At my age…

Some say it sucks getting old.  Some do anything and everything to try and stay young-looking.  (Hey Cher, it’s not working!) 

I’m OK with growing old.  I mean, if we’re lucky we get to grow old.  And that means we get to do a lot of beginnings: 

Once I might have wished for that: never to grow old.  But now I know that to stay young always is also not to change.  And that is what life's all about - change is going on every minute, and you never know when something begins where it's going to take you. 

Joan W. Blos 

I read an article recently that Shania Twain, at the age of 60, has finally stopped trying to be 20.  I’m here to tell you being elderly has its ups and its downs.  Come to think of it, I’ve had ups and downs in my teenage years and ever since! 

Now, I’m part of that “get off my lawn”, seemingly self-privileged, grumpy old man group that upholds the Scots: 

Old Scottish Prayer 

O Lord, grant that we may always be right, for Thou knowest we will never change our minds. 

Unknown Sage 

These days, when I remember where I parked my car and when I hit all of the belt loops, I know its going to be a good day.  Yes, there are those “other” days, too.  I’ll be attending my 55^th high school reunion in October.  I dread the fact that I won’t recognize my former classmates; I won’t remember their names, either. 

I’m sure there will be plenty of tales about our prescriptions, medical procedures, and worse.  I’m blessed to say I still have all of my original parts.  A little rusty perhaps, but all original.  It’s OK.  I won’t be playing touch football at the reunion. 

It’s best to stay active, though.  Mentally, physically, intellectually.  Rock stars might be different.  Neil Young, Def Leppard, and others claimed: 

It’s better to burn out than fade away. 

For the rest of us, fading away is just fine.  And, for any of my high school classmates I run into this Fall, here’s a little help.  I’m still the one - just with the white hair:

                                                    Gary A. Pokorn 

                                                Class of 1971

GAP 

When life gets tough we could get a helmet… or… we could leverage the peace and share the power of a positive perspective.

Making a living…

I was a Road Warrior once.  I wonder if there are as many business travelers today; what, with work-from-home, Zoom, Teams, and all. 

For all that travel to make a living, I salute you!  The long hours and time zone changes are tough to begin with.  Not to mention the plethora of airline incidents making the news today!  If planes aren’t trying to play bumper cars, then it’s the passengers who are “flying out of control”, true?  And that’s just the getting to and home part.  In between, these business people still have their jobs to do. 

I know the airlines are trying to make the trip as comfortable as possible, but there’s a limit: 

Pilot:  ‘Folks, we have reached our cruising altitude now, so I am going to turn the seat belt sign off.  Feel free to move about as you wish, but please stay inside the plane 'til we land.  It's a bit cold outside, and if you walk on the wings it effects the flight pattern." 

Unknown Sage

Of course, Diamond Medallion, Premier 1k, frequent flying, business travelers also have to deal with the casual, family-with-children, infrequent flyers who don’t always know the routine: 

You'll notice that the airport buildings are in the distance.  We don't land at the terminal because it scares the heck out of the people inside. 

Mark Sanborn 

Then there are those darn, connecting flights.  There’s always the gamble of scheduling the connections too close.  I know frequent flyers don’t want to spend anymore time at the airport between flights than necessary, but…  Schedule connections too tight and the business traveler is at the mercy of airline flight operations, airport architects, and Murphy: 

Law of Airports 

The distance to the gate is inversely proportional to the time available to catch the flight. 

                   Unknown Sage

Well, as I concluded in the opening introduction to Road Warriors©, Chapter One of my book: 

Not everyone can do this for a living. 

GAP 

When life gets tough we could get a helmet… or… we could leverage the peace and share the power of a positive perspective.

May I have a word with you?

Words are important.  But which words?  What kind of words will you filter out today?  What words will you filter in?  

Sandy Loder, CEO of  Peak Dynamics, wrote in March of 2023 that humans have some 60,000 thoughts each day.  95% of those are repetitive from day-to-day.  75% of our daily thoughts are negative!  WOW! 

IMHO, thoughts are stimulated by words.  Words we read, words we hear, words we speak.  If the statistics about negative thoughts are accurate, what do those words say about our words? 

Words we hear from others (via one medium or another) is one thing.  More important and more impactful are the words we say to ourselves: 

Words have power … I once read an article in which one of the greatest female tennis players of all time reviewed a game that she lost.  Every statement she made about herself was still positive.  People who succeed speak well of themselves to themselves. 

Laurie Beth Jones 

How cool is that!  People who speak well of themselves to themselves, succeed.  Let’s all do that!  Whatever words from others we filter in or filter out, let’s make sure we use well-spoken, positive words when speaking to ourselves. 

The book, The Fred Factor © “…is a motivational book that uses the story of an exceptional mail carrier named Fred to illustrate how anyone can turn the ordinary into the extraordinary through passion, creativity, and commitment.”  At home, in school, at work, where ever, success can be in our hands; in our minds; in our self-talk. The author wrote: 

Nobody can prevent you from choosing to be exceptional. 

