Musings at Altitude

There really isn’t anything better than thinking of others on Christmas day.

Thinking of the reason behind this very special day – the birth of Jesus 2,000 years ago – and the ultimate gift that He was from a caring and loving Creator.

Thinking of the family, and sharing the gifts, the food, the games, the talking time together instead of focusing on other things that typically don’t mean nearly as much or deserve that kind of time.

Thinking of those who may not be nearly as fortunate as the rest of us; those that are homeless, without jobs, struggling to make ends meet, desperately seeking that next break that allows them to overcome the burdens they currently carry.

Thinking of the coming year and the excitement and challenges it will bring and preparing mentally, physically, and spiritually to be ready for any and all challenges and opportunities that come.

Thinking of the things we need to do differently to better ourselves and to be the kinds of people we want to be in all the different phases of our lives.

Thinking of those who helped us so much in this last year and remembered the gifts that were given and the lessons that were learned from those who did help.

We think of so many other things too, and with each memory, we grow; with each memory, we learn; with each memory, we adapt.

But more important than the thinking is the doing that needs to follow.

Each thought should lead to action.

Each action should be a change.

Each change should be a quest for something better, something different, something giving in its own right, and something that benefits others because of the thinking we did that led to the learning that occurred that then led to doing something meaningful.

Think then do.

And on this Christmas day, thank God for the gift of His Son, and thank others by turning the giving they did for you into actions that serve others.

Merry Christmas!

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I’m convinced there are two types of people in this world:

     (1) those who plan everything days to weeks to months in advance; even years in advance when it comes to things like retirement

     (2) those who wait till the last possible minute to do what’s needed; even when something critical is at stake if something goes wrong in those very last minutes

Procrastination is seemingly ok if the only thing that happens affects you alone.

But how often does that really happen?  Where only you are affected by something that goes wrong because you waited till the very last minute before doing something?

That probably happened in the early years when school was involved and a test grade was the outcome.

That may happen in your adult years when you wait till the last minute to do only something that you may have wanted to do and end up not being able to do it because of something that went wrong for you.

But other than that, I can’t think of much else.

Procrastination in its nastiest form creates undesirable outcomes too many times to make any possible rewards for procrastinating acceptable.

Risk versus rewards.

This one doesn’t fly.

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At the end of any week, good or bad, exciting or dull, rewarding or discouraging, challenging or easy, it’s good to step back, slow down, relax, and ponder what went on.

I’m doing that now…sitting by the fireplace in the hotel…trying to warm up…thinking back through the incredible events of this past week…wondering if the deeply moving experiences in all three areas of focus (business, faith, and life) could be replicated much more often than it is…and knowing that the special nature of this week, this team, this family, this opportunity, this incredible mission make replication a real challenge but a desperately hoped for event.

Holidays do this for me.

They slow me down.  They remind me of what’s important.  They allow me to show emotions and create connections that the busyness of the normal work environment may not allow.

I’m thinking I need more holidays.

I’m thinking every day ought to be a holiday.

I’m thinking the love, joy, peace, excitement, motivation, and contentment that I feel as I look forward to Christmas and share with others during this very special season should be something I replicate as often as I can throughout the year.

Thank you God for Christmas.

Thank you God for your Son.

Thank you God for those you have chosen to journey together at this particular time and this particular place.

Thank you God for your ultimate gift and the motivation you have given us to in return give to others.

Merry Christmas!

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Dictionary.com says integrity is “a sound, unimpaired, or perfect condition”.

I’ll offer another definition – complete faith or total certainty in the numbers that are presented, knowing that the numbers are accurate.

Both definitions point to one thing – integrity means the numbers are right.

 All of us in business make decisions based on the numbers.

How much we can invest.

How much we can pay people.

How much we can spend.

How much we can donate.

How much we can dividend.

How much we can save.

If the numbers are wrong, any decisions we make in this list become suspect.

We may not have that much to invest.

We may not be able to pay people as much as we wanted.

We may not be able to buy those new things for the office.

We may not be able to give those gifts.

We may not be able to pay out that dividend.

We may not be able to put just a bit away in case tomorrow is less rewarding than today.

It’s all about the numbers.

And when those numbers are suspect, any of these decisions would be questionable as well.

I’ve been blessed to know some incredibly good CFO’s in my life.

The thing that differentiates the best from the worst is integrity.

Trust in the numbers.

Total belief that the numbers that are presented are indeed accurate.

So the best decision at the right time can be made for the company.

That’s integrity.

That’s priceless.

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I’m obsessed (in a strangely addictive type way) about threads right now.  Not the threads that stitch clothing together, but instead the threads that stitch events in life together.  The analogy is perfect though, because a perfect garment is one where the thread is mostly unnoticeable, and it’s the same way in life.  That perfect thread in life is that thread that is only noticeable because we take the time to trace it, and in tracing it, we find those things that are stitched together so perfectly to result in that overwhelmingly positive outcome.

There are threads in everything. 

That thread that pulls together that perfect business opportunity which started with a chance meeting that led to an interest in your product or company that led to that near flawless briefing that led to the biggest contract your company has ever received. 

Or, that thread that tied together the right care giver at the right time to provide the needed support to get you or someone else through that toughest of times in life. 

Or, that thread that opened that perfect door to get you that long awaited and prayed for interview that offered you that absolutely fabulous job working for a wonderful boss in a company that you totally loved the mission.

I believe threads are divine in nature, with doors being opened, calls being made; opportunities being created that fulfill God’s path and plan for our lives.  I also believe that these threads stitch together relationships that we so desperately need to motivate us, uplift us, and challenge us.

As I obsessively look for these threads, I now look for God’s presence in each stitch, and I thank God for each new door opened, new contact made, new relationship established, and new opportunity provided.  As things are stitched together, things of beauty are created, and in those things of beauty, the master craftsman, our God and Creator, is revealed.

