Today at the risk of alienating many people I respect, I feel like I must say something. Christians today have the most unique opportunity to share the love of Christ to an entire world. Over the centuries, there have been many who devoted their lives to just that cause. Many gave their lives in the effort.
We have computers, Internet, 24/7 news channels and a whole slew of other ways to communicate. In the beginning, there was only word of mouth and letters. We have come a long way.....or have we?
During this bitter election cycle there have been a lot of people pleading their case for their preferred candidate, myself included. The left has picked their GOP champion, the one they feel least likely to beat Mr. Obama. The right has chosen their candidate, the one that most represents their values. I have often joked that Liberals are the most tolerant people I know...so long as you agree with them. Sadly, I can now say the same for many of my Right leaning friends.
I agree with the Right that this current president has been a Great Divider rather than a healer of our Nation. We are now in the middle of a Class Warfare that has totally ripped this country to shreds. It is the Haves versus the Have-nots; the Left versus the Right; the Christians versus the world; you get the idea. Neither side is giving in and both are determined to win even at the cost of destroying this nation.
While I agree that President Obama has done much to divide this nation, I believe he is as sincere in his beliefs as the other side. The problem is that both have some good and many bad points, however like a couple of siblings fighting over a toy neither is willing to give in.
I personally voted for Newt Gingrich because I felt he had the best chance of bringing this nation back to center and healing the huge rift that has torn our country in two. Many on the Right refused to forgive that his past was not impeachable. On the Left, they called him a Crony, a career politician, and worse.
I would like to address a few things to both sides of the aisle.
Mr. Obama is the quintessential Crony politician. He has hired more of his buddies and donors than any president in recent history. He has rammed through the Congress, in the name of humanity, a massive insurance "reform" that mandates everyone must purchase insurance. There was no debate and the only way people could see what was in the bill was for them to pass it into law...curious as to why most items do not take effect until AFTER this election. He has made it clear that the views he takes are governed by the poll numbers. His positions change often.
Mr. Romney began the GOP debate cycle with the air of a right of assertion to the throne of the GOP and he has played every dirty card he could at every opportunity to sling mud at his opponents. In short, I call him Obama Lite. A friend posted on Facebook yesterday that every time he sees Mitt, he has the urge to buy a used car.
Mr. Paul has a few good views but his stance on homeland security is scary to me.
Mr. Santorum while a good man as far as I can tell, is too far right to ever win the office. He has the backing of the far right, which in my opinion would be like being endorsed by Rush Limbaugh at the moment.
Many of my friends have pushed for Santorum and are very vocal as to why. He is a "Godly" man who agrees with their values. There is a saying that the marriage of politics and religion make for an ugly baby. I don't know if the baby is ugly but the outcome of the marriage is a train wreck waiting to happen.
I do not mean to demean the "values" voters. We all vote our values to a certain extent. I for one, would not vote for anyone who espoused abortion as a means of contraceptive or choice because a life is involved. Those are my values. I personally do not like Capitol Punishment, but there is at least criminal activity involved in the taking of this life...still, if life unborn is to be valued, then all life is to be valued.
Voting your values is what opens up room for coming together. What divides us is when neither side is willing to budge on their values. I mentioned to someone yesterday that I could vote for a candidate who advocated gay marriage or civil unions so long as they could balance the budget. I was immediately hit with many replies that the reason America does not have a balanced budget is the "Godless" actions of this nation. Meaning abortion, an something called the "Homosexual Agenda". As if all the homosexuals in the world were plotting to overthrow the US Government and make us into another Sodom.
Many think that by my not calling out all gays as sinners, I am being untrue to my values. Nothing could be furthe from the truth. In fact, it strengthens my commitment to my values. When Jesus walked this Earth, he called out the Religious leaders more often than the sinners. I am beginning to see why my Savior hated Religion. Religion is the perversion of the faith. WHAT? Somewhere someone just said "Oh no, he didn't just say that!"
Let me explain. Religion is taking the faith and organizing it into a set of tenets that one chooses to follow. This is why there are so many different religions in the world. We all have different ideas of how our faith should be practiced. If not there would be one big religion and there would be no reason for Catholics, Baptists, Muslims, Mormans, Pentacostals, etc.
Just because a man or woman is a homosexual does not make them "Godless". Is homosexuality inborn or acquired? That is for the scientist and God to determine but I would lean to the thinking that we all have things which are born into us that we have no control over. The color of our skin, genetic diseases, mental illness, cholesterol and maybe even homosexual tendencies. None of those make a person Godless. Do I believe homosexuality is a choice? Yes. Everything about life is a choice. Even the things we have no control over directly, what we choose to do as a result of those things, is our choice. So I guess I am saying I can see both sides of the born this way or not argument.
