Never Again

Never Again

God knows I've lived long enough to earn the right to say, "Now I've seen everything!"  Somewhere along the way, and until recently, I'm very sure there was nothing left out there to surprise me or better yet shock me.

Enter the pandemic.  I had experience in my life time (not affected or infected): Tuberculosis, Polio, Whooping Cough, Cholera, HIV, Cancer, etc., etc., etc. I never thought that I would see a time where the whole world human race would be affected at the same time.  I had never seen or expected to see a situation where all the schools in the country would be closed down.  Businesses would be shut down, the population would be asked to stay home, and/or wear masks.

Twin Towers Memorial

I remember right after 911 and the terrorist attack on the Twin Towers (New York), the whole country's air travel was shut down.  It was eerie to to look up at the night sky and not see any air traffic (navigational lights blinking).  One of my sons got caught up in the travel industry shut down. I was going to say that he got stuck, thought better of it because he got stranded (not) in Hawaii. Lucky dog, although I must admit at the time, it must having been scary not knowing when you could get back home, or if the homeland was at war and continued attack. The whole situation with 911 terrorist attack was one of those instances where even with all my life experience, I didn't see it coming.

One of those nights, right after the Twin Tower attack, I was in my home office getting some work done and to my shock, I heard a single engine plane approaching the vicinity of my residence and quickly fly very low overhead.  My first thought was the pilot was flying under the radar, my second thought was, if our Air Force is as good as I think it is, there should be some military jets close behind in hot pursuit. I don't think the thought cleared my mind, when I heard the high pitch whine of a couple of jet fighters in pursuit.

Homeland Protector

The pandemic has introduced me to many first time experiences.  I could never imagine over 900,000 Covid 19 Deaths in the United States to date (as of this writing).  After all this time in my wonderful life I hadn't lost very many of my friends and relatives.  Now, in the first 6 months of 2021, I have lost more friends and relatives than I have in my whole life. Education has been shut down to in person participation for about a year and a half.  I never thought that would ever happen.  Many friends and relatives have lost the ability to support their families because of the Vaccine Mandate. I won't make my choice known because I believe that individuals have the right to make up their own decisions and I wouldn't want to begin to influence anyone. I've always expressed that my opinions are exactly that, and no influence is intended.

I sincerely hope that all my readers are surviving the pandemic, and even thriving if possible.  As usual I make the claim that I and my immediate family are happy, healthy and blessed.  I wish I could tell you that normal is just around the corner, but to be very honest with you, I'm not even sure that we will recognize normal when it arrives.

I'll gladly add a positive note to this post.  In my entire life (and I am presently retired) I have never made a job move that wasn't for the better.  So for any of you that are being manipulated out of your career, just know that better days are ahead of you. Take every precaution that you deem necessary to keep you and yours safe, don't pay any attention to the haters, you do you.  The best is yet to come....

Getting off the Merry Go Round

Getting off the Merry Go Round

Definition of merry-go-round for English Language Learners

• : a large round platform that turns around in a circle and has seats and figures of animals (such as horses) on which children sit for a ride
• : a set or series of repeated activities that are quick, confusing, or difficult to leave ~Merriam-Webster

One of the best aspects of my life and possibly the best part, is that while I am organized I still like the element of surprise (wonderment) almost every day.  I don’t embrace change for change sake but I enjoy controlled (planned) change.

Imagine that you love a food so much that you have been known to say that you could eat it every day for the rest of your life.  You most likely don’t mean that but in a moment of excitement it was the thing to say to express your appreciation for the food item.  A similar amount of restraint need to be used in everything that comes as part of your life.

Almost always, there are circumstances where getting on the proverbial merry go round is required.  Examples: to succeed in business or a career, hopping on the corporate merry go round is required.  You can succeed without full and total commitment to the corporate game plan, but the odds are against you.  Getting off the merry go round in any circumstance requires knowing in advance what your destination should be.

