The Difference between “I” and “We”.

According to the dictionary the word “I” is the first person singular as a subject and is used by a speaker in referring to himself or herself. The word “I” provides clarity and gives the listener the knowledge of the speaker’s stance. Using the word “I” is assertive and gives a first person point of view.

The word “we” is a nominative plural of “I”. “We” refers to, you and another. ”We” can also mean on behalf of the group or persons who agree with each other. “We” can also be used as a leadership word for a nation or institution. Such as in the Preamble of our Constitution, “We the People of the United States…”

Before there can be a “we” there has to be an “I”. As I reflect on the recent election, I can see the real difference between each of the two main parties by the words they use and their ideologies. One party clearly believes in the strength of the individual and states “I believe” and “I am”. The other party clearly seeks to create and support a community by stating, “We want” and “Yes we can”.

As inclusive as it is, “we” leaves out the personal responsibility of being in command and control of ones own self. “We” relies on the collectiveness of the group and does not require or qualify the assembled. “We” creates it strength from its numbers. The beauty of the “I” is to know the strength of the individual, to know ones capabilities and ones convictions and beliefs and thereby being able to rely on ones self.

My concern is that the people who believe in the “we” are now in the position to take away all the guarantees of our constitution of individual and property rights, of free markets that can prosper under limited government and low taxes and provide for a strong national defense, so “we” can engage in the aforementioned enterprises of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Government cannot and should not give us our happiness. It should help, yet not hinder. Government should provide only that which the “I” can not do and serve the “we” where necessary, and not just when needed or wanted.

It seams people these days want to skip being “I” and want to jump right into being “we”. I wonder why? Is it too much work? Has life become so complicated? I hope not. For “we” to work, our country needs to get back to being “I’” first.

How will you vote?

After being inundated with hundreds of commercials, postcards, flyers, newspaper articles, e-mail blasts, blog reports and even personal visits from candidates the race for public office has become an interruption in my daily life. Like most people I would like to get back to the comfort of my routine before the election. I would like to go back before I ever had to met Freddie and Fannie
and the economic meltdown of Wall Street. Here’s the problem. There is no going back, only the future. We can’t change what has happened. We can learn from the past and only go forward.

I have been told how we got into the current situation. The finger pointing has been directed at both major political parties and their leaders How do we fix the problem so we can go forward and pull away from all the of negativity and mistrust of government? How do we vote for real change? Here’s a novel idea. Pull out that dusty copy of the United States Constitution you gave your kids to read for school. Can’t find it? Go to the library and ask for a copy, they may still have one, someplace. Better yet, go on-line and look it up. Read what it has to say. Yes, I know the wording is perhaps a bit old fashion. I know it’s something you haven’t looked at since high school civics class. Do yourself and your country a favor and read it.

You may be shocked how different you will “fill in the boxes” in the voting booth. The ideals set forth by America’s Founders in the United States Constitution should be everyone’s guiding principles in making their decisions on Election Day. Do the candidates you are voting for or the issues you are in favor of protect individual and property rights? Do the individuals running for office stand for personal responsibility? Are your candidates in favor of free markets, limited government and low taxes? And most importantly is your candidate voting for a strong national defense?

If you can answer yes to all these questions then the person you are voting for and the issues you are in favor of are upholding the guiding principles of our Constitution. If they are not, then you get the government you vote for. My suggestion for my countrymen is to really move on. Read one of the most enduring documents written by all mankind. Read your Constitution and then vote.

Waiting for the sun to rise.

Leadership is earned, not a given.
Sometimes one finds themselves placed in this position. Others seek it out.
If you are a leader of a group or a company try this exercise. Before the early morning dawn stand facing the west and wait for the sun to rise.You may will it all you want. You can think positively. You may dream it to happen. Yet, simply being positive or optimistic about the outcome will not make it happen. Facing away from the challenge and wishing, hoping or commanding the sun to rise in the west will not make it so.

What does a leader do? Realize that you are not so powerful that you can wish, will or command an object like the sun to move away from its natural cycle. Your employees, volunteers in a group or even your kids are much the same way. People follow leaders that lead. It sounds redundant, however I have found it is a correct statement. A leader has a vision or their goals based on his or her values, plans and activities. A leader then follows the vision with their mission. A simplified statement of purpose and a base for all else that is to be accomplished. Finally, a leader must communicate their vision and mission in a compelling manner that engages the listener in a way that they wish to be lead.

