Story Of A Nudge

Jodi in Hiding
Originally uploaded by drewmaniac

I've said it before. Sometimes we just need a nudge.

There was a point in my life when I had nearly hit rock bottom, when it comes to the area of gainful employment. I had invested far too many years working in a middle management job at Wal-Mart. Yes, that Wal-Mart. There was not much of a future there and I knew it. I had taken the job in the first place because a few years before I had become desperate for any job.

Burned out and knowing I needed to do something different, even anything different, I had looked for other jobs. But I was reluctant to take the necessary steps to go anywhere different. Partly because I didn't know what I wanted to do and partly because I was afraid.

One day as I was working as a cashier (there's a story behind the middle management to cashier bit, but I'll save that for another day), an old friend and former co-worker, Elena came through my check out line. She didn't greet me. She didn't ask me how I was doing. She didn't even make small talk. What she did was nudge me. She immediately asked with a hint of disgust, "Why are you doing this?! You are better than this! You are smarter than this!"

The following week I had an interview at her employer, got the job, and had turned in my two weeks at Wal-Mart, kissing retail goodbye.

Four months after that I found myself in Cincinnati visiting with Procter & Gamble (a customer of ours). I distinctly remember looking out one of the windows of the twin towers of their world headquarters and watching the city pass by that morning. As we waited for the meeting to begin I wasn't thinking about what we were going to say or how well the meeting was going to go. I was thinking about Elena and the nudge she had given me. It had turned my life around and given me some opportunities to dig out of the mess of the previous years.

Sometimes it's a simple encouraging word. Sometimes a pat on the back, a simple question, or as in my case a kick to the hinder part that nudges someone and gets them moving.

Is there someone you know who needs a nudge? Why not figure out a way to get them moving? It might just turn their life around. They'll be thanking you for it years later.

Foto Finish Friday

Balloon surreal, originally uploaded by iceman9294.

*Each Friday an interesting photo is selected to end the week on.

Waiting to Die

Boy
Originally uploaded by [Zakkaliciousness]

You know who they are. You might even be who I’m talking about, but let’s pretend you’re not.

They are those people you can look around the workplace and see are simply going through the motions. They put forth just enough effort to get by, but not too much because then they may be asked to do a little extra work. They’re the ones who show up on time, leave on time, and add very little of value to the workplace. They're comfortable with being average.

It is as if they are waiting to die.

What's sad is when you see someone who lives their life like this. They go through the motions. They don't value their relationships. They have nothing for which they stand for. They are pushed in one direction and then another, giving in to whatever the crowd dictates. They don't have an opinion. They rarely try new things, go new places, or come up with original ideas. They are alive, but barely.

It is as if they are waiting to die.

You know who they are. You might even be who I'm talking about, but you're not. Right?

Thanks to Thom Singer who planted the seed for this post yesterday in conversation on Twitter.

Long December

Black & White Ice
Originally uploaded by drewmaniac

It was 2003, winter, and cold. I wasn't doing very well financially. My car wasn't working and I had no money to repair it. I was walking to work in the snow. On longer jaunts, I'd borrow my roommate's car. I had no phone because I had no way to pay for one, so I'd purchase a phone card and use pay phones.

Family problems over the years, and then my father's roller coaster health issues had emotionally drained me. Two years before, in a hurry to escape some of the pressures I had moved to a town I had never really intended to end up in. I moved in such a hurry that I had not seriously considered the financial impact it would have, what job I would have, or even where I would live.

It was one of the longest winters of my life.

Adam Duritz of the Counting Crows, in an interview on VH1's Storytellers recounts the story behind their hit song, Long December.

In the middle of December of '95 my friend Jennifer got run over by a car, just creamed; and I spent that whole month, while we were just beginning the record and most of January and February in the hospital. Each morning and early afternoon then I'd go to the studio, the house where we were recording, and we'd play all afternoon and all night . It was a very weird time because there is a lot of stress, not that it's a big deal being a second album, but any album. They're just not that easy to make. It's a very stressful process, especially when you're first starting out. I spent a lot of time in the hospital which is pretty weird. But one day I just left the studio about 2 in the morning, and I went to my friend Samantha and Tracy's house which is Hillside Manor, that's what we call it anyway, it's just a little house and I sat there talking with them. I woke them up, got them out of bed and made them talk to me for a couple hours, then I went home to my house. I wrote this song between about 4 and 6 and then went to the hospital the next day, and came to the house and I played it for the guys before dinner and taught it to them after dinner.

At various periods in our lives we must all face a long winter, a long December.

