Stayin Cool

Off in the distance I heard a faint tune. As the sound drew closer and louder it became more recognizable as a carousel-like melody known as “Redwing.” The kids of my neighborhood knew it as the Ice Cream Man song. I was salivating for a refreshing cool treat of my youth. I ran over to my wife who was in the kitchen and said, “The ice cream man’s coming. Do you want anything?” She looked at me smiled and said, “You’re acting like a kid.” “Guilty.” I took that as a no and out the door I went to await the Ice Cream Man. The Ice Cream truck approached, and I flagged him, oh wait, surprise, it’s a lady. I flagged down the Ice Cream Lady. “Hello, I am glad you came by,” I said. She replied,” What can I get for you?” As I read the offerings on the menu painted on the side of the truck, I was in disbelief. Most everything was $5.00 to $8.00 per item. I thought to myself, wow, when I was a kid most everything was twenty-five to fifty cents and that was a lot of money for a “push-up” or a “50-50 bar.” “I’ll have a snow-cone please.” A $6.00 sno-cone. I walked back to my house to enjoy the cool, refreshing taste of flavored ice. It was good and it brought back memories of hot summer days when I was a kid. I kept thinking $6.00 for a snow cone. Whew! Rather than complain about the cost I started to think positively about my purchase of the overpriced flavored ice. I am fortunate I can afford this little luxury. Look at the technology that brought that cool delight to my door. It reminded me of the classic essay by Leonard E Reed, titled, I Pencil; the premise being no one person knows how a pencil is made. It takes a division of labor and countless individuals to take raw resources to make a pencil out of trees, lead, paint, metal, rubber, gasoline, and more to make a seemingly insignificant item into a productive tool. The value of a pencil is priceless when you need something to write with. Similarly, with the $6.00 snow cone, someone had to imagine it, and think about it before it was created. Too often I find myself complaining and bemoaning about things that are out of my control when I should be grateful. Example. A few weeks ago, my 25-year-old home air conditioning unit decided to die just when summer finally made an appearance. With some research online and a few phone calls, I was able to set up an appointment to get the unit replaced. In a little over a hundred years, air-conditioning has helped to make our lives better and more productive. We have become more comfortable in our homes and businesses because of air conditioning. The weather does not impact how I live my life today as much as it did when I was growing up. In fact, our human ingenuity and use of technology has saved countless lives when just a century ago weather events would have killed thousands. Yes, air conditioning costs a bundle, yet this piece of equipment was worth what I paid because it makes my life better. What do the sno-cone and the air conditioning unit have in common? They both cool one down and make life more enjoyable when things heat up. Here’s a lesson one could apply when words get heated during a conversation. Think COOL. This word pops in my head like the bubble in a newspaper cartoon when I get into a potential heated discussion or debate. Goodness knows there is no shortage of issues that can set people off these days. COOL represents the following. C = Calm. Remain calm when someone states something which would ordinarily set you off. Why? Because that person wants to get a reaction from you and by your lashing out, they win by getting into your head. Calm helps you react so that you remain composed. When you get angry you stop critically thinking and usually overreact. Have you ever thought after a heated discussion, “I should have said…” That’s anger and emotion getting in your way. O = Observe. Look intently at the person you are in conversation with. Look into their eyes. Then look at their body language, hand gestures, movement, facial expressions and how they use their voice to emphasize words. Listen to their breathing and the rhythm of their speech. Notice the environment around you. Take long deep breaths and do not think about your response. Let their words sink in. Then, ask a clarifying question or repeat what you thought the other person said. O = Orchestrate. Like a conductor who is out in front and stays in command, you can use short, clear, positive words. Speak in slower and softer tones. You should remain in control of yourself and your situation, which thereby creates an optimum outcome for both parties. Think rather than react. L = Lead. Lead by listening, acknowledging, and restating what is being said to gain clarity and define differences. If possible, find common areas of agreement. Be respectful even when words get personal. Dig deep inside to remain above the fray. There is a story of a group of travelers on a long journey through a blistering desert. As they journeyed to an oasis through the sand and merciless sun, they noticed a verdant green plant along the way which seemed to thrive in this unforgiving environment. The travelers wondered how this small plant could live in such a harsh landscape. They approached the plant and asked it how it managed to stay cool and live in such conditions when they were struggling just to survive. The plant replied, “I have learned to stay rooted and be patient. My roots are deep in the earth, drawing sustenance from unseen sources. I do not fight against the heat, instead I embrace it as part of my being. By conserving my energy during the hottest part of the day, I can bloom when the time is right.” It takes practice to implement this idea of COOL. Yet, it does help me remain calm in heated discussions which require an awareness of myself and others. Being respectful and being open to listening fosters a dialog that can resolve issues by remaining positive. On one-hundred-degree days a $6.00 snow cone might just be the thing to cool your words, thoughts, and actions.

