Zoochblog

Valentines Day is approaching and I wanted to get my Dad a card so off to my local Walgreens I went.  This isn’t a plug for them, but Walgreens always seems to have a great selection of cards for most every occasion, plus I have one a block from my home making it very convenient.

It really doesn’t make any difference where you go though, because you will find the same problem, the card publishing companies seem to have lost their way when it comes to men, dads, brothers, grandfathers and stepfathers.  Invariably, I will be faced with the same dilemma…the selection is pitiful.

On this occasion the card rep for the company was working in the isle and saw me standing looking at the cards.  She asked if she could be of any assistance, and I shared with her what I’ve stated above.  She said that the card company’s only re-supply what is being purchased. Meaning that people don’t buy enough cards for men to make it profitable to put them out.  I showed her the only two Valentines cards for “Dad” from an adult and told her they had been the same cards available for the past several years.  They don’t even update to a newer version…sad.

Don’t you find the Biggest Loser contestants inspirational?  I can’t watch that show without feeling compassion and empathy for those folks.  You want to cheer them on at every difficult point and sometimes I do, shouting out loud at my TV (goofy, I know, but then no one sees me either .
 
Isn’t inspiration a wonderful thing?  It gives us a way to find that deep down energy to push through the tough challenges in life and achieve like never before.  “If they can do it, I can do it too!”
 
Who do you use as your inspiration?  Is it a relative whom you’ve always looked up to?  A neighbor who does a lot in your community?  Someone who has battled an illness and won?  What about you?
 
Whoever it is, it’s important to have someone you look up to, who represents the things you hold dear to your heart, someone who would be proud of you and your accomplishments if they had the chance to see you in action.
 
As a child I had many heroes.  Like most little boys in the 50’s and early 60’s I held in high esteem:

• Actor John Wayne
  
• Bodybuilder Charles Atlas
  
• Race car driver Mario Andretti
  
• Climber Sir Edmund Hillary
  

Of course, there were the fictional characters too like:

• Superman
  
• The Rifleman
  
• The Lone Ranger (my personal favorite)
  
• Sky King
  

Fictional or real, all of those men were strong of mind, character and of body who fought for “truth, justice and the American way”.  To a little boy that spirit set a benchmark, a foundation if you will, for me later as I went out into the world to make a place for myself. 
 
Children today, whether boy or girl, need to look to those who will inspire them to great heights in their lives.  We struggle to find them today; they don’t seem to be as plentiful as in years gone by.  There’s no need to go into the lack of good morals among the famous in today’s world, it’s obvious in every headline or newscast about the latest celebrity to from grace publicly.  But, even with that said “you” could be an inspiration.
 
What an opportunity for all of us! 
 
My Dad has always been, and still is, a man of great strength and character for me to admire.  Be that person for your child or the children in your life.
 
Let them see you do things that are honorable like: donating time for a charity, assisting at their school, helping the elderly across the street, being honest in small ways like always obeying the speed limit and never lying.  Children remember these things, they make an indelible impression in their small minds that they won’t forget; I know I didn’t.
 
At the beginning of a New Year and new decade I challenge you to become an inspiration to a child in your life.  Go out of your way to make those small and large impressions whenever you can; you very well could be changing a life for the better. 
    
In the end, it’s just one man’s opinion, mine.
 
Keith……
 
 

There is a long held belief that the weekend starts at noon on Friday and I think that is true.  I’ve been tryihng to get ahold of clients and friends all afternoon with no success, so they must already be enjoying the weekend.

It’s funny about traditions; we often think they are just ours, then we travel to other countries and find out that things are pretty much the same there.  People aren’t that different in many ways, although we like to think they are.  Some things should be and are universal, while other philosophies are very singularly indicative of a certain culture.

I guess it’s the later that I love.  The differences.

It’s often the main reason I travel.  To enjoy the differences, to celebrate them and rejoice in how we can be so different and still be part of the same species.

