Trials make us better?

The impact so far. Thoughts in June 2023. 

 There are times in life where we all have to really think about the world. Since the first half of 2020, yup, three years ago from now. A new, dangerous ideology has emerged. I am surprised, saddened and a bit confused about the rather fluid state of affairs in the world at the moment.  There we were, just months into a global pandemic. The first one in over a century. And because of this outbreak, I have noticed quite a few things have changed. 

The media is no longer trusted as  a source of real information, but the internet is! This is completely ridiculous. The vast majority of journalists have a code of ethics, and a professional responsibility to report the facts of a situation. Do individul media outlets have a bias? Sure. Is it a problem? Not really. Media, from TV news, national magazines, and local papers can be pressured by advertising and sponsors to discuss certain stories in a certain way.  As people we all discuss certain things in certain ways. We use our existing scope of knowledge to analyze and express our opinion on a new situation, but we are influenced by our past. We, as humans are also aware that there are multiple sides to any story. In fact we should always respond with " Well, that's an interesting take on that." Just because it wasn't your original position does not mean it's wrong, just different, and further investigation might be worth it to determine even more truth.  

Scientist are also considered untrustworthy. An absolutely a wrong opinion. 

 A society that stops trusting experts in the field, and mainstream reporting is in trouble. 

YouTube is an unfiltered place where anyone can promote any idea or opinion. The average 12 year old is quite adept at video and image editing to make what could be considered "fake news" a terrible term I attribute to Donald Trump. In the worlds of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok, He has single-handedly made discounting anything he doesn't believe in as simple as saying those words, and dismissing it with a wave of his hand.

 It is a tragedy of the modern information age where individuals have access to hoards of documents, video footage and contrasting stories of any issue as well as the massive and, somewhat vetted, online encyclopedia Wikipedia, to find real truth. There is no reason for us not to be able to find the truth of an item. Except that the easy access to the internet has trained people to search only for supporting arguments and information that confirms their existing beliefs. That isn't real research skills. That's just reinforcing your position without accepting any new information. It's called Confirmation Bias. This is also a tragedy, and a failure of education. We must learn to be more open minded. Adjust our views as new information presents itself. There are scientists and experts that can explain the truth of almost anything. Yes, science changes. New information and experiments alter the truth as we know it. That is the point of scientific inquiry. It does not make it flawed.

 Conspiracy theories are growing at an exponential rate. 

From the completely foolish Anti-Vax groups, to the incredibly obtuse Flat-Earthers. This is simple science that these people are refuting. Science, not opinion or theory, but actual, proven science. It is ludicrous, and yet it is becoming increasingly clear there are are far more intelligent yet gullible people in the world than we knew about. And the freedom of the internet is allowing them to be manipulated by incorrect opinions. 

What is the point?

These theories are also present in regards to the current Global Pandemic where a good many people believe again that the scientists, politicians, and of course the media is involved in some grand hoax to train the public into subservient beasts following the rules of law and releaasing our fragile grip on our autonomy.  What is the point? What is the point of governments around the globe facing crippling debt as their economies falter from measures enacted to protect the citizens in favor of commerce? What do they get out of this so called hoax?  What do the media get? And the scientists? If they are all in this together then there must be some grand outcome awaiting all these magically coordinated players right? Well what is it? I cannot think of a single thing I have ever experienced that united countries and media in an effort to protect people like Covid -19. And yet there are still those who think its all a ruse of some kind. They rant and sometimes protest about the hardships they are facing. I have read multiple admissions from people who state proudly "I will never wear a mask." I cannot think of a more foolish statement in the face of this relatively new and unknown virus. At least some of these deniers are bound to get infected, some of them may become seriously ill. There is a very good chance they will be wearing a mask at some point.  An oxygen mask perhaps, or worse a ventilator. When faced with death I think a simple mask in public seems like a pretty small inconvenience. 

Black Lives Matter. 