Then and Now – It’s Getting Better All the Time

On Wednesday, May 24, 1933, Lawrence Sheldon Beck was born into this world. He did not have a name for the first few days because his parents, Morris and Rose, could not decide what to call him so he was simply called, “baby blue eyes.” To this day his facial features are dominated by his welcoming sky-blue eyes and a full head of snowy white hair to match his soldier straight teeth. His strong looking nose, squared off chin, and prominent ears frame his face. When asked, he is only too happy to entertain you by wiggling those ears. Larry, as my dad is known, was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota on a warm Spring Day. Last week my family was blessed to celebrate his 90th birthday on another warm Spring Day in Southern California. A small gathering of immediate family members ate, told stories, and relived family events as if to pass down memories like our ancestors did around a mythical campfire. My dad’s health is excellent for being 90. Of course, he has almost everything that can be replaced, including knees, hips, heart valve, and teeth. He marvels at the improvements of medicine, just in his lifetime. 90 years prior these improvements would not have been possible except perhaps for the teeth. My dad said, “I would have never dreamed that I would be able to have a heart valve replaced and be in and out of the hospital in a day.” He also marvels and is grateful he has reached this milestone. This celebration of my dad made me think about how much our lives have improved in the last 90 years. The 1930’s were troubled times due to the Great Depression, appeasement of the axis powers leading up to World War II, and big government intervention via the New Deal. Yet, these were also the years of innovation with people striving to make money to survive. For example, pressure sensitive Scotch Tape was invented by Richard Drew. The car radio was invented by Joseph and Paul Galvin. Frozen foods were invented by Clarence Birdseye. The electron microscope was created by Max Knott and Ernst Ruska. The radio telescope was invented by Karl Jansky. The electric razor was invented by Jacob Schick. All these were innovations people would have marveled at in the 90 years prior. Think about what we take for granted now, which was revolutionary in the 1930’s. In science, Dr. Karl D. Anderson and Nobel Prize winner Dr. Robert Millikan devised devices which gave scientists medical information about atomic energy. Today, those experiments have led to great advances in fighting cancer, which members of my family and friends have been battling. They also created the cleanest and safest form of energy ever devised, nuclear energy. We just need to be wise enough to expand its use. By understanding climate changes, climate related disaster deaths have decreased 98% over the last century according to Alex Epstein, author of Fossil Future. Epstein writes, “Despite claims that the world is too hot, cold-related deaths far exceed heat related deaths. After one hundred years of vigorous competition from alternatives, fossil fuels provide 80% of the world’s energy, including 90% of the world’s transportation energy.” This includes energy to grow and transport agricultural products and consumer goods making our modern world possible. Today scientists, through human ingenuity, can forecast weather related storms, hurricanes, and floods which saves countless lives. In 1933 trains were the fastest transportation from Chicago to Denver. The following year the Burlington Zephyr, a three-car diesel train, ran the rails in 13 hours and was at the apex of high-speed efficiency. Today, those same 888 miles have been cut down to two hours and thirty-three minutes, including taxiing in and out with commercial airline travel. Add two hours getting to and from the airport plus security and travel times have been cut in half, allowing for people to be more productive. Communication has improved in those ninety years. In the 1930’s there were approximately 15 million rotary landline phones in use. Made of metal and tethered to a wall, you were stationary when you used the phone. Calls were expensive and adjusted for inflation were cost prohibitive to many. Today, according to Pew Research, 97% of all Americans own a mobile device. With smart phones and an internet connection on your mobile device you can see, hear, and share documents inexpensively and in an instant. In 2023 we have the emergence of Artificial Intelligence, (AI), with predictions that it will manage and automate every aspect of our lives. Businesses and Consumers will benefit from this time saving technology by autonomous delivery systems. The metaverse or immersive internet will continue to develop, creating augmented reality and a digital copy of people via Avatar. People will be able to replicate themselves digitally so their relatives can communicate and develop an understanding and relationship with their ancestors. Blockchain technology will continue to advance and create innovative ways to bypass centralized government control of the exchange of value for value. Nanotechnology will enable doctors to use gene editing technology to create