Why I FAILED

Seen on a Billboard

Life shrinks or grows according to ones courage.

Highlight the Opportunities

From his 2003 commencement address to University of Texas grads:

“Circle the pitfalls and highlight the opportunities. Then build a vision of how it could all be better and work like hell to make it happen.”

- Michael Dell

Prepare to Live

Thanks to mybusinessmag.com for digging up support for something I’ve believed for some time: we are miserable because of the media.

The Wall Street Journal and Businessweek have both posted articles about the disparity between the reality and perceptions of today’s economy. Historically speaking, we have very small problems and we are likely to get through them effectively. As one author points out, 94% of Americans are not at risk Mortgage foreclosure and most that are won’t lose their houses anyway. Furthermore, most people are NOT trying to sell their homes so a down market is simply a headline.

Am I (or the other authors) saying there aren’t problems, no, but I do want to emphasize sanity. First of all, the media is incapable of reporting middle of the road news. The entire mechanism works off of sensationalism and arguments. Even if 99% of scientists say such and such, the reporter will find a representative of the 1% for “balance.”

Second, the world economy is exploding and new opportunities arise every day. Is it disruptive? Changing? Scary? Sure, but don’t blame anyone but yourself if you’re not keeping up with what’s truly going on and exporing, learning about and preparing ways to ensure a life for yourself.

When I Grow Up…

Someday I’d like to be able to write with the clarity, power and effectiveness of Seth Godin. In the mean time, I’m content to point you to his posts, like this one, and quote from him directly:

“The object isn’t to be perfect. The goal isn’t to hold back until
you’ve created something beyond reproach. I believe the opposite is
true. Our birthright is to fail and to fail often, but to fail in
search of something bigger than we can imagine. To do anything else is
to waste it all.”

Please don’t waste it all. And don’t think it, or you, doesn’t matter. It does. You do.

We have an awkward relationship with self centered-ness. And while I can agree a self-absorbed and uncaring person cannot live a successful life, a completely self-less one cannot either. Self-less people cannot contribute, add too, increase or build up. And this is a world in desperate need of contributions, additions, increases and buildings - real and imagined.

This is what you’re here for. We need you to be full and to be trying, failing, trying, failing and trying so we can be changed. It’s not about you changing it or not either, the question is whether or not something will be changed. Why? Because you’re the only one that can contribute, add to, increase or build the way you do.

“To do anything else is
to waste it all.”

Amen my friend.

Father’s Day

Fatherhood is stewardship. And I am thankful to be steward over a son and daughter who continually amaze. They are my children yes, but more importantly, they are my friends. It is a pleasure and an honor to know them as people and watch them grow into the man and woman they will be. And oh yeah: they ROCK!

My son’s band - he’s the drummer. This is the night they were asked to compete in the finals of a local Battle of the Bands. The final is June 22nd at “The End” in Nashville. If you can come, you won’t be disappointed.

Spy Machine - Unstable - Live March 2008

One of my daughter’s collection of 25 - and growing - YouTube videos.

Walking on Sunshine

I’m Not Worried

Beyond considerations about terrorists, the mentally unstable and other rational fears, I’m simply not worried about the technological and environmental challenges of today.

Developments like CamTrax are the reason why.

Though it doesn’t solve any major world issues, check out this piece of code that recreates the Wii without anything more than a webcam. It will have ramifications far beyond gaming and I figure that with leaps like this taking place - capabilities vs. cost - it’s reasonable to expect most problems can be solved.

Even some of the major world ones.

I’m Not Worried

Beyond considerations about terrorists, the mentally unstable and other rational fears, I’m simply not worried about the technological and environmental challenges of today.

Companies like CamTrax are the reason why.

Though it doesn’t solve any major world issues, check out this piece of code that recreates the Wii without anything more than a webcam. It will have ramifications far beyond gaming and I figure that with leaps like this taking place - capabilities vs. cost - it’s reasonable to expect most problems can be solved.

Even some of the major world ones.

I Agree

I could do without the language, but I agree with this post about where Social Media is heading. It’ll be cool when it’s a reality.

Work Is Right In Front of You

Acquiring new customers/clients is costly in both time and money. It is less expensive and more beneficial to keep your current clients happy and Yuwanda Black has written a post describing how.

In “How to Get More Work from Existing Clients” at Freelance Switch, she describes a step-by-step way to ensure you know your client’s needs, understand how you can help and get them to hire you for more of their work. And as she says, “this is an often overlooked marketing method and missing it is like throwing money out the window.”

One of the biggest mistakes I made in my music career was missing this point. I, like most musicians, believed that if I had gotten one call, I would certainly get another. Wrong. There are two flaws with this thinking and Yuwanda addresses them both - and more.

First, you have to stay in touch with your clients. While it’s true that YOU are the center of your life and therefore on your mind all the time, this is not true of them. So, while you’re sitting home waiting by the phone, someone else is getting face time with your client.

Second, you may not have nailed the last thing you were asked to do. How would you know? Have you asked? If they did and they said yes, is that good enough? What might you have done even better, or beyond the original scope?

Yuwanda’s plan starts by arranging for a 10-minute consultation to find out exactly these things. This planned meeting, for which you will be prepared (after all, this is your LIVELIHOOD), allows you to stay on their mind, learn how you did and learn about upcoming opportunities all at once. It also makes you stand out from all the rest.

Oh, and don’t neglect step 3: asking for the work.

My thanks to Lifehacker for the link, read the whole post here.

A Reminder

It is the VETERAN, not the preacher,
who has given us freedom of religion.

It is the VETERAN, not the reporter,
who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the VETERAN, not the poet,
who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the VETERAN, not the campus organizer,
who has given us freedom to assemble.

It is the VETERAN, not the lawyer,
who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is the VETERAN, not the politician,
Who has given us the right to vote.

It is the veteran who deserves our thanks.