Friday, December 20, 2013
Friday, December 13, 2013
18 + 33 = CEO
Is it just ME, or do you, too sometimes gasp when you calculate the years
you have been married, how long you have been in a job, how old your children
are….?
Time flies; this we know. It’s
what we do in “the dash” between our birth and death years that most often
defines who we are.
In the case of Mary T. Barra, that time has been not a “mad dash”, but a
thoughtful climb to the top of General Motors (GM), once the world’s largest
and most powerful auto company.
As a recent high school grad at the age of 18, Mary joined her Dad, a die
maker at GM who served for 39 years, fulfilling her dream to join “the family
business”.
She attended the GM Technical School to study engineering and it seems
she has never looked back. As of January
1, 2014, she will don yet another hat – she has worn them all – and focus on
moving GM forward after the $49.5 billion US government bailout in 2009, as
Mary becomes the CEO of General Motors.
“This is truly the next chapter in
GM’s recovery and turnaround history.”
“…I am proud to be part of it…”, said Mary.
Well, Mary, I dare say, we are all
proud of you!
Retiring CEO, Mr. Akerson (reportedly retiring to care for his ailing
wife – good man!) made it very clear Mary was selected for her talent, not her
gender.
That makes the announcement even sweeter.
GM is not simply making a grand gesture in appointing a woman to this
position; rather because of Mary’s merit, multi-dimensional experience with the
auto giant and for her vision for its future has Mary been named CEO.
Mary will be 1 of among 21 women who are CEOs of Fortune 500 companies; the first in the auto industry.
I eagerly look forward to what a woman in the driver’s seat in the
male-dominated auto industry will mean over time. I anticipate more practicality, better
pricing, more family-friendly features and more financial stability. Sounds
like running a huge household, doesn’t it?
WOW - THERE’S A NOTION!
It is less than usual for anyone to spend an entire career path with one
company. Kudos to General Motors for
continuing to place Mary in varying capacities, resulting in what may seem like
a slow (33 years) but rather a steady and qualified climb to the top.
I applaud Mary for her perseverance, which I imagine, was often
accompanied by personal reflections about her “whys”, especially during the
less than stellar days of GM. An example
of “whys” discovered to be “wise”.
I am also happy for the great city of Detroit, which has played an often
over-looked role in what made the United States great.
Not a believer in co-incidence, a recent conversation with The Detroit
Economic Association led to a meeting with Detroit Venture Partners, just ten
days ago, during which we discussed opportunity women of The International
Women’s leadership Association (TheIWLA) might contribute to the next chapter
of the now bankrupt city. Jobs? I am flying back tomorrow for a follow-up
meeting with a Senior Analyst with the third largest lender in the United
States. Housing?
Like Mary, all women wear many hats; some fit better than others, some
look better than others. What matters is
that we continue to try new hats on when the old ones no longer feel
right. Eventually, we are likely to find
the perfect fit.
Whatever that style may be for you, please know that there is a perfect
one for you and that the only way you will not find it is if you stop looking
and stop trying new ones on. If you feel
you have tried them all, here’s an idea….MAKE ONE OF YOUR CHOOSING.
So, IS it just me, or do you, too, find great inspiration in Mary Barra?
“There’s
something about Mary”
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Even the heavens shed tears!
Is it just ME, or are you, too, proud to say you shared a bit of time on earth with the
likes of Nelson Mandela?
The passing of a man like Mandela opens up history lessons all of us
should learn, or be reminded of. It is a
book that will continue to be written long after Mandela is laid to rest.
I am struck by the outpouring of
emotion; not the scope of it, but the style of it. As the heavens rained down its own tears,
tens of thousands danced and sang in the streets as they celebrated his life,
not his death. I am sure this is just
the reaction Mr. Mandela would have wanted.
