Dare to Care

The one thing standing between us and greatness is the tendency to Compare — ourselves with others. Magic happens when we stop the comparisons and Dare to Care.

To dare means to have courage, to be a Trailblazer, and to go where angels fear to tread. To care encompasses a desire to serve. The focus is on others; it is NOT on ourselves. In other words, our worldview is outward not inward.

Last week on Friday, two Master Craftsmen were discussing a “fair price” for their Customers. Earlier in the week on Wednesday, the three of us had met and prepared a Better Business Plan for the remainder of their year.

At the moment we finished preparing their Better Business Plan, they were quite confident in what a “fair price” was —for themselves and their Customers. Yet, two days later they were talking about a “flat rate” book.

Communication

Recently, I was reminded of the importance of Communication and Respect by a dance instructor. “As a leader, you must set the tone by your posture and frame. Your partner must feel safe in your presence.”

In other words, I must come to the dance floor sure of who I am — and willing to extend an invitation to someone sure of who she is. Otherwise, a wreck is guaranteed — toes will be stepped upon and feelings will be hurt.

Full Measure

I’m amused when I hear the expression “Gift Exchange.” Similar to hearing jumbo-shrimp, open-secret, or sweet-sorrow, the phrase is an oxymoron.

The word oxymoron is itself an oxymoron; in Greek, oxy- means “sharp” or “wise” while moros means “foolish.”

The only true gift is one offered without an expectation of anything in return — not even a “Thank You.”

In our western culture today, that’s a novelty.

Pure Genius

The definition of genius by Albert Einstein is more apt today than then.

Genius is making complex ideas simple.

Technology is adding complexity to our existence exponentially at warp speed. However, recent encounters with the architects of some of that brilliance have reminded me of another Einstein gem.

If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.

And, that my friends, brings us to the opportunity du jour. When technicians want to hide behind their dysfunctional “code” and make excuses, the time has come to examine that stinkin’ thinkin’.

Legacy

In the vernacular of today, legacy has come to be equated with money and the bequest of little empires to heirs. What might surprise you is that the word originally was used to denote an envoy or ambassador.

For those tying their hopes and dreams to material possessions, good luck with that. We’re physical, temporal beings stuck to a spinning orb in the vastness of the universe and history bears record that empires come and go.

So, what is a legacy — and how do we create one?

The answer to the what and how comes immediately after the why.

Grab Another Plate

Having just returned from the QuickBooks Connect technology conference in San Jose, CA, I am more mindful of possibilities.

As a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), I was trained in probabilities — however, life is best encountered and enjoyed in the realm of possibilities.

At any conference, many times we learn as much outside the formal sessions as we do sitting in them. A presenter’s opinion is relevant to a specific topic — yet, the surprises usually come at the lunch table.

For our physical nourishment, yes, the provisions were spectacular. Even better were the conversations, which offered food for thought — to stimulate mind, heart, and soul.

Relentless Pursuit

Begin creating something of value and watch what happens. The dark forces of the Universe and people of that disposition will gather their armies in a relentless pursuit to attack YOU — and your creation.

Why?

Because it’s much easier to destroy than to build. Those individuals who won’t build anything special of their own don’t want you to, either.

Performance Realms

In an ordered Universe, these four — in this order — would be the performance realms: Goodness, Thought, Action, and Feelings.

Goodness would fuel our Thoughts, which motivate us to Action, resulting in warm fuzzy Feelings.

However, we live in a time with slogans similar to, “If it feels good, do it.“

Four Horsemen

Well Balanced

All great thriller movies have this in common — there are four heroes, each with a different and extreme temperament type, who are brought together by the hand of fate to overcome impossible odds.

During the adventure, it becomes clear to us that all four of those different and extreme temperaments — combined into one powerful force — were absolutely necessary for good to triumph over evil.

For each of us, individually, the same principle holds true — we must incorporate the four temperaments into our hero persona to be well balanced and successful in our ventures.

Builders

There are two types of People in this world — Builders and Janitors.

There are three types of Builders — Constructive, Creative, and Conscientious.

There are three types of Janitors — Lazy, 9-to-5’ers, and Trust Fund Babies.