Reiterations

“Repetition, plus restatement, gets people to remember,” David Brooks, a communication expert and the 1990 World Champion of Public Speaking, said at a Toastmasters District training I attended many years ago. Mr. Brooks shared his expertise on how to give better presentations using the elements of eloquence in public speaking. It is a memorable phrase and illustrates excellent writing skills using alliteration to help the audience listen with clarity. I have shared this quote often to demonstrate how repeating something over and over helps people to connect with an idea. Like giving a dozen roses says I love you twelve times, our minds are wired in a way to see patterns which connect us to the idea of repetition, restatement, and remembering. Repetition. I often find this helps me in other aspects of my life. When I challenge myself to learn a new skill or improve an existing one, I repeat the skill over and over. Persistence is repeating something until you get as close to mastery as possible. Notice, I did not say perfection. That’s an idea which confuses people into thinking they must be perfect, knowing that perfection is likely unattainable. Continuous improvement is a better way to look at outcomes. Writing is a skill I continually work on and practice, often in frustration especially when the words are there yet I have trouble placing them in an order to make sense. Yet, I persist. Restatement. If you have children, or know children, or act like a child, you will understand this concept. Have you ever told a child not to do something? Don’t run with a knife. Don’t act out. Don’t cross the street without looking both ways. You have most likely said it so many times you seek ways to restate it in a more impactful way. Screaming and yelling to get attention will work, yet it sends a negative message. Granted, it is sometimes necessary. However, restating in a positive manner works more effectively and is better for all parties involved. Here are those phrases restated. Walk slowly to the table with the knife by your side. When you feel angry count to five before you respond. When you cross the street look to your right and left to see if any cars are coming; only then move forward. Remember. Memories are those little mind excursions which help one relive experiences and keep in the forefront those stories that shape who we have become. Such as family reunions or a gathering of old school friends, all the stories are dusted off and repeated to relive those “good ole’ days.” Remembering is also like the many cycles that are part of our lives. There are the seasonal cycles. Winter is followed by Spring, which is followed by Summer, which is followed by Fall. I am certain of that. There is the business cycle of booms and busts. There are geologic cycles in forming and breaking down the Earth. There are astronomical cycles with equinoxes. There are hundreds of different cycles which have a beginning, middle, and end. In the Torah, the five books of the Hebrew Bible, after the final portion of Deuteronomy is read, the beginning of the Torah is started once more with the reading of Genesis. This continual reading is a tradition that reminds Jews you can never finish studying and there is always something new to learn. There is life itself. As this year closes and we enter another, we reflect. We set new goals for the year, perhaps the next few years, and we commit to going forward. We try dieting, going to the gym, writing every day. Some succeed, many don’t. Why is this? Perhaps it’s a lack of persistence, determination, support, or a positive mindset. There are many excuses yet acting is the only way change will happen. You will have missteps and lapses in your new commitment. Just start over until your new dream, your new skill, your new vision, becomes a routine habit. Give yourself 30 consecutive days. Celebrate that milestone. Then, commit to another 30 days. Rinse and repeat. Failure will happen and it is OK. It’s when you don’t get back to your goal, your plan, or your commitment, you miss the opportunities in front of you. We live in the greatest of times, in the greatest country, and today is your greatest day to act and prove it so. Reiteration is the cycle that leads to continuous improvement. Wishing you a healthy, happy, and prosperous New Year of success? https://kimmonson.com/kim_monson_show/cdphe-proposes-vaccine-rule-changes-for-online-students-and-natural-immunity/

What Are You Certain Of?