Simple to say, yet it is very challenging to do. I have studied leadership by reading, listening and attending seminars and talks. I have been to management institutes, industry conventions and trade shows too numerous to count. I am still learning about the art and the science of leadership. I have been in leadership positions and have been successful. I have been in leadership positions and failed and I have had to learn that leadership is a moving target that evolves as the group or situation changes. The key is not to lose sight of the one’s vision and mission. Leaders can adapt with new or different information, yet it then has to be redefined and communicated again.

When I think back to the people I have followed in my life, my parents, my teachers, my professional mentors, I see one common thread. It is that they cared about me. They touched my heart and asked that I be a part of their lives. Leaders know how to do this with their actions, their stories and their real world experiences which allow others to follow. Leaders lead from the heart, not from their position. The sun will prove it every time.

I'm Going to Fun

My work is fun. I have the opportunity to enhance people’s lives with color everyday.
To me this is not work, its fun. Of course there is the day to day busy paperwork and the crisis that pops up from time to time, yet I choose to think of my work as fun. Other wise why would I want to spend most of my days, weeks and months and now years doing it, if it wasn’t fun

To many people dread getting up in the morning because they have to go to work. Why?
Life is too short and so am I. Get up and go to have fun. Enjoy what you do. I wake up happy and looking forward to having fun that day. Most of my days start at 5:00am. I try to get to the gym by 5:30, work out for about an hour, and then head off to fun. Meeting peope. Talking to probable prospects. Having fun.

I plan one activity that will expand my knowledge everyday. Sometimes it’s checking out a new web site at lunch. Often I read industry magazines during a break. Other times it’s leaving the office for a bit and doing something that breaks up the day and gives me added energy. Visiting new stores, a museum or driving down a different street and seeing what's new. I come back refreshed and ready to have more fun.

Calling your job work often makes it just that. Calling your job fun changes your psyche and changes your outlook for the day. Try it for a week and see if you are having more fun than work to do.

Service: Rangers Lead the Way

I recently saw a sign that read, “Home of the Free, because of the Brave.” The slogan swiftly made me think of my nephew who serves our country as an Army Ranger. The timing was perfect as he was about to visit us in Colorado for a much needed vacation.
When we meet for lunch, we hugged I mistakenly blurted out the Marines Motto “Semper Fidelis,”-“Always Faithful,” instead of the Rangers motto of "Sua Sponte,”-“Of Their Own Accord.” My nephew laughed and in a gentlemanly way said, “that’s the other guys, were the one’s that “lead the way.” He reminded me of what a great motto the Rangers have.
We spoke in general terms about the Rangers and what he could use when he is deployed. He said, “I really don’t need anything, however, when I’m far from home it’s nice to know I’m not forgotten. Your e-mails are much appreciated.” It made me think how important it is to be in touch.
After our visit I thought about how the Rangers could teach any business the things that are important. Thought: How well am I at being in touch with my customers, suppliers and internal staff to run a well functioning organization?
The Rangers are a regiment of rapidly-deployable light infantry which uses its specialized skills that enable them to perform operations of all types at a moments notice. They can be deployed and respond anywhere in the world within 18 hours notice. Thought: How fast can my business respond to a crisis or opportunity in my sphere of influence? Do I have a plan to respond to situations that my business may face? Do I train enough to execute, as best I can? Am I using my specialized skills to their potential? These are all “moments of truth” to be examined.
The last part of the Rangers creed reads, “Readily will I display the intestinal fortitude required to fight on to the Ranger objective and complete the mission, though I be the lone survivor.” Thought: These are words that I should also take to heart given the environment that business is in today. Though I am not in the same life and death situation as our brave soldiers who serve our country, my business is fighting for it’s life everyday. If it does not stay in touch and examine itself constantly it will no longer survive. My business, like the Rangers must “Lead the Way.”

Are the Valleys as important as the Mountaintops?

I was privileged to attend my local Toastmasters District Conference recently. Friday night’s opening event was a Table Topics Contest. Table Topics is impromptu speaking that allows participants to “Think on Their Feet”. Table Topics is also fast, that is unless you’re the speaker.