As the largest group of world leaders
assembled in Johannesburg and crowds withstood the pouring rain, I was reminded
of powerful words spoken by actor Mel
Gibson in the character of William Wallace as the Scottish warrior faced a
cruel and painful death fighting for what he believed in; freedom for Scotland…
“…all men die, but not every man lives…”
How rightly these words depict the
man a nation and now a world will forever call Madiba, Mandela’s ancestral
clan.
I wondered where the strength to
endure 27 years of imprisonment in a hard-labor prison comes from. More so, I wonder how anyone who could
survive the duration could move forward with no bitterness, no resentment, no
hate in his heart.
It is easy to declare such
things. Time is the testament, however,
and in the case of Nelson Mandela, these sentiments went beyond mere words to
such an extent I cannot even find the word.
It is said the best way to teach is
by example. I believe this to be true.
From beneath the roof of my own
family home, to learning of the likes of Mother Theresa, Ghandi, Pope John Paul
II, I have learned that the actions of others resound ever more loudly than
their words ever could.
They endure long
after the vibration of an echo is stilled.
They live forever, as will all those, whose names we will never know,
whose deeds we will never hear of, but whose legacies will live forever.
I feel blessed to be part of this
time in history. With the challenges we face
today comes opportunity as never before to create a lasting impression; a
legacy. If even one person is affected
by your actions in this world, you will have earned your time and space in this
life and surely that in the life to come.
“…every
man dies, but not every man lives…”
LIVE!
Monday, December 9, 2013
We’ll be fine…
Is it
just ME, or do you, too, come across young
people, from time to time, who restore your sense of security for the future of
the world?
Today is December 5,
2013. It is the 18th birthday
of an exemplary young woman who just happens to be the daughter of one of the
Advisors at The International Women’s Leadership Association (TheIWLA).
Let me also mention today is the birthday of
the Dad of our Social Media Manager and “Data Diva”, Donna Furno; happy 78th birthday Mr. Freeman!
Kathy Trotta is never
without a smile; neither, it seems is her daughter, lovingly referred to as Dani-Girl.
Dropping by the see her
Mom yesterday, I had a chance to share some time with Dani-Girl, which inspired
this Blog; “thank you”, to this amazing Mother-Daughter tag-team.
Today’s world is often
overwhelmingly cynical when it comes to our youth. A more demanding generation by all degrees of
comparison, today’s young can easily be classified as indulged, spoiled,
indifferent, even disrespectful.
Then, there is a beacon
of light. A smile, an excited and
motivated teenager to begin her new job in addition to going to school. A teen, who like her Mother speaks with a
smile, obviously genuine, as she glances over her right shoulder to see her Mom
and include her in the conversation as she spoke to me. I like
this child; and so would you!
Many are blessed to go
through their teen years in typical carefree mode; not Dani-Girl.
Sadly, she lost her Dad
as a Junior High School student. I’ve
experienced an untimely death like that when my oldest brother died at 44,
leaving 3 children, the youngest one, 12.
Life is hard at that
stage of life under the best of circumstances.
It takes strength to move forward – even when you don’t really want to –
especially when you have no choice but to do so.
So, Dani-Girl moved
on. As a “Sweet Sixteen” year-old, her
house was devastated in Super-Storm Sandy, which ripped the east coast of the
United States above the mid-Atlantic.
Now, almost 14 months later, Kathy and her children are still having
repairs made – but they are together – and they clearly have a Guardian Angel.
Fast forward to the
Spring of 2013…it’s Prom Time. Dani-Girl
is selected by a Long Island newspaper as “Prom Girl” and will be featuring her
in a series of articles over the next many weeks as she models options of what
to wear to Prom so readers can vote.
Sounds great, right?
Well, it ended up being
wonderful but not without a few side steps brought on by jealous people who
probably have nothing nice to say about anyone but don’t have the good sense to
just say nothing! Life’s lessons can be tough!
The Prom is over, the
dress has been hung away…a short distance from home, Dani-Girl’s car is hit by
a senior gentleman, necessitating a trip to the hospital and a brain scan
because of head and neck pain…
Kathy learns that her
17 year-old has cancer…life comes to another sudden halt
as a course-of –action is determined.