material for self-healing, perhaps solving the problem of food allergies and obesity. All these new and marvelous inventions have the intended goal of human flourishing. Yet they also have the potential for more destructive wars and control over the human condition. With one foot firmly situated in the past, I look forward to these new technologies through the study of human nature, which does not change, through reading great books, communicating in person and listening to beautiful music. My other foot is firmly situated in the future by being open to the possibilities of a great new universe. One can be skeptical of these innovations and believe they will be used for nefarious purposes, and perhaps they will. My view of the future is bright, blue optimism as seen through the eyes of my dad as in the Beatle’s song, – “It’s Getting Better All the Time.” https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/FMfcgzGsnBfPLLKLRZGmmCNGwSGWnsWQ

Caveat Emptor – Check the Tires Before You Go

When I learned to drive in high school, the first thing I was instructed to do was walk around the vehicle and inspect it. Are the tires well inflated? Are there any open doors or items around the car to remove? Are the rear view and side mirrors aligned for the driver so they can see oncoming traffic prior to making a lane change? And does the car have enough gas? For a new driver, these basic instructions gave me the rules of the road prior to going anywhere. I pre-checked all the things that needed to be done prior to driving. Like a new driver, a new preamble gives one the rules of the road. A preamble is the beginning of a document written to give its readers an understanding of the intent of those who wrote it. It defines its goals in clear and concise language. This ensures the reader can safely traverse the ideas in the document to come. The Preamble to the United States Constitution, written 1787, is clear and concise using fifty-two words to lay out the purpose of the United States Constitution. It states: “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution of the United States of America.” The Colorado Constitution’s Preamble was written in 1876, 100 years after the Declaration of Independence. Hence Colorado’s nickname, the Centennial State. Colorado’s Preamble’s sixty words are clear and concise as it states: “We, the people of Colorado, with profound reverence for the Supreme Ruler of the Universe, in order to form a more independent and perfect government; establish justice; insure tranquility; provide for the common defense; promote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this constitution for the ”State of Colorado.” The Town of Erie, where I reside, elected a commission of citizens to write a town charter for the purpose of creating “Home Rule” governance. Currently the town is governed as a statutory entity with governance by the state. In full disclosure, I ran for this commission and was not elected to serve on it. I had hoped that the citizens elected to this commission would create a document that would be clear and concise and give the citizens an understanding of its intent. Here is the proposed Town of Erie Charter Preamble. “We, the people of the Town of Erie, Colorado, in order to establish a more effective and responsive government, to promote the general welfare, and to secure the blessings of liberty for ourselves and future generations, do ordain and establish this Home Rule Charter. We recognize that Erie’s history, character, and resources require a government that is dedicated to local control, sustainability, and the preservation of our natural environment. We affirm the rights of all residents to participate in the decisions that affect their lives, and we seek to promote transparency, accountability, and good governance at all levels. We pledge to uphold the principles of democracy. equity, and justice, and foster a community that is inclusive, diverse, and welcoming to all. We value the contributions of our residents, businesses, and institutions, and we seek to promote economic growth and opportunity while preserving the quality of life that makes Erie a desirable place to live. In order to achieve these goals, we adopt this Home Rule Charter as a framework for local governance, and we commit ourselves to its execution for the betterment of our community and the well-being of all who call Erie home.” The entire premise of their document is written as a post-modern ideal viewing the world as they wish rather than how it is. If you read no farther than the preamble in this document, you will realize that it is dangerously written. The proposed preamble has one-hundred ninety-four words. This is 30% more words than our state Constitution and the language is intentionally ambiguous. My first suggestion for this committee and the citizens who will vote on it in November 2023, is to check their premises. Unlike the State of Colorado’s preamble there is no mention of Supreme Ruler or Creator. This is problematic since our wisdom is endowed by our creator as written in the Declaration of Independence, with inalienable rights of Life Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. There is no