The merry go round of life is all inclusive. Other examples are: the commitment to marriage and raising a family.  However, getting off that merry go round can be painful and costly.  You can successfully get off that merry go round by completing your commitment to raising the kids and supporting your spouse, along the way as the family evolves.  Most importantly, let’s not forget that the arrival of the children should only be a temporary interruption to what started as a romance between two people.  After the children leave the nest, the original relationship should be strong and able to pick up where the romance was, when lovingly interrupted. 

Caution:  If you try to get off the merry go round while it’s moving fast, you most likely will end up on your face.  The best is yet to come…..

Wake Up Call

Frequent and timely health checkups

·       Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift of God, which is why we call it the present.” ~ Bill Keane

How often do we hear this quote and for most of us, it goes in one ear and out the other (at least I know it used to for me)?

As our families mature (our children) the family extends because of the friendships that they develop and eventually the marriages that follow.  With the extended families come a whole complete set of new family ties.  This includes: an equal partner, in-laws (spouse’s parents, siblings, grandparents, nieces, nephews), including extended friendships.  In essence a total and complete new social unit (nuclear family).

Up until recently, I thought of myself as slightly removed from that extended unit, simply because I felt like it would affect my child who marries into that family, and not me directly.  However, if you truly love your child (which I know that I do without a doubt), anything that affects him or her (especially emotionally) affects us, his or her parents.

As usual I won’t mention any names or get into too much detail to maintain a level of privacy.  At the end of last year, just before the Christmas Holidays, a mother in-law to one of my children fell and hurt herself, she was not known for frequenting doctors’ offices or clinics with aches and pains.  She loved her church and had a great big faith in prayer, which she heavily relied on for her ailments.

After a few days of lying in bed for he bad back pain, one of her children practically forced her to go to the emergency room to be checked out.  Approximately 9 days later she passed away from advanced (terminal cancer). I am still in shock that life can be that way.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: there are two professionals that we must communicate with, probably the most important is your physician.  The other professional deals with finances (feds).

I implore you, that if you have any personal pains that persist or that you can’t explain, please have it checked.  If you have an elderly loved one or friend that has a condition that hasn’t been checked out, please convince them to go to the doctor.  If you can’t influence them to do it, talk to other family members and gang up on them to take action.

We all deserve every day that we can extend our life with our loved ones.  Because I have had this wake up call, I feel that the best is yet to come………….. 

Surprise At Every Turn

Surprise At Every Turn

Do you remember a time when you felt in control of most aspects of your life?  Perhaps I am unique and no one else ever felt that way.  A possibility but doubtful.  Even if raised in poverty I believe it's human nature to be optimistic.  I wasn't born with a silver spoon in my mouth, but thanks to the love and nurturing of my parents, I had all my needs and many wants.

Special treatment growing up didn't set me up for false expectations, but did encourage me to strive for attainable realistic successes (goal outcomes).

Two key words so far are "optimistic and realistic."

Optimistic

• someone who is optimistic is hopeful about the future and tends to expect that good things will happen
• optimistic about: She said that she was optimistic about the future of the company.
• be/remain optimistic that: I remain optimistic that a peaceful settlement of the dispute can be achieved.

Synonyms and related words

• Feeling hopeful and optimistic: the glass is half full (empty), hopeful, optimistic...

Realistic

• The definition of realistic is someone who has a good grip on the reality of a situation and understands what can and cannot be done, something that is a practical, achievable idea, or something that resembles the actual truth about life.
• An example of realistic is a person who knows his own limitations and isn't going to expect to be an amazing opera singer when he can't even carry a tune.
• An example of realistic is having a steady job that pays a monthly amount and realizing that you have to keep your budget within the constraints of your pay.  In other words, don't plan on a 30-day vacation at a 5-star resort if you budget can't handle the expense.

Because of my love for my country I am optimistic that we will survive the political turmoil that we find ourselves in, evidenced by the 100s of thousands of demonstrators in our country and around the world.

I won't admit to what side I stand on, but it doesn't matter.  Even a blind person can see that we are a country with its citizens divided.  One side sees the country in need of being saved from self-destruction to include carnage.  The other side sees a country in need of improvement from within and by the people themselves.