At this point, you may
be thinking I’m making this up. I wish I
were!
This Blog is not to
share a sad story; not at all. It is to
share the spirit of a Mother, a daughter, a family and a random (?) car
accident that has proven to be a saving grace.
It is a story of
resilience.
It is a story of
strength and courage that comes when we need it the most.
It is a story of hope.
It is a story that, at
one time, or another, each of us will play a role in.
It is a story that has
cost me many tears, yet in the end, it is about smiling.
It is a story of moving
forward.
And, it is a story
worth sharing…
So, IS it
just me, or do you, too see that a Dani-Girl
here and a Dani-Girl there is enough reason to celebrate and to have hope that
tomorrow’s leaders are out there.
Happy
Birthday, Dani-Girl
Keep
smiling.
(Nice
job, Kath!!)
Friday, December 6, 2013
Rest Well…
I think it only proper to approach this entry a bit
differently, for in my lifetime, there have been few who have lived to the
depth of their beliefs, their hopes, their dreams, as did Nelson Mandella.
I could not honesty say when my first recollection of that
name, that man, that cause was. Somehow,
however, I don’t remember not knowing that name, that man, that cause.
Mandella was born on July 18, 1918, the son of a Counselor
to the paramount chief of the Thimbu people in South Africa.
In 1994, he became the first black president of South
Africa, an election by all parties and by all people.
It is all that happened in between that is the story of
Nelson Mandella.
After completing his education, he founded the African National
Congress (ANC). It was the 1940s; news
did traveled neither as fast, nor far, nor furiously as it does today.
The ANC was formed to stand against white domination in
South Africa and Nelson Mandella quickly became known as the leader of the
anti-apartheid revolution.
His hope was to see a world where all peoples could live
together and recognize equality and opportunities for all.
This dream, this hope, this vision caused him to be
sentenced to life in prison in 1964 on the small rocky island called Robben,
surrounded by shark infested waters. He
endured life on that island for almost 20 years and served 27 years in total as
a man accused of conspiracy, sabotage and treason.
South Africa President de Klerk, the last white president
of South Africa, lifted the ban against the ANC on February 2, 1990; nine days
later, Nelson Mandella walked out of prison - a free man.
In thinking of Nelson Mandella, so many words come to mind, He was faithful, passionate, committed,
courageous………. What I have decided to embrace about this world-leader was that
he was a perfect blend of tenacity and temperance and that he never let one
over take the other. I believe that is
how he survived, how he lived, how he led.
There is much to be learned from this man. Though I am a white woman from the West, it
is reasonable to think there is little with which I could identify – that
anyone could identify! I do not feel that way.
I believe he has taught us all something.
I feel that Nelson Mandella brought much to the world and
that he paid the price for doing it.
Though I believe (and really need to) he had much happiness in his life,
I wonder how he endured the loneliness of those 27 years; what kept him
believing – and hoping?
The victor at the end of any battle finds it easy to say it
was worth it. He who is not victorious
is left to wonder how, where and why he went wrong.
While such thoughts would do nothing but to declare
Mandella human, I believe he must have always thought the battle was worth
waging; regardless of the outcome.
In his own words, he said,
“I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free
society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal
opportunities. It is an ideal I hope to
live for and to achieve. But if need be,
it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”
To Mr. Mandella, I would say,
“I hope the world remembers you as the man who truly lived
to do exactly what you did and in the moment of your moving-on from your
earthly dwelling-place, transitioned to a place that not even you could have
imagined. There, may you experience
freedom beyond our human nature to comprehend and there, may your stay make 27
years feel as but a moment in time.”
Monday, December 2, 2013
A routine is a good thing…
Is it just ME, or do you, too, sometimes feel you have become - well
- somewhat predictable?
OK, I admit it…I am somewhat predictable. It may sound boring in some ways, yet I have
come to see the good side of what has become a sort of routine, a virtual
self-help checklist.
