Newsletter for December 2003:
A Reason for Celebration
Contents:
- This Months Thought
- A Reason for Celebration
- Quotes of the Month
- Strictly Business: The Power of Synergy
- Humor: Please Wait for the Beep
The Months Thought
December 22nd, is the shortest day of the year in the North. The following day the sun returns with its warmth, its light and its promise. With the coming of the sun and a new season, my prayer for each of you is to have a season of peace and goodwill towards all.
A Reason for Celebration
This month, Christmas is observed around the world and almost everyone in our culture will be reminded of the power of love, hope, faith and community.
While Christians honor the birth of Jesus, I've long been struck that every faith celebrates this time of year, and even pagans celebrate the change of seasons. In the Northern hemisphere, we refer to it as the Winter Solstice – do our neighbors to the south refer to the same date as your Summer Solstice?
Whatever we call it, every culture and every nation on Earth notices the transformation. The days get longer here in the north, the weather warms up, and in a few weeks, the earth turns green and life emerges from it's winter cocoon. It's an amazing miracle, and it happens every year!
No wonder we look for reasons to sing and dance, to join together and affirm our love for one another. It's as if the very earth is reminding us that hope and life itself are renewable, undefeated, and eternal. It's a miracle!
This season and these celebrations seem to demand that we get along with each other. Celebrations require companionship and sharing. There is something very strange about celebrating alone. Celebration is a SHARED event.
We gather in houses of worship, and as families and tribes. We gather to share a meal, to sing around the piano or to light candles. Even with the crowded roads and the stress of flying, millions will travel to be with loved ones this month. In times of great celebration, we need to be together.
In his book "Getting Paid What You're Really Worth", Mitch Axelrod wrote in order to get paid well, we must cooperate with other people. Whether in partnerships or by providing superior services to our customers, we NEED each other to be successful.
I believe that we need each other at every possible level. I need people to produce everything I consume, from building this computer, to providing my food. I need friends and family for support. I need customers and clients for income, and I need entrepreneurs, entertainers, engineers, cooks and waiters and pilots and welders and teachers to create the life I take for granted every day. Without those thousands of people, my world could not exist.
As I celebrate Christmas with friends and family this month, I have a couple of suggestions to pass along:
- In your own tradition and in your own community, celebrate! Give thanks, remember the past, pray for one another, hold each other, and note how rich you truly are!
- Join someone in celebrating a tradition or language or culture different than your own. You may try new foods, learn new songs, find new friends - or even make a new customer! Enjoy it!
- In your own way, contribute to peace and joy, faith, hope and community. Give a gift, shake a hand. Smile or sing a song. Buy someone a meal or pat them on the back. Make a positive difference.
December 22nd, is the shortest day of the year in the North. The following day the sun returns with its warmth, its light and its promise. With the coming of the sun and a new season, my prayer for each of you is to have a season of peace and goodwill towards all.
"Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone, you may still exist, but you have ceased to live." -- Mark Twain
"The greatest compliment that was ever paid me was when one asked me what I thought, and attended to my answer." -- Henry David Thoreau
"Tension is who you think you should be, relaxation is who you are." -- Ancient Chinese Proverb
"A good listener is not only popular everywhere, but after a while he knows something." -- Wilson Mizner
Strictly Business: The Power of Synergy
There's an old saying that "two heads are better than one". Unfortunately, most entrepreneurs, managers, and professionals (almost all of us) try to do far too much on our own, by ourselves.
By dividing tasks among people who specialize and do them best, we gain efficiency, expertise and power. By out-sourcing to individuals whose talents and interests match the task, we not only benefit from their expertise, we unburden ourselves of work we don't enjoy. We're happier, and the job is done better, faster and often, cheaper.
Beyond that, however, is a world of casual partnerships where one-plus-one equals far more than two! A partnership where you have an audience and I have a message, creates a win for you (you bring unexpected benefits to your customers), a win for me (I share my expertise with people I could not have reached) and there is a huge win for your audience who receives the best from BOTH of us. It's a win-win-win that is powerful and profitable for everyone concerned.
The opportunities for joint ventures and shared projects are endless.
Think of those fliers in your monthly credit card statements – those are often one-time joint ventures. Ever gone to a store and received a "free sample" of some product? Those are often short- term joint marketing ventures.
Get creative! Think of ways to partner with experts and leaders in your field to increase both your own credibility, and to expand each other's market. Joint ventures and partnerships can be extremely rewarding! (And, please call me first if you have a GREAT idea! I do try to practice what I preach!)
Humor: Please Wait for the Beep
There are lots of humor and brain teasers out there, and here's another example! Actual Answering Machine Messages Recorded and Verified By The World Famous International Institute of Answering Machine Messages:
10. My wife and I can't come to the phone right now, but if you'll leave your name and number, we'll get back to you as soon as we're finished.
9. Hello, you are talking to a machine. I am capable of receiving messages. My owners do not need siding, windows or a hot tub, and their carpets are clean. They give to charity and don't need their picture taken. If you're still with me, leave your name and home phone number and they will get back to you.
8. This is not an answering machine - this is a telepathic thought-recording device. After the tone, think about your name, your number, and your reason for calling - and I'll think about returning your call.
7. Hi! John's answering machine is broken. This is his refrigerator. Please speak very slowly, and I'll stick your message to myself with one of these magnets.
6. Hi. This is John: If you are the phone company, I already sent the money. If you are my parents, please send money. If you are my bank, you didn't lend me enough money. If you are my friends, you owe me money. If you are a female, don't worry, I have LOTS of money.
5. A is for academics, B is for beer. One of those reasons is why we're not here. So, leave a message.
4. Hello! If you leave a message, I'll call you soon. If you leave a "sexy" message, I'll call sooner.
3. Hi. Now YOU say something.
2. Hi. I'm probably home, I'm just avoiding someone I don't like. Leave a message, and if I don't call back, it's you.
And the Number 1 Actual Answering Machine Message recorded and Verified by The World Famous International Institute of Answering Machine Messages:
1. Hello, you've reached Jim and Sonya. We can't pick up the phone right now, because we're doing something we really enjoy. Sonya likes doing it up and down, and I like doing it left to right... real slowly. So leave a message, and when we're done brushing our teeth, we'll call you back.
Rodger Blaker is a Life Coach who works with people to help them bridge the gap from where they are today to where they want to be! For info on resources for your success, visit: http://www.rodgerblaker.com
GIVE A GIFT TO A FRIEND! Please forward this copy to your friends and colleagues! That's how I grow!