I am optimistic enough to know that we have survived times in our history worse than what we are going through right now, three examples are: 1) two world wars plus other undeclared wars possibly worse, 2) The Great Depression of the 1920s. 3) the assassinations of presidents.  Believe me when I say that many books can be written about all the bad times that our country has survived.

I am realistic enough to know that the ship won't right itself, we will need to roll-up our sleeves and put our shoulder to the wheel.  I consider what's happening in our country a wakeup call.  Many of us have become complacent, and confident that our country will continue to be great on Auto-Pilot, not so my friends.  You can interpret this post anyway you want, just don’t take your eye off of the desired outcomes.  The best is yet to come……….

Silver Lining

Silver Lining

This year (2016) even more so than other recent challenging years, seems to be affecting a larger portion of the United States population than ever.  Whether it be the internet false news phenomena, the post truth era being discussed on news programs, the election, the Russian hacking, terrorism acts, WikiLeaks, are any of numerous other distraction/events going on in society.  To one degree or another everyone is being affected.

Silver lining

·       Use the term silver lining when you want to emphasize the hopeful side of a situation that might seem gloomy on the surface.

• ·      The common expression "every cloud has a silver lining" means that even the worst events or situations have some positive aspect. 
•     You are most likely to remind a sad or discouraged friend that there is a silver lining as a way of cheering him up. 
•     The origin of the phrase seems to be John Milton's 1634 poem "Comus," which includes the line, "Was I deceived? or did a sable cloud/Turn forth her silver lining on the night?"

Where do I start?  Campaign 2016, whether you are a Republican or Democrat, whether you voted for any of the candidates or none.  The results are what they are.  At this point it no longer matters if you are happy with the outcome or not. The results are in.  The Silver lining?  It seems that many in the country have been clamoring for change, well, hang onto your hat because change is here.  One of my favorite sayings is, be careful what you wish for.  Wishes and prayer have one distinctive thing in common:  They seldom manifest themselves exactly as you imagined them.  

Many of our politicians seem to get comfortable once elected, and almost immediately forget who sent them into office.  Furthermore, they start campaigning for reelection as quickly as they start their term.  Slightly more than 16 years ago our senators and congressmen/congresswomen started stonewalling instead of passing legislation. On that note I agree that we are way overdue for cleaning up the slate. 

I pray for positive changes.  My idea of change is to analyze the problem and repair or replace the broken parts “only.”  It’s seems that we are headed in the direction of discarding all that we have in place and starting over from scratch whether and improvement is made or not, only time will tell.  Just join me in praying daily for good results.

All the other problems and concerns can directly or indirectly be attributed to our country’s leadership and direction.  Please always remember that I am remaining out of the political sides.  I vote at every election, but like in anyone’s case, that is my right and duty, and shall remain confidential.  I don’t want to influence anyone to my way of thinking.  I just want to encourage my readers to continue to stay involve.  The best is yet to come…….

The Flipside

Information source (pre-internet)

The Flipside

I make no secret of the fact that I enjoy writing, make that love writing.  My very profile to this blog states it.  To my way of reasoning it would make sense that I also love reading on many different levels.  Once upon a time (70’s and 80’s) I used to subscribe to up to three different newspapers (all at once).  My biggest justification is that every newspaper from different parts of the country influences a news story with a slightly different perspective. 

Definitive favorites, there was the Wall Street Journal, Seattle Times, La Opinion (Spanish Language Los Angeles Paper), The San Jose Mercury.  Let’s not forget my favorite Magazines: Time, U.S News and World Reports, People, Consumer Reports, plus others (Playboy strictly for the articles).  The bottom line is that I simply couldn’t get enough knowledge about various current and world events, and social goings on (pre-internet). 

Amongst my book reading, here are some of my memorable readings: The Great Gatsby, MobyDick, 1984, Adventures of Huckleberry Fin, The Lord of the Rings, Don Quixote, and many more.  I especially appreciate good suspense authors like: Stephen King, Dean Koontz.