I encourage you to look for the threads as well and hope you to are stunned by the stitches and awed by our Creator!

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That’s how many years ago tonight that my wife and I were married.

That’s how many years of excitement, challenge, compromise, and sharing that we’ve done.

That’s how many years of growing, learning, trying new things, and moving new places we’ve been through.

That’s how many more years (at least) we hope to spend doing it all over again!

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As we get close to the end of the year, do our assessment of how we did this past year and develop resolutions for commitments we want to make for next year, I bet we each spend at least some part of our time thinking about what others think of us.  Some of us may even actually do some public self-assessments, allowing others to provide feedback and recommend things we need to improve on (I actually do that).

For those who do get feedback from others, how do you rack and stack that feedback?  Do you value some more than others, and do you automatically toss feedback from those you may not respect?

I greatly value the candid feedback from those I respect, and I act on that feedback almost immediately.  But I spend the most time reviewing, pondering, and even stewing on the feedback that comes from those that I may not respect, because that feedback typically tells me things that the valued feedback from those I trust may not convey or provide.

Historically, I’ve made the most important changes quickly (sort of like a significant emotional event), and almost all of those changes came from recommendations from those I trust.

But this may surprise you…I’ve made the most significant strategic changes in my life based on feedback that came from those I may have valued or trusted the least…after stewing on it for awhile…after overcoming some distress or even anger…because then I figure out that they may have been right even if I valued their opinion the least.

One clear example – a senior officer in the military once told me that I would probably do well in life but it wouldn’t be in the military…my style wasn’t conducive to the hierarchy and rank protocols (in his opinion) of that career (in his words).  I stewed on that (sometimes angrily) for almost 3 years and then decided he very well might be right and made some decisions that I don’t regret at all that led me down a very different path.

I didn’t change who I was by making that change, but I certainly charted a very different course in my life after hearing that.

Reach out and get feedback from anyone that will give it to you.  Then make changes based on that feedback provided from those you respect and trust.  And stew on the feedback that comes from others that may not fit in that “respect” or “trust” category.

That may ultimately change your life in very meaningful ways.

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Who do you turn to…

…when you need someone to talk to?

….when you need a prayer partner?

…..when you need a smile?

……when you need a hug?

…….when you need encouragement?

……..when you need wisdom?

………when you need to relax?

……….when you need to be grounded?

………..when you need a friend?

…………when you need to give?

………….when you need some help?

If you’re like me, the list is very small, and most if not all on that very small list could be counted on for any of these.

For those on my list, thank you.

I hope you know how much you mean to me.

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I’m watching Independence Day again.

I must have seen this 30 or 40 times.

And yet I watch it again.

I do the same thing with Armageddon.

The American President.

Die Hard…the first and second ones…those were the best.

There are a few others too.

They all have one thing in common.

Smiles at the end.

The bad guys lose.

The good guys win.

It feels good.

It’s uplifting.

It’s the way things should be.

I’m a sucker for a happy ending, with drama in between.

The funny thing – maybe sad thing – is that I see something new or realize something different about the movie every time I watch.

Something I missed the first.

Or second time.

Third, fourth, fifth.

Even on the 20th or 30th time to watch, I see something or hear something I didn’t the previous times I watched.

Because I don’t pay attention.

And I don’t listen.

And I don’t follow the dialogue or even the story line that closely.

I’m that way in business and in life too.

I need to hear or see things again and again to get more of the story and more of the meaning each time.

Some folks are blessed to get the message the very first time they hear or see it.

Not me.

Doesn’t work that way.

Same way with books too.

I can read the same chapter again and again and learn something new every time.

It’s a blessing and a curse.

A blessing because it’s exciting to see, hear and learn new things even the 20th time.

A curse because I miss key points, key lines, the clue that points to the outcome, or the main issue that once resolved could lead to that optimistic outcome.

Those that know me end up repeating things again and again.

Hoping that in one of the repeats I’ll actually catch the clue.

Those that don’t know me only tell me once, expecting me to be like others that may be blessed with a one time only receptor.

They’re disappointed when they then find out it didn’t work.

So I try new things.

Hoping to be different than I am.

But they don’t work.

I am who I am.

Again and again!

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I’m relaxing by the fireplace in the bar of the hotel.  It’s about 20 degrees outside.  A blizzard is just now starting, and everyone is now coming in.

For some reason I’m thinking of Billy Joel’s song – The Piano Man.

But I think I’d write it this way based on those that I see here tonight:

It’s 10:00 on a Friday night,

the regular crowd isn’t here,

But a new crowd just now wandered in,

seeking friends as they guzzle their beer.

There’s the mechanic that’s stranded so far from home

a fixed broken plane that can’t fly;

and the couple in the corner whispering softly

and both just now start to cry.

Sing us a song you’re the piano man

Sing us a song tonight

We’re all in the mood for a melody

and you got us feeling all right.

Ashley’s the bartender listening now

She’s offering an ear and and a smile;

but the crowd seems to want something different

she can’t get what’s really worth while.

For they’re all sitting here very lonely

running away from what seems

to be life that’s not nearly what they wanted,

so they drink now to kill their dreams.

Sing us a song you’re the piano man,

sing us a song tonight,

for we’re all in the mood for a melody,

You got us feeling all right.

They all wander off now into the night,

each going their own different way,

even the couple in tears from that corner

desperately seeking a new day.

And I wonder with each what’s their story

and why they struggled to share,

but with no one left now to talk to

I’m left with no one to care.

So sing us a song you’re the piano man,

sing us a song tonight,

for we’re all in the mood for a melody,

and you got us feeling all right.

Have a great evening!

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