Predictability means reliability; reliability you and
others count on. Having a to-do list you carry around in your
head keeps you grounded, on-time, and available to others when needed.
Good time management is a virtue, as I see it. It helps avoid the helter-skelter that breeds
in the absence of said virtue and actually creates the feeling of having more
time. That’s a gift you give, more than
to anyone else, to yourself! It is a
gift you are worthy of receiving.
In every busy woman’s life, both personal and profess-
ional, is the need for well planned, well spent time that makes possible, what
can so easily overwhelm us: the greatest chance of getting things done well,
on-time, with a joyful spirit and the greatest sense of self accomplish- ment.
On the flip side, less than good time management
skills may easily result in the opposite:
being of schedule, performing at less than our highest potential and
with a sense of “I could have done a better job”.
Part of the challenge of establishing good time
management skills is not taking on too much; something women so generously do –
all with the best of intentions – resulting in self-inflicted wounds – often
the hardest to heal.
Having a routine of your own makes it easier to
schedule in the extras we cannot always plan for. They suddenly feel easier to fit in – and
with less stress. WOW, what a notion!
Today is December 1, 2013; the final month of a year
that, for me, has flown. In one month,
we start a brand new year; a time of resolution and planned transformation that
too often falls below the radar shortly thereafter.
May I suggest taking a thoughtful, objective view of
your own routine, or lack thereof, and determine how you might better align
yourself to your purpose and your passion, to your role and your
responsibilities and how best to invest yourself in the 1,440 precious minutes
you are given every day?
As in any exercise, you may find yourself a stronger,
better-toned individual, more able to deal with all that today’s world throws
in your life’s path.
Now, here’s where it gets tricky…in creating a routine and strengthening your time
management skills, you actually open a wider range of possibility to do more
for others – and – very importantly yourself.
You must schedule “me time” in your life and make finding personal time,
space and satisfaction part of your routine.
If you begin to embrace this possibility during this –
the “most wonderful time of the year” (a/k/a, the busiest time of the year),
imagine what you can give yourself and the world all year-round!
So, IS it just me, or do you, too, see the upside of your own
predictability; it’s not a trait of the boring but part of the character of
those who may have and give the most.
Predict your own future!
Friday, November 29, 2013
Every day is a day to give thanks…
We in the
United States are celebrating Thanksgiving this weekend; a wonderful American
tradition dating back to 1621 when the English Colonists (Pilgrims) celebrated
and shared their first harvest with members of the Wampanoag Tribe of Native
Americans.
How wonderful that such diverse peoples could
share a table 392 years ago; makes you wonder why we are called more civilized,
more cultured today. Hmmmmm.
I want to take this opportunity to express my
gratitude to so many and for so much.
I am grateful to be a woman with a voice and to
share time and space with others who work tirelessly to spread the vision and
the mission of The International Women’s Leadership Association with women
around the world.
I thank everyone who takes the time to read and
comment on this blog and I encourage all women and girls to recognize their own
calling, to move in the direction they are destined to and to support each
other for the distance.
A simple “thanks” seems too small a gesture yet
too often a word some never express, so,
Thanks
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
THANKSTAKING
Is it just ME…. or do you feel the world of ginormous
retailers is creating unnecessary frenzy with an early -ER start of “Black
Friday”?
Remember when Thanksgiving was a day
you looked forward to because it was
about family and some downtime? I loved
Thanksgiving for so many reasons.
Primarily, it was because – by all degrees of comparison – it was a
non-commercial holiday. Other than
grocery shopping it was the shopping-free holiday. No gifts, no wrapping, no cards. Breath. Enjoy.
Take off your shoes. Relax. Anticipate.
The Christmas Season starts …. tomorrow.
As a kid, I remember my Mom handing
each of the six of us our “Christmas Club”
money. Yes, Christmastime was here!
Every week, Mom put one dollar into an account for each of us. It was magical. Come the day AFTER Thanksgiving, we began
planning our shopping route. We were
natural born shoppers! In those days,
the process itself was as much fun as the actual gifting. WOW,
when was the last time I felt that way?