Mark Sanborn 

Exceptional!  Now, there’s a word to filter in.  I’m going to use that word when I speak to myself about myself.  How about you? 

GAP 

When life gets tough we could get a helmet… or… we could leverage the peace and share the power of a positive perspective.

Waiting?

Well… 

“I sent an email but haven’t heard back.”

“I left a voice mail, no response yet.”

“I texted… crickets.” 

Sound familiar?  If we’re on the waiting end, what do we do?  Besides getting really, really frustrated that is.

On the one hand, we don’t know what’s going on with the person we’re trying to contact.  I have a neighbor who’s on a 4-month, global cruise.  Even with on-board Internet, we wouldn’t expect a quick response during the middle of a day (or middle of the night) at sea, would we? 

Of course, not everyone we’re waiting to hear back from is on a global cruise.  Maybe they’re just sitting at their desk.  Maybe they simply forgot.  Maybe they’re overwhelmed – common perhaps in today’s days of front-line worker layoffs?  Maybe companies are forcing us to deal with the “machines” to get customer service? 

But when we’re on the waiting side, the reason doesn’t matter does it?  We don’t like to be kept waiting.  I know I don’t, but maybe it’s just me.  Can you share a situation where you prefer to be kept waiting?  Waiting in person doesn’t increase our patience either: 

The Queue Principal 

The longer you wait in line, the greater the likelihood that you are in the wrong line. 

Murphy 

When our awaited follow up finally follows through, we often get the proverbial, “Sorry, I’ve been busy.”  How do we react to that?  “Oh, that’s explains it.  My bad for being so impatient.  No worries, I’m not in a rush.”  Those are the responses we say… NEVER! 

Then there is the matter of balancing a quick response with an accurate response: 

Nobody is in a rush for the wrong answer. 

Robert D. Cohen 

What do you think?  Are we more impatient these days?  With all of the technology at our fingertips, are things getting worse?  After all, those online Chat/Bot/machines and telephone virtual trees are always there; always offering to help us; always ignoring our curses.  If only they could actually help us, right?  I mean we wouldn’t be asking to speak to a person if the machine had solved our issue. 

I know everyone’s busy.  I’ll just have to stay on hold.  Hope I live long enough for them to get back to me. 

GAP 

When life gets tough we could get a helmet… or… we could leverage the peace and share the power of a positive perspective.

 

Give – without being asked…

If you’re like me, we are asked to give frequently, true?  I understand solicitation.  It’s a bad word, right?  It even warrants signs on home and office doors.  Bad, unless you’re in the sales profession.  Oh well, rejection comes with the territory: 

Many of us give without being asked.  Just look at this post; just peruse online sites.  All kinds of opinions and advice are given without being asked.  My posts included.  Oh, the challenges of free speech: 

What this country needs is more free speech worth listening to. 

Lawrence J. Peter  

According to AI, the word “gift” shares a “direct-root-and-action relationship” with “giving”.   We all engage in giving without being asked every day; several times each day; and our recipients appreciate our gifts. 

Giving a smile to a stranger we pass in the aisle at a store.  Giving a “Thank You” wave to the driver that lets us merge in front of them on the highway.  Giving a, “Have a nice day.” to a friend, neighbor, co-worker, and client.  Giving a hug to our loved ones.  Think about all of the giving we give to others – and in turn, receive in kind. 

You may think these don’t make up for the unwanted “giving” we receive on social media; the hype; the hate; the half-truths.  Perhaps we need reminding that all of the giving we give each other each day; all of the small courtesies; all of the little pleasantries; all together, en masse, makes us who we are.  It’s not one big thing.  It’s all of the little things we can easily think are at the margins: 

Execute passionately.  Marginal tactics executed passionately almost always will out perform brilliant tactics executed marginally. 

Harry Beckwith 

We witnessed passion during the World Cup on the pitch and in our cities.  World Cup visitors told stories of Americans being a nation of courtesy; friendliness; and a lot of fun!  They noticed perhaps that we say “Thank you” easily and often without being asked.  Barry J. Nalebuff gave us a list for business: 

Nine Tips on Saying, “Thank You”: 

• Say, “Thank You” in kind, not cash.

• Save the best, “Thank You” for your best customers.

• Say, “Thank You” in a way that builds your business.

• Don’t say, “Thank You” too quickly, or too slowly.

• Say you’re going to say, “Thank You.”

• Recognize that you may have to compete for loyalty.

• Allow your competitors to have loyal customers, too.

• Don’t forget to say, “Thank You” even if you have a monopoly.

• Say, “Thank You” to your suppliers as well as to your customers.” 

Giving without being asked delineates who we are and who we are not.  Americans are a diverse people united in compassion and understanding.  We are not separate tribes at war with each other.  So, “Thank You!” for allowing me to give you this post.  I know I wasn’t asked for it. 

GAP 

When life gets tough we could get a helmet… or… we could leverage the peace and share the power of a positive perspective.