesting bit of music. If you care, there’s much discussion about the making of the song and what it means and such in easily discovered music threads in the digital world.

For TGIM purposes: This bit of lyric is a good synopsis of how selective we can be when it comes to listening. And I’m airing that laundry this week as a lead in to the coming-this-Thursday “Speak Like A Pro!” event featuring my friend Eric Taylor. (Sign up info is at the bottom of this message.) 

Since Eric will be talking about talking –

I’ve decided to write about listening. So think of this as a warm-up exercise that enables you to get the most from the time you invest there.  

And if you can’t make it -- 

Don’t quit reading yet. This TGIM message is not event-specific.  

The how-to-improve-your-listening-habits steps that follow should work to your advantage any time you’re solidly on the “listening” side of the equation – at any presentation … business meeting … gathering of a chamber or municipal or civic or fraternal group … religious education … political harangue … classroom/lecture hall/higher education circumstances … wherever…. 

Let’s begin with a – 

Useful Factoid: In most situations, people talk at a rate somewhere between 120 and 150 words per minute. However … studies indicate that, depending on the subject and the individual, you can process information anywhere from 500 to 800 words per minute. 

TGIM Takeaway: This disparity between rate of speech and the ability to figure out where the speaker is headed is one reason attention tends to wander. So – 

● Understand and use the differential between the speed of speaking and the speed of thinking. 

Poor listeners drift back and forth between a presentation and thoughts about other things.  

Effective listeners use the thinking/speaking differential in three ways:

1. Riding the crest of the wave by trying to anticipate the next point of the presentation.

2. Evaluating what the presenter is using for supporting evidence.

3. Periodically summarizing the information provided to them.

● Stay attentive. 

Poor listeners let their minds to wander.  

Effective listeners remain focused and actively try to absorb material.  

● Aggressively tackle difficult material.  

When poor listeners encounter a tough topic, they stop absorbing and let things start bouncing off them.  

Effective listeners condition themselves to be interested in challenging matters. They confront difficulties in grasping the meaning of what is being said -- no matter how complex or demanding the subject.  

● Don't get derailed by emotionally charged words or visuals that trigger negative responses.  

Poor listeners tune people out on the basis of a few words.  

Effective listeners don't let the emotional baggage of a word hinder them from getting at the substance of a lecture.

● Choose to find the subject useful. 

Poor listeners dismiss information they don’t easily relate to as dull and irrelevant. They turn off quickly.  

Effective listeners separate the wheat from the chaff. They choose to listen in order to discover new knowledge.

● Concentrate on the words and message, not on the presenter’s looks, clothes or delivery. 

Poor listeners focus on the faults in a lecturer's appearance or delivery.  

Effective listeners strive to tap the presenter’s brain for self-gain. What they watch for especially are the visual cues and clues that add more meaning to the words alone, floating in the air.

● React slowly and thoughtfully when you hear something you're not sure you agree with.  

Poor listeners stop listening to the speaker and start listening to the self-talk that gets going in their head. They either passively reject what is being said or they launch into impassioned rebuttals (to themselves). 

Effective listeners don't jump to conclusions and then disengage. They keep conclusions tentative while getting more information. They listen for what they don’t know. And when they hear what they do know, they ask themselves, “How well do I know that or do that?”

● Identify the "big ideas" -- those fundamental concepts to which everything else in the presentation or lecture is related.  

Poor listeners say, "I listen only for facts." They may retain a few of those facts, but the information is usually garbled.  

Effective listeners are alert for foundational concepts. They grab key ideas and use them as anchor points for mastering the “whole” of the entire lecture.

● Adjust note taking to the dynamics of the situation.  

Some poor listeners attempt to outline everything, believing an outline and notes are the same thing. They get frustrated when they cannot see "points A, B and C."  

Effective listeners adjust their note-taking to the organizational pattern used by the presenter and piggyback on any handouts or other aids provided.  

In summary: Keep open the doors of perception. Perception, or your way of receiving an idea or issue, shapes how well and how much of the message you will receive and retain.  

We each listen to the spoken word with a set of experiences and knowledge through which we filter what we hear. This is part of the reason that 50 people, if asked to write a synopsis of a presentation they have just heard, will produce 50 different and sometimes widely varying messages. 

TGIM ACTION IDEA: Practice concentration. Many people – even “smart” people – don’t take the trouble to discipline their minds. Overcoming mental laziness is just like any other bad habit; you have to work on it. 

TGIM IDEA IN ACTION: Be idea receptive. Be aware of your expectations and perceptions. Once you make the decision to attend a presentation, set aside the notion of how nonproductive you expect the session to be and listen receptively. 

Just as with the social occasion that you dread attending and end up enjoying, meetings and presentations for which you harbor advance negative feelings can be surprisingly informative and useful if you remain idea receptive. 

Listen: I enjoyed “speaking” to you here today via the power of the written word and I thank you for “listening” attentively. 

Geoff Steck
Chief Catalyst
Alexander Publishing & Marketing

8 Depot Square

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

P.S.  And speaking of listening effectively, let’s give business-thought leader Peter Drucker (1909-2005) the last word: “The most important thing in communication is to hear what isn’t being said.” 

P.P.S. Now that you have these top-of-the-line skills, please listen to this – 

IMPORTANT MESSAGE: 

You must ACT NOW …

Less than 20 seats remain, even in the expanded “Ballroom” setting.

The event will be a SELL OUT (again).

When you hear about how much you missed, you will regret not having been there, live and in person.

What? Where? 

Speak Like A Pro!

Thursday, March 15, 2012

at The Sheraton Hotel & Conference Center

Eatontown, NJ 

Click through IMMEDIATELY -- www.EricTaylorSpeaker.com -- to get all of the details and register NOW. 

Hope you can get in under the wire. I look forward to seeing you there.