Getting back to the Godless argument, the definition of Sin is the absence of God. (If you do not have faith in God, then you most likely will call sin by another name such as morals, conscience, etc.) in the eyes of God, all sin is equal and none is greater than the other. By this reasoning, if I call a homosexual Godless then I must also call a liar Godless. Likewise, a thief, an adulterer, a tax cheat, a murderer, a white collar criminal, ad infinitum. All of those people choose to commit their sin so by the above definition they would all be Godless. According to my detractors, homosexuals and abortion advocates are the Cheif of the Godless hordes. But in the strictest sense, even the liar makes this a Godless nation. Which in turn gets me back to the fact that Jesus despised religion. Religion allows us to pick and choose what we will follow and it also allows us the superiority to call anything we choose to dislike as sin.
It was good enough for the Catholic Church during the Crusades and the Inquisition. It was good enough for Adoplh Hitler and his followers, and it is good enough today to tear this country apart. it is good enough for a select group of radicals perverting Islam to justify killing the "Infidels". Religion or opposition to religion is tearing this country apart and if common sense does not prevail, then the world is doomed, and the United States specifically.
It is ok to have faith and beliefs. It is ok to not have faith and beliefs. I have faith and I believe God gives us all free will to choose how we live. I believe our lives are determined by our choices (hence the name of this blog) and our choices determine our outcome in life. Now that being said, I also believe others can and do make choices that directly or indirectly affect our lives. By this I mean a drunk could drive a car and maim me by his choice to drive drunk. I had no say in the matter and if I had the choice, I would not have chosen to be hit. But since I was hit, my reactions and choices determine whether I live a productive life or a poor pitiful me kind of life.
There are all kinds of people in this world. People of faith and not. We all must live together. Whether you believe in God or not, there is a basic moral principle that is taught in All major religions: treat others as you would like to be treated. Jesus said it; Mohammad said it; Buddah said it; and many Atheists or Agnostics said it too.
Why do we call out homosexuals as "Godless" yet we ignore the "Godlessness" of the person that cheated his employer at work today by surfing the internet at work? How about the man who has lunch with a woman not his wife, in a quiet restaurant? Or the woman who bought a dress at the mall today but hid the receipt from her husband? All are guilty of a sin, which makes them Godless.
There is also the fact that not everyone on this earth is a person of faith. It is okay to vote your values no matter which side of the fence you are on. We all have the right to believe as we do. What we do NOT have is the right to force our opinion onto others. We should agree to disagree on certain issues. Not everyone on this earth looks at Homosexuality as a sin, even some people of faith. And while it may be a sin in your eyes, it does not endanger a life. It is between those two people and their God. If you are a person of faith then believe they will answer for their sin to their God. If you are not a person of faith, then believe they will be happy together. A person of faith must remember, God did not appoint YOU the judge of the world. You can not judge a person by your standards because you are not their judge to begin with. You especially cannot hold a non Christian to Christian standards. You are not the police of the world.
To the non faithful person, by the same token you are NOT the conscience and INTELLIGENCE of the world either. Just because you do not look at abortion or contraception as wrong, does not mean you get to police the world and force them to do things against their beliefs.
The United States is made up of people of all possible mixture of faith or lack thereof. We must strive to work TOGETHER! Neither side has all the answers and neither side should be able to force their opinions onto the others. If homosexual marriage or civil unions are legal, then Christians can still be opposed, but that does not make this a Godless nation" destined to be the next Sodom. However, calling people names because they do not agree with you is wrong....no matter which side of the fence you are on.
As a Christian I have stated my view on homosexuality that the tendencies may be inborn but the choice is up to the individual, much the same as murder or theft. The Jesus I know ate with the sinners and called out the "holier than thou" religious. Granted, he did tell the sinners not to sin anymore but he still chose them because they recognized their own faults and the religious tended to call out the faults of others. He even quoted one in the bible who said "I am glad I am not like that other guy." (I am paraphrasing) in essence, when a Christian calls out someone who is different as a sinner or Godless, then they are essentially elevating themselves above the others and saying "Thank God I am not like them, I am without blemish."
America is NOT a Christian country. It is a country made up of all kinds of people and while a majority are Christian or other people of faith, that does not make us a Christian Nation. If we want to go back to the America that exhibits values identified as Christian but are really just Moral values, then it is time we began to follow the Teacher who told us to love one another and stop trying to be the conscience of the world. A true Christian will be known more by their actions than their hate filled words of love. If you want to win converts, stop trying to beat them to your way of thinking and give them an example worth wanting to know more about. Actions really do speak louder than words. TODAY I CHOOSE TO SET THE EXAMPLE!
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
TODAY I CHOOSE TO NOT LAY BLAME!
Today I have to admit that I had to become the student rather than the teacher. For months now, I have been advising others to grasp the moment and get on with their lives. I have advised people to take their circumstances and make the best out of them.
What happens if everything you have done has led to the point you are at now and it has been successful? What happens if your success, hard work and diligence is not enough to get to the next level? That is the point where I am now. I have a situation in my life that I have worked hard to get to. It is a situation that I thought would never come and now that it has, I realize that even though I am totally prepared for it, the situation most likely will not end as I would like it to. It is a situation that I have no say in the final outcome. All I can do is hope that my record speaks for itself and sit back and wait for the result.