During the Wuhan virus lockdowns, I became an active participant in Jeffrey Gitomer’s 9:59 club, a virtual gathering of people from around the globe. Gitomer is an American author, professional speaker, and business trainer who instructs on sales, customer loyalty, and personal development. Every day, seven days a week, for over two years hundreds of people met on social media to engage with Gitomer to keep their motivation and spirits up. Daily messages of hope, inspiration, and ideas for business would be discussed. Gitomer would riff on a topic and then participants would post their thoughts, comments, or quotes which he would read and discuss. Humor and stories congealed the group. What started as an experiment grew into a community. Toru would check in from Japan every day at midnight local time. We would hear from Joachim from Hell, Norway, or Thomas from Sweden, or Randall from Trinidad, and businesspeople and entrepreneurs who were socially apart, yet gathered. The experience was as close to anything I have ever been addicted to. The daily challenges of like-minded people grew into a deeper commitment as many 9:59’ers became members of Jeffrey Gitomer’s Insiders Club and the Colorado members created a local Mastermind Group. Several times a month a special guest would present on a topic and other times Gitomer would present a Masterclass on some business idea. The information, insights, and wisdom were beyond their cost and are invaluable to my continued personal development. During one conversation Gitomer hosted guest Daniel Burris, an expert on leadership and the future. Burris said something profound, “In times of uncertainty, document what you’re certain of.” As he continued talking Gitomer stopped the conversation and had Burrus repeat those words. The dialog that followed was deeply impactful. I wrote Burrus’s words down and after the presentation I started to reflect on those things I was certain of. Flowing from my pen were words that first trickled, then became a torrent of writing about people, ideas, and concepts that ran swiftly from my mind to hand to paper. The family I could count on, friends who I trusted, and those closest who had my back were documented. Truths and virtues that I knew for certain were documented. First principles that are known as exceptional were documented. This exercise grounded my thinking and left much less room for doubt and uncertainty. The daily crisis that was propagated as news was less important because I had a certainty, clarity and understanding of how information and messaging were being created to keep fear in the forefront of our minds. The exercise of documenting those things I was certain of helped me keep my optimistic point of view. After the midterm elections in Colorado, I did this same exercise of reflecting on those certainties. I posted the Burrus quote on my social media platforms and had the honor of the author “like” and retweet his quote with my photo of a beautiful “tequila sunrise’ silhouetting an old oak tree near my house. After what felt like a gut punch on election night had become a reminder of those people, concepts and ideas that are more important than one election. The sun did rise the next morning. My daily routine of walking, reading, writing, preparing, thinking, and creating continued. My phone still rang, and I received orders from customers. I spoke to family and my wonderful wife who continued to be the supporting and loving person she is. By documenting all these things, I realized we are greater for having gone through the gauntlet and come out the other side, a bit scathed but present. There is an old myth of an ordinary bird whose feathers were mundane, yet after she flew too close to a fire, scorched her plum and turned into the most beautiful colors of blue, yellow, and red. The story informs us how the primary colors were created by the experiences of life. Those colors form the basis of all other colors. Those words of Daniel Burrus are worth repeating. “In times of uncertainty, document what you’re certain of.” They form the basis of our certainty. https://kimmonson.com/featured_articles/what-are-you-certain-of/?vgo_ee=1zUhdOyo%2Bv%2FkRmfh0RP872QOP8ZXmRzMvz3Yw%2BcA7gI%3D

What Problem Are They Trying to Fix?

It’s Sunday morning and the doorbell rings. Two ladies walking by my house see and read the home-made sign in my yard and stop by to ask about it. I am glad they did. They said they were new to the neighborhood and wanted to know more about the issue of Home Rule regarding the Town of Erie question 3E on the November 8th ballot. It states, “Shall the Town of Erie form a Home Rule Charter Commission for the purpose of drafting a Home Rule charter”. They asked, “what is Home Rule, why do some people not want to continue as a statutory town, who is leading this initiative, who benefits, who is paying for it, what is fair about it, what are the unintended consequences of it?” These are all great questions. I answered them as best I could from my reading and facts I have found from sources as varied as the Colorado Municipal League, the “Yes, on Home Rule website”, and other towns and municipalities with their proponents for and against Home Rule all around the State of Colorado. After a nice conversation and answering their questions I asked, “What problem do you think Home Rule is trying to fix for the town?” They shrugged. I suggested they do their own research and said, “I am voting NO on the issue.” I asked the ladies to do the same, and to vote for the individuals who did not fill out the issue committee’s questionnaire on their website. Confused, one asked, “If we vote no, why do we have to vote for nine people for the Charter Commission?” I explained, “Even if you vote no, the measure may still pass and the nine people who garner the most votes will be chosen to serve on the Charter Commission.” The other said, “They are trying to confuse people”. I have read from those in favor of the measure that we need more local control of our town’s destiny, give the citizens what they want and raise more sources of revenue from businesses so the town can provide more services for the community. These comments are exactly why I am against this measure. The people who are for this measure say they want to help the town manage future growth. They want to provide more of the services and help people’s needs. These are all terrible ideas because they use the force government to pay for these services. The people who are supporting the town forming a Charter Commission have said things such as, they are running to “give back to the community,” stop the “head butting contest” between the reds and the blues,” “grow in a sustainable and managed way,” “help shape Erie’s future and make sure that it continues to be an enjoyable place to live,” “regularly encountered situations where we were restricted in how we could make a decision or address a local issue,” “I want to ensure an honest voice for my community,” “to provide Old Town Erie with representation in town politics,” “we have a vested interest in Erie,” “I am passionate about the well-being of our community and the opportunities provided to all residents.” All nice sounding platitudes to run on yet not one of these folks understand the proper role of their government. No one has stated a philosophical understanding of the purpose of government. The purpose of government is to protect individual rights. Not to provide for people. Not one person who is supporting this charter has written or talked about this exceptional concept. Those who have studied history, philosophy, and human nature see this measure for what it is, a grab at more control at a local level and adding another layer of bureaucracy into the lives of Erie citizens. We should all be involved in our government, yet when people do not understand what a citizen is, it’s easy to see why we have the sort of bloated government we currently have. As citizens, we must be self-restrained and be in control of ourselves. We should be self-assertive and not surrender our sovereignty to those in power or abdicate our personal responsibility. We should have civic-knowledge and an understand how our government should work. We should be self-reliant and use our mind to reason and create our own wealth. These things must be done to remain free and independent beings. These are the conditions of freedom in a civil society. If this measure passes and a new charter is to be written, it should embody the recognition and protection of individual rights. I want to be part of the Charter Commission if it does pass to do just this. If citizens are to be free, they should understand that production proceeds consumption. That no amount of need is a reason to force others to do for you. The human mind is the source of all your wealth. Capitalism is the only moral system consistent with human nature. All trade should be mutually beneficial and voluntary, trading value for value. The initiation of force is evil, and that government has a monopoly on force. To understand the objective rule of law on property is critical. The proper way to champion capitalism is a moral defense based upon the unalienable rights of each individual to live their lives according to their own judgment. The Yes on Home Rule people can’t estimate the cost of a new charter because they are saying it depends on what is written into it. I can assure you that your taxes will rise, and your life will become more complicated with more government if Home Rule passes. To sum this up and paraphrase Matte Kibbe, President of Free the People, “Leave people alone, don’t take their junk, and don’t be a jerk,” by growing government. I ask you to vote NO on Home Rule and in case this measure passes, vote for me, Bradley Beck because I will protect your individual rights if elected. https://kimmonson.com/featured_articles/what-problem-are-they-trying-to-fix/