I’ve often thought what could be or might have been, if only some event or conversation in the past had not taken place.  However, being of very upbeat and positive attitude, I always see possible changes in history (outcomes) as ending with improvement.

As an example: if my mother had fixed my father a lunch that one fateful day in 1955, my father would not have had reason to walk into a small restaurant near his work, where he met a cute young waitress. My mother and father eventually divorced over my father’s involvement with the cute young waitress.  Or, perhaps if the waitress had missed her ride to work, or had the flu, my father would never had met the waitress.  In my mind the many scenarios of outcomes, all had different but happy endings.

I’ve never given a second thought at how life could have been different in a negative way.  Most recently I’ve read a novel that has started me thinking about possible negative outcomes. I am not convinced that this new exposure doesn’t bring out a negative (darker) side of me, that I didn’t realize dwelled in the recesses of my mind.  My next post, “A Kindle, Kind of Man,” will further explore this thought.  The best is yet to come…….

Senior Moments

Senior Moments

·       Creeping into our everyday vocabulary over the past few years, the term "senior moment" is now the chief lament of midlife adults who fear they are losing their memory. You've probably used this term yourself on at least one occasion. Perhaps you forgot where you put your keys, blanked on the name of an acquaintance or couldn't recall whether you turned off the oven after you left the house. "I'm having a senior moment!" you mutter to yourself or complain to your friends. Although you're probably half kidding, that other half secretly fears that you're showing the early signs of serious memory loss.

·       Fear of developing memory loss is a common concern of people 55 and older. In research I conducted a number of years ago on people's concerns about aging, I found that the number one age-related change that people feared the most was changes in their memory.~ Susan Krauss Whitbourne Professor of Psychology

While we May all chuckle or laugh out loud about “senior moment’ situations, we need to realize that the problem can be very serious or not, depending on the causes for the lapse in memory.

The most serious could be the advent of Alzheimer’s which according to news articles is neither preventable nor treatable.  However, there are other forms of Dementia that are treatable.  There are also other competing causes of memory loss other than dementia. Here is a partial list: preventable and treatable memory loss and should be addressed as quickly as convenient.  Some causes of memory loss other than dementia can be: stress, lack of sleep, depression, and side effects from medications.

In my own personal experience I find that my thinking process is foggy at best when I haven’t had a good night’s sleep.  I can still think things out but the process is slower and I actually know that I am working harder at it.  As an example, if I want to think of the title of a song, but it doesn’t come to me easily (we’ve all heard someone say, it’s on the tip of my tongue but I can’t come up with it) that’s when I ask my wife for a clue after telling her the artist name, if she can’t help I google the artist and his song list will come up.

Whenever I am stressed over a deadline I also don’t have as clear thinking as I normally do.  For now I relay on associations to come up with the information before I ask for help.  I prefer not to let many people into the fact that I am struggling at the moment.  I actually do mental exercises and play board games with the family that give my mind a workout.

It seems that only last month if I was extremely tired I would slow down in every aspect of activity, now more and more I am finding that when I reach the wall I need to be aware cause it’s like running out of batteries.  I don’t want people to see me dosing off, so I need to be aware of my low battery gauge.  I use my last bit of mental ability to make myself aware that I am 5 minutes from hitting the proverbial wall, and thus make a proper (acceptable) quick exit. Just like older computers have to be maintained and periodically defragmented, so do our minds so we can keep it in service much longer.

Here are some foods that will help to strengthen your brain in the memory department according to Carol Sorgen Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD  (http://www.webmd.com/diet/eat-smart-healthier-brain):  Blueberries, Wild Salmon, nuts and seeds, and avocados.

We need to do all we can to keep our mind active and not give in if at all possible to declining memory.  The best is yet to come…………..

Nothing Lasts Forever

Nothing Lasts Forever

Those of us that have some life experience know that everything is ever changing.  However, subtle everything evolves constantly.  As long as I bring it to mind, try to think of anyone thing in your life that has not changed.  I personally have caught myself saying, “I’ve always known that this is the one thing that will always remain constant."