All of us at one time or another have something we hope for and work hard to attain and yet, no matter how hard we have worked, no matter how prepared we are, we just can't reach that goal. Does that mean we are a failure? Does that make us less than qualified? Does that make us less than the best? The answer is a fat resounding "NO".
No matter what happens in the situation I am in right now, no matter the outcome, I am still the best I can be and despite all my efforts, there are just some things that are beyond my control. I cannot make someone take notice of me and change their mind unless they want to do so.
What I do with that knowledge is what will make the difference in my life. I can choose to throw a pity party and say I "Deserved" it and I "Should have" received it and "It isn't fair" ad infinitum. While there may be some merit to those sentiments, (And there may NOT be merit) the fact of the matter is: LIFE IS NOT FAIR! Let me repeat that: LIFE IS NOT FAIR!!!
There are always going to be things that happen to us that we feel are unfair or things that happen beyond our control. Whether it is fair or not we have to deal with it. Choosing to dwell on the negatives; Choosing to whine about how I was overlooked, more qualified, had better results, etc. will not change the outcome and it will only serve to make me bitter; and If I am voicing these opinions out loud, I will alienate everyone around me.
Instead I have chosen to hold my head up high and take whatever comes my way. I may not get the thing I have worked for and if I don't, I will still get up tomorrow and act like I did today. I will refuse to let one incident define the person I am. I will not let one disappointment belittle everything I have strived for in my life. If I look back on my life, I have had many blessings. In fact, probably more than I deserve. No matter how I perceive my ability, others may not see it that way; and that is okay. I do not have to depend on the acknowledgement of others for my self worth. It is nice to be and feel appreciated but my self worth is not defined by someone else's words or actions. My success is not dependent on anyone other than myself.
Our society has trained our youth that if we fail, it is someone else's fault and as long as we lay the blame correctly that we can justify our own mediocrity. I lay no Blame for not achieving my goal. I know I did all I could to be where I am and that no one could do what I have accomplished any better. I may not have been able to change the outcome, but I can pick myself back up and move on with my head held high. TODAY, I CHOOSE NOT TO LAY BLAME!
What happens if everything you have done has led to the point you are at now and it has been successful? What happens if your success, hard work and diligence is not enough to get to the next level? That is the point where I am now. I have a situation in my life that I have worked hard to get to. It is a situation that I thought would never come and now that it has, I realize that even though I am totally prepared for it, the situation most likely will not end as I would like it to. It is a situation that I have no say in the final outcome. All I can do is hope that my record speaks for itself and sit back and wait for the result.
All of us at one time or another have something we hope for and work hard to attain and yet, no matter how hard we have worked, no matter how prepared we are, we just can't reach that goal. Does that mean we are a failure? Does that make us less than qualified? Does that make us less than the best? The answer is a fat resounding "NO".
No matter what happens in the situation I am in right now, no matter the outcome, I am still the best I can be and despite all my efforts, there are just some things that are beyond my control. I cannot make someone take notice of me and change their mind unless they want to do so.
What I do with that knowledge is what will make the difference in my life. I can choose to throw a pity party and say I "Deserved" it and I "Should have" received it and "It isn't fair" ad infinitum. While there may be some merit to those sentiments, (And there may NOT be merit) the fact of the matter is: LIFE IS NOT FAIR! Let me repeat that: LIFE IS NOT FAIR!!!
There are always going to be things that happen to us that we feel are unfair or things that happen beyond our control. Whether it is fair or not we have to deal with it. Choosing to dwell on the negatives; Choosing to whine about how I was overlooked, more qualified, had better results, etc. will not change the outcome and it will only serve to make me bitter; and If I am voicing these opinions out loud, I will alienate everyone around me.
Instead I have chosen to hold my head up high and take whatever comes my way. I may not get the thing I have worked for and if I don't, I will still get up tomorrow and act like I did today. I will refuse to let one incident define the person I am. I will not let one disappointment belittle everything I have strived for in my life. If I look back on my life, I have had many blessings. In fact, probably more than I deserve. No matter how I perceive my ability, others may not see it that way; and that is okay. I do not have to depend on the acknowledgement of others for my self worth. It is nice to be and feel appreciated but my self worth is not defined by someone else's words or actions. My success is not dependent on anyone other than myself.
Our society has trained our youth that if we fail, it is someone else's fault and as long as we lay the blame correctly that we can justify our own mediocrity. I lay no Blame for not achieving my goal. I know I did all I could to be where I am and that no one could do what I have accomplished any better. I may not have been able to change the outcome, but I can pick myself back up and move on with my head held high. TODAY, I CHOOSE NOT TO LAY BLAME!
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
TODAY I CHOOSE TO LIVE LIFE ALL OUT!
Today we pay respect and celebrate the life of my boss of 21 years and my friend of 30. Last Saturday evening he had a massive heart attack that mercifully was quick and he went home to be with his Lord and his family that passed before him.