mention of the purpose of government, which is to protect universal, natural rights, and therefore to protect property. There is no mention of personal responsibility, or the ideals of citizenship which are to be self-restrained, self-reliant, self-assertive, and to have civic knowledge. The proposed preamble has words and phrases that I am opposed to for their ambiguity. They include: Sustainability, when properly defined, is a steady state of no growth. This is a “greenwash” word to sound environmentally concerned but what it really means is needing approval by your local government to build or improve a property. It is coercion at the local level. The preservation of our natural environment. We all want to live in a beautiful, clean environment yet when The City of Boulder enacted their preservation of the natural environment under the Danish Plan it created a “green belt” around the city. This artificial bubble limited amounts of land to build on and inflated home prices which negates the ability for real affordable housing. Democracy, which literally means “rule by the people” is really rule by the mob which impinges on individual rights. We are a republic with elected representatives. The Founders of this county feared democracy and understood its true outcomes. Equity is not equality. Equality states we should all have equal opportunity at the beginning of our lives and enjoy the fruits of our labor by industry. Equity states we should all end up in the same place with no regard for merit, industry, or property. Equity takes away our individual rights. Inclusive means if one agrees with the majority. Who is the arbitrator of this inclusiveness? What’s fair in the process to include, who pays for it, and who benefits from it? Diverse, is broad and subjective. Is it only diversity of skin color, religion, or sexual orientation or of ideas, experiences, and the ability to bring unique perspectives regardless of checking a box? We are told that local control is better for local municipalities which, in theory, would give the local citizens more to say in their local matters. This sounds good yet if a citizen does not get all the facts and understands what is being sold to them, they may regret their lack of understanding. Like the new driver who does not walk around his vehicle before driving and does not kick the tires then pulls out of the driveway with a flat, the experience will not be a good one from the beginning. As I continue to review this proposed Town of Erie charter I hope to expose more of their incorrect premises about local government. If I had to vote on the proposed charter in my town today, I would vote NO. Why should anyone care if they did not reside in Erie, Colorado? You may wish to look at your own city or town charter and discover if you are being sold a Lincoln or a lemon. You may be surprised at what you find under the guise of local control. https://kimmonson.com/kim_monson_show/caveat-emptor-check-the-tires-before-you-go/

Placeholders of Meaning

In my Toastmasters club our Grammarian shares a word of the day to help members increase their vocabulary and learn to use the new word as they speak. This is a valuable tool in expanding one’s understanding of the English language by listening to how others use the word. With training, your ears become attuned to words and the emotional connection they provide to an idea, a speaker, and the audience. Our language is constantly evolving, and new meanings are applied to words. There are also new words added to the dictionary every year that seem more like amalgamations. Words like digital nomad a noun, which is a person who works remotely while traveling for leisure, especially when having no fixed, permanent address. Or nearlywed, a noun, which is a person who lives with another in a life partnership, sometimes engaged with no planned wedding date or with no intention of ever marrying. This verbiage sounds like “word salad” if you ask me. Interesting to look at yet I won’t touch it. To keep words true to their origins they must be used with more frequency to understand their original meaning. Here are some examples: Arduous from the Latin arduus, the origin of which means “high” or “steep.” The American Heritage Dictionary definition of arduous is “demanding great effort or labor, difficult.” Used in a sentence, “The true test of a leader is whether his followers will adhere to his cause from their own volition, enduring the most arduous hardships without being forced to do so, and remaining steadfast in the moments of greatest peril.” – Xenophon Inviolate from the Latin inviolatus, the origin of which is to “not violate.” The American Heritage Dictionary definition being, ‘not violated or profaned or intact.’ Used in a sentence, “When the framers of the American Republic spoke of “The People”…they meant a sum of individuals, each of whom…retains his inviolate guarantee of individual rights.”– Ayn Rand Subjugation from the Latin subiugationem literally means to “bring under the yoke,” to subdue. The American Heritage Dictionary definition being, ‘to bring under control, especially by military force to conquer.’ Used in a sentence, “…the state is the result of aggressive force and subjugation. It has evolved without contractual foundation, just like a gang of protection racketeers.” – Hans-Hermann Hoppe Comports from the Latin comportare which means, “to bring together.” The American Heritage Dictionary definition is “to conduct or behave in a particular manner. To agree, correspond, or harmonize.” Used in a sentence, “No matter where you find yourself, comport yourself as if you were a distinguished person.” – Epictetus Reconciliation from the Latin reconciliare, meaning “to make good again” or “to repair.” The Webster Dictionary definition being “the act of causing two people or group to become friendly after a disagreement or argument.” Used in a sentence, “Previously known for its six syllables of sweetness and light, reconciliation has become the political fighting word of the year.” – William Safire These five words all have something in common. They were all said to be used at St. John’s Church in Richmond, Virginia on March 23, 1775, by Patrick Henry. Commonly known as the “Give me Liberty” speech, it was perhaps the catalyst for the Commonwealth of Virginia to vote to enter the War for Independence against the mightiest nation known to the world at that time, the British Empire. The result of Patrick Henry’s words was the enjoining of Virginia into the war to become part of a new nation whose goal was to throw off the subjugation of British tyranny. The rhetoric in the news, social-media, and in general conversation has been ramping up on all sides of almost any issue; pro or con, left or right. The use of words, especially those from the past, need to be dusted off and put back into fashion lest we create more schisms for ourselves to traverse. Presidents and pundits use disparaging words that divide citizens rather than use aspirational words that lift and motivate a nation to its potential. Words like inviolate, comport, and reconciliation have the strength to heal and mend. They are tools for binding and enclosing the gaps that separate us as a people. There is too much at stake for our posterity if we do not actively use our ears more than our tongue. Pronouns have replaced, Sir and Madame. Identifying how one feels replaces how one is in nature. Words have always had the power to move people to action. David Ogilvy wrote in his book On Advertising, “When I write an advertisement, I don’t want you to tell me that you find it ‘creative.’ I want you to find it so interesting that you buy the product.” He went on to write, “When Aeschines spoke, they said, “How well he speaks.’ But when Demosthenes spoke, they said. ‘Let us march against Phillip.” We are at a critical point where the advertisement of our language by politicians, bureaucrats, and interested parties is inching closer to actions there may be no drawing back from. Words ill spoken, like a lit flame, are an arduous fire to extinguish. The fire temporarily creates light and heat, yet ultimately leads to burning out into darkness. As a Grammarian may say, “speak your words wisely.” https://kimmonson.com/featured_articles/placeholders-of-meaning/

Is Entry Level Work the Dodo Bird of Today?

The dodo was an extinct, flightless bird that lived on the island of Mauritius. The first recorded mention of the dodo was by Dutch sailors in 1598. In the years following, the bird was hunted while its habitat was destroyed. The extinction of the dodo within a century of its discovery calls attention to the previously unrecognized problem of human involvement in its disappearance as well as predator species. The characterization of the dodo achieved recognition in literature from its role in the story of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and it has since come to be a symbol of extinction and obsolescence. Today with artificial intelligence, robots, and innovation nearing incomprehensible growth, how will our next generation of workers get the experience that past generations received? How will unskilled laborers enter the workforce if there are no entry level jobs? I worry those opportunities are quickly diminishing due to minimum wage laws, regulations, and young people not being taught to work. McDonalds just opened a fully automated restaurant here in Colorado. Other fast-food chains have followed suit. My experience at working and getting paid started early on Sundays when several bundles of newspapers were delivered on the front porch of my parents’ house. I would get up and fold the thick layers with a rubber band and stuff the papers into the cloth bags attached to the front handlebar of my Schwinn. I would struggle to ride my bike to deliver those papers with the heavy weight pulling me forward as I peddled around the neighborhood. When I started as a paper boy, I would throw the paper towards the front door. I quickly found out the rubber band would not always hold the heavy paper together if they were thrown too hard. After picking up several sections of newspaper and reassembling them, I discovered that hand delivering the paper to the front step earned me bigger tips on collection day. That was an early lesson about business and my labor when I was a kid. People will pay extra for an action that provides good