As an example that may come to mind is a mother’s or father’s love for a child.  I would like to think that with time love grows.  In some documented cases it actually can diminish based on such things as mental illness.  The extreme being where a parent or off-springs become estranged or worst.

Another example could be my love for my wife, I know that over the years, my love for my wife has become stronger (changed for the better).  On a more material level, a house might appreciate in value (dependent on the economy) but the actual condition of the house will deteriorate (weathered) or improve depending on level of maintenance.

This post is triggered by today's headline news about extreme weather around that USA, and the world for that matter.  We as individuals need to maintain vigilance on our local environment (the area where we dwell).  Counties in Texas that haven’t ever experienced floods are now under water and worst yet, because of the unpredictability of the situation many lives have been lost.

I realize that high value is placed on water front property, be it ocean, lake or river, but analyze the history of the area for flooding, if ocean front, storms (tropical or otherwise) even tsunami due to earthquakes across the ocean.  Oil spills are also not uncommon anymore (think Santa Barbara CA, or even, the Exxon Valdez, Washington State).

I like to brag that I live in the Pacific Northwest by choice because of the mild weather, and I am correct to a degree.  25 years ago our beautiful Spring (1980) was disrupted for a year plus by the eruption of Mt. St. Helen.  Speaking of the Pacific Northwest there is the sword hanging over our heads that someday Mt. Rainier could erupt (I live less than 67 miles from the base of the mountain). While I love the northwest, I would be the first to relocate at the first rumblings of Mt. Rainier.

So when I talk about inevitable change at least in this instance, I am thinking about the constant safety of where we live.  Don’t ever assume that you are safe because so far you have always been.  I’d rather be thought of as a worry-wart than find my family in danger because I assumed otherwise.  My prayers go out to all those people that find themselves in the path of extreme weather.  The best is yet to come……….

Monday Morning-Quarterbacking

Hindsight

• One who second-guesses
• From a fan's usually critical rehashing of the weekend football game strategy.  First Known Use: 1932
• Someone who criticizes from hindsight.
• Professional football games in the United States are often played on Sundays.
• A person who analyzes the mistakes they made the day after they've made them. Derived from complaining over quarterbacks on Monday morning after the Sunday game.  Frank's complaining about what he should've done on his date last night like a Monday morning quarterback.

Similar to the idiom:  Hindsight is 20/20.  

What a wonderful superpower it could be to poses hindsight.  Imagine a handful of things that you could do that would improve your life, and the life of others.  If you could look back at your life (day, month, year or lifetime) as it could turned out and then go back to the start and do it different based on the preview (hindsight).  Your life would be perfect because you would be able to prevent the actions that would otherwise create negative outcomes.  Some examples might be seeing how your life turned out by the age of sixty.  You might see yourself in a wheelchair with an oxygen tank by your side because of a lifetime of cigarette addiction.  You could go back to your youth and decide not to get started on the smoking habit.  The same example could be applied to an addiction of alcoholism or maybe even an unhealthy eating habit.

On a shorter preview of say one hour.  You have a doctor appointment at 9 am and your car gets t-boned by a careless driver who runs a red traffic light at an intersection at exactly 8:40 am.  Using hindsight you go back to the start of the trip and decide to leave earlier, later or cancel the appointment altogether and avoid the accident.  If you start to see where I’m going you might agree that this ability would really be a super power.

There are many great uses for this type of ability like using it for the good of mankind.  As an example to prevent a crime or a terrorist act, can you imagine how many lives you could save?  One selfish use of this power that at least 90% of people would contemplate is knowing what the winning numbers to say Powerball will be and going back and purchasing those numbers.  Even knowing the outcome of say the Super Bowl and then going back and placing a large bet on the winning team.

There isn't such power available of course, but there is a similar ability that comes close (unfortunately it can only be applied to some of the above mentioned examples), yet only a very select few poses it.  It’s widely known as Common Sense.  You can’t look into the future and then go back and make changes, or can you?