In Table Topics the idea is to tell a mini-story with a beginning, a body and a conclusion all within 2 minutes. The contestants must speak for at least 60 seconds to qualify. A Timer switches on a green light and the contestant knows they are at least in the running. At 90 seconds the speaker sees a yellow light. Now, the speaker should be thinking about tying their story together and it’s ending. At 120 seconds the speaker gets a red light and must wrap up their thoughts in 15 seconds. It’s a real talent to do this well. However, each contestant will tell you all it takes is practice.

The contestants were secluded and one by one they where invited to the stage and asked the same question by the Table Topics Master.
Are the Valleys as important as the Mountaintops?
I did my own personal judging on each contestant as they spoke. There were seven participants in all. As the judges were scoring the contestants, the question seeped back into my head, like a song that you can’t get out of your mind. The answers were thoughtful, insightful, funny and witty. The individual I chose to win didn’t even place in the top three. What were the judges looking for that I did not see? I knew they had to be as objective as possible. They all had guide sheets to keep the judging as fair as possible. I was missing something.

The person that did win had done an excellent job. Then, I got the “ah ha” moment of why the winner had won. They had “connected” with the audience. They took the question of the “Valleys” as being as important as the “Mountaintops” in a way that “connected” with the judges. The winner’s answer went from the judges ears and transcended to their hearts. All during the conference this word “connect” keep cropping back up. “Being Connected.” “Getting Connected.” “Connecting” your goals to your Speaking". Like the Valleys and the Mountains, the question “connected” me to the idea that one does not exist without the other.

Our lives are very much like this. We strive for the top, for the Mountains vistas which are often uncluttered and empty. The Valleys are where we mostly dwell and often don’t challenge ourselves to get out of. The challenge in Toastmasters and in life is to “connect” the two so there is balance. To appreciate the mountaintops and their rewards we start off in the Valley. We also know well that we are often brought back to the Valley. The process is ongoing. My life is now is transitioning from the green light to the yellow. One day it will go from the yellow to the red. Until then the goal for me is to appreciate the pinnacle when there and work towards it’s summit when I am back in the valley.

Spring is a great time of year.

Living in Colorado you notice when spring arrives. The colors become so much more vibrant. The beige drabness of winter’s brown sepia tones slowly recede to the welcoming of verdant green. You first notice it with the grass. The vibrant fresh green shoots emerge from their winter’s sleep. Bulb plants with their strong stems erupt from the ground still cold with the frost of the last snow. This is followed by the emergence of color from the persistent blooms. Brilliant red’s, yellow’s and pink’s of flowering tulips. Azure hues of blue and purples from crocus and hyacinth. The forsythia’s vibrant yellow attracts the eye and the bees.

The foliage of trees unfurls daily. The bones of branches that stood their ground for all of winter, are now rewarded with a new canopy of shade to block the oncoming longer days and luminous sun.

Outdoor activities are resumed. Baseball returns and the “crack of the bat” on ball field’s, that awaken with players enthused to return. Bikes are ridden on pathways long abandoned by snow and are now happy to accept wheels rolling along. Laughter returns to play areas and children dangle from seats being pushed to and fro.

There is renewed hope in the air. The gleam of the sun light is brighter and more radiant. The blue of the sky is sharply contrasted by the milky-white snow which still rings the uppermost peaks of the majestic Rocky Mountains. The dimness of the season past, awakens to the crystalline approach of the new day. Dull become sharp. Dusty becomes clean.

There is a sense of rebirth and newness and that anything can be accomplished. Now is the time to reawaken those intentions. Now is the time to start anew those plans put on hold after the commitment of the New Year. Reexamine, recommit and replace old habits with recast spirit. Do the thing that you have been waiting to do, now. Seize it now while it is fresh and commands your attention. Immediacy gets things done. Engage it. Accomplish it.
Spring, the very word is a call to action.

Finding My Way Around

I just came back from a business trip to New York City and Northern New Jersey. Now, I am not intimidated by much, however driving in these two places can be challenging to say the least. Having grown up in Los Angeles and driving in a major urban area I am well tested to be able to compete on the roads of the East Coast. The major difference in my opinion is that the roads are narrower and they drive crazier. Lanes seem to mean nothing.

Thank goodness for the GPS system I rented with the car. I arrived bleary eyed from my overnight flight and arrived at LaGuardia Airport ready for the day. I found the bus to the rental car lot an there was the car I rented ready to go. The GPS system neatly attached to the front window.