Too often we feel like people are taken from us too soon and such is the case with William Dwight Peeler. He worked for our company for 31 years and he was a dedicated man, not only to his company but also to everyone whose life he touched. Even in the work place, where you have to compartmentalize and be "The Boss" he managed to show compassion. Over the years I have been privileged to witness this compassion in action.
Many times he would take the lead and become a big brother for one of the children of our management by taking them with his boys group from church on camping trips. Often he would hold fund raisers to take kids annually to Washington, D.C. to allow them the privilege to see the museums and historic sites. I have seen him roll in the floor with a child and play at their level, never once acting too old or big to play. He had three grandchildren and a great grandchild and he was devoted to them as well as his wife of 39 years and his brothers, sisters and extended family. Recently, he had been tutoring a young boy from his church trying to help him overcome his recent aversion to school.
He loved to camp and he and his family took what I would call "extended family" vacations where all the children, spouses and grandchildren would go as a group. In most families this is called a family reunion but the Peeler family took a family reunion every year. This year, he had been looking forward to taking the entire family to Disney World.
More importantly on a personal note, he was my Boss but he was also invested in me as a person. Over the last 21 years, he was my sounding board as I lived through being a divorced single father. Often when my ex-wife and I were at each other's throats, he urged me to act with reason and civility when the opposite was what I really wanted to do--all because he could see the big picture of what my desired reactions would do to my still pre-teen children. He was a confidant as well. I knew I could talk to him about anything and it would go no farther. I like to think I shared that relationship because we often would sit and he would blow off about a particular thing that was bugging him, and then he would be fine. He just needed someone to allow him to vent his frustrations.
Mr. Peeler sang in his church, led children’s groups, led the kid’s choir and entered competitions with them. He was a former Sunday School Superintendent. He took part in a weekly men’s prayer dinner.
Mr. Peeler, as he was called by everyone including HIS boss, was well respected in the company, his church, his family and in his community. While we will all sorely miss him and we feel he was taken too soon from us, we can all rest assured that he will continue looking out for all the people he cared about from his corner of Heaven. There is a quote that to me identifies Mr. Peeler as well as anyone or thing could:
"Do not be afraid of death, but rather of a life half-lived." Laird Hamilton
This is the man we all knew as Mr. Peeler. He was sure in his faith and he was not afraid to die and most assuredly, he did not have a life half-lived. He lived live all out and he was an example to us all. TODAY I CHOOSE TO LIVE LIFE ALL OUT!
Too often we feel like people are taken from us too soon and such is the case with William Dwight Peeler. He worked for our company for 31 years and he was a dedicated man, not only to his company but also to everyone whose life he touched. Even in the work place, where you have to compartmentalize and be "The Boss" he managed to show compassion. Over the years I have been privileged to witness this compassion in action.
Many times he would take the lead and become a big brother for one of the children of our management by taking them with his boys group from church on camping trips. Often he would hold fund raisers to take kids annually to Washington, D.C. to allow them the privilege to see the museums and historic sites. I have seen him roll in the floor with a child and play at their level, never once acting too old or big to play. He had three grandchildren and a great grandchild and he was devoted to them as well as his wife of 39 years and his brothers, sisters and extended family. Recently, he had been tutoring a young boy from his church trying to help him overcome his recent aversion to school.
He loved to camp and he and his family took what I would call "extended family" vacations where all the children, spouses and grandchildren would go as a group. In most families this is called a family reunion but the Peeler family took a family reunion every year. This year, he had been looking forward to taking the entire family to Disney World.
More importantly on a personal note, he was my Boss but he was also invested in me as a person. Over the last 21 years, he was my sounding board as I lived through being a divorced single father. Often when my ex-wife and I were at each other's throats, he urged me to act with reason and civility when the opposite was what I really wanted to do--all because he could see the big picture of what my desired reactions would do to my still pre-teen children. He was a confidant as well. I knew I could talk to him about anything and it would go no farther. I like to think I shared that relationship because we often would sit and he would blow off about a particular thing that was bugging him, and then he would be fine. He just needed someone to allow him to vent his frustrations.
Mr. Peeler sang in his church, led children’s groups, led the kid’s choir and entered competitions with them. He was a former Sunday School Superintendent. He took part in a weekly men’s prayer dinner.
Mr. Peeler, as he was called by everyone including HIS boss, was well respected in the company, his church, his family and in his community. While we will all sorely miss him and we feel he was taken too soon from us, we can all rest assured that he will continue looking out for all the people he cared about from his corner of Heaven. There is a quote that to me identifies Mr. Peeler as well as anyone or thing could:
"Do not be afraid of death, but rather of a life half-lived." Laird Hamilton
This is the man we all knew as Mr. Peeler. He was sure in his faith and he was not afraid to die and most assuredly, he did not have a life half-lived. He lived live all out and he was an example to us all. TODAY I CHOOSE TO LIVE LIFE ALL OUT!
Monday, February 20, 2012
TODAY I CHOOSE TO CHASE MY OWN DREAM!