Study your surroundings for things that most affect you, such as health, wealth, and Happiness (not necessarily in that order).  Your family is a good starting point since you share so many similarities through genetics.  Things to look for or at:  look at your father and grandfather’s life and see what made them great (or not).  You will be able to see the good and bad habits and outcomes.  Hard work can make for stability (ability to provide), education (preparation) makes for a better lifetime of economic success.  The ancestors habits and priorities will begin to formulate a look back at what your life could turn out like.

A careful look will disclose that most mistakes in the world have already been made by someone, so a good habit would be to learn from them, and not to duplicate them.  Another good thing to remember is that it’s not possible to make the same mistake twice.  Only the first time is a mistake, the second time and beyond is on purpose and with full knowledge of the likely outcome.  The best is yet to come……..

The Road Most Traveled

Weekend Get Away

In the first couple of years of our marriage, my wife and I enjoyed going to Reno Nevada a couple of times a year.  It wasn’t for the gambling because we have never been into the game of chance, but more for the live entertainment and some nickel and penny slots.  We enjoyed the road trip and we always spent one night halfway through the trip to relax and simply chill.  Chill is not a word I normally use but it describes perfectly the reason for the pit stop.

We had so much time together to talk and listen to our favorite music along the way.  As an example of our memories in 1978 during one of our fun trips to Reno we started listening to a very new and fun song “Copacabana.”  It was festive and not the kind of song that you would grow tired of from repetition.  We decided to scan other radio stations and found that almost every station on the air was playing the song over and over by request.  Unlike much later popular songs like Macarena which you can grow tired of fairly quick, Copacabana was not in that category.

Most usually our trips were planned for spring and fall to avoid the cold and snow as well as the summer heat.  Our typical trip from the Pacific Northwest was to travel south to Sacramento on I-5 and then east to Reno on Interstate 80.  I realize it was a little longer way around but the area and freeway was a treat to experience.  We always made it a habit to stay at a Holiday Inn in Sacramento.  We were young enough that the long drive didn’t take a toll on our lean and mean bodies (no joke we were in great shape).  Today we prefer to fly everywhere we travel, and rent a car once at our destination.

Well the title of “The Road Most Traveled,” is about the one time late in the fall that we decided to be adventurous.  As we were driving South on I-5 in Northern California we saw small sign that read Reno x number of miles this way.  My thought was that the weather was a perfect fall day about 80 degrees, the highway if you could call it that was a two lane road, and it seems that it would save us at least a half day by taking the shortcut.  Once again, my thought process was that by saving a half day of travel we could drive direct and skip the hotel stay in Sacramento.

We are very fortunate that our experience was as minimal as it turned out to be.  I was almost immediately surprised so see how quickly the road started climbing ever higher in mountainous altitude.  Next thing you know the skies darkened and temperature began to drop.  Within a couple of hours the temperature dropped to the 30s, and then it began to snow.  I had a gut feeling that if we just kept pushing forward we would leave the cold weather and snow behind us.  Before too long I could no longer see the roadway except for the plastic or fiberglass markers on the shoulders of the road that indicated where the roadway was.  We had not passed a car in either direction for over two hours and I began to worry.

Before long I noticed steam coming out from under the hood, so I stopped on my tracks, since there was no traffic, and I was afraid to pull off the road.  As I tried to check under the hood, I discovered that I couldn’t even open my door because of about two and a half feet of snow.  I backed up the car so I could have some space in front of the car.  The problem turned out to be simple, without knowing it I was using my car like a snow plow because the snow was up to my headlights.  The snow compacted into the engine compartment keeping my cooling fan from working.  I used a tire iron to remove the ice around the fan, and let the engine cool for about an hour, before restarting the engine for badly needed heat.  For safety I kept clearing my taillights, exhaust area and headlights so we could be seen. 

Within about two hours a County snowplow came along and he stopped to see if our car was in working order, and he instructed me to follow close behind him.  The bottom line is that we survived, unscathed mostly because of our innocence and faith that all would work out, we didn’t panic, and enjoyed our mini vacation.  I hate to think of how many things could have gone wrong.  Lesson learned, and from that experience forward we’ve always stayed on “The Road Most Traveled.”  The best is yet to come…..

