Paul Ryan, you got it wrong

I purposely stay out of political discussion on social media. The last few days have compelled me to turn that aside. I must comment, and let the Great Congressman from Wisconsin know that he is wrong. We do care. When did it become okay to be a bully? When did we decide it is okay to make fun of people and call them derogatory names? When did we decide that to get our point across we demean and yell. When did we decide it was ok to elect a lying, smug, sexual predator because we agreed with some of his policy?

Jeff Flake gave a blistering speech on the Senate Floor the other day to announce his retirement. It was inspiring and said the things most of America is thinking. I am proud to call him a Senator. I wish our two Utah Senators, Mike Lee and Orrin Hatch, had the backbone to stand up to all this hate. Not one of our elected officials stood by him. Paul Ryan’s response was, "I don't think the American people care about that,"

I have voted Republican, I have voted Democrat. I am embarrassed to be called American if what Paul Ryan says is true.

This rant is not about which side is right. It is to let Paul Ryan know, He is wrong. We do care. For too long our politicians, on both sides, have catered to special interests and minority opinions. We voice our discontentment, nothing happens. We do care, unfortunately many of us have given up. Our President was the beneficiary of this. In any other year he would have and should have been laughed and shrugged off the stage.

Paul Ryan, we do care, unfortunately many of us have given up. We have lost hope that there can be any meaningful dialogue. Look at all the vitriol spewed on Facebook and Twitter. Bitching, with absolutely no solutions. Democrats wringing their hands, Republicans looking the other way because anything is better than Obama or Hillary.

I am sure most of us have seen the Burger King Bully video. So many people looked the other way. You could see it made them uncomfortable. Still they did nothing. It had no effect on their lives. Politics in our country seems to be the same.  We say, “Well, it does not really have an effect on me.” “It is refreshing to hear someone speak their mind.” “I can overlook the issues on both sides because it won’t change my life.” “I can complain about it on Facebook, it makes me feel involved.” I am here to tell you that is not the case. If you watch as a child gets bullied and do nothing. You are a bully. Putting it on Facebook will not help, except ease your conscious perhaps. Our Senator from Utah is incensed that a few people might have to pay $70 to get into a couple of national parks. He calls it extortion. Oh my. Yet, he is quiet on Medicare expansion in Utah for the disabled. Something that could have a huge effect on thousands of Utahans.

Paul Ryan, we do care, unfortunately many of us have given up. When will the time come for us to take back the hope politicians stole from us. We are a silent majority.

It is not okay to be a bully, it is not okay to yell and demean to get your point across. It is not okay to lie, it is not okay to accept a sexual predator because his policies are better than the alternative.

Let’s stand up for Jeff Flake, for Bob Corker and John McCain. They got it right.

Paul Ryan, you are wrong. We do care.

How do you respond to adversity, uncertainty, and pain?

How do you respond to adversity, uncertainty, and pain?

Does fear drive your actions?

One reaction is to get angry and quit. We see this every day. In our offices and schools, With our friends and neighbors. It is an acidic attitude that will consume you like fire. It will lead to crossed arms, closed minds, and destroyed possibility.

Most of the fear that grips us in these times is not based on what is happening but what we fear might happen next.

So, I ask again. How do you respond to fear, adversity and uncertainty?

This life is simple if you worry only about that which you have control. Let go of everything else. Love life, enjoy life. Do not be a hostage to unwelcome fear and what you do not have. When adversity comes, and we all know it will. Focus on what you can do. Control what you can and let go of the rest. Keep anger at bay. When the fear about yesterday or what may happen tomorrow, creeps in, take a deep breath and laugh. Remember to love life, enjoy life.

Control what you can and let go of the rest.

Fallacy of Training

Greeting customers

Welcome to just like everybody else motors.

High achieving salespeople do not do this.

We can all agree training is vital to our success. We may disagree about the kind of training. We all needed necessary steps to the sale when we first started in this business. Some need it every year; they still do not understand.

If you question salespeople on the steps to a sale, 95% will get them right. It might be eight steps, ten steps, or twelve steps. Almost all would understand the basic concepts, and many could train your new people on the steps.

The question for me stems from the selling process our high performers use. Several years ago, we had six salespeople averaging 25+ per month. We trained them consistently, or we thought we did. I could cut and paste the greeting from almost all training.

“Welcome to I sound like every other dealer motors. Extending my hand, I ask My name is Bob and yours is? How may I be of assistance?”

I have never, not one time heard my high performers use this line. I guess that is not true. I have heard them use it during “training.” None of the six salespeople used the line welcome. It is just not part of our vocabulary. It sounds insincere. Is it better than, “can I help ya?”. I think the verdict is out on that.

We all train our salespeople to treat a customer like they are welcoming them into their home. We tell them to use a line they would not say any other time. Using our training to make a customer feel uncomfortable is not a wise use of that time. Look at yourself. Have you ever responded well to welcome and what is your name? I know I have not

Listen to your top people. They have the art of making a great first impression down to a science. You will hear lines like, “Hello, are you looking for anyone in particular?” “How may I help you today?” Many other variations. What you will not hear is Welcome to I sound very insincere Ford.

Basic training is a necessity. We must teach and give our salespeople a solid foundation of understanding.

Why teach them the processes we would not use. Allow them some freedom to move. Making a good first impression is essential.

Live long and Prosper

Everything we do outwardly is only an expression of what we are inward. To ask for anything else is as absurd as looking for apples on an oak tree. Today is the future of yesterday.

We don’t realize we are thinkers of our thoughts. We can decide what to do with them. Are they just a passing thought or are they our reality. We are stuck on these ideas so much our mind tells us that is the way it is. We lose our identity to these thoughts. The good news is, we can change them just as quickly. It is up to us to make them a passing thought or our reality.
Every thought we have had will pass if we leave it alone. Off into deep space, it goes. The choice to act or not is ours entirely.

You see, we indeed are what we think we are. 

Look well to this one day,
for it, and it alone is life.
In the brief course of this one day lie
all the verities and realities of your existence:
the pride of growth,
the glory of action,
the splendor of beauty.
Yesterday is only a dream, and tomorrow is but a vision.
Each day, well lived,
makes every yesterday a dream of happiness
and each tomorrow a vision of hope.
Look well, therefore, to this one day,
for it, and it alone is life.

Wise words from Sanskrit, written 4500 years ago and translated.

As Spock so eloquently put it. Live long and Prosper.

Remember you are always in the right place if you have the right attitude.

in the midst of a world of chaos

I remember reading one of Dale Carnegie’s books many years ago in which he encourages his readers to live in day-tight-compartments. What he means is that we should some how close our minds to the past and future, so that we can be entirely focused upon today. Great advice…but it’s hard to focus upon today.!

Let’s face it, we carry our past with us and it serves as a weight holding us down. You can forget all about running with the wind, because you’re carrying too much weight.  If that wasn’t enough, we also have a grave fear about the future. Sure things might be good right now, but it could all change tomorrow.  How can we focus on today with all that is going on?

I know it’s tough to be focused and stay focused.  I struggle with it myself, but all of us can make some progress in this area and it will make a big difference in our lives.  The distractions are sure to come, but determine that you will focus your mind on today and what lies before you.  Give yourself fully to today and see what happens.

It’s been said that practice makes perfect and the message is clear, the more we practice at anything, the more proficient we become.  So make a determined effort to focus your mind, body and spirit on today. The more you practice doing so, the easier it will be for you to focus your attention in the midst of a world of chaos.

Say it out loud – Just for Today, I will focus myself.