Newsletter for September 2006:
In Celebration of Labor

Contents:

1. This Months Thought
2. In Celebration of Labor
3. Quotes of the Month
4. Strictly Business: Reality Never Lies
5. Humor: Brain Cramps

This Months Thought

This Labor Day, give thanks for the work you do, and the difference it makes. Celebrate your contribution to your community, and our world. And, if you are not doing the "perfect" job for you, pledge that by next year, you WILL be doing the right work. You owe it to yourself (life is short) and to the world. We need your best stuff, your best effort, your passion and your unique genius.

In Celebration of Labor

In the U.S., Monday is our "Labor Day" holiday, a time when we throw a party and do our best to avoid anything that looks like work. Many will go camping, spend the day at the beach, go to a ballgame or enjoy a family picnic.

Unfortunately, almost no one will pause to be thankful for the work they do. Only a very few will take time to honor and acknowledge the joy of work, and I find that extremely sad.

Most of us believe "work" is something to be avoided, and we wish for a path to instant wealth, because "then I'd never work another day the rest of my life". I'm convinced that's one reason God and the universe makes sure most of us never acquire that kind of instant wealth!

I see work as a great honor and my chance to participate in the creation of a better world, although I admit there is both "good" work and "bad" work.

"Bad" work is something for which we are either not suited, or which we do for the wrong motives. For me, "bad" work would be trying to earn a living in construction. I have a very close friend who is a professional artist. He paints beautiful landscapes, village scenes and sometimes local peoples and he travels to the Peru, New England, Italy and the South West to find locations for his subject matter. My friend is passionate about his work and he would paint twenty four/seven if he could go without sleep and food. I on the other hand can possibly paint a wall in a room of a house and maybe not make too big a mess of getting paint on the ceiling or base boards, plus I wouldn’t be having fun to boot.  

Doing work for which we are ill-suited, it seems to me, is a waste because it's so stressful that it borders on the immoral. Life is meant to be lived, to be joyful, and to be productive. Doing "work" for which we have little talent or passion gives honorable work a bad name.

As I see it, work is our chance to partner with God in the creation of a better, richer, more exciting world. Work is our opportunity to build, to create, to leave our footprints in the sands of time. Work is our chance to say, "I was here, and I made a difference."

As a former corporate professional, a professional coach and a member of various development and civic groups, I've met wonderful people who reflected their life's meaning and purpose in their work. Some were artists in how they drove a delivery truck, others found joy in writing, doing therapy, or in construction. One of my golfing buddies loves to work with kids, and it shows in his attitude and how the kids respond to him.

I know a server at a local Starbucks who waits on people 6 days a week. She has worked there for over 3 years and for whatever reason, helping a few hundred people start their day with hot coffee and a smile is her calling in life. She's a treasure, and is loved by hundreds of regular customers.

One of the wisest things anyone ever said to me is, "Find something you truly love to do, and you'll never work another day the rest of your life." This is an essential point. In our technological age, we have the greatest freedom in history to find work that is "perfect" for us.

Work is a very personal thing. "Good" work about using your time, effort, talent and skill to achieve something unique and magnificent. It's about making a difference. It's about making your contribution, and making things better.

This Labor Day, give thanks for the work you do, and the difference it makes. Celebrate your contribution to your community, and our world. And, if you are not doing the "perfect" job for you, pledge that by next year, you WILL be doing the right work. You owe it to yourself (life is short) and to the world. We need your best stuff, your best effort, your passion and your unique genius. We need Vicki's smile at breakfast.

Quotes of the Month

“Don’t ask what the world needs; ask what makes you come alive and go do that, because what the world needs is for people who have come alive” -- unknown

"Everyone has a talent. What is rare is the courage to follow the talent to the dark place where it leads."  -- Erica Jong

"Work and play are the same. When you're following your energy and doing what you want all the time, the distinction between work and play dissolves."  -- Shakti Gawain

“A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed” – Solomon.