Comfort Zone

Comfort Zone

People close to me know that I don’t like change for change sake.  I don’t even like necessary change.  I don’t mind change initiated by me, but I have to think long and hard about that.

The comfort of familiarity comes at a cost that we are often not even aware of.  Who in their right mind would think that there is a price to be paid for enjoying the comfort or comforts that you so willingly embrace.  After all costs are most often associated with change, rather than stability, right?

I most often have the latest in computers, cell telephones, iPads, and any other technological advances.  Truth be known those changes are brought about by the desire to have the advantage in the ever changing world of communications and technology.  If the world of technology were to once again become stable (stale-slow) as in the 70’s and 80’s I would be in hog heaven.  The years when the IBM Selectric II typewriter, and Motorola Beeper were the technological wonders of the world for long stretches of time.  You didn’t have to update equipment every six months to keep up with the Joneses.

By surrounding ourselves with familiarity, we are most often creating a protective shield that keeps outsiders out of our circle.  Outsiders are a source of information that keeps us growing as individuals, in a competitive environment.  Our subconscious tendencies are to seek out people that think like us because they reinforce our attitudes, and way of doing things.  Please understand that this is not necessarily a bad thing, as long as we are aware of what we are doing (accomplishing).

 

One can actually compare the above information to someone who is successful but enjoys being surrounded by “yes men.”  Even when these individuals are making bad decisions they are constantly being praised and validated by the “yes men” they surround themselves with.  This environment when sustained for long periods of time can lead to self-destruction of the successful individual(s).  You may not agree with me and that is totally fine, after all my disclaimer as usual is that, this is one humble man’s opinion.

Two famous examples of self-destruction that come to mind: Elvis Presley, and Michael Jackson.  Their entourage (handlers, hangers-on) catered to their every whim, and eventually all their fame, money and popularity couldn’t save them from self-destruction.

There are two popular sayings (practices) that come to mind, that exemplify the subject of this post: “think outside the box,” and encouraging the view of “an outsider looking in.”  If you are comfortable with doing things the same way year in and year out, you are missing out on the most important element to what you are doing and that is the opportunity to: advance; evolve; grow, and thus stay competitive.

Truth be told I still don’t like change but I embrace it cautiously because it is a necessity to stay relevant.  The best is yet to come….

It’s The Actuary’s Fault

It’s The Actuary’s Fault

My children (and I have seven of them) have often wondered why everyone and everything seems to be falling apart all around me and I stand strong in midst of turmoil.  I’d be willing to bet that a large number of people don’t even know what an Actuary is or how they affect our everyday life.

An actuary is a business professional who deals with the financial impact of risk and uncertainty. Actuaries provide assessments of financial security systems, with a focus on their complexity, their mathematics, and their mechanisms.

Actuaries mathematically evaluate the probability of events and quantify the contingent outcomes in order to minimize the impacts of financial losses associated with uncertain undesirable events. Since many events, such as death, cannot be avoided, it is helpful to take measures to minimize their financial impact when they occur. These risks can affect both sides of the balance sheet, and require asset management, liability management, and valuation skills. Analytical skills, business knowledge and understanding of human behavior and the vagaries of information systems are required to design and manage programs that control risk

I’ve taken the time to explain to my children the risks that are involved in just doing the simple things that we do every day. Here once more is the key to the “how I avoid or minimize the turmoil that surrounds all of us in everyday life. Actuaries mathematically evaluate the probability of events and quantify the contingent outcomes in order to minimize the impacts of financial losses associated with uncertain undesirable events.

 A very simple and practical example is the following:  When I used to go to work every day (as normal people do), I would come home at the end of the day, park my car and either relax or perform some chores (tasks) around the house.  In all likelihood, unless my wife and I had plans, we wouldn’t touch the cars again until the next day.  With regard to my children, they may drive to work from school or go hang out with friends at the mall, or just go driving around visiting friends.  Even when they came home at the end of the day, they may decide at 9:30 pm that they forgot to buy something they needed the next day for school. 

