My Thoughts

What’s sooo much fun? 

I remember being a kid and going to watch high school basketball games with my dad.  The players, to me, were heroes. To an 8-year-old kid those guys were famous—they were superstars. I recall playing basketball on the playground—pretending to be one of those players.  And, my friends and I would argue over who got to play the role of each player.

Sure, some of you may have actually watched high-school players become superstars…but not me (no offense to the guys who played at my high school).  I grew up in small town, northern Minnesota.  Sure, we’ve had our share of professional athletes, but mostly on the ice…not on the court.  

So, what’s the point?

BizRibbon.com is launching as I write this post.  Today, I’m a fan of the people who have come to realize that their purpose is to help others find their dreams—in business, and in life.  And, because of the tremedous feedback I’ve already received, every day is like a new adventure—and I’m like an 8-year-old kid again, playing with my heroes.

Subscribe to www.bizribbon.com now.  

I’m going to practice my jump-shot.  Ooops…missed the backboard altogether.   

You don’t have to listen to my babble anymore…get real insight, real advice, and powerful strategy from the best thinkers in the world! Subscribe today at www.bizribbon.com 

What don’t we know? 

I was driving with my four-year-old the other day. 

“Daddy?” she asked.  ”What would you do if I were lost in the woods?” 

“Oh, sweet pea,” I said.  ”I’d never let anything happen to you.” 

“But what would you do?” 

“Well, I’d hunt day and night, and get all my friends to hunt day and night until we found you.”  

She started crying. “No.” ”What’s wrong?” I asked. 

“You’re supposed to hug mommy in the kitchen and feel really sad,” she said through her tears. “Cause that’s what they did on TV.” 

Of course, I thought her comments were cute—summarizing her tears as “that’s all she knows, because she saw it on a television show.” 

But, then I wondered…where does my comprehension of possibility end?  It’s easy for me to talk about potential…except, I don’t know what’s possible either. Plato had a pretty solid philosophy explaining the difference between what we know and what think we know in his Allegory of the Cave.  But, does that mean we’re only limited to a potential we can visualize?

Imagine your wildest dream…your furthest goal…and then ask yourself to imagine it as just  a silly step on the way to whatever is next.  Just because you haven’t seen it on TV, doesn’t mean it’s not possible. 

Ever wonder who your number one fan is?

Okay, so it sounds kind of pompous to assume any of us have fans…especially if you’re a scatterbrain like myself.

My wife—she’s a fan, but she quit reading my writing years ago.  Somehow those little love-letters she admired so much got the ax as acceptable gifts—because people were paying me to write.

My kids—my girls already think I’m just plain silly, mostly because I am.  They think the cool people dance like Hanna Montana…and I can’t quite define my dancing style as fitting…even though I’m learning the moves from a 7 and 4 year-old.  My son, only 2 years-old, thinks I’m still pretty cool…but only because I think he admires my dinosaur roaring impersonations, and I can still jump higher than him—that’s big stuff to guy who’s 2.  Vertical counts.

My parents—eh, parents don’t count.  C’mon, they cheered for us when we used the big potty—any cheering after that kind of loses its zeal.

No, I understand that I have a number one fan who lives in Idaho.  She is a woman I have yet to meet.  And, I must say, I’m flattered by her appreciation of my work.  It’s great to be appreciated…sincerely.

So often in life we appreciate the talents of others.  We look to those we admire.  We seek their approval.  Yet, we never stop to realize that someone out there—sometimes across the country, or even across the world—could appreciate our talents.  And, we should.  We should all know our #1 fans…and at the same time, we should let the people we admire know that we’re their #1 fans.

The world could use a little more appreciation between strangers.

And, FYI…my dancing isn’t so bad…is it?  Well, if nothing else, I’ve got the dinosaur roar mastered.

Soon!  The Cure for Heart Disease: Truth Will Save a Nation is being translated into Chinese!

Now, for those of you who haven’t yet read the English version…

 www.thecureforheartdisease.net

Ish. There’s a lot of doom and gloom. There’s a lot of people losing jobs. There’s a lot of people losing houses. There are a lot of people who could use a heavy dose of pride.

Where do you look for a bright light?

(okay, not that bright light…most of us will live through this economic stink)

Well, when the going gets tough, when the chips are down, and when there seems to be only one drip of optimism falling from the sky—and it’s about to splash into the sea—I suggest looking to the great and almighty, Clint Swindall.

Huh?

No, Clint doesn’t have any magical powers–although, I bet he’s got some weird talent up his sleeve. Clint’s one of those guys who probably broke a pogo stick record as a kid, or can tear phone books in half with his bare hands. I just know if you prodded enough, he’s got some strange power that’s amazing. But, that’s not why I suggest looking to him for a little inspiration.

I met Clint a few years ago, while he was speaking at a business event. Clint told a lot of great stories. He shared a ton of useful advice—drawing from his own extensive career history. But, the thing that got me—the thing that slid the hook in my lip—was a very simple little saying that Clint uses to inspire people to think positively, “Tell Me Somethin’ Good.”

