On the way to the airport today I passed a truck. On the side was the tagline "Fitness is a Personal Race". I wish I had seen the name of the company, but it was brilliant.
On the whole fitness level - isn't is all about getting better each day? Aren't you only racing against yourself?
I immediately re-focused to business. Oftentimes, I'm asked to comment on what others are doing - how are we responding to external threats and competition? I answer as authentically as I can always, and it sounds something like this...
Our focus needs to be on making ourselves better. Setting the bar higher each and every day to innovate, serve and differentiate. How can we possibly worry about what other are doing?
You see, I believe that business is a personal race - and if you push yourselves each day it really doesn't matter what others are doing - in the end, you win.
P.S. If you hold the trademark on Fitness is a Personal Race...I'd love to give you credit here...
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Thoughts on Turning Thirty
9 years and 365 (roughly) days ago I received this poem. I'm not certain who sent it to me, but I can't believe it was nearly TEN years ago when it arrived.
I share it now with you because it has stuck with me for these ten years and now I need a new set of thoughts which will likely come tomorrow...
Turning Thirty
It isn't that I fear
growing older—such things as fear,
reluctance or desire
play no part at all
except as light and shadow sweep a hillside
on a Sunday afternoon,
astonishing the eye but passing on
at sunset with the land
still unchanged: the same rocks,
the same trees, tall grass gently drifting—
merely that I do not understand
how my age has come to me
or what it means.
It's almost like some small
forest creature one might find
outside the door some frosty autumn morning,
tired, lame, uncomprehending,
almost calm.
You want to stroke its fur,
pick it up, mend the leg and send it
scampering away—but something
in its eyes says, "No,
this is how I live, and how I die."
And so, a little sad, you let it be.
Later when you look,
the thing is gone.
And just like that these
thirty years have come and gone,
and I do not understand at all
why I see a man
inside the mirror when a small
boy still lives inside this body
wondering what causes laughter, why
nations go to war, who paints the startling
colors of the rainbow on a gray vaulted sky,
and when I will be old enough
to know.
More to come...
I share it now with you because it has stuck with me for these ten years and now I need a new set of thoughts which will likely come tomorrow...
Turning Thirty
It isn't that I fear
growing older—such things as fear,
reluctance or desire
play no part at all
except as light and shadow sweep a hillside
on a Sunday afternoon,
astonishing the eye but passing on
at sunset with the land
still unchanged: the same rocks,
the same trees, tall grass gently drifting—
merely that I do not understand
how my age has come to me
or what it means.
It's almost like some small
forest creature one might find
outside the door some frosty autumn morning,
tired, lame, uncomprehending,
almost calm.
You want to stroke its fur,
pick it up, mend the leg and send it
scampering away—but something
in its eyes says, "No,
this is how I live, and how I die."
And so, a little sad, you let it be.
Later when you look,
the thing is gone.
And just like that these
thirty years have come and gone,
and I do not understand at all
why I see a man
inside the mirror when a small
boy still lives inside this body
wondering what causes laughter, why
nations go to war, who paints the startling
colors of the rainbow on a gray vaulted sky,
and when I will be old enough
to know.
More to come...
Billing Fail
Opened up my Puget Sound Energy bill online thinking it seemed to be a bit high. There was good reason it was high - I was paying for gas and electric service for not only my house but someone else's. In all fairness it was a house I lived in in 1999. How does this happen?
Monday, January 3, 2011
If You Don't Call Me, I Don't Eat
Background Story
Came home from being out of town for several days - the house was about 60 degrees so I cranked up the heat a bit...about an hour later as the temp was approaching 68 we started smelling smoke. Smoke alarms blared and I headed for the garage. There was smoke coming out of our gas furnace (not a good combination). I killed the power at the breaker and grabbed the fire extinguisher. Luckily, I didn't need to use it.
The Call
I called a local guy - I've seen his van in the neighborhood. Keep in mind it is Sunday at 8 or so and there were only about 4 minutes left in the Seahawks vs. Rams NFC West "Championship" game (a blog post in and of itself, but I digress). He answered the phone and here is the exchange.
ME: Hi Mike, sorry to bother you so late on a Sunday and during the game
MIKE: Why are you sorry? If you don't call me, I don't eat.
Now, he hasn't serviced the furnace yet, but he's off to a great start. This is, in my opinion, the epitome of what it means to serve a customer. I'll let you know how it turns out.
UPDATE
Well, not only did Mike pay a visit to fix the furnace (which ended up being a capacitor) he made me his first stop of the day. I had one of two problems, a bad blower motor ($500+) to fix or a capacitor ($10.50 plus labor). It ended up being the latter. He said, if the blower ends up going within 30 days give me a call and I'll replace it and pro-rate the labor. He says he doesn't like to double dip and wants to be fair to me. I'd say he was fair.
If you need furnace or water heater work in the Olympia area, give Mike a call at Gas Works Inc. (360) 456-8845
UPDATE 2
I arrived home from work at about 5:30 tonight and I was walking through the door the phone rang. It was Mike wanting to make sure everything was working OK and we were satisfied. Thanked us again. Do you really think I will call anyone else if my furnace or water heater breaks? Here's a tip - Be Like Mike!
UPDATE 3
The blower does indeed "blow".
Well actually it stopped blowing and started smoking again. So I called Mike and guess what...it's fixed...3 hours later. CALL THIS GUY!
Came home from being out of town for several days - the house was about 60 degrees so I cranked up the heat a bit...about an hour later as the temp was approaching 68 we started smelling smoke. Smoke alarms blared and I headed for the garage. There was smoke coming out of our gas furnace (not a good combination). I killed the power at the breaker and grabbed the fire extinguisher. Luckily, I didn't need to use it.
The Call
I called a local guy - I've seen his van in the neighborhood. Keep in mind it is Sunday at 8 or so and there were only about 4 minutes left in the Seahawks vs. Rams NFC West "Championship" game (a blog post in and of itself, but I digress). He answered the phone and here is the exchange.
ME: Hi Mike, sorry to bother you so late on a Sunday and during the game
MIKE: Why are you sorry? If you don't call me, I don't eat.
Now, he hasn't serviced the furnace yet, but he's off to a great start. This is, in my opinion, the epitome of what it means to serve a customer. I'll let you know how it turns out.
UPDATE
Well, not only did Mike pay a visit to fix the furnace (which ended up being a capacitor) he made me his first stop of the day. I had one of two problems, a bad blower motor ($500+) to fix or a capacitor ($10.50 plus labor). It ended up being the latter. He said, if the blower ends up going within 30 days give me a call and I'll replace it and pro-rate the labor. He says he doesn't like to double dip and wants to be fair to me. I'd say he was fair.
If you need furnace or water heater work in the Olympia area, give Mike a call at Gas Works Inc. (360) 456-8845
UPDATE 2
I arrived home from work at about 5:30 tonight and I was walking through the door the phone rang. It was Mike wanting to make sure everything was working OK and we were satisfied. Thanked us again. Do you really think I will call anyone else if my furnace or water heater breaks? Here's a tip - Be Like Mike!
UPDATE 3
The blower does indeed "blow".
Well actually it stopped blowing and started smoking again. So I called Mike and guess what...it's fixed...3 hours later. CALL THIS GUY!
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