I entered the address of my first sales call and proceeded on my way. Within thirty minutes I arrived at my destination on Long Island. What a great tool to have. I made my appointment on time and had a great call. My next few stops were all on Long Island and the GPS system made finding them all quite easy.
My day was a success and I survived day one. So often I am trying to read a map and drive at the same time. I also have used the internet mapping program as a backup, yet here too you have to read while driving.

The neat thing about the GPS is that it gives you directions verbally while you drive. If there is traffic up ahead it gives you notice to make other plans. If you miss your turn or can’t get over in traffic the GPS recalculates and works to get you back on track to find your destination.

Success in business is much the same. You have to use your internal GPS system to know how to get from point A to Point B. You have to have a strategy or better yet an intention to succeed. You have to plan, execute and recalculate if things don’t come together as planned. Tools like GPS are wonderful new technologies to use. They make the effort all effortless. Yet, without careful planning and a direction in mind, GPS can take you anyplace but where you need to go. My experience has been you have to have a destination in mind before you make your trip. I visualize my trips, my business and my success everyday. I use the tools available to help me with my success. You can as well. Now, if they can only give a bit more notice on the GPS when I am in the fast lane to slow down because the off ramp is coming up on the right in .02 miles

The Third Spot

Over the weekend I attended a design and marketing show put on by one of my customers in Denver, Colorado. They had world renowned flower expert J Schwanke present a wedding program for over three hundred customers. J is the driving force behind JTV, which is a web site that features a different weekly webisode about floral design for the floral professional and floral enthusiast. This concept recently morphed into a bigger more expansive creative forum called ubloom, www.ubloom.com.

The idea behind ubloom is to expand and cross pollinate creativity in floral, craft and special events. J has gathered friends and experts in these other areas to create a community that is hungry to share information and knowledge. I always look for a “nugget” to take way from these types of presentations and J gave several on this occasion.

The idea of The Third Spot struck me as something I not heard of before. J spoke about, “Work is where you have to be. Home is where you want to be.
And, The Third Spot is a place that you want to hang out”
J used the Starbucks model as an example. His local Starbucks has a Barista who greets him every morning with his favorite drink, made to his specifications. The Barista puts J’s name on the cup so he feels like it’s his place. The chairs invite him to hang out. The music makes him remember a happy time in his life. The community bulletin board lets him know what is happening in his community. The Third Spot is replicated in places like Borders and Barnes and Noble. They each have coffee vendors inviting you to relax, enjoy your favorite beverage, brose and hang out. These places create a lifestyle setting that many fast food restaurants are trying to replicate.

Could The Third Spot idea be an idea to fulfill a need for your customers to hang out in your place of business? Could you upscale the coffee and drinks inviting your customer to enjoy their shopping experience? Could you create a lending library of the latest books and magazines on business, design, marketing? Is there an opportunity to have DVD’s or books on tape that your customer could barrow to educate their staff? Do you offer a community exchange board for notices, meetings and information? The Third Spot is an interesting concept that could create added value and a place for your customers to meet, share ideas and want to spend more time in your place rather than the competition.

Toastmaters prepared me to caucus

In this season of politics, primaries and choosing a president, I had my first opportunity to participate in my states caucus. It was an interesting process to be a part of. Most of the people in my precinct had never participated in a caucus and because of this it was new and exciting. There was a constant flow of folks registering to participate. The turn out was far greater than expected. Was this because the slate of candidates this time around? Was it the opportunity to have a greater say in the election process? Was it all of the above and more?

My reason for attending was to cast my vote and to speak on behalf of a friend of mine who is running for one of our states house-district seats. He had asked if I would introduce him in my precinct since I am active in our town’s civic and service groups. I was honored to be asked to do this and looking forward to sharing my enthusiasm for my friend and his candidacy.

The caucus chairperson asked if anyone would like to speak on behalf of any of the candidates running for our parties ticket. My friend was going to start the evening at his precinct and he would be over at our caucus as soon as he could make it. All the speakers for the national candidates had their say. My friend was no where in sight. My nerves were on edge since I had only prepared an introduction, not a speech.

My cell phone buzzed just then and I answered. My friend apologized for not being at my caucus yet and said his precinct had so many people showing up that they were still registering folks and they were running way behind. My friend asked if I won’t mind just presenting for him with some kind words. “Sure, not a problem,” I said and hung up.