service. A friend of my parents owned a book distribution business. They needed some warehouse workers to receive close-outs and returns with old price stickers placed on the cover of the dust jacket. My job was to peal the old stickers off the books, organize them, and then sweep the floors when things were slow. I learned how to carefully remove those stickers and then organize returns to become resaleable merchandise. The lesson learned was carefully repurposed goods, perceived as unsaleable, became sellable if handled correctly. This work was perfected by repeat actions enabling me to become proficient at my job. Before I had a car in High School, I worked for a different family friend delivering milk and dairy products on Saturday mornings. He would drive the route as I read the order form and retrieved items from truck cooler, such as ice-cold homogenized milk, American cheese, and butter. I’d place the items in a wire cage basket with a handle. When the truck stopped, I would run to the front door with those bottles clanging, drop off the new items, and pick up the empty bottles. I would run back to the truck and off we went. When we finished with the milk route, we would drive back to the apartment complex he managed. I would do odd jobs like cleaning the recreation room and gym, wash down the common areas, driveways, and sidewalks. I learned to ask, “what else I could do?.” My initiative was rewarded with extra cash. When I finally earned my license, my father let me use his hand-me-down VW Super Beetle to drive myself to work. For a time, I washed dishes and bussed tables at a local Italian restaurant. I worked at a sportswear store as a stock clerk and then moved up to be a shoe salesman. I moved on to sell industrial tools and supplies after school in a telephone boiler room opening leads for the professional sales team. When my dad was traveling as a manufacturer’s representative in the flower and craft industry, I would help him out by stocking shelves and taking inventory for his local customers so he could be on the road selling. All these jobs taught me what I did and did not like doing. These opportunities taught me to arrive early, stay engaged, and focus on the task at hand even after it was officially quitting time. All these actions helped me learn to listen more effectively, communicate better with people, and gave me ideas on how to work more efficiently. When I went off to college, I stumbled through many more odd jobs including carrying remanent carpeting up and down stairs of a two-story showroom. I bunched bleached thistle for a weekend but had to quit since I could not handle the smell. I was a fry cook at an A&W Root Beer flipping burgers. I found out quickly what I did not want to do the rest of my life. I was driven to find those jobs that I would enjoy and have fun with. I made friends with an older student who was going back to school to earn his AA degree. Like me, he loved music and was in fact a musician and fellow disc-jockey at our college radio station. He was the leader of a country-music band, and he hired me as a roadie and disc-jockey to play records between sets when the band took their breaks. From all these experiences I found that I liked working and entertaining people. From this opportunity I got a job as a disc-jockey at Stuart Anderson’s Black Angus restaurant. What did all jobs teach me? I learned the discipline of showing up early and staying late to finish a job. I dressed appropriately for the position and practiced proper hygiene. I worked harmoniously with others by listening and communicating in a way in which my co-workers would want to be treated. I worked on understanding the skills needed to do the job and comprehending what was expected of me. I asked for help when I did not know how to do something. I learned how to solve problems and seek solutions that I could take to my employer, so that the company and the customer benefited. I experienced what I liked to do and what I did not. I traded my time and labor for a paycheck, yet also acquired the skills needed to make me a better employee and person. I gained an appreciation for the value and dignity of work by learning the “trader principle,” trading value for value. These jobs eventually led to a profession and a career in sales which I still enjoy forty years later. I understand there have been, and will always be, changes in the types of jobs young people will need to enter the workforce. I am all for innovation and eliminating those repetitive processes that once were someone’s job if it leads to bettering lives in the long run. In the short term some jobs will be altered or eliminated. Yet, I wonder if this next generation will be fortunate enough to have a chance at entry level jobs in this new marketplace. Will they get those same opportunities and have the motivation I had to learn the value of work, labor, and action or like that flightless bird, will it be a thing of the past? The dodo used to walk around, And take the sun and air. The sun yet warms his native ground –The Dodo is not there! From a Hilaire Belloc poem about the dodo in his Bad Child’s Book of Beasts (1896)

Is Entry Level Work the Dodo Bird of Today?