So, the announcements have been
made. Christmas will start on
Thanksgiving – and earlier than ever.
Come on! Can’t we have a
traditional, dining room experience without the pressure of shopping?
But, is that the real pressure?
Let’s examine the evidence….
BLACK FRIDAY; what does that mean? The truth is that the big stores hope to “get
into the black”. The pressure is really
on them – they are just making it our responsibility! I’m all about the freedom of making money,
but… how do you spell gluttony? Can’t we
just overeat and come back an hour later and pull out the leftovers?
And what about the store workers who
are supposed to be over-the-moon about working on a major holiday – yes,
Thanksgiving is a major (American)holiday.
Were they polled about this? Was
it made an optional work day? I don’t
even think they’ll get overtime because so many of these retailers only hire
part timers – just so they never have to pay O.T. or paid sick days – OR HOLIDAYS! (The reason, BTW, too many people have to
find and hold-down 3 jobs – do the math Human Resources – it doesn’t make sense!)
Last year, I was shopping in Macy’s
(we’ll deal with them later!) I spotted
a beautiful cashmere scarf for my husband.
It was $135.00. It didn’t come
home with me. About a week later, it
did! 70% OFF! Yes!
Patience IS a virtue.
That was MY
BLACK DECEMBER 19!
If we buy into the Black Friday
Propaganda, aren’t we encouraging retailers to keep taking more away from our
beloved Thanksgiving? An extra hour
here; an extra hour there. For
what? Do that many people really hate
football? Is an annual meal with Aunt
Lil just too hard to sit through?
What about all the prep that goes
into creating the most memorable meal of the year? Will that soon be forgotten, as well?
Some of my family’s favorite memories
are of the after-conversations and activity around the dining room table. We share those memories with the generation
too young to remember the good-old days.
Their faces light up; they smile .
Guess what? We are creating new
memories; good memories. Not memories
about pushing, shoving, waiting on lines – we can do that any other days of the
year.
So, I ask you, are you going to help
guarantee that the likes of Walmart, K-Mart, Sears, Best Buy, …………, put a few
bucks in the till or are you going to help guarantee that a great tradition
continues and that Thanksgiving has a day all its own?
And Macy’s? Don’t you want to be remembered as, hello,
The Thanksgiving Day Parade store? Are
you going to rename it The Black Friday Day Parade? Must you throw a sale after the parade? You’ll
get my dollar – one day, or another, but not on Thanksgiving.
I also wonder where all the retail
execs will be. Are they pushing back from
their feasts early and showing up for work on Thanksgiving, too. I wonder (but, come on, I think we may already
know that answer).
SO, IS it just me, or do you, too, want to tell the turkeys who make these decisions to
stuff it?
Do you think Thanksgiving should
become Black Thursday, instead? Please
comment…
P.S. And, Thanks for Giving all that you do; today
and every other day. For you alone give
us cause to stop, celebrate, and declare a special day!
KEEP
THE GIVING in THANKSGIVING!
Monday, November 25, 2013
Pink – the next power color!
Is it
just ME, or do you, too, sometimes wonder what
you might be doing and where you might be had you been born 20 years or more
after you were born?
I decided a long time
ago I never wanted to live with regret, pondering “what ifs”. I’ve been blessed to experience varied businesses and I have enjoyed them all.
Today’s young girls do
have more options, more choices, more diverse career paths from which to choose
than I did, though I offer no excuses for my own decisions.
“Lady” engineers,
“women in aerospace” were virtually non-existent when I was a lass and still
under-populated today, by all degrees of comparison to more typically female
professions such as nursing and teaching.
What might tomorrow be
like for today’s young girls….take a look; this video says it all.
So, IS it just me, or are you, too, very excited about what the future holds for today’s
young females?
Friday, November 22, 2013
2 Score and a decade; eternity
Is it
just ME, or are you, too, at a point in your
life where you look back and recall, in extreme details, prolific,
unforgettable moments in your life that, in one way, or another, changed you
forever?
