The Town Square

In a small town lived a man who went by the name of Old Ned. He was a bit of a curmudgeon who liked engaging with people with his not so politically correct stickers plastered on his old truck. These stickers ran the gamut from provocative to humorous, to bordering on being offensive. Old Ned would park his truck around the town square and attract people passing by who would stop and gawk and read the hundreds of stickers plastered from roof to tailgate. Many would laugh, others would be horrified and walk on, and occasionally someone would stop a passing policeman to complain about the offensive words on the stickers, only to be told by the officer, “It’s called free speech.” When people noticed Old Ned sitting on the park bench across from the truck, they asked him if it was his. He would reply, “Yep, my stickers are my way of expressing my views, like ‘em or not.” With a wry twinkle in his eye he would continue, “If people don’t like it, they can look the other way. I’m not here to please anyone but to help people think.” I love characters like Old Ned. They challenge the reader to stop, notice, and absorb the ideas and comments. In the sound bite world of today even if it’s a bumper sticker idea, it can have a huge impact on the reader. Much like the “X” (Twitter) of today, bumper stickers can plant seeds that can be held in fertile soil for years. I remember when I was growing up in the 60’s and 70’s the bumper stickers of my youth had sayings like “Suck Eggs”, or “Don’t let THEM immanentize the Eschaton”, or “Nuke a gay whale for Jesus.” They provoked but also made me think of what they meant. I still smile and know that someone was offended by these sayings. This is what free speech does. It protects the minority opinion from the majority’s way of thinking. Our first amendment in our Bill of Rights gives the individual the unalienable right to think, say, write, and publish unpopular ideas. We must be consistent in our belief in free speech. We must recognize that there will be challenges that will often conflict with our morals and our decency. A prime example is what is happening on college campuses. The pro-Palestinian protestors have every right to protest and petition on the public square. If they are peaceful and don’t physically harm others, they are in their right to be nuisance. Yet, when they block other students, especially Jewish students, from fulfilling their right to attend classes or walk freely on a campus, they are violating rights of other individuals and should be dealt with swiftly. Conversely, Jewish students have every right to do counter demonstrations and peacefully get their message across without being accosted. Americans are fortunate that we have this codified in our law but more importantly in our DNA. We were a nation born of the idea that you will not be considered treasonous for simply going against the grain. If we wish to oppose a heinous idea or message, we must do the hard work of coming up with a superior message that persuades our fellow citizens to consider it as an elevated alternative. We are better people and an exceptional nation when we tolerate distasteful speech to occur, if it does not incite physical harm or provoke violence. We do not want our government to be the arbiter of speech, individuals should decide for themselves what they listen to or read. The transparency of bad ideas and unpopular speech allows for moral speech to advance and expand the footing that free speech is laid upon. We must have the fortitude to speak out against bad ideas and bad speech, but we should not stop those who want to wallow in the mud with pigs. After all, bacon comes from these creatures and our reward is butchering bad ideas with better ones to earn our tasty reward. The town square used to be the place where people could get up on a box and speak their minds. Today, social media is the town square and often the messages posted are hateful, harmful to feelings, and horrendous in tenor. In places like the UK one can be arrested, for speaking one’s mind, which is determined by governmental hate speech police. What a hellish scenario. Once our thoughts or speech is self-censored, we lose our freedom of expression. I am grateful that in the United States of America all speech must be part of the dialog. I recommend we give those with terrible ideas, and even worse messages, enough rope to hang themselves out to dry. The next time an Old Ned appears in your town square stop to thank him, for free speech is precious and must be protected even if you disagree with the message. https://kimmonson.com/featured_articles/the-town-square/