It’s very cool when you think about it.  We are and we aren’t part of a global community.  We individually hold values and virtues dear to heart that others might love or scorn.  Hopefully, it’s benevolence that prevails in sane and responsible societies.

 In the end, it’s just one man’s opinion, mine.

Well, it’s been a while since I posted and I’m glad to be back.  Zooch has a lot of new stuff happening and I’ll be updating this blog on a regular basis on those exciting happenings.  In the meantime, please visit zoochthepooch.com for a look at our first book. 

Humor is so good for the human psyche, and our physical and mental health.  I received an email from a friend today which included a clip of Harvey Corman and Tim Conway, television stars of the 70’s and 80’s.  In it, Conway played a bumbling dentist who accidentally injects himself with a numbing pain killer intended for his patient Corman.  As he loses the use of the hand he numbed with the drug, he can’t operate but continues trying.  His antics are so well done that Corman has real difficulty keeping a straight face and is constantly covering his mouth and face to keep from breaking character.  Sure, it’s slapstick, at it’s best and it’s hilarious.

It’s the simple things in life that are the most funny.  They are often clean, free of foul language, natural, illustrating virtues without any anger or hatred of any kind, and most of all they are kid friendly.  A lot of the shows from the earliest eras of TV provide the best examples of this type of humor and you can buy CD’s of the old shows easily any more.  I reccommend you check them out if you are finding it hard to locate children-friendly programs on TV in today’s world.

We all need humor in our lives to keep balance in our outlook.  I love my firends who tell jokes, send email’s with funny stuff and those who pull practical jokes on me.  I try to see the funny things in life during the day as well.  There are people doing stupid things all day long if you look for them.  Let them provide you with the needed entertainment to lighten your day rather than seeing the sometimes infuriating stupidity displayed in traffic or other places.  Adopting a philosophy of humor to your daily life lifts the veil of depression, anger and fear allowing you to live life more fully.

The Law of Attraction also kicks in and brings you more like-minded people who are also looking to have a happier day.  Like energies attract like energies, so the more you put humor in your life the more you will attract funny people, humorous situations and overall fun.  This type of philosophy is very powerful in gaining confidence and security in yourself and your actions. 

In other words, don’t take life so seriously, play with others, tease, joke and enjoy good, clean fun with your fellow humans.  Life will take on a whole new glow with positive thoughts and energy to tackle the tough stuff more easily.

In the end, it’s just one man’s opinion, mine.

Keith……

I don’t know about you, but I’ve always hated constructive criticism.  I know I’m supposed to appreciate it, but I’m sure when I get it people are just trying to be cruel, egotistical (my way is better than yours!) or stubborn.

Then I got to thinking, maybe, it’s me that’s stubborn. 

I love writing for clients, but when they use the opportunity to edit and send the piece around to the “committee” for suggestions it feels demeaning.  I feel like I’m back in grade school and getting slapped on the wrist if my words aren’t meeting with the approval of the class.

Am I making too much uot of this?  Probably so.  The creative arena is one that has a lot of emotion invested in the end product.  We don’t want to be criticized for what we view as a work of art.  Now granted, much of what we write today isn’t reagarded as “works of art” mainly because the high standards of writing have been lowered to sad abbreviations in text messaging for sake of time and ease.

Did you know that many schools have stopped teaching cursive writing because children will only be using computers to do homework on so they teach them to type not write? Hmm.

But I digress.  Constructive criticism should be received as in a brainstorming session where no idea is stupid or wrong; it’s just different.  It takes me a few moments each day when receiving changes to articles by the “committee” to settle into the frame of mind to accept the changes as about the piece and not about me.

So, there in a nutshell is the crux of the issue.  Don’t take it personally.  Look at the suggestions as about perfecting the work and not the perceived slap on the wrist. 

Here are a few steps to follow:

1. Step back and look at it through the eyes of the sender. 
2. Is the suggestion valid?
3. Does it add to the piece?
4. Does it detract from the piece?
5. Can the suggestion be improved upon as well?
6. Are the changes pure semantics or conceptually accurate?

