Have you trapped yourself in?

As I was leaving my house the other day, opening the storm door I noticed a huge spider between the window and the screen. It had an elaborate web made of what looked like a combination of tubes and regular webbing that it could navigate practically from the bottom of the screen to the top.

The odd thing was that this spider was so large, there was no way it will ever be able to get out – unless someone opens the window, allowing it to escape, which I’m sure it probably would avoid, for a number of reasons that I'll get into later.

I realized that this is a real good comparison to a lot of people’s lives.

When we are growing up, or as we meander through life, we put ourselves situations where we don’t look at the big picture, and where we will be years down the road because of our decisions. Undoubtedly, the spider placed itself in between the screen and the glass when it was quite small. We too, often grow into a situation that we couldn’t get out of, even if we tried. Our web has gotten so large, and we have accepted where we are at for so long, we feel there’s nowhere to escape.

This spider has another problem - now it is at the disadvantage of where it placed itself when relying on it's food source. What it must eat now has to be smaller than the size of the little squares in the screen, making it a lot harder to get what it would have, if it were outside the screen. In the normal environment it would get large flies, and other insects, with much less work. It now has to hope things work out, and that enough small bugs decide to wander in.

Unfortunately, when someone ‘opens the window’ to allow the spider a way out, it will cower back in its comfort zone, too afraid to leave. Instead of taking advantage of the opening, it runs away scared, choosing to run the other way, deeper into it's confined life, to remain in the same spot where it's going to die. 

This is similar to a lot of people. When a door opens, they refuse to go out into the world where they would have a much better chance of having a meaningful, useful, and enjoyable life. Instead, like the spider, they will remain in their confined, mediocre, and often miserable life, knowing that it won't get any better where they are at, and they remain, just waiting to die.

Hopefully you're different, and when you find that the window or door has been opened for you, you won’t hesitate. Take that opportunity to escape from a life of misery, to a life of opportunity!

Why I Don’t Care About What You Don’t Agree With

I was in the airport traveling from Philadelphia, on my way to Minneapolis. I was hungry for breakfast. I was at gate D9. There is a buffet-style restaurant right near this gate. I’ve been here before and I knew they had what I wanted for breakfast. Most airport and ‘travel’ food is mediocre, but as most goes, this was my first choice that day.

As I entered the line the girl employee looked at me. Apparently she didn’t know our language, or simply thought she didn’t need to talk. Either way, this must have been her way of saying, “Good morning. What can I get for you?”

I thought when I ordered, I’d try the same method communication that she was using – none. I found that to not work very well. We both just looked at each other for what seemed to be an eternity. Since I knew by now that she had either no communication skills, or a huge case of attitude-itis,  I decided to brake the silence by verbalizing my order in the form of, “I’d like the bagel with egg and bacon please.”

She responded by handing me a pre-made biscuit with egg and sausage. I told her that wasn’t quite right and repeated my order. Her response was, “These are faster.” I told her I appreciated her concern, but speed wasn’t really an issue for me since I was on time that day and my flight wasn’t leaving for another two hours. She told me the bagel I ordered would have to actually have the ingredients put on it by her, and then cut in half, by her, making it take her more time.

Now that I realized this was another typical slacker, (who would have found herself out on the street had I owned the joint) only concerned about her time. So I politely informed her that what I ordered was right there on the menu, and that is what I would like. She responded by telling me, “Well I didn’t make the menu and I don’t agree with it.” I told her it doesn’t matter if she agrees with it or not, that’s what I want.

There was another time I made an order elsewhere and was asked if I had the exact change because, “That would make it easier.” We don’t have to even guess for whom, but I can assure it didn’t have anything to do with making my (the customer’s) life any easier.

Welcome to the world of the entitlement generation where employees now think they run the business and can do whatever they want, and feel it is the customer’s responsibility to make their job easier – and still think they should get paid.

My prediction is that one of two things will eventually happen: 1.) Since this is the generation who will be owning the businesses in the future, we won’t have many places to patronize. Why? Because they obviously have no clue how to treat people. And 2.) This is going to result in no one patronizing them. And here’s the funny part. The people of that same generation who don’t want to do what’s required for success, still want (and expect) things to be done correctly for them.

This is good news for the majority of people who want to run a business in the future. Since the entitlement generation will do such a crappy job of operating businesses, this will make almost everyone else look better. And, the ones who simply do what it takes, will look like superstars compared to these bozos.

My particular choice is that whenever possible, confronted with such poor entitlement attitude and lack of effort, I will patronize another business that really cares enough to hire employees who really care. If all of us did the same, the owners would soon get the message, and the employees who aren’t willing to do what it takes will be right where they belong – walking the street, or in the unemployment line. It’s time to stop sanctioning this incompetence and start sending a message by patronizing the business owners who care enough to hire the right kind of people, invest in the proper training of new employees, and as a result, provide services and products worth purchasing, over and over again.

The power of habits

I know everyone probably puts their contact lenses in a little different. I put one on the tip of a finger, sprinkle it with the saline, then put the other side up on another finger, sprinkle saline on that side, then slip it onto my eye.

Repeat for the next eye.

The other day I was putting my contact lenses in my eyes. I noticed I was using different fingers to do this than I had originally started to use way back when I first started using contacts. I had been using these different fingers for a long time.

The reason I had changed was due to a worksite injury when I cut the tip of one of my 'normal' fingers I use for the contacts. The cut didn't heal for over a month. During this time - over 30 days - I had used the 'new' finger in the process. By doing so, I had established a new habit with the different finger, that I still use to this day.