Strictly Business: Reality Never Lies

I recently listened to a tape of coach and author, Laura Berman Fortgang's speech to the International Coach Federation in Chicago a couple years ago. In her presentation, she talked about the fact that reality never lies.

While her focus was on coaching, I immediately connected her words to the fact that in business, our sales, productivity, profits and customer satisfaction are ALWAYS precisely accurate measures of the service we provide.

From the dawn of history, human beings have searched for bargains. We love great products, at bargain prices. We love getting the goods or services we need, at a fair price, delivered on time, and hopefully, with an extra "bonus." In the words of the old saying, "build a better mousetrap, and the world will beat a path to your door."

Because of this, your bank account is an accurate reflection of the value the world places on your products and services. The facts and numbers do not lie. They may contain a message you don't like, or one with which you disagree, but they do not lie.

To increase your sales and profits, you must increase the value of your services. Advertising may help in the short-run. Laying employees off, or hiring "better" people may help briefly. Cutting costs or raising prices may give the illusion that things are "better," but illusions never last.

The key to the growth of your enterprise is providing more value, at a lower price. Fortunately, this is not difficult. "Value" can be many things, from faster delivery, to larger quantities, to more pleasing colors. The opportunity to innovate, add value, and increase sales is endless.

Reality does not lie. Study the numbers, notice where you can increase value to your customer, and adjust accordingly. Your financial future depends upon it.

Often, the fastest, easiest and least expensive route to adding value and improving your bottom line is with the help of a qualified consultant or coach. Thousands of entrepreneurs and business leaders have learned that an extra set of eyes and ears, another perspective, and an objective point of view can quickly make a huge difference. If you would like coaching to improve your bottom line, please contact me. I look forward to talking with you! My email is: rodger@rodgerblaker.com.

Humor: Brain Cramps

From time to time, we all say really dumb things. Fortunately, most of the time these aren't recorded for posterity, but for a few special individuals, their silliest remarks are preserved for all time. The following are NOT intended to ridicule any person, political party or point of view. They are just funny, silly things that very smart people have said under pressure. Enjoy them!

"Smoking kills. If you're killed, you've lost a very important part of your life,"
--Brooke Shields, during an interview to become spokesperson for a federal anti-smoking campaign.

"I've never had major knee surgery on any other part of my body,"
--Winston Bennett, University of Kentucky basketball forward.

"Outside of the killings, Washington has one of the lowest crime rates in the country."
-- former Mayor Marion Barry, Washington, DC.

"I'm not going to have some reporters pawing through our papers. We are the president."
--Hillary Clinton commenting on the release of documents.

"That lowdown scoundrel deserves to be kicked to death by a jackass, and I'm just the one to do it,"
--A congressional candidate in Texas.

"Half this game is ninety percent mental."
–Philadelphia Phillies manager, Danny Ozark

"It isn't pollution that's harming the environment. It's the impurities in our air and water that are doing it."
-- Al Gore, former Vice President

"I love California. I practically grew up in Phoenix."
-- Dan Quayle, former Vice-Presidential candidate

"We've got to pause and ask ourselves: How much clean air do we need?"
--Lee Iacocca

"If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure."
–Bill Clinton, President

"We are ready for an unforeseen event that may or may not occur."
--Al Gore, former Vice President

"Your food stamps will be stopped effective March 1992 because we received notice that you passed away. May God bless you. You may reapply if there is a change in your circumstances."
--Department of Social Services, Greenville, South Carolina

Question: If you could live forever, would you and why?
Answer: "I would not live forever, because we should not live forever, because if we were supposed to live forever, then we would live forever, but we cannot live forever, which is why I would not live forever,"
--Miss Alabama in the 1994 Miss USA contest.

Rodger Blaker works with executives, small business owners and professionals who want to grow in their business and create an extraordinary life!

For info on resources for your success, visit: http://www.rodgerblaker.com or call me at 214-485-2238.

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