  Once you’ve started to look at the critiquing with a critical eye and not an ego based one, you might find that the ideas have merit and you even like them.  Learning to take criticism is a virtue.  Taking it personally will only lead to trouble.

In the end, it’s just one man’s opinion, mine.

Keith…… 

No, I’m not referring to when your Dad had Uncle Bob committed to the asylum because he wouldn’t stop running around the back yard in the nude.  I’m talking about the power you feel when you give your word and commit to an act, promise or pledge.

You are committing to a trust.  Someone is trusting you to follow through, to act as you say you will and expecting a certain outcome.  This is the area where most of my female audience will recognize a deep-seated desire for a man to commit to them with love, devotion, and of course, the all important diamond.  So Bucky, this means they trust you to show up at the altar, say “I do” and sweep them off their feet in matrimonial bliss.

Commitment, and the power that follows, is also a virtuous act.  When you commit to something you are expressing your honor, depth of character and strength as a person to stand by your word.  Before writing this article I hadn’t thought about commitment being a virtue, but all of the characteristics surrounding how your commitment is upheld tells a lot about the type of person you are and how your are viewed by friends, peers and relatives.

The power is in the completing of the obligation you’ve signed up for.  There is tremendous personal power in accomplishment, seeing a job well done, a commitment honored and someone very pleased at your willingness to follow through.  The power is in the energy you create around you.  The mention of your name when you aren’t around conjures good remarks, possible envy and definitely trust.  The Law of Attraction will spring into action on the positive energy and bring a whole slew of good tidings you way.  Remember, like attracts like, so good work attracts good results and opportunities for more.  

When you offer a commitment, you put yourself out on the proverbial limb for all to see.  They will have the opportunity to watch how you perform.  A little like your first school play when you were a cucumber, remember?

The more you perform this act well, no matter what the commitment, the better you get at it and the more your stock rises in other peoples eyes.  They know they can count on you.  With an employer, this is money in the bank.  You stand out.  You look polished.  You look successful.  And guess what?  You are.  Soon, better employment positions will be offered to you.

The more you challenge yourself to honor your word and keep your commitments the more you will grow as a person.  Your work ethic strengthens, your personal life philosophy deepens, the more you will enjoy life and those around you.

Achieve what you can using the God given gifts you have, capitalize on your strengths, and be honorable and your amazing life will astound you. 

In the end, it’s just one man’s opinion, mine.

Keith……

Procrastination is almost a disease in my book.  It can take a task and turn it from something very simple to a stress filled, anxiety ridden burden which brings fear, sweaty palms and a dry mouth at the mention of it.  So, why do we put things off?

In our multi-tasking society it’s easy to understand how some things on our desk keep sliding down the pile instead of up and out the door.  We are over-worked, over-stressed and under vacationed.  In fact, some people I know dread vacations because of the pile they will discover residing on their desk when they return.

So, the question still goes unanswered, why do we procrastinate?

I can’t speak from any authority, I can only address the topic from my own situations.  I most procrastinate when I know the task is non-creative, laborious, boring, time consuming, etc.  It quite often includes something to do with accounting, billing, or dealing with customer service at another company like the phone company or public service.  I just don’t want to do it.

I can see this in friends and business associates who do the same thing.  With too many fires to put out sqweaky wheel syndrome sets it.

Of course, all conventional wisdom and motivational training says the we “should” tackle the tough jobs first to boost our esteem and gain a sense of accomplishment.  Sure, when you practice this philosophy continuously it works extremely well.  But, the pain of facing those tough tasks first thing out of the box in the morning just doesn’t seem fair, does it?

Well, take it from me, if you don’t, the pain of playing catch up can be far worse and have repercusions that last a long time.  You can lose clients, friends even spouses if procrastinating isn’t brought under control.

