5...6...7...

Rocky Balboa



Sylvester Stallone's iconic character that spanned decades.




Remember him?

I am not talking about the ones when Stallone takes a beating and the only scars are from all of his plastic surgeries.

I am talking about the 1970's Rocky.

Remember Mickey?

Burgess Meredith was fantastic in this role (a far cry from his years as the Penguin in the Batman TV series).

He pushed Rocky. He motivated Rocky. He coached Rocky.

"So I say, for God's sake, why don't you stand up and fight this guy HARD? Like you done before, that was beautiful! But don't lay down like this! Like, uh, I don't know, like some kind of mongrel or something."

In life...there will always be times when we think we are down for the count. It has happened and will happen again...a lot. But you have to get off the mat. "Don't lay down like this!"

You have no choice. People are going to knock you down. Things are going to knock you down. Your own personal demons are going to knock you down. You have to get up. Life is too precious not to. When you are down on the mat...you spend too much time licking your wounds to see life going on around you.

Your life is just like Rocky. You will have sequel after sequel after sequel. You have to see it through to the end of the movie. That's where the real applause happens.

8...9...

Get up! There is so much more to fight for.

Orbits and Catch Phrases

As you go through life...you need to realize a few basic truths.


There will be ups.

There will be downs.


There will be times when you want to give up.

There will be times when you feel invulnerable.

There will be pain.

There will be relief.

There will be great sadness.

There will be incredible elation.

Just remember...

You can't control everything.

Think of yourself as a planet with several circling orbits. There are only three things you can control at any given time though. Yourself and the two closest orbits. That's it. Figure out what those orbits are and do your damndest to make them work. Do your damndest to make them whole. Do your damndest to make them fulfilling. Forget everything else because you can't control them.

I have a catch phrase that I use that annoys some people but brings an affirmative shake of the head to others when used.

"It is what it is."

I tell the people who hate it to find me a better one and I will start using it immediately.

They can't...because everything in the universe...is what it is.

'Nuff said.

Stuck on Idle

The other night I was standing at a bar waiting for a drink and I overheard the conversation next to me.

It was obvious to me, the bartender and everyone else around what this dynamic was all about.

It was either a first date or a bar attempt by the male species to "get to know" the young lady better.

It was going nowhere fast.

He would say something. She would politely disagree or refute his position on the topic and then he would try to backtrack and force agreement, chemistry and hope for some sort of sign of the ice thawing.

Throw me a bone here.

So if it were obvious to us bystanders, was it obvious to the participants as well.

No matter what relationship you are working on. Romantic. Platonic. Business. Casual. The communication connection points are key. You have to give up a little...but take in a lot. You have to pull them into your conversation. You have to find the tipping point where you take it from idle chit chat to engagement.

You also have to know when to throw in the towel. When it's just not going to happen. Idle chit chat...is a waste of time. You want to move it from neutral to either forward or reverse because if you idle long enough, you will simply run out of gas and then you really are going nowhere.

Look...even without the conversation (if you want to call it that)...one would probably bet against the pairing at the bar the other night but if he would've been able to engage...it might have gotten interesting. You still would've asked..."how did he end up with her" but true communication connection points of engagement can break down traditional perceived barriers.

Throw an ice cube in a glass of single malt and watch how fast it melts. Now, that is some serious engagement.

This is Your Lucky Day

A strange thing happened the other night.

The big one.

The PowerBall lottery.

The chance to win millions.




As I was standing in line at the local convenience store watching the customers gobble up as many tickets as they could, it became surreal to me. As each one purchased their tickets, the convenience store worker genuinely was wishing them "good luck." I thought to myself "why would she wish them luck when luck has nothing to do with it." Chance yes...but luck? No. I know...cynical bastard, right?

As each person went through the line though and picked up their ticket and received their obligatory "good luck" wishes, each person's face lit up with genuine hope and excitement. I thought to myself...good for her...good for them. We need to feel hope. We need to feel anticipation. We need to feel "lucky."

No one at that particular convenience store won the lottery but for one small moment, they all felt like winners. So did I.

Good stuff!

You Should See What I am Hearing

Which would hurt more to lose?


The ability to see or the ability to hear?


The ability to capture the moment with your eyes or with your ears.


It's the difference between painting or photography and music.




There is nothing quite like the glowing radiance of a sunset. The explosion of colors from a bouquet of flowers. The expression on a child's face on Christmas morning. The soul piercing gaze from the one you love.

But there is also nothing like the sound of a newborn baby entering the world. The intertwining or music and lyric into melodic poetry. The innocent sound of a child laughing. Hearing the words I love you from your soulmate.