Ideas

“The world makes way for a man with an idea” – Orison Swett Marden Ideas. Where do they come from? A spark of inspiration? Perhaps. Yet I would suggest Ideas come from the source of all wealth, your mind. What then is the definition of an idea? The Oxford Dictionary defines ideas as a thought or suggestion as to a possible course of action. I define ideas as observation plus opportunity equals outcome. As an example, the other day I was driving on the interstate in the number one lane. I came upon a car in front of me driving much slower than the posted speed. I checked my rear-view mirror, then my side mirror. This was the observation. The car in front of me was moving slower than the posted speed. I checked my mirrors again looking for the opportunity to change lanes once it was safe to do so. Once changing lanes, I accelerated around the vehicle that once was in front of me and then passed him by. This resulted in the outcome I wanted; driving the posted speed and moving around an obstacle in front of me thereby completing my action. Ideas like balloons float away if you don’t act on them. I recently coordinated an event for the Leadership Program of the Rockies called PLUGin. This networking event provides alumni of the program and current class members with a platform to observe a need or problem and then give a three-minute presentation. This occurs in front of fellow alumni on how they can engage in public policy or an idea to address that problem. Contestants then compete with peers for the most compelling presentation, the outcome of which is a cash prize for the winner. This year’s PLUGin ideas included education, parent’s advocacy, health care, women’s issues, the arts, media, and even comedy. Each presentation had something in common, an idea that came out of observation, plus opportunity, and provided an outcome. The winner was a colleague who was so fearful she almost dropped out of the competition, yet she faced her fear and shared her idea and won the competition. It takes courage to share an idea. Crossing ideas can cross pollenate and create something new. Think about the last time you took a road trip. Most gas station’s bathrooms resemble nuclear waste sites. However, there is Buc-ees, a chain of convenience stores and gas stations with locations in the South. Their slogan is “Potty like a Rock Star” and they mean it. Buc-ees has the cleanest public restrooms in America. In 2012, Cintas ran a nationwide restroom contest and made it official for any roadside warrior. This private company took a commonsense idea, clean bathrooms and a convenience store on steroids, and made it into the preferred pit stop location to do your business. It took observation of customers’ needs to solve a problem. My cousin has a property management company near a university. One of her biggest maintenance expenses was paying for a plumber in the middle of the night when a renter clogged their toilet. Her renters are often students living on their own for the first time and not knowing what to do when the usual substance clogs the commode. My cousin came up with a brilliant idea through observation and took the opportunity to stop making her plumber rich. She purchased dozens of toilet plungers and knocked on the doors of her renters. She explained what other renters had experienced on her properties and gave each renter a plunger and asked them to use it if their commode clogged. She reduced her maintenance expenses significantly and damage to her property was reduced because she met face to face with the people who rented from her and gave them an outcome that was practical. She even topped the plunger with a roll of toilet paper as the cherry on top. Her idea created an opportunity for a better outcome for her renters and herself. I once had a customer who was under time constraints and never available to see me when I worked in her town. I had conducted good business with her in the past, and I knew she liked to frequent the French bakery that shared the parking lot with her business. I found out when the fresh French bread was baked and had created a sticker beforehand that I placed below the bakery’s name with a corny note that read, “I just want a little slice of your time today.” As I walked into the corporate office the aroma of freshly baked bread filled the room. I handed one loaf to receptionist and said this is for you. And then I asked her to deliver the other loaf to the buyer I wanted to see. She did and 30 seconds later the buyer came around the corner laughing at the simple, yet effective, way of getting her attention. She invited me back to her office, made me a cup of coffee, and we conducted a transaction that made us both successful. I observed an opportunity at one of her store locations, shared it with her, and offered a better outcome than what she was currently experiencing. Each of these ideas provides examples of people who observed a need, studied the opportunity, and took action to create a solution to a problem. In doing so they flipped the narrative that there are no new ideas under the sun. However, if you are observant and study what’s around you, cross pollinating ideas can create new outcomes. Don’t pop your idea balloon with negative self-talk or the phrase, “one of these days I’ll take action on that idea.” My suggestion is to take action now. Study it. Read about it. Write your idea out. Concentrate on it. Create connections with it. Work hard on it. Make your idea come true. As the great Orison Swett Marden, the founder of Success Magazine wrote more than a century ago, “The world makes way for a man with an idea.” https://kimmonson.com/kim_monson_show/the-ramifications-of-bad-public-policy/

A Pearl of Wisdom