This morning I got an email from a site I follow called Launch My Day and It was a message so simple and so true I had to share it with you. In the story, the writer, Eric Scheibeler tells a story of chasing his dog around the neighborhood and finally bringing him home only to find out he had the wrong dog. He likened this to a man chasing his dream in life only to realize one day that his dream turned into someone else's dream and that his own dream had somehow fallen by the wayside.
A sad story to be certain but for many of us, myself included, it is our story. I too had a dream a long time ago to own my own business and be able to do the things I wanted to do. To be certain, I have been a partner in two such businesses in my past. One was a shoe store in Savannah and the other a Sonic Drive-in in Missouri. The first partnership was a dream made for my 26 year old self. I was young, newly married and had my own business. I was ecstatic to be so blessed. That partnership lasted 2 years and I had started making plans to buy out my partner but because of some shady dealings from my own family, the partnership dissolved before my dream was finalized. I went back to work for my old firm and moved to Tampa in time to see my first child born.
Fast forward two years later. I had moved back to Tennessee, changed employers and my wife had just had our second child. I was offered a second partnership at age 31 with a few of my co-workers who were leaving the company and buying into a Sonic franchise. I did my due diligence and felt like it was a good fit for my family. I should have checked further because in less than eight months, I was totally broke financially, moved back to Tennessee from Missouri again and starting over once more.
My "Partners" didn't want a partner, they wanted a manager that would give his every waking moment to the business. My wife and I worked opposite shifts and took turns watching the children so we could devote our all to making the business our own. After six months of this, we went home for a holiday weekend. When we returned, the locks had been changed, the partnership dissolved and all my investment lost. All because I took a weekend away from work. Not really, that was just the straw that broke the camel's back. My partners wanted my wife and I to fire all the employees and work open to close (9AM to 1AM), placing our children in daycare so we could realize a bigger profit. We had gone home to decide if we wanted to continue in the partnership and while we were gone, the decision was made for us.
Back in Tennessee, I took the first job I was offered. It was not meant to be a permanent job, I was just trying to feed my family until something better came along. Twenty-one years later, due to being in the right place at the right time and an aweful lot of hard work I am still there.
Let me say that I am very fortunate because my job is not a hard one. It is a job that I have worked hard to obtain and I feel like I have gained respect and despite not having a college education, I have attained a level that pays well and usually requires a degree.
Now back to chasing one's own dream. It was always my dream to own my own business and to be independent of someone else deciding what is important in my life and what is not. Somewhere along the line, I crossed over from chsing my own dream to chasing someone else's dream. First, I got comfortable with a steady and decent paycheck. I was able to feed my family and my wife was able to stay home with our kids until they started school. It was tight financially, but it was manageable. Then one day, I am not sure I can pinpoint the exact time, I began to chase my employer's dreams instead of my own. I stopped dreaming of my own business and I started fearing not having that steady income. I became used to living the life I had carved out. I got older, divorced, remarried, married off all our children but one, got fat, got skinny again, got fat again, you know the drill. I became complacent.
Then one day, I experienced an ephiphany. It was soon after my Mother died last year. If tomorrow, I lost everything: Home, car, job, and everything I use in life; If everything was gone but my family, I WOULD bounce back. The thing is, I might take a smaller job "till something better comes along" just to pay some bills and eat but this time, Something Better would come along. One of my favorite quotes is from George Bernard Shaw which states: "The people who get on in this world are the people who look for the circumstances they want and if they can't find them, make them up."
This time around, I would look for the circumstances I want and if I fail to find them, I would make them up! While I am thankful for my job, I do not like it that someone else decided I only deserve 2 weeks vacation after 21 years. I did not like having to work the day I buried my Mother and the day after I buried my Father because someone else decided I did not deserve time to grieve after 21 years of service without taking vacation time and mine was all used up.
I have no complaint about my employer. I love my job but I am living their dream, not mine. As long as they pay me, I will give my all at work. BUT, as for me, I have made a comittment. TODAY I CHOOSE to CHASE MY OWN DREAM!
A sad story to be certain but for many of us, myself included, it is our story. I too had a dream a long time ago to own my own business and be able to do the things I wanted to do. To be certain, I have been a partner in two such businesses in my past. One was a shoe store in Savannah and the other a Sonic Drive-in in Missouri. The first partnership was a dream made for my 26 year old self. I was young, newly married and had my own business. I was ecstatic to be so blessed. That partnership lasted 2 years and I had started making plans to buy out my partner but because of some shady dealings from my own family, the partnership dissolved before my dream was finalized. I went back to work for my old firm and moved to Tampa in time to see my first child born.
Fast forward two years later. I had moved back to Tennessee, changed employers and my wife had just had our second child. I was offered a second partnership at age 31 with a few of my co-workers who were leaving the company and buying into a Sonic franchise. I did my due diligence and felt like it was a good fit for my family. I should have checked further because in less than eight months, I was totally broke financially, moved back to Tennessee from Missouri again and starting over once more.