A rhetorical question,
eh?
Moments such as
realizing you were in the company of your true and lifelong partner, hearing
the first cry of your newborn baby, accomplishing something you never imaged
possible…these are such moments, and once experienced, c you are forever
changed.
I wish you an abundance
of such moments; may they all be glorious.
As an American woman, I
cannot let this day, November 22, 2013, begin and end without sharing such a
memory. For it was on this day, fifty
years ago, that John F. Kennedy, President of the United States, was
assassinated.
That day changed the
world.
This is not intended to
be a history lesson; though there are countless lessons to be learned. I make no political statement; I take no
political position. What the legacy of
JKF may have been will never be known; history will forever treat him kindly.
What this is about is
the young, soft-spoken woman, who at 34 years of age and
the mother of two small children became a widow, yes, but also, the backbone that held the United
States of America together under the horrific burden it could neither imagine
nor plan for, yet was forced to accept.
Jacqueline Bouvier
Kennedy Onassis stood tall and from the depths of her being presented dignity,
strength, focus and the resolve of what is means to be a woman of leadership.
Strength is born in
every woman. Until called upon, as in
the case of the woman the world will always remember as “Jackie”, one may never
know what she is capable of.
Leadership is born in
every woman. Until called upon, as in
the case of Jackie, theretofore known more for her fashion sense and unique
beauty, one may never know she has.
Circumstances in
today’s world challenge us regularly.
They need not be, and I pray they will never be, so iconic as to
parallel the events of fifty years ago.
Their presence, and sometimes their overwhelming forbearance over the
course of time, still call upon women of
today to stand tall, to present with dignity, to focus and to show resolve;
just as Jackie did.
Countless editions line
the shelves of book stores and libraries around the world telling Jackie’s
story. In many ways it is the story of
every woman. She is a woman worth
knowing; she is a woman who intrigues generation .
Jacqueline Bouvier
Kennedy Onassis was laid to rest at The United States National Cemetery in
Arlington, Virginia. She is beside President
Kennedy, the man she always stood next to, or behind. She is beneath the glow of the eternal flame;
her light will continue to glow.
So on this historic day, I honor
Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy
Onassis
a woman of outstanding leadership
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Great expectations
Is it just ME, or do you, too, wonder
why some among us are so driven and others are, well, not?
Former US First Lady,
Lady Bird Johnson (President Lyndon B. Johnson, 1963 - 1969) wrote that what is
expected of children is likely what will be achieved by those children. Wow!
As we were all children
‘once upon a time’, it is interesting to glance in the rearview mirror and
visit times in our own lives when what was expected of us was all, or
everything, we were willing to aspire to.
Wishing I knew then
what I know – or don’t know – now, raises my antenna a bit; what about yours?
I think of children
accessed by standard exams or, perhaps, more subjectively, by educators or
coaches who come in to their lives at impressionable, early stages. We hear of children defined as a result of
comparison to other children, some medicated, some given less attention than
others because they are deemed less capable.
Less is expected of them. How
easy for such a label to become permanently attached - and worn on the
outside.
Has anyone never heard
of a late-bloomer? Have we not heard of
professional athletes who were cut from high school teams only to become college
superstars. It happens!
There are many lessons
Lady Bird’s opinion offers…
The obvious one is to
never give up on a child. The challenge
is to continue to support, motivate, validate and honor the individuality of who
they are; not who others think they are not or could never be. In what it is
that distinguishes them from the “average” or “normal” child is exactly what
could be their greatest gift - a gift the world needs.
Is it fair to say that
once pigeonholed there is no way out?
No, I do not think so.
At every given moment
and with each breath it is within each of us to decide to change. There is within the capacity of the human
spirit such strength and energy to reach beyond what we thought was possible
yesterday.
Another great quote,
and I am paraphrasing, is that another person’s opinion of you is none of your
business. I love that!