This one keeps on coming around to me personally on various social media. I have stated my position several times and I am continually infuriated by the counter argument "All Lives Matter" 

The fact is that people of colour are disproportionately profiled, targeted, and even killed by law enforcement. This is a problem because the key word here is disproportionately. Yes, other people have troubles. No, it isn't only black people being arrested, targeted or killed. But it is happening more than it should based on population percentages. That's the problem. Black Lives Matter isn't a literal statement, its a conceptual idea trying to draw attention to the disproportionate nature of the issues. 

Of course all lives matter but not all lives are in trouble. People of colour are the ones facing the persecution if I may, and that's what awareness they are trying to raise. To use an analogy, You are driving home from work, and realize you have a flat tire. You need to change that tire. Now, do all tires matter or just the one that went flat? Will you change them all, or just the problematic one?  It is as simple as that. 

Or in another instance: Imagine your house is on fire. Do you want the fire department to swing by and dowse the entire neighbourhood because all houses matter, or do you think it best that they pay attention just to you?  Black Lives Mater is a reference to the fact that they are disproportionately victimized by law enforcement. Culturally, their house is on fire and they would like everyone to pay attention to that, and perhaps pressure those responsible to make changes.

Things have changed since 2020, and it's not for the better. We used to believe that ignorance was a lack of access to correct information, that no longer is the case and it will be a cultural and societal problem for some time to come. Unless we can regroup. Unless the real, basically educated among us can accept that others are more intelligent and have knowledge and information we don't. Until we believe the local, regional, and national newscasters are not a part of some fantastic, illuminati, group manipulating the world. Do you understand how difficult that would be? Have you ever tried to get a group of five or more to fully agree on something in a meeting for school or work? It's nearly impossible. So the idea that hundreds of thousands of politicians, scientists and reporters are working in a coordinated effort to fool is absolutely ludicrous. 

We need to get back to a world where we believe in the world around us and stop running around defending ourselves from imaginary attacks on our rights and freedoms. Because those things aren't happening. Others know more than you. Trust them to explain and advise you what is going on. 

I'm back after all these years!!!

OMG, It has taken me almost 7 years to figure out how to get back into Blogger. I'm no  fool it just happened that way. long story, but google took over I used an old email, google login worked for all things Google except the blog.... 

Anyway had an epiphany at work today and tada here we are. Now the challenge will be to remember all the posts I was planning on doing in here for the last couple of years. Wow it's good to be back.

Marketing: not only for businesses

Marketing is a buzzword that relates to elements of image and advertising. But it isn't just for businesses. Self marketing is important too. No matter what you do in life, job, career or running a business there are elements of you that make a difference in your image and your opportunities. Everything you do is connected ever so slightly to your work. How you make money is just the means to the end, but managing your marketing relating to that can make a huge difference.

A long time ago I was a sales rep for a professional shampoo company. I drove around all day and met women in salons to offer them the product line. It was a good gig. everyone smelled nice, the places were pleasant and we all dressed well. This is when I learned that my job was closely related to who I am. You see I had developed a reputation as a certain kind of person among my clients. I talked, acted and dressed a certain way and that was my identity and credibility with my clients. That means on any given Sunday no matter how tired, hungover, or dirty Iw as at the moment, whether just back from camping or working on the house I had to manage my marketing before appearing in public. The day you decide sweat pants and a ball cap to stop at the grocery store is the day one of your most important clients runs into you. It's odd, and awkward. for both of you. If you manage a ball team this still may be appropriate but you get the point. Mange the identitiy. The client has always pictured you as a certain type of person and you have now decended to a lower level. This is never something you want. It is important to maintain or rise in the eyes of your clients. That is the same if you are a welder, truck driver or a mechanic and a stock broker, banker or car salesman.

Think about how your personal impression in any public setting might impact your best client or business contact. Are you certain the you aren't going to negatively effect your business in some way by the way you may be acting, or dressed?  Isn't it always better to know that you are having a positive effect on your business even when you aren't at work?

 Personal credibility is a part of marketing as much as the name of the company, your business cards and the language you use. Think about a loud, perhaps impaired person at a sports event. Think about how they make an impression. Now think about how you respond to them if they show up to work for you, or hire you for your next job. What they have done is impacted their own marketing.