It takes between 21 - 28 days of uninterupted repitition to establish a new habit that replaces another one. After this time, the brain actually 'rewires' itself, and changes, in order to view this habit as what you should now do.

We all have our routine, for instance, in the shower, that we go through. I start with washing what little I have left of my hair. Then I procede to steps B through H, or whatever. If for some reason I am daydreaming and miss washing my hair to start, then find myself on step B, my brain automatically goes to step C, then D, and so on, until I step out of the shower, only to realize later I didn't wash my hair.

So, what's the point of all this? We become a slave to our habits, which are the basis of our routines. We can establish bad habits that will put our life on automatic pilot to destruction before we know it, or we can establish good habits that make us more efficient and productive.

Simply beware that the small things you start doing are soon forged into chains you cannot easily shake. Establish the good habits that replace those you desire to lose. Soon you will see the fruits of your labor multiplied ten-fold, allowing you to concentrate on that which you desire, leaving the minor details to your automatic mind.

Jerk

No, it wasn't me on this machine and I'm not trying to make it look as if I can do a lot of weight. Truth is, it doesn't take a lot of real effort to do this, and I'll get to that in a sec.

The point is, when I came into the gym (Anytime Fitness in St. Paul, MN) on Sunday, June 15, 2011, at 0600 in the morning, this is what I saw. There were two other people in the gym that morning - one girl (115 pounds and about 5' 4") and some guy - the guy happened to be using this machine.

A few minutes later the guy decided to leave. I paid very little attention to it until I noticed that the girl who was the other person in the gym, wanted to use the machine the guy was working out on. What do you suppose she had to do? She practically got her workout from removing all the weights that moron left on the machine.

First of all, when I saw the guy working out on one of his sets, he couldn't even do the weight properly. He bent his knees about three inches, and at the same time used his hands and arms, pushing up on his legs, to assist him in getting the weight up. He's obviously one of those people who has such low self esteem he's more concerned with what it looks like he can do, using poor form and risking injury in the process, than getting the best result from proper effort.

In short, he's not only a loser in the sense of being a lifter, he's a loser for leaving all his weights on the machine because he's too lazy, arrogant, and inconsiderate to remove them for anyone who follows him. In short, he's telling the next person that he's better than you, and you can be his servant and remove his weights.

It's funny how much one can learn about someone else in situations completely unrelated to how you would normally interact. However, it's these small actions that really show your true character. And remember, someone is watching everything you do.

Thank a vet or current member of our military

Thanks to all current and past members of the U.S. Military!

We live in the greatest country on earth because of the sacrifices of our men and women in the U.S. armed forces.

Thank one of them today!

Know when to shut up

The fourth man walks into a job interview and sits in front of a man with no ears - the employer, conducting the interviews.

The employer starts his questioning with the same question he’s asked the previous three candidates. “Do you notice anything unusual about me?”

The fourth man answers the same way all the rest have answered. “Of course I do, you don’t have any ears.”

“Get out!” bellows the employer. “I don’t want you working for me.”

The fifth man walks in and is asked the same question. “Do you notice anything unusual about me?” This fifth man answers with, “Of course I do; you’re not wearing any glasses...”

Relieved, the employer says, “That’s great. You’re hired. All the others have said something else.”

The man being interviewed continues his sentence, almost as if he had never finished, “…that’s because it would be impossible for you to wear glasses since you don’t have any friggin’ ears.”

Red-faced, the employer yells, “You’re fired!”

How many times do we have something in our hand, and lose it because we talk too much? We don’t know when to shut up. Rarely, once a point has been made, does continuing to talk do us any good.

In the example above, the man would have been hired had he just shut up.

All day, every day, all across the world, people are losing what they had, or failing to get what they want, because they talk too much.

The more you talk to the police, the more likely they will be able to find something to use against you and the worse off you will be. The more you say as a speaker, once you made your point, the more you will confuse your audience. The more you babble when negotiating the price of a house you wish to purchase, the higher the price you’ll pay.

Put this method to practice, and watch your success soar.

There’s a reason the creator gave us one mouth, but two ears.

Remember what got you there

At the beginning of every football season, legendary Green Bay Packer coach Vince Lombardi would stand in front of his team, some of them who had been playing football all their life, and raise a ball high above his head.

He didn't give a rousing speech, nor introduce himself to the team. He didn't chastise anyone, nor was he showing them how to make a huddle.

He simply stated, "Gentlemen, this is a football."

The point he was making was simple - every year the team started with, and continued to focus on the basic fundamentals of football. It doesn't have to be complicated, and you can't do the fancy stuff if you don't have a firm grasp on the basics.

In football it comes down to blocking on offense, and tackling on defense. When you block, you stick with your block until the whistle blows. When you tackle, you drive into them with your shoulder, and wrap your arms around the oponent, and continue to drive until they stop and fall.

Almost every broken play is a function of someone not doing these simple jobs. They try to get too fancy, or just run into someone and think they're going to fall.

Everything you will ever be successful in comes down to the basics.

Gaining muscle mass comes from heavy weights and low reps. Endurance and cardio health come from light weights and high reps. Losing weight comes from eating right, excercising, and burning more calories than you take in. Keeping a business client comes from doing what you say you will do, and treating the customer with respect.

It's all simple, yet we want to overcomplicate things hoping our 'new' method will get us there faster. It won't.

Look at the paperclip. That ain't rocket science.

Don't over-complicate things, and remember the basics. When nothing else is working, this will do the trick every time.