We Are The Problem

Watching the news on any channel is an opportunity to talk back to the TV. The president of the United States demonizes 76 million of his fellow Americans as “semi-fascists”. He speaks about unity, yet his rhetoric divides. He constantly speaks about “our democracy”, purposely misleading his fellow citizens into believing we live in one. Our president unconstitutionally transfers wealth from people who took out student loans to those who did not and expects responsible people to help in paying those loans back. The U.S. sends billions of taxpayer dollars to foreign countries with no expectation of oversight or repayment, yet if you miss one quarterly payment to the IRS, one of 87,000 new armed agents may soon show up at your door. State government is getting even worse. One governor mandates no internal combustion vehicles can be sold in his state by a certain date, yet his fellow citizens can’t keep the air-conditioning on after 4:00 PM for fear of having rolling black-outs after two weeks of 100+-degree temperatures. Oh, and don’t charge your electric vehicles during this time. The energy of unreliable solar and wind does not work if the sun does not shine or the wind does not blow. Never mind that coal, natural gas, and nuclear power run his state with available, affordable, and abundant energy, not the mythical energy of the “green new deal”. I could go on and on griping and complaining yet the real problem is not them, it is us. Before you jump on me as an apologist for those on the opposite political spectrum let me explain. For far too long we have abdicated our responsibility to be active and engaged citizens at any level of government. As scholar Dr. Thomas Krannawitter has written, there are four aspects to citizenship, “Self-restraint, self-assertiveness, civic-knowledge, and self-reliance”. Those of us who believe in these ideas have used the excuse, “I am too busy making a living, raising my kids, or I have no time” to be active in local government. We the people have caused this problem because we thought others would stand on the vanguard and protect those individual rights that our constitutional republic was founded on. We thought that if we leave people alone, not take their stuff, and not be an idiot we could live and let live. In theory that sounds nice, yet the opposition has filled the void by seeping into every aspect of our lives including government, education, media, and entertainment. Every institution we once respected and held with reverence we now see corrupted by the ever-growing state. The question is what do we do about our current situation? Many of my friends are about to “Go Galt”. They are done with our mixed-up comingling of economy and state. I can only speak for myself when I say I am tired of using the excuse of “I am too busy” only to let the usual suspects continue to take over while the frog in a pot, boils into oblivion. The time to act is long overdue. This is why I have decided to run for a public office as a charter commissioner in my Town of Erie, Colorado. I have been working behind the scene in local politics since 2008 to advance the ideas of liberty. This is the responsible exercise of freedom, a definition amateur historian Ben Martin uses. I find by using logic and reason to influence and persuade others to think and reflect, we can find a common ground. I have helped hundreds of people find their voice in public speaking and improve their oral communication and leadership skills. I have invested my time in my local community in youth programs to enhance young people’s lives with activities and opportunities which help them grow and excel. Yet, as much as I would like to think I made a small difference in my sphere of influence, it does not seem to be enough. The town in which I live is attempting to go from a statutory to a home rule town. According to the Legislative Council Staff Nonpartisan Services for Colorado’s Legislature, “Home rule is a form or structure of governing defined by the citizens of a municipality or county that allows for more control over matters of local significance. Voters can decide to adopt home rule, and through a charter, detail the structure and powers of the local government.” It continues, “Home rule empowers local governments to act and legislate on local matters. In general, home rule ordinances addressing local matters supersede state law. However, in matters of statewide or mixed concern, state laws may take precedence over conflicting home rule ordinances. Without a home rule charter, local governments are strictly subject to the laws of the state.” This all sounds wonderful until you read and understand that it also gives local governments more power to tax, zone, create public health ordinances, public safety and gives the administrators of our town more control and no fiscal plan to pay for it. In theory, why wouldn’t a citizen want more local control? To be blunt, if your elected officials and town administration was inept and wanted more power to effect change in a way that does not protect individual rights, one would most likely vote “NO” on such a measure. Having spent two years to flatten the curve, I have little trust in the majority elected officials and bureaucrats. They do not understand that the proper role of all government is to protect universal, equal, natural rights given by our creator. Nothing more. The rather innocuous language of the ballot measure for the municipal election on Tuesday, November 8, 2022 reads as follows. “Shall the Town of Erie form a Home Rule Charter Commission for the purpose of drafting a home rule charter? Yes/ For, No/ Against. Section 2. The following candidates shall appear on the ballot in the following order. Vote for not more than nine ( 9) candidates to serve on the Town of Erie' s Home Rule Charter Commission. The measure continues to name the randomly selected individuals who have all been verified by the town clerk to qualify to run for the position. (I am number 14 on the ballot in case you know someone who lives in Erie.) By state statute, the elected commissioners will have 180 days to construct a charter. Then, if approved by the town trustees it goes back to the citizens for a vote. Here’s the rub, you may think as a voter you are done by voting “NO” on home rule. However, you still have to select nine of the eighteen candidates in case the ballot measure passes. The measure is constructed to be confusing, and at best misunderstood. I was reluctant to run. I do not want this charter commission measure to pass. However, if the measure does pass, I want to be part of a deliberative conversation to construct as many safeguards to protect individual rights into the document. The charter needs to be written in concise, and clear language for every citizen to easily understand. I can no longer stand by and do nothing. I have taken up the challenge and so here is my challenge to you. Find a local board or commission and serve. If I can stand to partake in the “sausage making”, perhaps you can too. Kathleen Chandler, at the Independence Institute states, “Don’t waste your time talking to like-minded friends…make a real difference! Change the politically correct culture to the American Culture” https://kimmonson.com/featured_articles/we-are-the-problem/