Instead of asking people, “How are you?” Clint greets people with, “Tell Me Somethin’ Good.”

And now, amongst the doom and gloom of scandal, cutbacks, layoffs, and a wicked economic virus, Clint Swidall’s little saying has become a national phenomenon.

Check it out. Join. And, look around…bright lights are everywhere. Clint Swindall is one of them.

Click here:  http://tellmesomethingood.ning.com/

My new pooch is in training now.  And, he’s a smart little fella.

Well, then again, maybe it’s the trainer (of course, I’m not referring to myself).

Here’s the interesting thing about dog training though–it makes you wonder how different we are as humans.

If we achieve success once, do we continue the same process to achieve our next success?  Probably.

So, why, when we fail, do we continue with similar behavior on our next go-round?

“Ding.”  What are the bells in our lives?

“Crisis is so often the crucible in which leaders are formed,” he said.

…and I’ve been thinking about that statement ever since.

I’m launching a new publication soon (don’t worry, I’m sure I’ll talk about it plenty, once it’s launched).  Basically, I’ve been gathering input from many of the thought leaders in the world, and partnering with a few nifty organizations to distribute on a massive scale—much bigger than I’ve ever played before.  And, recently I had the chance to interview Warren Bennis.  If you’re not familiar with Bennis, I highly suggest Googling the man—as his name appears on nearly 30 business and leadership books.

Anyway, Mr. Bennis definately captured my intrigue—especially considering the current stink-pot we call the economy.  And, I started thinking.  Who are those people and companies we’ll be talking about after all this stink has disolved?  Who will be the leaders who rise—to reveal value where no one else was looking, innovate something entirely new, or simply have the strength to change the process, the perspective, or the attitude within an organization or culture to find success?

Stay tuned later this month.  You can read the entire interview with Bennis and plenty of other fantastic thought leaders.

“Daddy, I want a puppy.”

I laughed, already considering my house a zoo.

“I’ll poop scoop.”

Yea, sure.

But, she did.  My oldest daughter actually proved to me that she was more responsible than I imagined.

Yes, we added a new member to the Nordstrom zoo–a golden retriever puppy at Christmas.  That makes 3 kids, 3 dogs, and 1 cat.  Okay, so it’s not literally a zoo, but for a guy like me who rarely wears matching socks (actually skips socks altogether on most occaisons) the responsibility of this many little creatures can be a tad hairy (pardon the pun).

Here’s the point.  Are we ever ready for responsibility?

I never dreamed that a seven year old would prove that she deserved a new dog–because she rarely paid attention to our existing pets.  But,  for three months, she shouldered the burden of picking up after two old wiener dogs.  And, since we got the new pooch, she’s kept her word–even though the quantity of the task has grown exponentially.

I know a lot of people who have dreams, desires, and pursuits–both personal and professional.  And, in a world where we are raised asking for permission–to go to the bathroom in high school, to earn credentials before someone gives us a job, to “pay your dues” before you can get promoted even if you have the talent–sometimes it feels daunting to ever get around to doing anything, because we’re always waiting for someone to give us a green lead.

Are you ready to have kids?  Are you ready to be a manager?  Are you ready to start your own company?

The first time anyone did anything, it was their first time.  Which, undeniably, means they weren’t fully prepared, credentialed, or granted persmission.

So take a chance when an employee has the passion to pursue more responsibility.  Scratch that itch to become your own boss.  Demand a promotion even if you’ve never held a similar position.

You may lose.  But, you may stumble into something absolutely fantastic.  In my case, it’s a poop-free back yard.

I have admired many people in life. And, although many times we simply “feel” good around certain people, I think it’s important to stop, step back, and analyze what we admire about certain people.

No, I’m not talking about great teeth or hair that shimmers in the sunlight. I’m talking about those people who inspire us, they ignite a fire in us to become better people. Over the weekend, I received a phone call from my past—from a man I’ve considered a role model for nearly a decade. However, after hearing his message in my voicemail, I finally understood what it was that intrigued me so much all these years.

The call was from Al Amatuzio, the founder of AMSOIL. Al introduced synthetic oil to the world for automotive purposes. He build a mega-company from scratch. He’s extremely successful. His products changed the world for the better. He exhibits great leadership. Yet, even though, all these aspects are impressive, the reason I have continued to view Al Amatuzio as role model, was not for his success. It wasn’t for his fantastic leadership abilities. And, it wasn’t even for the legacy he has created in the world. The reason I’ve admired Al, was for something much simpler than all that. The reason he is still a role model to me today is simply because, without question, Al Amatuzio believed. There is no hesitation in his mind. He exhibits a belief in himself, his company, his staff, and his products that is so concrete that the words “marginal, failure, mistake, or try” do not exist in his vocabulary. There is no such thing as doubt. There is no such thing as risk.

Although it may be impossible for all of us to live without doubt, work without doubt, and create without doubt, there is something we can all learn from unrestricted belief—it is the one thing found in every success. Belief—when you get it, run with it. And, if you want to know more about Al Amatuzio, go to www.amsoil.com