This doesn't mean I believe a mechanic should pop home to change into a tux before going to a movie, just that the clothes should be clean and well put together enough that you know you look fine even if you meet your best or even worst client. It maintains or improves thier impression of you.

Impressions matter, mange yours even a little and things will improve.

All the best.

L

Once upon a time,..

Those four words are some of the most powerful in the English language. Hearing or reading those words means a story is coming next. You don't know who, what or where it is taking place but you know that something great is about to happen. Great stories have been starting with them since 1476 in Aesop's fables. Those four words are triggers to launch imagination and emotions around the world.

I can't speak for you but my go to genre is Fantasy. Has been for many years and although I love all sorts of work and always appreciate an elegant turn of phrase these books literally hold the magic for me. When I hold one in my hand new or old my brain starts to work and I put together the bits that I know or begin to determine the tiny relevance of the picture on the cover  ( Oh I know, but face it we all do it, with books and people). I find myself asking ,"Where is a castle, in foreboding winter world, like that?" Or "Why does she have that tattoo? Sometimes when I'm outside my genre I wonder about the crime at hand and what kind of a gun that is. Perhaps it's a historical piece and I discover I know almost nothing about architecture from the last century.

The stories tell us things, teach us things and sometimes even warn us about ourselves.
I have realized the power of those words and I am grateful [see last post] that I have both the ability and opportunity to read anything I want.

Many of us post signs and pictures in our bedrooms bathrooms and offices to inspire us to keep on keeping on. I have:
 Carpe Diem, and Nolite Dies Sine Linaes
They mean, Sieze the Day, and Never a day without a line,

I have a few others in English too: like the very encouraging;

"We got some daylight left. You want to use it or what?" from Steven King's Eddie Dean to Roland in The Gunslinger saga.

and the instructional; WRITE! it's a verb

I have more that i rotate in and out on the bulletin board, but I've added another this week. It puts me in a frame of mind that remembers how important reading of any kind is. Fiction or function, a book always brings you something, and in this modern world of whizzing electrons and non stop communication in tiny bursts, a book slows you down. A book stimulates you brain, builds the skill of reading itself, enlightens, inspires or fascinates. Sometimes they frighten, horrify or even titillate.They can delight and confuse make you raise a hand in triumph, or sag with tears. No matter what you read a book affects you, often now and occasionally in the future, when something you read becomes something you learned and you were able to use that information or knowledge in your own life. . 

So now when I finally hit the bed and look at the wall opposite me I see the phrase;

 Once upon a time.... 

And I pick up my current book for a few minutes. 

You should too. 

Thanksgiving All Year

Well Canadians have just had our thanksgiving and the American weekend is coming up and I want to share a little history tradition and maybe inspiration for you in the future.

My family and many families I have had the opportunity to spend time with over the years, including a fabulous evening at a friend's this year, have a tradition of a round table moment when everyone states out loud what they are thankful for. It is a warm and heartfelt moment with friends and family every time, And although I was able to hold back I found myself at the brink of tears when my turn came. This is a common occurrence for me and although I don't know the exact details I understand that the welling up of emotion comes from the gratitude I have and that I am about to share it. See our gratitude, the things we are thankful for, especially those deeper things that you realize if you take more than a few seconds to really consider your circumstances, Those things are what make you realize how much different your life could be if you had to live without them. Recognizing things that you really should be thankful for all the time can make an enormous difference in how you see the world.
This concept I call the Attitude of Gratitude and information about it is readily available in the public domain from many so called guru's. So after you see my few points below go looking if you want more. The point is being grateful changes your attitude, and that changes your thoughts, and those change everything so find things to be grateful for everyday or once a week to keep yourself positive and in a great emotional balance. It is easy to get caught up in complaining and wanting.  Be grateful instead.

