Putting it All in Perspective

We were blessed (again) this Thanksgiving week with the healthy birth of my second grandson (wisely & brilliantly named for me!) and I find myself re-calibrating my priorities. Suddenly, the economy, political bickering and hypocrisy, weather--whatever--seems to take a back seat to watching and enjoying this incredible little guy. Frankly, I think this is one of the major reasons that most of us stay stressed so much--perspective. I'm not suggesting that the things of Wall Street or Pennsylvania Avenue are not important. I am saying that, compared to family and the lives of those we love, they just don't measure up at all.

The Attitude of Gratitude

Right now, if you're like me, your mind is overflowing with "stuff" to think about and most of it is negative (news, economics, layoffs, slow clients, AR, bills, etc.) Yet right in front of our noses is an incredible opportunity for personal mental health, spiritual joy, and physical energy--it's called Thanksgiving. I don't mean the actual "stuffing of the family" orgy that we all enjoy. I mean a reminder to stop thinking about all that's wrong and give thanks to God for all that's right.

Your mind can't manage two attitudes at the same time. And the best way to stop a negative pattern is to replace it with a positive pattern. So replace the dark stuff with gratitude. Make a list. Write a letter of appreciation. Tell your spouse.

In this country, even on our worst day, we have more to be thankful for in terms of liberty, friends, family, spiritual heritage, and, yes, posessions than most of the world on the best day of their entire lives.

A New Way to Lead--A Look at the Obama Campaign

There's a lot we can learn from the recent election campaigns in terms of how they were run. An article in the Toronto Globe & Mail highlights some of the 21st Century leadership and organizational strengths of the Obama campaign. I think some of these easily apply to us and we can learn how to lead our company in these different times and beyond. Check it out at this link: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/blogs/wschachter

Now That It's Over...

OK. It's over. A campaign that by some counts has lasted for nearly FOUR YEARS is over. So...can we let it go? Don't get me wrong. I have a lot of concerns about the incoming Washington crowd. When I say "let it go" I mean the election. Let's look to the future and debate where we are doing, not where we've been recently.

Sociologically, I am thrilled that the "race ceiling" is finally shattered; economically, on the other hand, as a devoted free-market capitalist, I am very concerned. We already have enough government intervention trying to "fix" the market. We don't need more. We need less. Rather than letting the market correct (and even punish) itself--regardless of how violent that correction may be--government is now postponing the inevitable with half-baked measures that, in the long run, won't work anyway.