Thank You Take Training

A Jewish farmer in the old country goes to the town rabbi and complains that his house is too small. The farmer can’t stand all the noise at home of the children playing and screaming and his wife cooking, cleaning, and singing, while taking care of the household. The rabbi tells the farmer to bring his chickens to live in the house with him. The farmer is baffled, but he does it. The next day, the farmer goes back to the rabbi to complain that the situation is worse. The rabbi tells him to bring his goat into his house. The farmer does and things get even worse. The third day the farmer goes back to the rabbi and complains things are terrible and the noise continues all night. The rabbi insists the farmer bring his cow into the house. The farmer does, and now the farmer is beside himself. This is not working. The noise is unbearable, so the farmer goes back to the rabbi to complain. Finally, the rabbi tells the farmer to return all the animals to the yard. The farmer does as he is told. The next day the farmer returns to the rabbi to report that life is great, and he slept better than he can ever remember. The point of the story is we should focus on the gifts we have instead of what we want. And most importantly, things can get worse. Instead of complaining the farmer could be thankful that he had a house, small that it may be. The farmer could have looked at his screaming children and thought,” I am lucky to have healthy and happy children playing loudly.” The farmer could have been more grateful that he had a wife who cheerfully made clanking noises with her pots and pans and cooked wonderful meals for him and his children. The farmer could have been more grateful that his wife sang while she did her household cleaning and was happy to do so to support her family. The farmer could have been more grateful to open his eyes every morning and get to live another day. This story can be helpful in business as we tend to dread Monday mornings and the beginning of the work week. In a previous job my co-workers could not wait for the start of the weekend and eagerly welcomed Friday. They thought I was crazy when I told them I couldn’t wait for Mondays since I was grateful to have a job I enjoyed. Of all the mementos I have collected in forty years of being in business, I cherish the Thank You cards that customers and industry friends have sent me. I started working in my father’s business as a manufacturer’s representative selling florist supplies. My father taught and instilled in me a work ethic that would earn me praise from customers when I would stock their shelves, organize their back stock, take an inventory, attend their trade shows and help the customer promote and sell what they had purchased from me to their end user. Early in my career, I would receive “Thank You” cards from customers for helping them with their success. My father was amazed. In his many years of working with these same customers he would rarely get a “Thank You,” let alone a card. He said to me, “Keep those cards in a file and bring them out and reread them when things aren’t going so well. It will remind you of your past successes.” My father was right. I have had some rough spots in my business career and taking those “Thank You” cards out to read from time to time reminds me how lucky I am to have customers that would take the time to send a heartfelt acknowledgment of gratitude. My father was grateful to have established customers and help them make a profit so he could as well. Overtime, this created a mutually benefitted trust for their business interactions. I, too, was thankful for these relationships, the recognition by those customers that took the time to write their gratitude down on a piece of paper and affix a stamp and mail it to me was an affirmation that made the extra efforts worthwhile and satisfying to do. Think about all the little things people do for you every day without expecting any reward. A stranger opens a door for you. Another driver lets you edge out of a driveway allowing you to enter into traffic. A pedestrian picks up a piece of trash in front of your business and throws it in the can even though they did not drop it. These little acts of civility deserve our thanks. They are reminders of how one should act in public and with each other. I am thankful I was taught manners and to be polite. You might not remember all the times your parent told you to say, “Thank You” when someone did something nice for you. Your parents had to repeat this over and over to you until it became a habit. The habit was expeditated when you didn’t say “Thank You” and you received a whack on top of your head for not saying it automatically. The point being, it took the constant reminder by your parents to say “Thank You” for you to get it and make it routine. You may have experienced this with your own children. It takes practice. When my wife sends a gift to one of our grandchildren for their birthday, the reward she receives back is the illegible writing of a “Thank You” card. These treasures are cherished as if they are to be saved in a safety deposit box. A civil society should cherish the timeless aspect of such etiquette which needs to be taught, nurtured, and reinforced. Stand out of the crowd by being a writer of “Thank You” cards. Write one a day to someone you care about or someone you do business with. Let others receive your gratitude and you will solidify your relationships and make the receiver of your gratitude feel great. “Thank You” for reading my essay. https://kimmonson.com/featured_articles/thank-you-takes-training/