Lary's Be Grateful guidlines:

• Little Things. - your health, your mind, your ability to walk a block or two, the ability to make change, count beyond 100, and write a letter (or an email). These things separate you from millions of people on the planet. How about the clean kitchen, or the new placement of the couch? Being grateful for what you have focuses your attention on positives instead of what you want or lack. You will only build on positives, and focusing on negatives gets you more of the same by drawing your attention to them,
• Big things-this fantastic Earth we live on. To quote Louis CK, "Everything else for millions and millions of miles sucks." Or maybe parts of it like oxygen and gravity are what you want to be grateful for today. 
• Funny things - toilet paper is pretty great, and the fact that farm animals cannot fly is also fantastic and certainly limits car washing and dry cleaning bills. I have a friend who is grateful for waking up every morning, because the alternative is not good. Think of something that makes you laugh and be glad for it. Laughter really is good medicine. 
• People-there are people in your life: some blood, some not, that make a difference. Remind yourself to be thankful for what they have given you. Friends and family, Great Grandmother's stories, and best teachers and bosses are always good to remind yourself of people to be grateful for because they have helped make you who you are. Not convinced? Who was your favorite teacher in high school? Why, did they inspire you, challenge you or force you to be better, or try harder? Ok, so now who won the Stanley Cup or the Grey cup or World Series or Super bowl that year? That person you thought of meant more than you imagined. 
• Yourself - Always be grateful for who you are. You are unique even if you are a twin. You have things that make you special or different and you should be grateful for you. You hear your own voice the most often, be sure it is telling you the right things. 
• The Other Side. This is the hardest one. Things will go wrong sometimes. Completely out of your control you might have accidents, mishaps, job losses, broken things and arguments with people you should love. It's okay. Find the other side. Car accident after work. Are you okay? are others okay? Good, it could be worse. Job loss might lead you to the coolest opportunity in years. Maybe it allows you to start a new business or take a holiday. The point is to see the other side. Broken dishes mean you just might get to shop and replace the whole set. Allow it to be positive and be grateful for the opportunity or experience in your life. 

Enough for today, 

Thank you for reading!

Lary

3 Things I've learned from Chili Palmer.



If you don't know or don't remember Chili Palmer is a loan shark/shylock character from the movie Get Shorty. Originally released in 1999, this was a major hit and was a number one box office film grossing over 12 million. The characters are well written funny and relevant throughout. Chili Palmer is the best, and despite the criminal background he professes, never actually does anything truly mean to anyone else. His character holds some of the qualities I have in myself and are valuable for almost every aspect of life, especially business.

1. Dress well. This is the "like a boss" mentality that is somewhat pervasive these days in speech but not in action. Ladies, most of you get this already so this is mostly targeted for the men in the audience. I am constantly dismayed by the jeans and t-shirts most men wear and the contrast between that look and the women they are with. Appearance matters, and if you are in business at all, the day you hit the grocery store in your sweats and a ball cap is the day you will run into one of your important clients. You have irrevocably changed their opinion of you.  Most men at work look like they were not responsible for their own clothing. They look like they have found a clean shirt and yesterdays dress pants and whatever shoes were at the door on the way out. I actually was in an office one day and one of the principles was wearing two different shoes. Can you imagine a woman doing that ever?  So create some complete outfits, and get help if you need to. Most menswear stores have people who can show you how to complete an look.  Looking like you know what you are doing is half the job, no matter what the job is. Most of my friends will tell you I rarely leave the house in a T-shirt. It's about presenting a sense of credibility.

2. Speak Carefully.
Besides being judged on your image, your words reveal a lot about who you are. Chili's rules are : mean what you say, and don't say anything you don't have to. Talk when you need to, and maintain a conversation but don't feel the need to fill the silence all the time. If you are doing all the talking you aren't listening to your client who may reveal key information that will help you help them. Never swear. Swearing is almost always a shortcut to real adjectives that have meaning. Swearing in a business setting demeans you, lowers your position in others eyes and often proves that you don't belong in a leadership role. It doesn't matter if your client swears, as long as you don't it sets you apart slightly. Control is important. Saying only what you mean keeps the conversation clear. Of course any attempt at trying to deceive a client or customer will come back to haunt you , it always does. Be honest and straightforward.