Whatever your winter is, the only option must be to press on. Understand that your winter will one day give way to spring. Work hard to come up with sound solutions to overcome your winter. No matter how difficult things may become, you must press on.

If this past year was a winter you would like to forget, "... there's reason to believe maybe this year will be better than the last."

Foto Finish Friday

frozen light in a snow weekend, MANZANEDA, originally uploaded by Paulo Brandão.

*Each Friday an interesting photo is selected to end the week on.

13 'Ful's

Keeley 2
Originally uploaded by { Fiat Lux }

1. Be useful.
2. Be helpful.
3. Be masterful.
4. Be beautiful.
5. Be characterful.
6. Be healthful.
7. Be meaningful.
8. Be respectful.
9. Be thoughtful.
10. Be truthful.
11. Be colorful.
12. Be grateful.
    
13. Be hopeful.

If you added just a few of these things to your day, you'd be delightful to be around and your influence would be powerful. Why not start now?

Have more to add? Feel free.

The Comfort of Average

Allison
Originally uploaded by drewmaniac

There's a certain comfort that comes from being average.

• It's comfortable to "just get by." Doing more would require more effort.
• It's comfortable to always do what you've always done. Why change the way you do business when you've always done it that way?
• It's comfortable to just believe what the preacher says. It takes a little more work (thought, study, etc.) to find out if the preacher is right.
  
• It's comfortable to keep a tradition. To change or challenge a tradition would most likely rock the boat. Who wants that?
• It's comfortable to stay in that job you despise because it pays the bills. Changing your job situation for the better would mean more work initially. An updated resume. Job searching. Phone calls. Looking your best. Interviews.
  
• It's comfortable to go through the motions of your life. Actually challenging yourself to accomplish more, learn more, and grow more in life would be... well... challenging.
  
• It's comfortable to stand in the middle. Taking a stand requires thought, having an opinion, and usually believing in something.
  

There's nothing wrong with being comfortable in life. Unless you make it a way of life. That's when you will find yourself being average, your growth will be stunted, and you won't challenge much of anything.

"Dreams can often become challenging, but challenges are what we live for." ~ Travis White

Allowing Fear To Decide

Railroad |x| Crossing (I)
Originally uploaded by michaelcooper

The problem with inaction due to fear is later you will be reactive because of fear.

Allowing fear to be an excuse for your inaction leads you to wait until the last minute. When the last minute arrives and a decision is necessary, fear guides you to make a rash and sometimes emotional decision. It was probably a decision you weren't wanting to make.

You could have made some changes in the past, yet comfort prevailed. You could have set some goals in the past, yet fear prevailed. Now you're backed into a corner you knew was coming. In the heat of the moment you are now going to react, and most likely you will do what you have been doing all along. You'll make a decision based on fear.

It doesn't have to be this way. When you can see you need to change, make a change. When you know the evils are no longer worth suffering through, tolerate them no longer.

It's easier said than done, I know.

Someone needs to say it though, or due to fear you may never change.

Foto Finish Friday

Wide Bean, originally uploaded by jolyn27.

*Each Friday an interesting photo is selected to end the week on.

Oblivious to Gossip

Day 54/366; Oblivious
Originally uploaded by aperryz302

On most occasions it probably isn't a good idea to be oblivious.

When it comes to gossip, name calling, and outright slander of another person you should be oblivious to most of it. Staying out of gossip rings and being oblivious to their talk is one of the best things you can do. Avoid those who do nothing but find the next juicy detail to talk about. They're looking for drama and attention most of the time. There is no reason to entertain them.

Gossip and slander can not only destroy the person's reputation it is directed toward, it will also destroy your creditability if you engage it. It will destroy your character. It destroys relationships, both personal and professional.

Once you are viewed as a gossip, it will become very difficult to move up in the ranks at your job. Often you are trusted with sensitive material when in a position of authority or great responsibility. If you cannot keep your mouth shut or you hang around the gossip ring you will not be considered for most top tier positions. It never ceases to amaze me how many do not understand that.

My point? If there is a time when you should be found oblivious, it's on all the latest gossip and slander. Your character depends on it.

"Whoever gossips to you will gossip about you." ~ Spanish Proverb

Here Come The New Kids

Choices Choices
Originally uploaded by chezrump

With unemployment on the rise people are starting to look for alternatives. In the search for employment more will be willing to take risks, try something new, or go into business for themselves. Social media is going to play an important role in this recession.

Social media is going to play an important role in this recession. The social media tools available have been going mainstream the past few years. Twitter is on the rise and Facebook continues to grow.