Finding the Funny

Scrolling through social media I stopped on a photo of a dad holding his baby son and they were both laughing. I smiled and clicked on the start button of the video. It was a compilation of babies who were laughing at the actions their parents were performing. For four short minutes I smiled, laughed, and was temporarily relieved of the craziness of the world. It made me feel better to laugh. It’s hard to change the world but I can change my world by looking for humor in life every day. Searching for reasons to smile or laugh in this time of division and disillusionment can be difficult. We need to seek humor as we emerge from the mandated restrictions created by an overreaching government. As human beings we need to look for the funny in things even when times are serious. Smiles are infectious. Humor is infectious. And given we just went through this infectious CCP Virus, I am reminded of the wonderful poem by Spike Milligan, the British-Irish actor, comedian, writer, musician, poet, and playwright. He wrote, “Smiling is infectious; you catch it like the flu. When someone smiled at me today, I started smiling, too. I passed around the corner, and someone saw my grin, when he smiled, I realized, I’d passed it on to him. I thought about that smile, then I realized its worth. A single smile, just like mine, could travel round the earth. So, if you feel a smile begin, don’t leave it undetected – Let’s start an epidemic quick and get the world infected!” Are you smiling now? I am and you should too. Laughter helps you feel good even if its temporally. You use less muscles in your face when you smile than when you frown. Smiling improves your disposition and laughter which releases endorphins that help you relax. Laughter reduces stress and anxiety. My business guru, Jeffrey Gitomer once said, “At the end of humor is the height of listening. People want to hear what’s next.” This is why I often will start a presentation with a funny quip or a self-effacing story. The shared experience of laughter gives people a wonderful sense of common ground. In our divided world, humor brings people together. Laughter heals the broken spirit and helps expose a truth most people would not say out-loud in public, yet a comedian often does. On my work desk is a round, yellow, smiley face stress ball. It makes me smile. I have photographs of family, and friends on my bookcases with meaningful trinkets and mementos that bring back warm memories and good times that make me smile while I work. I have books on many subjects, yet when I need a pick me up, the books I have on humor and jokes give me a mental respite from a hectic day. One of our Toastmasters Clubs that I co-founded celebrated our ten-year anniversary of helping people find their voice and leadership skills. The president of the club wanted to commemorate the event with a roast of me as their target of mirth and humor. I consented to being the object of entertainment that day and I was not disappointed. In fact, I was honored to be made light of with folly and laughter. The jokes, presentations, and laughter were all done at my expense, and I enjoyed every moment of it. The adage of, “if you can’t laugh at yourself, you’re taking yourself too seriously” rang true. By allowing oneself to hear others talk about you in a humorous way is humbling and endearing. I laughed so hard I cried at the truths that were lovingly thrown my way. I only hope the eulogies at my funeral will be as funny. The world is filled with complainers, controllers, and cabooses. Don’t let them in to command your day. Don’t dwell in their darkness. Find the light in humor and laughter. My suggestion for getting more laughter in your day, is to study the art of comedians and funny people. Listen to their use of words, their story delivery, and the use of surprise to make others laugh. As I have said, “Be a student of observation and find the funny in every situation. There will be times when you’re down or may wish to cry, yet a good bit of laughter is a better way to moisten the eye. Look in the mirror, that always makes me laugh. Our maker has a sense of humor; just study the giraffe. Laugh, smile, and find the humor in your day. The wrinkles in my face tell everyone, laughter is here to stay.” Here are some favorite quotes on laughter. “A day without laughter is a day wasted” – Charlie Chaplin “The human race has one really effective weapon, and that is laughter” – Mark Twain “Laughter is an instant vacation” – Milton Berle “Trouble knocked at the door, but hearing laughter hurried away” – Benjamin Franklin “Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath” – George Carlin “Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face” – Victor Hugo “Laughter connects you with people. It’s almost impossible to maintain any kind of distance of any sense of social hierarchy when you’re just howling with laughter. Laughter is a force for democracy” John Cleese Listen to the audio on KLZ560: https://kimmonson.com/featured_articles/finding-the-funny/?vgo_ee=1zUhdOyo%2Bv%2FkRmfh0RP872QOP8ZXmRzMvz3Yw%2BcA7gI%3D