Here’s where I am
going…reach out to someone and encourage that person to be everything that is
possible within his/her realm of being…but don’t wait for someone to play that
role in your life…just believe in yourself, more than anyone else ever has, and
know that if you want it badly enough and for all the right reasons, it is
possible; you can do it.
Can you even begin to
imagine the mentor, the role model, the parent you could be to a child who
hasn’t reached that moment in his/her own life yet? Be that gift to a child.
To settle into a life
of mediocrity or complacency because others expected and imagined that’s all
you could ever do, is fulfilling their belief – not yours. You get to decide for yourself and it is
never too late to change.
So, IS it just me, or are you, too,
dusting off dreams that others told you were beyond your ability to make come
true and deciding you are worthy, you are capable and everything is possible?
Friday, November 15, 2013
Time and Energy
Is it
just ME, or are you, too, curious about the
best use of your time and energy?
Somewhat a mathematical
soul, I often “break-it-down” so as to analyze: time and energy are a great
example.
Most things perceived
to be of significant value in one’s life
make that person willing to devote significant time and energy in that
direction. Another, with indefinably less
interest in the same area would not so willing to make the same investment. Makes
sense!
On that point, let’s
agree to agree, shall we?
Now, let’s look at time
and energy as components of an equation (back
to the math!). Here’s how I see it:
Time + Energy = Outcome
How much time; how much
energy?
What type of time; what
type of energy?
Therein lies the
difference; therein lies the difference in the type of outcome you should
expect to have; that you deserve to have.
I recall an early M-W-F
class as a college Sophomore: Management
Information Systems (MIS). Aside from
not always getting to that class on time, the Professor was, well – boring!
I remember sitting in that
class, still wiping sleep from my eyes wondering how MIS was going to impact my
life? Why had I chosen this course – and
at 8am?
All these years later,
I look back and realize how often MIS pops into my life and yours, I am quite
sure, even if you are not aware of it. WOW, what could have been had the class been
at 10 or 11! Basically, it’s input =
output. (MATH!)
And so it goes in life…we
get out of it what we put into it – at least in the overwhelming percentages of
cases.
Let’s get back to my
Time + Energy = Outcome equation.
Granted, we all dreams;
we should; we must. For in that thought
pattern, in that visualization, is the genesis of an invention; it starts as a
thought. Taking TIME to develop thoughts
is what makes dreams come true; and they really, really can!!
Now comes the ENERGY…taking a lifetime to think about
something will never make it come true; you must give it some energy (action)
for a thought to develop, for a dream to become reality.
That brings us to OUTCOME.
Q and
A about to begin…..
How much time are you willing to invest in YOU and YOUR
dream?
How will you know when it’s enough time?
How much work are you willing to do?
How much work are you not willing to do or pass on to others?
What outcome are you hoping for?
What sacrifices are you willing to make to achieve desired
outcome?
What outcome are you willing to live with?
Let’s be clear…you get to choose…you always get to choose. BUT, you
must be willing to live with the choices you make; you must
be willing to accept the outcome you get based on those choices. Fair? Fair!
If I may, may I strongly suggest that you know what it is you
want – and, by all means, dare to dream big!
Then determine what you want the result to be…I know, I know…I jumped
from the Alpha to the Omega.
That’s it! Know what you want from
the beginning of the thought to the actualization of it and be willing to take
the TIME and ENERGY required – by YOU – to connect those dots to achieve the
desired outcome.
MIS, in a nutshell …
Bad Input: perhaps not enough
time and/or the wrong energy (negativity) = Bad
Output: disappointing outcome
Good input: sufficient, well-spent
time and positive energy
= Good Output:
satisfying outcome.
Again, you choose, so choose wisely, for TIME is Fleeting and,
on day, each of us will all run out of ENERGY;
it’s what we do between here and there that will make all the
difference.
So, IS it just me, or are you, too suddenly remembering all those courses and classes of
yesteryear you thought you would never need?
8 am; what was I thinking?
Anyway, thanks for taking the
time and energy to read my blog!
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