My "Partners" didn't want a partner, they wanted a manager that would give his every waking moment to the business. My wife and I worked opposite shifts and took turns watching the children so we could devote our all to making the business our own. After six months of this, we went home for a holiday weekend. When we returned, the locks had been changed, the partnership dissolved and all my investment lost. All because I took a weekend away from work. Not really, that was just the straw that broke the camel's back. My partners wanted my wife and I to fire all the employees and work open to close (9AM to 1AM), placing our children in daycare so we could realize a bigger profit. We had gone home to decide if we wanted to continue in the partnership and while we were gone, the decision was made for us.
Back in Tennessee, I took the first job I was offered. It was not meant to be a permanent job, I was just trying to feed my family until something better came along. Twenty-one years later, due to being in the right place at the right time and an aweful lot of hard work I am still there.
Let me say that I am very fortunate because my job is not a hard one. It is a job that I have worked hard to obtain and I feel like I have gained respect and despite not having a college education, I have attained a level that pays well and usually requires a degree.
Now back to chasing one's own dream. It was always my dream to own my own business and to be independent of someone else deciding what is important in my life and what is not. Somewhere along the line, I crossed over from chsing my own dream to chasing someone else's dream. First, I got comfortable with a steady and decent paycheck. I was able to feed my family and my wife was able to stay home with our kids until they started school. It was tight financially, but it was manageable. Then one day, I am not sure I can pinpoint the exact time, I began to chase my employer's dreams instead of my own. I stopped dreaming of my own business and I started fearing not having that steady income. I became used to living the life I had carved out. I got older, divorced, remarried, married off all our children but one, got fat, got skinny again, got fat again, you know the drill. I became complacent.
Then one day, I experienced an ephiphany. It was soon after my Mother died last year. If tomorrow, I lost everything: Home, car, job, and everything I use in life; If everything was gone but my family, I WOULD bounce back. The thing is, I might take a smaller job "till something better comes along" just to pay some bills and eat but this time, Something Better would come along. One of my favorite quotes is from George Bernard Shaw which states: "The people who get on in this world are the people who look for the circumstances they want and if they can't find them, make them up."
This time around, I would look for the circumstances I want and if I fail to find them, I would make them up! While I am thankful for my job, I do not like it that someone else decided I only deserve 2 weeks vacation after 21 years. I did not like having to work the day I buried my Mother and the day after I buried my Father because someone else decided I did not deserve time to grieve after 21 years of service without taking vacation time and mine was all used up.
I have no complaint about my employer. I love my job but I am living their dream, not mine. As long as they pay me, I will give my all at work. BUT, as for me, I have made a comittment. TODAY I CHOOSE to CHASE MY OWN DREAM!
Saturday, February 18, 2012
TODAY I CHOOSE TO LAUNCH MY DAY!
I recently ran across a blog I felt worth mentioning. This blog is by Eric Scheibeler and in my opinion, he is well worth following. Here is a link to his blog; drop by, read it and let me know what you think. http://www.launchmyday.com/
TODAY I CHOOSE TO STOP MAKING EXCUSES!
My wife and I were talking last night after leaving the Memorial service of a friend's wife. They had been married for 22 years and although I met his wife only once, I know she was his best friend, much the same as my wife is to me. As best friends, we do most everything together. Not because we have to but because we want to.
As we discussed the things we enjoyed doing together, the one thing we have not been able to accomplish is to work together. I think it would be awesome to have a business where we were able to work side by side as a team. We both had businesses with our former spouses but we have not had that opportunity to do it with each other yet.
I have over 30 years experience in Retail Management with 10 years as a multi-unit Supervisor and over 11 as a Corporate Trainer. My wife has experience as a Corporate Trainer and in finance. Why we were never able to see that we both have similar backgrounds is strange, but what brought it to our attention was our dinner last night.
We were eating at a restaurant after the memorial and to say the service was less than spectacular would be an understatement. It was not horrible but it was not good either. The food took forever to arrive and both of us had food that was cold or to be more precise, lukewarm. The bread we ordered never arrived beofer the food. The food was brought by the manager and when she was asked for bread, she then went into a long explaination (read: excuse)as to why the bread had not arrived and she promised it would be out soon. We finally got it when we paid the check and asked for a to go box and the bread we never got. The waitress told us she hoped our experience next time would be better. No apology and we never complained, so it must have been obvious to her that things were not right. Still there was a missed opportunity for a better tip and a possible return visit.
The restaurant was not crowded and they were not understaffed to my reckoning. What seemed to be the problem was that there was no organization of the people there. There also may have been a training (or lack thereof) issue at play here. The waitress got a mediocre tip (and I tip well when it is deserved) and we would not recommend the restaurant to friends. Since we don't live there, it may not make a dent in their business but I assure you if the service continues at that rate, they may not last much longer as a business.