I don’t know if you are seeing the pattern here: the more they drive, the more exposure they have.  Many times more likely to get a parking or speeding ticket, more likely to get into a car accident, more likely to run out of gas, more likely that their car will breakdown, etc.

If I visit a Casino twice a year, and you visit a Casino three times a week; you are more likely to end up with a gambling addiction, maybe even with your house under foreclosure, or your car repossessed, etc.  You are actually increasing the chances that something negative will happen to you through the process of exposure (repetition).

If you get up and go to the gym (fitness center) at midnight or 4 am to work out in peace (away from the crowded center):  you are running the risk of your car breaking down at a time when you are all alone in the dark empty streets, and worst yet get assaulted, robbed, raped (if you think I’m making reference to women, think again men also get raped).  You also run the risk of having your car vandalized in the empty parking lot. 

I’m not being a spoil sport or doomsayer; have you ever heard anyone you know say, “I didn’t think that could happen to me, or in my neighborhood.”  One of the most common crimes are the crimes of opportunity.  That is the long way to explain why, even when turmoil is all around me, I remain safe to date.  I do play the odds, but I play them to my advantage.  Stay safe.  The best is yet to come…..

Following Your Dream

Following Your Dream

A Dream is in the eye of the beholder, and can be anything.  My dream is something that I’ve always equated with entrepreneurship (business).  You may think to ask why not a dream related to family.  A dream to me is something that you aspire to achieve.  Family is something that is real and you work to make it happen.  I don’t dream of a nice and happy family, I work hard every day to make it a reality, and once achieved, I work harder to maintain it.

A dream to some people might be an extravagant vacation, the kind that only a wealthy person can afford. To another person the dream might be to win the lotto.  My dream is not to have the ultimate successful business, even though it would be nice to have something like Yahoo, or Google.  My dream includes having a series of successful businesses that I would be the creator of.

I have been involved in operating my own business since about the age of 22, while either attending school or holding down a full time job or both at the same time.  Every once in a while the success of the business has as much to do with timing as anything else.  Some people get an idea for a business, and then do nothing about it for five or ten years, and by the time they think to act, either someone else already implemented the concept or it has become an outdated idea.

I recently had a conversation about business with a person that I hold in high regard.  He is very successful in the performance of his career duties, but he admitted that he has always worked at a job and has very high respect for people that operate their own business and have to meet a payroll as a way of life.  Starting a business is like rolling a snowball downhill.  If you perform your due diligence (the required permits, and licenses, reports to State Revenue, and IRS), and acquire the adequate funds (investors) the business should grow like a snowball would grow going down the hill.

However, unless you are the top dog in your endeavor, the competition will eat away at your business share, and you should know when to sell, and move on to a new venture.  Knowing when to get out is equally important to knowing when to start a business.  I have known people that have stayed in their business trying to re-ignite the magic that once was only to end up in bankruptcy, and worst yet with no retirement plan for their families.

 

At some point in life you should play it safe and not gamble with your retirement fund and/or savings.  While the fact remains that the U.S Economy is built on the back of small business, a majority of small businesses fail within the first three years of inception.  So the fact remains unchanged; business has an element of gamble.  With the intricacies of taxes and fluctuation costs for resources (many affected by fuel costs – transportation), what starts out as a well-researched business plan, can change overnight.

Business entrepreneurship is always a good gamble as long as you are aware of how much you are willing to/or can afford to lose.  If you have a special or even great skill you can make a living but it isn’t an automatic qualifier to go into business successfully.  You need business savvy to operate a business of any size.  On the other hand if you have business savvy and no other skill, you can operate a business successfully, by simply knowing what skills your business will require to succeed and then hiring those skills.

If you have a dream to operate your own business make sure that you are doing it for the right reasons.  If you only want to be your own boss, that would be a wrong reason.  Self-employed people work longer hours, and have more bosses than a person with just a job.

If your dream is about something other than business, do some research, and make it happen. Life is too short not to live your dream.  The best is yet to come……