As more people begin to find themselves out of a job, I predict social media will grow. People will have more time on their hands. They will begin to explore the Internet more. Those who have been hearing of Twitter and other tools out there but thought they didn’t have the time to keep up with an account will sign up out of curiosity. Some will sign up out of desperation, others with a spirit of entrepreneurship. It's going to get a little more crowded in the coming year.

As the crowd grows on many social media outlets it is going to become more difficult to be heard. The chatter is going to increase. There will be more junk out there and more great stuff to choose from. The competition will dilute in some ways. In other ways it will challenge us to step up our game to simply survive (to be heard). Simply put the noise, chatter, and clutter is going to increase.

How will you react?

Will you be one who gets bitter at the prospect of a few more joining the party? That is going to be the temptation for some. The indie, "I was here first" mentality will be appealing to some. I suggest a different reaction to the new kids on the block.

How about creating something of value? Consider the new kids on the block a challenge. This year will be an opportunity. Step up your game. Welcome them and find out ways you can provide more service. Create and share.

Network Today or Tomorrow?

man & clock
Originally uploaded by { Fiat Lux }

Unemployment is at 7.2%. Most reports say that as much as 13.5% are unemployed or underemployed.

I'm no market analyst. I don't have a degree in economics. I'm not a television pundit. I've not written any books on networking or business. You won't find my name anywhere on Amazon, CNBC, or at any conference. I'm not going to pretend I have all the answers or know what the future holds any more than the next guy. I have, however, been unemployed once in my life. I also watch the news. I read the news. I listen to the unemployed. I listen to the employed. I am usually aware of the market and what it is doing from day to day.

In April of 2008 I had already been blogging for some time. I had a Twitter account, although I did nothing with it. I networked here and there (both on social media and in person), but nothing too serious. It always seemed like something that was a good idea, but I'll be honest and say that I did little beyond my immediate social circle, I hadn't worked very hard on any sort of network. I had thought about looking at other job prospects, but was content with the one I had.

Then the unexpected happened. I found myself unemployed. I did the one thing I think most everyone else would do or has done in that situation. I networked. Suddenly I was on the phone. I updated my resume. I gave Twitter a second look. I had a little bit more free time, so I blogged more. I started tossing my resume around. I started lining up interviews. All in a mad scramble to make sure I didn't stay unemployed for very long. I was one of the fortunate ones, because my unemployed status didn't last very long.

I learned a great deal from the experience. One of the most important things I learned was how important networking is while you are employed. Don't wait until you are in dire straits to start. Begin building your network today. Work on building good relationships. Keep in touch. Help others out when you can. It doesn't matter if you choose to utilize the social media tools available or not, you should be building professional relationships.

Build them today, not tomorrow. If the current economic numbers tell us anything, it's that things could get worse.

Thinking Out Loud This Saturday

Travelling without moving
Originally uploaded by chezrump

Just thinking out loud (randomly) over here.

1. Should someone be rewarded for simply doing their job? Is the pay, vacation, and health insurance reward enough?
2. Excuses are endless. Opportunity is fleeting.
3. "It is what it is", is never a solution to the problem.
   
4. If a blog dies on the Internet does anyone know it?
5. With the current state of the economy and unemployment continuing to rise, I think you're going to see social media (Twitter, Facebook, etc.) grow even more. There will be an influx of people searching for their voice and a new career. Get ready...
   
6. A simple thank you is always appreciated by others. Don't hold back.
7. Some days you just feel like listening to nothing classic hits. For me, it's The Kinks, Bread, and CCR. How about you?
8. I'm ready to go back to New York City. This time it needs to be for fun and not business.
9. Observe some of the most consistently successful people and you will find many of them have one thing in common. They are givers. They are finding ways to improve your life. The takers are often those flash in the pan people. They take and take until the source of their success is dry, then they disappear. In life, in work, in your hobbies to have continued success you must be a giver. Are you a giver or a taker?

What are you thinking?

Foto Finish Friday

VOTE!, originally uploaded by drewmaniac.

I took this week's photo while on my trip to New York City last October. When this photo is viewed larger, it's interesting to see all that was going on in the news, on the ads, and banners.

*Each Friday an interesting photo is selected to end the week on.

A Nudge

My Poems Keep My Mind Unempty
Originally uploaded by Poems of a selfish record player

Sometimes we just need a nudge.

• A kind, encouraging word.
• An arm around your shoulder, telling you it will be alright.
• Some constructive criticism to direct you down the right path.
• An intervention.
• A "thank you" when you weren't sure anyone noticed.
• A window of opportunity.
• A chance to display your talent.
• An unexpected phone call from an old friend.
• A card in the mailbox.
• A little sunshine on an otherwise gloomy day.
• Some advice.