On the way home, my wife and I began a conversation about Customer Service. More specifically, where has Customer Service gone? Growing up, we didn't eat out much but when we did, the service was top notch. Today, it is getting harder and harder to find a place with good customer service. I am not just talking about restaurants here, though they stand to benefit the most from outstanding customer service since the waiters and waitresses make a bulk of their money via tips.
No matter where you go today: (Walmart, Sears, the grocery store, the car dealer, the post office, ad infinitum) customer service seems to be the last thing on their mind. Walmart has 24 lanes and five cashiers. When Sam Walton started Walmart, it was all about the American made goods and the service. The first Walmart in Athens, Tennessee used to call extra cashiers if they had more than two people in line. Now they call cashiers and managers and they never arrive. The self service check out lanes are a joke. For every item you scan, the next three will not scan or will require some form of cashier intervention. Now Walmart is all about Chinese made goods and very minimal customer service. I only shop there if I can't find what I need elsewhere--even if the price is higher. It just is not worth the effort or the time. A company that was made based on quality and service is now reduced to making us do all our own service and the quality is less than good on many items. To make matters worse, try and get an exchange or refund on a defective item. That will get your blood boiling!
Walmart is not the only one like this. Nearly any place you go, you will experience the same kind of thing. Customer Service is dead!
That is where my wife and I came up with the idea for our new business. Using our considerable experience in Corporate Training, we are starting our own business as Management Consultants. We will be offering any business the opportunity to turn around their business by applying the principles of effective leadership to their management team.
Most businesses now cut costs by buying cheaper goods and paying smaller wages to part-time employees so they can get by without paying benefits as an effort to bring more to the bottom line. I believe that by reversing the trend and paying more for better quality (both help and goods) and by giving the best customer service possible, that ANY BUSINESS could turn their profits around and shoot them through the roof.
More businesses fail than survice today and one main cause is the lack of customer service. I have seen people open a restaurant because they love to cook but lose the business because they don't know the first thing about running a business. Knowledge of product does not translate to success in business if you don't realize one simple rule: The Customer IS KING!!!! Giving the customer the best product possible, with the best service possible, will translate into a profitable business. It is a choice, like many other things I discuss on this blog. The choice you make to be a Customer Service Giant or a squeeze the bottom line for a buck is the difference between profit and closing your doors.
I am all about Customer Service. I know it and I know how to teach it to others. So the order for business cards and stationary are going in today. We start canvassing the neighborhood businesses here first and then we will branch out. I am sick of lousy service and I look forward to working with my wife as well. If you have a business or know of a business that could use a good dose of Customer Service Training, reply to this blog and let us know. TODAY I CHOOSE TO STOP MAKING EXCUSES! It is a conscious choice, what choice do YOU make today?
As we discussed the things we enjoyed doing together, the one thing we have not been able to accomplish is to work together. I think it would be awesome to have a business where we were able to work side by side as a team. We both had businesses with our former spouses but we have not had that opportunity to do it with each other yet.
I have over 30 years experience in Retail Management with 10 years as a multi-unit Supervisor and over 11 as a Corporate Trainer. My wife has experience as a Corporate Trainer and in finance. Why we were never able to see that we both have similar backgrounds is strange, but what brought it to our attention was our dinner last night.
We were eating at a restaurant after the memorial and to say the service was less than spectacular would be an understatement. It was not horrible but it was not good either. The food took forever to arrive and both of us had food that was cold or to be more precise, lukewarm. The bread we ordered never arrived beofer the food. The food was brought by the manager and when she was asked for bread, she then went into a long explaination (read: excuse)as to why the bread had not arrived and she promised it would be out soon. We finally got it when we paid the check and asked for a to go box and the bread we never got. The waitress told us she hoped our experience next time would be better. No apology and we never complained, so it must have been obvious to her that things were not right. Still there was a missed opportunity for a better tip and a possible return visit.
The restaurant was not crowded and they were not understaffed to my reckoning. What seemed to be the problem was that there was no organization of the people there. There also may have been a training (or lack thereof) issue at play here. The waitress got a mediocre tip (and I tip well when it is deserved) and we would not recommend the restaurant to friends. Since we don't live there, it may not make a dent in their business but I assure you if the service continues at that rate, they may not last much longer as a business.
On the way home, my wife and I began a conversation about Customer Service. More specifically, where has Customer Service gone? Growing up, we didn't eat out much but when we did, the service was top notch. Today, it is getting harder and harder to find a place with good customer service. I am not just talking about restaurants here, though they stand to benefit the most from outstanding customer service since the waiters and waitresses make a bulk of their money via tips.
No matter where you go today: (Walmart, Sears, the grocery store, the car dealer, the post office, ad infinitum) customer service seems to be the last thing on their mind. Walmart has 24 lanes and five cashiers. When Sam Walton started Walmart, it was all about the American made goods and the service. The first Walmart in Athens, Tennessee used to call extra cashiers if they had more than two people in line. Now they call cashiers and managers and they never arrive. The self service check out lanes are a joke. For every item you scan, the next three will not scan or will require some form of cashier intervention. Now Walmart is all about Chinese made goods and very minimal customer service. I only shop there if I can't find what I need elsewhere--even if the price is higher. It just is not worth the effort or the time. A company that was made based on quality and service is now reduced to making us do all our own service and the quality is less than good on many items. To make matters worse, try and get an exchange or refund on a defective item. That will get your blood boiling!