For me...I would have to say hearing. Because hearing gives me vision. Hearing gives me emotion. Hearing let's me feel. Hearing paints the picture in my mind.

For you...it might be the other way around.

I hear ya.

But...do you see what I am saying?

The Original Content Marketer

I was introduced to him several years ago.

It was the first time we ever met but I felt like I had known him for years.

Everything that was once muddled became clear.

Everything that was once clear became confusing.

I recently reintroduced myself.

Jack Kerouac

The writer who turned the art of stream of consciousness writing into a science.

“One day I will find the right words, and they will be simple.”

He wrote about life but from a different pen angle.

He saw things that others didn't see.

He wrote with clarity. A sense of purpose. A passion.

He realized how we needed to live our lives because of our own mortality.

“the only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars.”

He touched a generation. He inspired many. He brought vision. He brought perspective.

He went viral before there was virality. He Engaged. Enlightened. Seduced.

He birthed a generation of content creators.

He was both observer and active participant in the game of life.

Glad we reconnected Jack.

“Live, travel, adventure, bless, and don't be sorry.”

Life's Fulcrum

Ever wonder why sometimes in life you are at the bottom of the teeter totter and sometimes you are at the top?


It all comes down to two things my friend.


Timing & Perspective



Timing is all about seizing opportunity. Seeing a crack in the door and making a mad dash. Narrowly missing an accident. Falling in love. Being on time. Making the moment live. Carpe Diem kinda stuff.

Perspective is all about who you are and where you are in relation to everyone else. Seeing things through a different set of eyes. Turning challenges into opportunities. Not feeling sorry for yourself but for others.

Some may argue the key may be more experience than timing and perspective. Not so. It's your experiences with timing and perspective that give you your experience.

Timing and perspective. The two legs that make up the fulcrum of your own personal teeter totter.

Up and down. Up and down. Such is a day in the life.

When Randomness Serves a Purpose

Ever see the movie "Magnolia?"


To give you the cliff note Wikipedia version;


The film is a mosaic of interrelated characters in search of happiness, forgiveness, and meaning in the San Fernando Valley.




Connections.

In life...you meet random people at every corner. Some stick around for awhile...some become your Facebook friends...most just drift away with the tide.

Every once in a while though, you meet someone who serves a purpose for you. Someone who changes the game. Someone who you will never forget.

Take time out today to take stock of the people who have come into your life and have made a difference. You are who you are because of them. If they are still in your life...let them know what they have done for you. If they aren't still in your life...remember them for what they have given you.

Your mission...(if you so choose to accept)...is to try and positively impact those around you. You might just be what they need at that time in their life.

Purposeful randomness. Try it. You might like it.

Tell me what it means to me.

Over the last week, I have been wrought with several different emotions and thoughts.

My concepts have been challenged.

My vision has been confirmed.




My successes outweigh my losses...but my losses did add up.

I have been at peace and in conflict all at once.

One step back...two steps forward...one step back.

I got to thinking about the concepts of respect, likability and fear. As leaders, we all have people who follow based on those three motivations.

"I respect your decision"
"I like working for you"
"I do as I am told because I am afraid what will happen if I don't"

Take my advice...

Aim for respect. I am afraid...people will actually end up liking you.

What a week. No wonder my back and neck are killing me.

Star Trek meets Talking Heads

Ever get in your car and start to drive and forget where you are going?

Ever go to someplace that is so familiar to you but feels foreign?

Ever step outside yourself and look back and ask the question that David Byrne made famous lyrically in the 1980's? "How did I get here?"

We all need to experience the comfort of a routine. It grounds us. It gives us direction. It gives us clarity of purpose. We all have a need and desire to go back to that "safe place."

Don't get me wrong...going Leonard Nimoy and going where no man has gone before is usually the way to go but sometimes...you have to take the old route to get to where you want to go to remind you why you went there in the first place.

You want to explore new worlds...not escape your current one.

If you feel yourself losing your way sometimes...take the old route. Take the familiar path. Usually you will find something you missed the first time.

How did I get here? Think about the path you took. That will usually give you the answer.

Starting or finishing?

Which one works better for you?

Anticipation or satisfaction?

Looking forward or remembering back?




Sunrise or sunset?

The intrinsic excitement that comes with looking forward to something or the sense of fulfillment that comes with completing something?

The answer of course should be both. Both are needed and both carry their own beauty and purpose.

Expect the first...accept everything that happens with the last.

If you embrace both, the time you spend between the two will be better served.

It's how you start and how you finish that will define your day.

It's not about the minutes or hours that separate the two. It's the moments that are ours that do.

Enjoy both...and everything in between.