Here are four steps that have helped me:

1. Take time at the beginning of the day to prioritize your jobs on paper in two columns: “Calls & Do’s”.
2. Don’t leapfrog over tasks.
3. Finish each task completely, if possible, before moving on.
4. Cross them off your list with fanfare in red ink.
5. Celebrate in some small way that you did what was necessary, have a latte’ or fries at lunch.

Life is too short to lose sleep over work that’s not getting done, just plan to finish it with your own process, you and your boss will be glad you did.

In the end, it’s just one man’s opinion, mine.

Keith……  

I’ve been an avid follower of the new Law of Attraction work being done by the folks who produced the video and book “The Secret“.  The Law of Attraction simply states that like attracts like, so when we have happy thoughts we attract happy circumstances.  Of course, the opposite is true too, so having happy thoughts on a daily basis is a good thing. 

Esther and Jerry Hicks covered this same topic in their many books on the same subject for many years before The Secret, but the more the merrier when it comes to spreading the word.  In fact, you could also add Napolean Hill and his book “Think and Grow Rich” first published in 1937, and “The Science of Getting Rich” by Wallace C. Wattles (his book was the inspiration for The Secret).  Wattles book was written in 1910 and garnered some acclaim at the time, but nothing like it is receiving currently.

Part of the Law of Attraction is the use of gratitude to stir good thoughts to attract that which you diesire.  Another author Lynn Grabhorn who wrote “Excuse Me Your Life Is Waiting” covered this topic quite well with humor and mystery.  She wrote how she would drive down the street thanking stop signs, trees, clouds and anything else in eyesight for their contribution to her life and her day.

Gratitude is the corner stone for eliminating anger, hatred and depression from your life.  If you can dig your way out of negative thoughts long enough to see things that actually make your day good, you will over time have only positive and happy thoughts.  This in turn will attract happy situations, events and people into your life.

The more you interact with other people with happiness and gratitude the better world you will create around you and around others.  This philosophy is contagious and spreads so quickly when you start. 

The world reacts positively to happiness.  Let me say that again…the world reacts positively to happiness.

When that statement sinks in you’ll see how you can affect so many lives with a smile or kind gesture.  The old saying of “What you put out comes back to you” is what we are talking about here, and its’ true.  It works.  It also happens to be fun.

Add a little spring to your step, a little smile to your morning and some gratitude to your daily routine and watch what happens.  It is truly amazing.

In the end, it’s one man’s opinion…mine.

Keith……

For those of you who write, you really need to subscribe to “Copyblogger.com” for daily tid bits that make you stop and think about your writing, promotional activities and websites.  Brian Clark is Copyblogger and he will entertain and enlighten you.

He posted today “Three Ways to Spice Up Any Blog Post” and it really got me to thinking about how my writing had become pretty “meat loaf and mashed potatoes” as he put it.

From time to time, we all forget to use colorful language to enhance our articles, so to a new reader our prognostications may appear blah.  The trick is to incorporate creative writing each time you sit down.

Yup, I understand, sometimes you want to just get the idea down and out the ethereal door.  What a mistake on our part, to overlook how the article will be received marks it for disaster on a gigantic scale.

I wish I had the talent to write humor.  I don’t.  My ancestors were Scandinavian and Welsh and not prone to the lighter side.  We’re more the sarcastic or “just the facts Ma’am” types.  Don’t get me wrong, on a really good day I can make people laugh, but for the most part it’s kind of dry.  If you can write with humor you’ve got it made in the shade as they say.

You are what you read when it comes to writing, and my philosophical and social issues are not always jovial topics.  But, it’s like anything else the more you practice, the better you get and pretty soon you’ve mastered that allusive and pesky task which you seek.

The great thing about the Internet today is that it is chock full of sites whose sole purpose is to assist you in whatever you are endeavoring to accomplish.  Copyblogger is just a good one, try it.

In the end, it’s just one man’s opinion, mine.

Keith……