Walmart is not the only one like this. Nearly any place you go, you will experience the same kind of thing. Customer Service is dead!
That is where my wife and I came up with the idea for our new business. Using our considerable experience in Corporate Training, we are starting our own business as Management Consultants. We will be offering any business the opportunity to turn around their business by applying the principles of effective leadership to their management team.
Most businesses now cut costs by buying cheaper goods and paying smaller wages to part-time employees so they can get by without paying benefits as an effort to bring more to the bottom line. I believe that by reversing the trend and paying more for better quality (both help and goods) and by giving the best customer service possible, that ANY BUSINESS could turn their profits around and shoot them through the roof.
More businesses fail than survice today and one main cause is the lack of customer service. I have seen people open a restaurant because they love to cook but lose the business because they don't know the first thing about running a business. Knowledge of product does not translate to success in business if you don't realize one simple rule: The Customer IS KING!!!! Giving the customer the best product possible, with the best service possible, will translate into a profitable business. It is a choice, like many other things I discuss on this blog. The choice you make to be a Customer Service Giant or a squeeze the bottom line for a buck is the difference between profit and closing your doors.
I am all about Customer Service. I know it and I know how to teach it to others. So the order for business cards and stationary are going in today. We start canvassing the neighborhood businesses here first and then we will branch out. I am sick of lousy service and I look forward to working with my wife as well. If you have a business or know of a business that could use a good dose of Customer Service Training, reply to this blog and let us know. TODAY I CHOOSE TO STOP MAKING EXCUSES! It is a conscious choice, what choice do YOU make today?
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
TODAY I CHOOSE TO RESPECT LIFE!
Yesterday in my hometown, a sad event happened to someone I did not have the opportunity to know. I am not privy to the details it seems that a young girl in high school was bullied to the point she felt she couldn't go on living and she took her own life. There is ABSOLUTELY NO REASON this should have happened!
My heart goes out to the family and the friends of this young girl. No matter what happened, they have a loss that will haunt them for the rest of their lives. I only hope it haunts the people who bullied her to the point of suicide because her life is ended and their actions pushed her to the limit of her ability to withstand the taunts.
No one knows the extent of the taunts or what was her reaction. Did she seek help? Was she ignored if she did? Regardless of the answer to those questions, what gives any of us the right to make fun of another person? Who appointed us the judge and jury of what is or isn't acceptable? Who gets to choose who is cool, or pretty, or otherwise socially acceptable?
With the recent flux of cases in the news, it should be obvious that bullying has taken a new viscous level that has never been seen before. Part of this is due to the Internet and 24/7 news coverage. The Internet has also been used to implement several bullying cases. No matter the cause or the reasoning behind bullying, where is human decency? Surely some of the people who bullied are just following others but what possesses any human to deride someone to the point that they feel overwhelmed? Have we become so ensconced with outer appearance that we feel anyone who does not conform to our idea of beauty, or coolness deserves to be mistreated. If so, then God forgive us all. There are many who are outraged and rightly so. However this outrage needs to be turned into action. It is time we enact laws that allow the bully to be tried for murder and regardless of age, be sentenced to life. Sch blatant disregard for life is reasons for a similar punishment. Until we begin to respect life like God intended, then we are incapable of respect ourself. TODAY I CHOOSE TO RESPECT LIFE!
My heart goes out to the family and the friends of this young girl. No matter what happened, they have a loss that will haunt them for the rest of their lives. I only hope it haunts the people who bullied her to the point of suicide because her life is ended and their actions pushed her to the limit of her ability to withstand the taunts.
No one knows the extent of the taunts or what was her reaction. Did she seek help? Was she ignored if she did? Regardless of the answer to those questions, what gives any of us the right to make fun of another person? Who appointed us the judge and jury of what is or isn't acceptable? Who gets to choose who is cool, or pretty, or otherwise socially acceptable?
With the recent flux of cases in the news, it should be obvious that bullying has taken a new viscous level that has never been seen before. Part of this is due to the Internet and 24/7 news coverage. The Internet has also been used to implement several bullying cases. No matter the cause or the reasoning behind bullying, where is human decency? Surely some of the people who bullied are just following others but what possesses any human to deride someone to the point that they feel overwhelmed? Have we become so ensconced with outer appearance that we feel anyone who does not conform to our idea of beauty, or coolness deserves to be mistreated. If so, then God forgive us all. There are many who are outraged and rightly so. However this outrage needs to be turned into action. It is time we enact laws that allow the bully to be tried for murder and regardless of age, be sentenced to life. Sch blatant disregard for life is reasons for a similar punishment. Until we begin to respect life like God intended, then we are incapable of respect ourself. TODAY I CHOOSE TO RESPECT LIFE!
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