The Cerebral Crisis

The Climate Crisis, The Covid Crisis, The Currency Crisis. Crisis after crisis, amplified by the news and social media to instill fear, greed, vanity, and most of all stupidity into the airwaves and published in print and on screens. Real or imagined, the crisis we actually face is a cerebral crisis. A crisis relating to the brain or the intellect of the individual to think. I have had the opportunity to mentor young people by focusing on their ability to speak in public. Once I was asked to work with a young, single working mom. She was taking college courses to better herself. She was intelligent, well spoken, and was always dressed in trendy clothing. Our meetings were focused on helping her become a more confident and polished speaker. We spent our first meeting getting to know each other and I asked her many questions to see where we could best focus our time and work on the skills she needed. As we progressed, she told me her main goal was to give an oral presentation in one of her classes on the injustice white civilization had placed on the indigenous peoples of North America. I bit my tongue. I listened to her make the case for her cause. She asked how she could persuade her fellow classmates on this topic and then be able to transfer this presentation into her upcoming social justice protest she was invited to speak at. Rather than respond, I asked her to write her speech out so we could talk about how to help her delivery, her vocal variety, her body language, and most importantly her confidence. I suggested she know her rate of speaking by reading a page from a book or article out loud for one minute and then count the words spoken. Doing this exercise three times she would add up the total and then divide by three to give her a rough estimate of how many words per minute she could speak. By knowing her rate of speaking she would know how many words she could use in a speech. Given that my mentee had 10 minutes to present her information and she spoke 140 words a minute, she could write out and use 1,400 words and be plus or minus thirty seconds within her targeted time. I suggested she edit her speech down even more so she could use effective pauses and create a pacing that would be attractive to her listeners. She did just as I suggested and sent me her speech. Her writing was eloquent and her prose was poetic, yet her content was filled with assumptions, half-truths, and unverified accusations about known historical events. She blamed white privileged males of the United States from the Founders to the present for the decimation and disenfranchisement of native peoples. I asked her a simple question. “Are you trying to truly persuade your audience or are you looking to speak into a silo of like-minded individuals?” She was unsure of where I was heading with this question. I continued, “If you’re trying to convince a guy like me to listen to your ideas, I would suggest you use two devices that might get you a hearing”. I shared with her my PC test. No, not political correctness. My PC stands for premise and context. What is the premise you are trying to establish? If it is not accepted by the listener, you have no audience to persuade. Next, what is the context of the idea or situation you are trying to explain. Can you, as the speaker, provide information in a way that can be verified with original sources and be fact based, not opinion. Can you show the listener the relationship, perspective, and the kind of thinking happening at the time of the events in context to the time frame they happened? Prior to our next meeting I asked her to look up and research the Crow Creek Massacre. She did and was shocked to learn about the event few, if any, Americans know about. In about 1325 A.D. near Chamberlin, South Dakota along the Missouri River nearly 500 native people were slaughtered and found hundreds of years later in a mass grave. This atrocity happened when no white Europeans had yet established any settlements in this area. The closest Anglo settlement was at L’Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland where Norse explorers established an island outpost thousands of miles away from the massacre site. It was highly unlikely they had anything to do with the massacre. The question remains, “Who killed these native people? I asked her. The blank look on her face and her shrugged shoulders gave me the answer. “I don’t know” she replied. I shared with her that from the archeological record violent scalping had taken place on the victims, men, women, and children. The conclusive evidence from the human remains was that blunt force was used and cranial trauma observed on victims of the Crow Creek massacre. A tragedy in the annals of human interaction prior to Caucasian contact. This is part of human nature to take from others what was not theirs. Yet, it happened. In comparison, an estimated 150 to 300 native people were killed by the U.S. Army in the massacre at Wounded Knee, South Dakota, in December 1890. These sorts of contextual events bring balance and understanding to the full pantheon of human existence. My mentee went on to rewrite her speech and have a more balanced understanding of the events that happened in the past and how to understand their context in today’s sensibilities. This was a small victory. I did not convince her to change her total perspective, yet I did get her to see a different point of view. She became open to the possibility that human nature dominates our existence. By helping to give my mentee what she needed, such as confidence, skills, and a quenching of her curiosity, she trusted my suggestions and became willing to investigate for herself how to persuade and inform in a balanced approach. There are many ways to help people find a path to truth. The best way is to help them think. https://bit.ly/3mCRd82