3.Be Calm.
Excitement is an emotion that fires off all kinds of hormonal chemicals. Walk and pace a few minutes before an important meeting. You can burn off a little energy and your voice and demeanor will reflect it. Walking in to someones office knowing you need to ask for a huge order can be frightening. Remember it isn't personal, it's business. The first time I asked for a $100K worth of advertising I was thinking in the back of my mind, (That's more than I make in a year). It affected my presentation and I lost the deal. Business is business, just because you don't order bottles of wine over the $50 mark in restaurants understand that many people do. Stay calm, breathe, pace a bit before, meditate in your car or office. Do whatever helps you relax a little before the big deal starts.

Knowing your stuff is part of this. Do your homework, know the client and your presentation in overwhelming detail. You won't need it all, but you never know what piece of information might be crucial. Knowledge is power and the powerful are seldom nervous. Lawyers do this all the time. In court you don't want just enough evidence to get by, you want overwhelming information that supports your case.

All The Best,
L

One of the things I hear constantly is,"How do you stay productive?" And it's often a challenge as a freelancer to stay motivated when you work from home. There is a fridge and stove and a bed and a couch and a TV and recorded movies, books to read.... And there are lots of distractions not in the house, like local parks, the pub down the street, a coffee shop just five minutes walk away, and of course other parks beaches, theaters and general fun stuff happening downtown or nearby.  So here are a five things I try to apply to myself on a regular basis when I am feeling drawn away from my desk or less than productive..

1. Start.
Sometimes I just sit in the chair and stare at the screen for a few minutes. It is virtually impossible not to think of something that can be done at the desk if there are not actual contract deadlines to meet in which case teh project inevitably pops up. Others have said getting started is 80% of the day. I agree. It doesn't get done if I'm not in front of it so that is the best place for me to be.
 
2. Targets or Time.
 I like to set a task target like 1000 words or 2 hours before I get up. I know sales people who commit to 50 or 100 cold calls before they get up. The secret is to limit your chance of  stopping before you are done. Setting a timer on my phone works great when I have a project that is long and it gives me a reminder to take a break. Other times struggling to get the 1000 words done keeps me in the chair until I hit the milestone. Now sometimes it's also important to keep going when you are on a roll and this happens too. getting started and focusing on 1000 words is great, but if the timer goes and I'm in the zone, I just cancel it and keep on going. I know that I can stop when i need to after that but why bail on good energy. Use it  while you got it flowing.

3. Pareto Principle.
I get the most from about 20% of what I do. That's important because focusing on the keys is part of being productive. This can be so valuable I actually know an advertising firm that dropped clients that were not in their own top 25%. It's about the time of course. You only have so much and if you are spinning your wheels trying to coax a few extra dollars out of a client that represents only 2% of your business you need to ask why did they get a priority. If any of your top clients need anything at all you should definitely handle that account first. Spend your time where your money is.

4. Batching
This works because it puts your brain into a certain gear, just like a car transmission. As a freelancer I have several modes of operating and they include reading and research, business writing, creative writing, marketing writing, editing, consulting, self marketing, and my business management. I like to stay in a single mode as long as possible, or until a project milestone hits before I change focus. Business writing is different that creative, and client contact or emails is unrelated to editing.Keep one hat on and change when you need a break from the first mode.

5. Go faster.
This is odd, but increasing your speed increases your output in everything. walking, reading, typing etc. In a course I wrote about speed reading I use this analogy: Imagine you are in a car traveling fast down a highway. Ahead you see a small town and the speed limit warnings tell you to reduce speed. You do, but it's hard. It's difficult to slow down to pass through town. Your brain was all conditioned to go fast and it resented having to slow down. Once in town at less than half your highway speed you feel like you are crawling, and a stop light seems to take forever. But as you leave you feel the excitement starting to build because you are increasing speed again. your brain is releasing endorphins because you are back at its happy speed. And you feel the release as a gratitude for not having to go slower. Train your brain to go faster and it will encourage you to stay faster.

Put a few of these to work and let me know how you feel after a week or so of practice. 

Be well.
L