Sometimes it's just a nudge that can right your track, light the way, or encourage you. I'm sure there is someone you know who could use a nudge. Why are you holding out?

5 Ways To Be Happier Than Most

my favorittttte!
Originally uploaded by .elsie*cake.

"Most people are about as happy as they decide to be." ~ Abraham Lincoln

Honest Abe was on to something. We often decide just how happy we will be. Have you started your work week by grumbling about it being Monday? Sounds like someone made up their mind to have a case of the Mondays long before they came to work. Have you spotted someone coming your way that always gets under your skin and immediately reacted negatively before they even said a word to you? Sounds like you decided they would get under your skin and annoy you before they even had the chance to actually do so.

Here are 5 ways that will help you decide to be a little happier than most:

1. Decide to wake up a little earlier - This may sound crazy to some of you. I know it would have sounded crazy to me 2 years ago. Waking up earlier than you need to allows you to actually wake up before you head out to work or school. It gives you some time to relax and prepare your mind for the day. You will also have time to get ready without running 100 mph out the door at the last second. Grabbing breakfast as you're putting on your coat and running out the door does nothing but stress you out. Use the earlier morning to get things in order and prepare for the day.
2. Decide to stop being negative - This one seems so simple, yet there are still negative people all around you. Even if you aren't the one participating in the negativity, it can rub off on you if you are not careful. You have to decide to be positive long before your day gets started. It's not always something that comes naturally. Especially in the heat of a moment when most would react negatively. Stop being negative and start positively rubbing off on others.
3. Decide to clean up the clutter - You've heard it said, "Clutter leads to a cluttered mind." It's true. When you keep clutter around you it will drag you down. There is nothing wrong with less. In fact, we could probably all do with a little less. Leo has some great ideas on conquering clutter. Decide to clean it up today.
4. Decide the little things won't bother you - That call that interrupted your busy day shouldn't really matter in the grand scheme of things. The person who seems to always do the annoying things at work (popping their gum, clipping their fingernails, etc.) should not make a difference in your work habits. If you are allowing the small things to chip away at you, decide to learn how to ignore them. There is no reason little, unimportant matters should drag you down. Decide you will no longer be so easily annoyed and irritated.
5. Decide to be friendly - It's amazing how much better your day will go when you are friendly to others. Be helpful. Be kind. Be aware of those around you and treat them like you would want to be treated. Smile. Observe. Strike up friendly conversations. Ask people how they are doing, wait for the answer, and actually care about the answer. Interact and become a positive portion of their day. Decide to be friendlier than you ever have before.
   

"Whoever is happy will make others happy too." ~ Anne Frank

Foto Finish Friday (on Saturday)

, originally uploaded by kevin russ.

Still trying to recover from nearly a week off from work and the New Year holiday. I lost track of what day it was yesterday. So, here's your weekly Friday photo on Saturday.

*Each Friday an interesting photo is selected to end the week on.

Global Economic Cooling

Lego my Eggo
Originally uploaded by jwlphotography

“While the rest of your world huddles and holds back, here's a golden chance to use cheap media, available attention and great talent to make something that matters.” ~ Seth Godin

The news would appear bleak...

• Economic crisis first priority.
• Manufacturing falls to 28 year low.
• Band-Aid or Bailout?
  
• Time is not on the side of the U.S. auto makers.
• Who saw the housing bubble coming?
• Mad Madoff.
• 2008 worst year since the Great Depression.
• Depression Bound?
• Economic recession? Depression?
  

The world is is huddling up. It is beginning to hold back. The uncertainty is breeding retreat. The barrage of negative reports is breeding fear, even paranoia.

The world is starting to freeze up. Financially speaking, we’re experiencing our fair share of global cooling. When we freeze up, we become inactive. We have a tendency to revert to what we believe is safe. Phrases like “I’m just happy to have a steady job”, “I’m just trying to get by”, and “I can’t afford to take any risks right now” are becoming part of the everyday conversation. They shouldn't be.

This is the time to be discovering what it is you can create. Make something that matters. We all have some fear (hopefully a healthy fear), because the layoffs are real. There is an economic downturn. The foreclosures are real. The soup line is not as distant a memory as we would like. I am not suggesting we wear rose colored glasses.

Instead of allowing your natural fears and concerns to freeze you, approach 2009 and your future decisions with a well reasoned objective. A plan or vision for the future that includes a little bit of risk and not so much retreating. The opportunities are out there. You just have to decide if you will make something of them or hold back.