On a leisurely walk one morning with my daughter, her boyfriend, and my wife, we approached a corner and waited for the traffic light to change to cross the street. Everyone stopped way short of the curb. Moving up to the edge of the curb I encouraged the others to do the same and said, “An idea without action is just a dream.” Without missing a beat my daughter replied, “We’re just walking. It doesn’t have to be that complicated.” I laughed because she was right. It hit me as a question to ask myself. Has life become so complicated that we need to step back and reassess what’s important?As my day continued, I received alerts and notices on my smart phone via social media apps. I should have turned the device off and ultimately did because alerts and notices arrived in rapid succession as I was trying to work. A legislator had proposed a new law to mandate all state workers continue to be vaccinated. Another alert exclaimed a Federal Judge struck down the mask mandate on airplanes and public transportation. The laws, mandates, regulations, and executive orders that are being prescribed day in and day out are so overwhelming and complicated that I am reminded of James Madison’s Federalist No. 62 where he writes, “It will be of little avail to the people, that the laws are made by men of their own choice, if the laws be so voluminous that they cannot be read, or so incoherent that they cannot be understood.” Our laws should be created with the KISS principle in mind. KISS, is an acronym for keep it simple stupid. The KISS principle states that most systems work best if they are simple rather than complicated. Simplicity should be a key goal in design and unnecessary complexity should be avoided. Kelly Johnson is the aircraft engineer credited with creating the term KISS. The story is that Johnson handed a team of design engineers a handful of tools, with a challenge that the jet aircraft they were designing must be repairable by an average mechanic in the field under combat conditions with only those tools. Hence, the term “stupid” refers to the relationship between the way things break and the sophistication available to repair them.In the business book 21.5 Unbreakable Laws of Selling, Jeffrey Gitomer shares his proven actions one must take to easier, faster, bigger, sales. He states, “At a time when the rules are changing, the laws remain constant. You can change the rules. You cannot break the laws.” Wow! That idea hits home when you think about it. Aren’t we selling ideas? Aren’t we trying to convince people why our ideas are better? Don’t our laws attempt to influence behavior? Well-informed citizens with common sense and good character are better stewards of their daily lives than the current legislative system which relies on “experts” and bureaucrats who are delegated to, by the authority of politicians who abdicate their responsibility to govern. Perhaps it’s too simplistic, yet it seems the framework of who pays, who benefits, who decides, and what’s fair is an easy way for people to understand any law. If something is a good idea, should we not be able to convince someone of its virtue, rather than have the force of government behind it? Here is the rub. Too many people do not understand their role in society as a citizen or have never been taught their role in their community which is self-reliant, self-restrained, self-assertive, and to have civic knowledge. If they did, perhaps we would not need so many laws, regulations, and mandates from people who complicate our lives with these over-bearing controls. There was a time when most citizens knew these ideas and they were taught in the public school system in civics class or in homeroom. These were all vestiges of the past, a simpler, uncomplicated time.Perhaps the way forward is to embrace these classic ideas which worked for so long. Take for example the idea to “keep, save or preserve from loss or decay. It is the meaning of the word, conserve. This word is the root of the word conservative. A Conservative is a person who wishes to keep and preserve and guard the ideas that our county was founded on; Family, Faith, Friendship, Freedom. To some these are the reasons to progress into a new world order. Some want to focus on diversity, inclusion, and equity. Diversity, inclusion and equity are also conservative ideas. Conservatives welcome rigorous debate because the better ideas are built on timeless principles. Therefore, we should have a diversity of ideas. Conservatives believe all are welcome and should be included in the arena because freedom is the only tent big enough for everyone. Therefore, Conservatives welcome people on their merit, not on their skin color, their economic status, their sexual orientation, or their religion. Even the idea of equity is a conservative idea because at the end of all the debating, disagreeing, and diatribes about ending up at the same place we should all celebrate our equity of being human. No one is more human than another. This is how we as Conservatives use judo like moves on our opponents. We don’t repeal them with force, but rather use their energy of ideas and bring them alongside and flip their understanding to fit our ideas in a positive manner. It doesn’t have to be complicated to help people understand these ideas and walk alongside them in a manner that lets them keep their dignity while they learn to accept the good, the true and the beautiful. If our rhetoric is clear and we explain our ideas in simple terms, then we can engage and change more minds. I think I’ll go for a walk. https://kimmonson.com/featured_articles/it-doesnt-have-to-be-that-complicated/?vgo_ee=1zUhdOyo%2Bv%2FkRmfh0RP872QOP8ZXmRzMvz3Yw%2BcA7gI%3D

The PDF of Life

A Portable Document Format (PDF) is an open standard for document exchange. It is used for representing documents in a manner independent of application software, hardware, and operating systems. What does this mean? You can write a Microsoft Word document on a personal computer and convert it to a PDF and send it to someone who has different type of computer or software, and it will look the same even if the operation system is different. Life can be like a PDF document. Lived in its original format and understood by those who are in one location yet translated and transferred in languages or cultures of others, continents away. To me PDF stands for Persistence, Determination and Failure. Like software formats, these ideas are understood universally. Persistence: Someone who has an eagerness of effort. Someone who works hard, often fails, yet continues to reach for ideas which they see in their mind. Someone who is ambitious, dedicated, and unwavering. The person who continues in the face of hardship and barriers. Never letting naysayers or self-doubt cloud their vision of a worthy goal. The opposite of persistence is transience, the state lasting only for a short time. Letting defeat and disillusion rule the day. Determination: The act of coming to a decision or of fixing or settling a purpose. Firm and resolute and always moving forward even when knocked down. Taking setbacks in stride and reassessing ways and opportunities to continue. Never losing the reason why you started and keeping in mind you do it for you first. Making a habit of activities that build up your success every day. The opposite is weakness. The state or condition of lacking strength. Failure: Proving unsuccessful or lack of accomplishment. Letting your environment dictate your outcome. Not getting up after a setback or series of setbacks. Letting others define you and believing them. Letting go of the idea you once wrote on a napkin and wishing you had started earlier on it. Failure is temporary if you let it. You can determine what causes a failure, assess what to correct the next time, respond in a positive way to overcome the failure, and learn from the situation to move forward. Believing you couldn’t because…you name the reason. The opposite of failure is success. Recently, I had the opportunity to be part of a committee which was tasked to read, review, and award a financial scholarship from a community service organization to a student going to college or trade school. The task was daunting since each of the applicants was intelligent with high GPA scores. Each student participated in activities such as sports, music, dance, art, academics. All volunteered in their community to make it better place. Each student engaged and sought out opportunities to explore their world while achieving academic success. Many had challenges in their young lives, yet the best written essays by several students were the ones who overcame their failures and were persistent and determined not to let those past situations define them. In a world ruled by code, software, and technology the human aspect of overcoming adversity by being persistent and determined beats the odds. Staying focused on the prize, and pressing on to solve one’s problems, and perhaps the world’s problems, can be helped by converting success from one operating system to another, even if it is different. Persistence, Determination and Failure. The choice is yours. https://kimmonson.com/featured_articles/the-pdf-of-life/?vgo_ee=1zUhdOyo%2Bv%2FkRmfh0RP872QOP8ZXmRzMvz3Yw%2BcA7gI%3D