In Five Years

Disruptions happen in life all the time. It is what makes the human condition interesting. The question I will ask myself when something happens is how will I react to the disruption? Did I do enough preparation prior to the event so that I can calmly react or am I in DEFCON 1 mode? The worst part of a disruption is not knowing how long it will last and what its impact will be. Yet, if you are prepared, it will not matter. When the lab leak happened in Wuhan China known as Covid 19, the virus that escaped shut down the world. I thought I was prepared with my “bug out bag” and a few weeks’ worth of water and food that was for my emergency preparation. I had not prepared for the right disaster. During that time only “so-called” essential workers were allowed to go to work. I ignored it. I would go to my office when others did not. Rather than become a couch creature staring at a big screen, I invested in myself by reading more and staying socially connected. I am a member of Jeffrey Gitomer’s Insider Club, a group of businesspeople who subscribed to a monthly online meeting to discuss the best business practices, sales tactics, and strategies. When the shutdown happened Gitomer shifted his business to what he practiced for years, giving value first. He started the 9:59 Club. Every day during the “plandemic” at 9:59AM Eastern Time Jeffrey Gitomer started streaming live on various social media platforms. I never missed a day. This daily gathering was a lifesaver which helped countless business professionals get over the trauma of not being able to make a sale or physically go to work. Rather than listen to the so-called experts and be physically distanced, our group came together to be present. There is plenty of negative to remember about this period of death, despair, and lies. I choose to remember the relationships and skills I built because of this situation. Here are just a few. I learned how to use Zoom and other virtual platforms to communicate and stay in touch with customers, friends, and family. Learning this skill improved my understanding of how to be a better online communicator; for instance, having clearer sound by using a better microphone. Sufficient lighting was key to better illumination as well as a pleasant backdrop that demonstrated I respected the person I was talking with. There were no unmade beds or messy rooms in my background. These are all important elements when you are sharing an idea or demonstrating attention to detail when online. The experience forged lasting relationships with a group of fellow salesmen who lived in the local area. We met in person and began a Mastermind group to help each other overcome obstacles, hold each other accountable for our goals, learn, read, and then discuss books that would help make us better. The best reward for this effort is that we have become friends and advocates for our mutual success and meet to this day. Out of adversity, this worldwide event made many panic and become proficient at watching television or worrying about their future. Like many people I knew, I took this opportunity to realize that if you can invest your time in preparation, you can find new paths to success. It was a challenge at first to adapt to this new way of staying engaged, yet with persistence and determination I became proficient at new skills, and I was able to persevere in this lifestyle change. As an example, five years ago, Artificial Intelligence (AI) was not as developed or as useful in our daily lives. Today you use it daily without noticing it. AI can be found in a word processing program, such as the one I am using to write this essay to improve my productivity, spelling, or AI filters to help manage my e-mail by prioritizing and organizing them. You can use simple AI programs to help with your calendar management, task tracking, and smart controls to manage your lights, thermostat, and security system. When I started in business, I used an analog paper navigation device known as a map. Now, I cannot think of going somewhere without using a GPS app to find an optimal way to get to a destination and know how long it will take to get there. We use AI technology without thinking about it or realizing its presence in our daily communication via smart phones, our security via facial recognition, or health monitoring through useful health data on wearable devices. These AI applications save time and help individuals become more productive in their lives. Ask yourself how well prepared you are for the inevitable shifting landscape. Start now to gain excellence in your field of work, or a skill in which you need to be proficient. That way when change happens you will be in command of your situation rather than change being in command of you. A classic Aesop Fable tells of an Ant and the Grasshopper. During the hot summer, the hardworking ant diligently gathers food for the winter while the grasshopper spends his time singing and enjoying the sunshine. When winter arrives, the ant is well prepared with plenty of food in reserve. The grasshopper is left cold, hungry and its survival is left in the balance. The moral being, prepare now for the future during times of abundance to ensure your success during the difficult times that are sure to come. How well you react will be apparent by how well you are prepared. The clock has already started on the next five years. https://kimmonson.com/featured_articles/in-five-years/?vgo_ee=zy%2FjwFQtjCCJw6l69dDJDdjFzF3aw09k9P5JveRZ0oGKaYHOEjmjR3bw%3A53XMTcng%2BcQjDYZMpdpM7%2FNNxSYtzsYl

Happy New You

Two great beasts were thirsty and arrived at a small watering hole at the same time to drink. They fiercely disputed which should drink first and soon were engaged in a mortal battle. After several advances of attack, they both stopped to catch their breath. When they looked up, they saw vultures circling above waiting to feast on the first one to fall. The beasts at once reconciled from their quarrel saying, “It is better for us to be friends, than to become the food for vultures.” The New Year can seem like this when the resolutions you made with yourself in the past year do not come to fruition. You can come up with all the reasons why you fell short and battle with yourself. Or you can notice the vultures circling and come to an agreement with yourself to do better and greet the new year as a new opportunity to reinvent, reposition, rethink, repurpose, remind, and revise your goals. If you reflect on what worked and do more activities that won you success, you won’t dwell on what didn’t work. Time will pass whether you choose to do something to improve yourself or not, therefore it makes sense to try and take past successes and combine them with a goal you can achieve for an outcome that gets you to where you wish to go. There will always be interruptions that will deter you and make you lose focus on the goal you wish to achieve. It’s bound to happen. Take it as a short break and start once more. I have many friends who tell me they want to write a book. I will smile and ask, “How many pages have you written so far?” The topic usually changes quickly. I have been trying to write a book for years. Each year I set it as a goal, and I seem to always fall short. I have written hundreds of pages. Many of my stories have nothing to do with each other. That’s OK. Many do and they can be woven together into an interesting grouping of ideas. Instead of sitting down and writing a book, I decided to write short essays at least monthly. Eventually I will have enough material for the basis of a book. I set a goal that would not work in a traditional way, so I structured it in a way I can and will make it happen. There are many paths to create your success. Just start with something small. Tweek it as you go. Be persistent in your work. Be determined in your outcome. Celebrate your small successes. Rinse and repeat. I have found once I deconstruct my goals or opportunities down into small, bite size pieces, over time they come together. At the end of the year there is always a countdown to the New Year. Why not create a countdown to the new you. Write your own top ten ways you will need to meet your goals this year. There are many books and blogs on the internet that can help guide you. Here are mine. Start. Set time aside each day to advance your goal. Dream. Envision what your outcome will look like. Write the steps to achieve your goal. If you write it down, there is a record of your movement, and you’re more likely to hold yourself accountable. What is the time frame to accomplish your goal? Set your days, weeks, months, or year up to help you achieve success. What resources do you need to accomplish your goal? What things, people, money, etc. will you need to outline your success? Focus on your outcome. When you achieve your goal what will it look like and then work backward. Stay determined and persistent in reaching your goal. Situations will arise and events will seem to get in your way. Don’t lose sight of the prize. Adjust to any obstacles you encounter. You may need to temporarily reassess your goal, time frame, or needs. Setbacks can bring out creative solutions for success. Celebrate your achievement and evaluate your next step. Enjoy the outcome of your success. Enjoy the completion of the journey. Then think, how can I challenge myself to make it better. I read a story of a Rabbi’s mother who would tell the following. “There was a tall tree in the yard of her home. The neighborhood children used to climb up and would often fall out of the tree. When the Rabbi was young, he would climb up and reach the top of the tree without falling. When asked, “How is it that you don’t fall, and all the other children fail to make it to the top?” Her son responded, “As others climb, they look down and get frightened and fall. When I climb, I continually look upward.” Like the wise sage, keep looking upward and your success will be achieved. https://open.spotify.com/show/7FqEyZLXxp2lGzTYBcS9hQ