Do you get ticked-off by government legislating bag fees at the grocery stores or imposing California standards for Colorado by mandating all chickens be raised in an environment that raises prices and creates shortages? Are you frustrated that everything costs more due to higher energy prices to heat your home or fill your tank with gas? At least weekly, if not daily, you could gripe, complain, or post a nasty gram about these and many more issues on social media. Big whoop. You might feel better, yet what have you accomplished? Not a darn thing. What if you took a different approach? What if you address these same irritants with a positive attitude? What if you embraced the thing which set you off by taking positive action? In the mythology of the ancient Greeks pearls were thought to be created by the tears of Aphrodite, goddess of love, beauty, and passion. It was believed wearing pearls on the wedding day would stop a bride from shedding tears. In the Western tradition pearls have symbolized purity, generosity, integrity, and loyalty. The pearl is thought to attract wealth, luck, and protection to the wearer. The idiom “a pearl of wisdom” originates from the fact a pearl takes years to develop within an oyster and wisdom takes years to develop in a person. One’s ability to think and use knowledge, experience, and insight gives understanding and prudence to an individual. Wisdom is often attributed to the belief in G_D. The myth that a grain of sand is the genesis of a pearl is incorrect. Research shows the genesis is an invading organism or a foreign object other than sand. The invading material lodges in the oyster causing it irritation. Unable to dislodge the matter through secretions, the oyster covers it with layer upon layer of a substance called nacre forming a pearl. The development of the pearl is in essence the oyster’s way of protecting itself. Over time this continued layering of nacre encapsules the foreign object. What begins as an irritation becomes a thing of beauty. Could the beauty of the pearl help teach you to better deal with the irritations of daily life? In other words, can you cover these foreign intrusions with your own nacre, or reason, or understanding, and use it to turn an irritation into something beneficial and even beautiful? We can learn to embrace the world we experience, rather than being negatively impacted by it. As an example, I abhor the welfare state. Yet it exists. I have empathy for those in hard times, are destitute, or incapable of taking care of themselves due to circumstances beyond their control. Many religious, benevolent, and community service organizations have and do take up the challenge of helping those in need. Yet, when government enters the arena, it crowds out those who can better create and resolve problems. Government routinely throws money at a problem, and the problem grows. In my experience, non-governmental organizations and non-profits focus on fixing problems, with limited funds, and the problem often diminishes. How can we encapsulate and crowd out government? One solution is to take responsibility and teach the children in our community about citizenship. One of the foundational blocks of citizenship is being self-reliant. Teaching our children and grandchildren to be dependent on others after the age of majority is corrupting for both the helped and the helper. The dependence creates the position of subservience to one and the position of power to the other, which often leads to more destitution and unhappiness. When a person can work even at the most menial of endeavors, they gain a sense of accomplishment, pride in work, and self-actualization, which leads to happiness. The welfare state is not going away anytime soon so what can a citizen do to make a difference? A commitment I make and have participated in for years is joining a community service club such as the Optimist Club which is known as the “Friend of Youth.” All our efforts are focused on youth programs in our local community. There are many organizations that do outstanding work in your community such as Rotary, Kiwanis, Boys and Girls Clubs, and the thousands of organizations which provide services and help without government intervention. Involving yourself in a volunteer organization and giving time and treasure builds stronger bonds and crowds out the need for more government assistance. Not to mention the beauty of creating and helping from an act of benevolence and virtue as opposed to the force of government altruism; the “other-ism” of government that one should live your life for others rather than for one’s self is an abomination. Government produces one thing, misery. It’s the productive and the wise that produce wealth as is stated in the classic writings of Ayn Rand in Atlas Shrugged by her character Francisco d’Anconia’s speech on money. “So you think that money is the root of all evil?” said Francisco d’Anconia. “Have you ever asked what is the root of money? Money is a tool of exchange, which can’t exist unless there are goods produced and men able to produce them. Money is the material shape of the principle that men who wish to deal with one another must deal by trade and give value for value. Money is not the tool of the moochers, who claim your product by tears, or of the looters, who take it from you by force. Money is made possible only by the men who produce. Is this what you consider evil?” If we are to rid ourselves of the over-reaching behemoth of government, we must resolve to get involved in taking back our local communities, state, and country. You don’t have to do a lot; you just must do something. Like pearls strung on a necklace, together citizens can make a thing of beauty by using our source of all wealth, our minds to solve our problems. https://kimmonson.com/featured_articles/a-pearl-of-wisdom/?vgo_ee=1zUhdOyo%2Bv%2FkRmfh0RP872QOP8ZXmRzMvz3Yw%2BcA7gI%3D