Sometimes...being OK is better than being just OK

You know those times when you ask someone how they are doing and they respond with "I'm OK" and you say "just OK"?

As you go through life, you realize a lot of times...being OK is actually pretty good.

Look, If you run anything at too high of a temp, what happens? It burns out.

Conversely, if you run something for too long at too cool of a temp, what happens? It dies.

A lot of times...being OK is a pretty good soft landing place.

Now...don't get me wrong...you need to turn up the heat sometimes to feel the burn and you also need to go into extreme chill periods where you can shut down but if OK is in the middle...that's doing pretty damn good.

Now, here is the key though. Surround yourself with some people who let you know that you are OK...or it will be OK because a lot of times you might not feel it.

I will take OK. The opposite? A KO. Yeah...OK isn't too shabby.

Some Times You Have to Throw Away the Protractor

The blueprint has been laid out for you. You shouldn't improvise. You shouldn't stray from the design. This goes there for a reason. This corner was designed this way because it just has to be at that angle.


Trust these people...they have been there before. The conception...composition...and constitution are all predetermined based on the specs that have been laid out by others who know better.

Are you sure?

Guess what?

The same holds true for our past. The blue print is laid out. By family, by friends, by influencers, etc. Most of the heavy lifting is done by family though. They have laid out the blueprint for us. A lot of us feel we have no choice but to follow their lead. Follow their design. What if their design is faulty? What if they were wrong?

Look, the bottom line is that you have a choice. Yes, there is the basic blueprint. Yes, there may be some predispositions. But...you have the power to crumple of the blueprints, toss them in the garbage can and start over. You own your own eraser. It's never too late.

Go ahead...create your own reality.

Throw away the protractor. Direct your future...don't settle for following directions. Who knows what you can create.

It's all about the mix

Every relationship you have in life has two important elements to it...

Whether it be husband/wife, boss/employee, coach/player, etc.

You need both to make the relationship work...but the key is how much of one do you have compared to the other.


One is logical, objective and structural in nature. The titles you hold in this relationship, define your role.

The titles define the rules.

You feel obligation, responsibility and a commitment to the long term vision.

The other is emotional, subjective and relational in nature. Regardless of the titles you hold in the relationship, your feelings for the other person define your role.

The titles defy the rules.

You feel passion, spontaneity and a commitment to the short term vision.

Again...both are needed.

And when you are dealing with the human element of relationships...just a little bit one way or another can make a huge difference.

If you are too much on either side...the teeter totter tips.

Look, you can get to 100 several different ways but if one is 50 and the other is 50...your math will equal far greater than 100.

That's the mathematics of the human element at work.

Kevin Arnold is the Shit

Change is never easy. You fight to hold on. You fight to let go.

Recently...during a night of insomnia...while flipping through the channels...I bumped into Kevin Arnold again. It was good to see him.

I had forgotten how good "The Wonder Years" was. It was a brilliant portrayal of youth and retrospect with age through the acting of Fred Savage and the narration of Daniel Stern.


It made me think of lots of things...

We are so vulnerable...yet so willing to take risks during our youth.

We are at our creative peak during our youth because everything is possible.

We are innocent during our youth.

We love with all of our heart.

All our young lives we search for someone to love, someone who makes us complete. We choose partners and change partners. We dance to a song of heartbreak and hope all the while wondering if somewhere and somehow there is someone searching for us.

We invest so much into what we are working on because it means so much to us at the time.

The problem is we lose so much of the gift that was given to us while we were young.

I'm young. I live in a house my father owns, in a bed my father bought..Nothing is mine..except my heart and my fears and my growing knowledge that not every road is gonna lead home anymore.

We become cynical.

We no longer think of the impossible.

We get tired.

We don't do childlike things because we aren't supposed to.

We don't play.

We let others decide who and what we need to be rather than being real with who we are.

We don't believe anymore. It's like in the movie "Polar Express"...we don't hear the wonderful jingle of the bell.

When we are young, we are always looking forward with great anticipation. As we age, we start to look backward with great regret.

As you age...

Keep dreaming
Keep being silly
Keep dancing and singing even when others don't hear the music
Keep laughing
Keep playing
Keep thinking the impossible is possible.
Keep the light burning

If you do...the mid-life crisis becomes the mid-life celebration.

They say hindsight is 20/20, and I guess that's true; because standing there that night everything became so clear.

Kevin Arnold knew what is he was talking about.

We all did.

Have a Great Summer

When was the last time you pulled out a yearbook from school and read some of the things people wrote?

Every entry speaks of one specific memory.

Every entry speaks of a friendship bond that will never be broken.

Every entry speaks of staying in touch through the summer.

And every entry speaks of creating more memories.