The Caucus Chairperson asked if anyone else would like to speak on behalf of a candidate? I took a deep breath, smiled at my wife and jumped up from where I was seated. The Chairperson stated I had two to three minutes. The light bulb went on and I thought, Table Topics. Cool. I can handle this. Even though I had only prepared an introduction, my Toastmaster skills kicked in. I opened my remarks with what I had planned as the introduction and then I enhanced my speech with a personal story about my friend and an experience he had while campaigning.

I looked into the eyes of the audience members. I felt my message about my friend was connecting. The audience seemed engaged and several people smiled back as I spoke. I had no notes and spoke from the heart. It was about “yellow card” time so I wrapped up my thoughts and said, thank you. I was given a round of applause. Wow! I had done it. Because of my Table Topics skills, I was confident and concise in my presentation. Toastmasters had saved the day for me and I hope garnered some votes for my friend.

After the caucus several people came up to me and asked about the Toastmaster’s club my friend and I attend since I had said, we both enjoyed practicing our speaking skills. This experience actually turned out to be an opportunity to invite several people to join our clubs meeting that week. Who knows, perhaps we’ll gain a new member or two.

For more information on the Chamber Ad-Liborators Club #770817 Broomfield, Colorado http://chamberadlib.freetoasthost.info/

Giving is better than receiving.

March 17th - St. Patrick’s Day is the date of my coming into this world. It’s a fun day to celebrate. I can walk into any pub and announce, “It’s my Birthday” and the out come the cheers and the complimentary adult beverages. What a great day to be born. Several years ago I wanted to do something memorable on my Birthday. I was listening to a local radio personality in Denver by the name of Pete Boyles. He was talking about an event to be held at a Fado’s Irish Pub called St. Baldrick’s Day.

The name was so intriguing that I went on line and looked up St. Baldrick’s. I learned that the idea for the name came about when three reinsurance executives turned their industry's St. Patrick's Day party into a benefit for kids with cancer. In 1999, Tim Kenny challenged friends, John Bender and Enda McDonnell to find a way to give back to society. John suggested shaving Enda's head since kids typically lose their hair during cancer treatment. "People will gladly pay to see you bald, Enda!" Never one to miss an opportunity, Enda replied, "I will if you will," and St. Baldrick's was born.

I thought, if these guys could raise money for finding a cure to eradicate childhood cancer so could I. It was just the event I was looking for to make my Birthday memorable. Besides, hair grows back. I signed up for the event and started asking for donations for this wonderful cause. That first year I did not know what to expect. I arrived first thing in the morning at 6:00am. The volunteers were setting up and Pete Boyles was doing a live broadcast from the pub. There was a lot of excitement in the air. I still wasn’t sure if I wanted to go through with it. I figured if I went first and got it over with it would be OK. They asked for the first volunteer and up I jumped.

The volunteer barber gave me a smile, covered me with an apron and started to buzz off all my hair. As the small crowd hollered with approval I had started laughing like crazy. It was all over in a few minutes. I now knew how a sheep felt when it got sheared and boy was my head cold. The applause was great. Several other Shavees gave me high fives as I walked past them. I had raised my first $500.00 for St. Baldrick’s. I was hooked. The most marvelous part of the event was when I meet several kid’s who had joined the festivities that had their cancer in remission. They came to thank everyone for being at the event. I felt rewarded for having done something I knew could make a difference.

That first year I did the event for fun. The following year I shaved my head in honor of the daughter of a friend of mine who was diagnosed with leukemia. St. Baldrick’s became more personal now. That year I shaved my head with a buddy and again it was a rewarding experience. I shared my experience with another friend in New Jersey and he was so intrigued he has started an event in his home town. It’s amazing how a small dare has grown into a major fundraising event to help a disease that should never have been.

Since the first event in 2000, St. Baldrick's volunteers have raised over $34 million for life-saving research and 2008 promises even more exciting progress. Every child, teen, and family deserves our very best effort to cure childhood cancer, and that's just what they'll get from the St. Baldrick's community!

I look forward to doing my part this year. Raising money and awareness to find a cure, help a kid and ease a families burden. So as your raising a toast to the honorable St. Patrick this year, why not make a donation to St. Baldrick’s Foundation. For the price of a six pack you can make a contribution.
Here is the website to donate. http://www.stbaldricks.org/participants/shavee_info.html?ParticipantKey=200821087
Thank you.