Your Hands Always Fit A Broom

It’s funny how life’s choices work out. After getting married in Las Vegas and shortly after bringing a beautiful baby girl into this world, life was getting real. I needed a job. I was having no luck finding employment in Hollywood after attending Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles with a college degree in Communication Arts. With reality staring me in the face I asked my Dad who was a successful salesman if he would hire me. I thought I would work for my Dad at least until I could find a job in my chosen field of study. “I’ll give you a chance under one condition,” he said. “You give me a year of work before you even consider moving on.” I agreed and he took a chance on his eldest son. When I first started working for my Dad as a manufacturer’s representative in the flower and craft business, we would travel together so he could introduce me around to his established customers. This is how I learned about his business. The many skills I acquired in college did not at first seem transferable to this new field of employment. Slowly, those skills did reveal themselves. I had worked for and been fired by my Dad prior to this when I was in High School stocking shelves and taking inventories for his customers while he traveled. This is how I earned gas money for my car. While my Dad traveled his territory, I would go into his wholesale customers and stock their shelves with his products so they wouldn’t miss a sale. My Dad had grown up in the grocery business and his father, my Grandfather owned and worked in markets for years. My Dad understood the power of having inventory on the floor for customers to buy and shelves that were well stocked with merchandise. My Dad passed that on to me. Yet, I had also learned in film school to come prepared with everything you need for a shoot. Something would always break or be forgotten, and you need to fix a problem on set. The adage, time is money applied. I did enjoy stocking shelves and making sure they were well merchandised. Again, I had learned the esthetic of merchandising from my visual experience in film school, making the merchandise appeal to the customer. My Dad would say, “For each item you put on the shelf it’s like a penny in your pocket”. Once the shelves were full, I would inventory a product line and then leave it with the buyer to review and reorder. Another transferable skill I learned in film school by volunteering in the film equipment room in college. Making sure everything was replaced and in good working order for the next time someone checked out the equipment. Often, I would work off the customer’s inventory index cards, way before computers were common, and leave them the buyer’s desk. By the time I finished all the lines we represented, I would often leave with several orders. Back when I stated working fax machines were expensive or not available, only a few companies had an 800 number you could call in on to place an order. I would write orders on forms that had several pieces of carbon paper between them. Once the order was written after pressing hard on the paper, I would tear off a copy for the customer, make sure I keep one for our files and then mail one via the United States Post Office with a stamped envelope to the company for processing. While waiting for a buyer to place an order my Dad had taught me to look for something else to bring value to the customer. One thing I could do while waiting was to help clean up the customer’s warehouse. “My Dad once said to me, “Bradley your hands always fit a broom. If you have nothing else to do sweep the floor.” Wholesale Florist floors can often be a mess with fresh flowers being cut, paper and packaging thrown on the floor, and the general mess that happens in warehouses. I always enjoyed sweeping up for several reasons. One, I could help with a manual job that allowed others to do their job. Second, it would be noticed and even though it was not my job to do sweeping, it showed I was willing to invest in the customers success. Yet, the most important aspect of doing this was that I got to interact with all the employees who worked there, and they respected that sweeping the floor was not below me even while dressed in a coat and tie. The lesson here is that there is dignity in all work, even sweeping the floor; that skills in one job or profession are often transferable to another even when they seem like they are not. With all the help wanted signs up and jobs available in this county there is absolutely no reason for any person to be unemployed unless they are mentally or physically unable to work. For those of you who are sitting at home collecting a government check or waiting for the perfect job to come along, I have news for you. You create the perfect job. An employer does not pay you for your time. They pay you to think. Even in the most menial of jobs, a thinking person will advance while the person doing their time will complain about their minimal wage. Forty years later I am still in the flower business selling florist supplies. The industry has been good to my family and me. While it has changed, the so-called soft skills remain the same and are often not being passed along. I am fortunate to be asked to mentor younger people in business, and it is a privilege to do so. Once at a college event I was seated at a table of three professionals, a banker, a lawyer, and an entrepreneur, along with four students. The professionals all were tasked with imparting some wisdom or advice about their professional business careers to these students. I was the last to speak after great pearls of wisdom poured from my peers. The only thing I could think about was what my Dad had told me many years ago, “Your hands always fit a broom.” It's time for all Americans to pick up a broom and sweep.