If only we could remember these lessons as we get older...


Cherish the memories.

Make every friendship as deep as possible.

Always try and reach out to stay connected.

And...strive to make more memories.


Pretty simple...isn't it.

Have a Great Summer!

Need a light?

Ever need a spark?

Creative juices running low?

If so...try some of these to light or re-light your fire.

All of them work for me. Depends on the mood, time of day and what kind of spark I need at the time...but these tend to do the trick.





Make something with legos. Matter of fact...deconstruct first and then make something completely different.

Go for a long run.

Read.

Doodle.

Lie on your back and stare at the clouds.

Draw (which is an advanced version of doodling).

Sing in the shower.

Write words...not sentences.

Workout.

Try yoga.

Do a puzzle.

Shoot hoops by yourself.

Go for a walk.

Listen to music.

Drink coffee.

Drink wine.

Play with your kids.

Go out on a date (it's even cooler if you sit at the bar).

Talk to a bartender.

Sit in complete silence for five minutes.


Want to try something really crazy? Try all of these in one day. I promise there would be enough of a spark to light every cigarette ever smoked in one season of Mad Men!

Now go ahead and light your fire. Jim Morrison would be proud.

Long Time no Talk

Went back to Michigan this past week for work. Had a chance to reconnect with some old friends.

Got me thinking about when was the last time I reconnected with myself.

Part of that is this blog.

Been doing a lot of writing lately...but very little for my own pleasure.





If you are like me and you feel like you have been running in the hamster wheel for awhile...take time to reconnect with yourself. Do something that brings you back. Once you know where you are...you know where you need to go.

Long time no talk. How have you been?

Edison or da Vinci

Do you want to "think better" or do you want to "think different?"

Thinking better is solution based.
Thinking different is idea based.

Thinking better produces things.
Thinking different creates things.

Thinking better requires a trial and error mentality.
Thinking different requires an error and trial mentality.


Thinking better requires experience.
Thinking different requires experiences.

Thinking better means to learn from our mistakes.
Thinking different means to make mistakes so we can learn.

Thinking better requires brainstorming.
Thinking different requires stormy brains.

Thinking better affects the bottom line.
Thinking different affects the top line.

Guess what?

Can't have one without the other.
One thinks differently to get better and one thinks better when they are different.

Making cake...and eating it too.

Yummy.

A Little Insomnia Randomness

Nothing like getting up at 3:30 to jog the brain a little...

Legos and mechanical pencils are both inherently oxymorons. Legos are full of structure and creativity all at once. Mechanical pencils imply welcoming of mistakes and perfection at the same time.

Don Draper is a lot like Tony Soprano.

In life, having balance is the great equalizer.

Plugging into people who "get it" is energizing.

Compliments never get old.

I have come to the conclusion, the mid-life crisis is very real.

To be able to plug in, one must un-plug.

When you hit your 40's...it isn't about how much you work out...it's about what you put in.

Hydrate the body...caffeinate the mind.

Telescopic or Microscopic? Both...if you can.

As we go through it, it's all about the goal. When we achieve it, it's all about the journey.

And finally...

Coffee really is a good thing...especially on mornings like this.

Don't forget about your roots.

First of all, I want to apologize for not getting any content out sooner. I am now doing a lot more writing for clients and for business purposes and quite frankly, my personal blog has suffered. Thus, today's topic...






When we first get into a job, we really don't know what it is about the job that we enjoy.

When our job transitions into a career, that's when the light goes on. That's when the A-HA moment happens.

I draw the comparison to when you first enter college. You take general studies courses because you have to...not because you want to. If you are lucky and hit on your calling with your major, you really start to produce takeaways that stay with you your whole life.

The problem with our business side of our lives though is that we lose the things that we really enjoyed doing because of the all of the other things we have to do. Want to v. have to.

For me, it's writing.

So...here I am doing a lot more writing but not for myself...and that's wrong. If I follow this pattern where I no longer do something personally that I enjoy, the translated skills to the professional level will no longer bear the fruits it once did.

Lesson learned.

Thought I would just plant that seed today...

Seconds anyone?

No matter how much you do to avoid it...

No matter how many people you talk to ahead of time...

No matter what.

It will happen.

Second guessing. Monday morning quarterbacking. Armchair CEOs.

They are all around us. No escaping.



Here is the good news...

The more Monday morning quarterbacking you have in your life...

The more foreign territories you have explored. The more land mines you have detonated. The more chances you have taken. The more arrows you have in your back because you have blazed new trails. The more rules you have amended.

The more you've done.

Next time you feel like people are second guessing you...just remember who was there first.

More randomness...

Perspective is a wonderful gift. Remind yourself often.

Timing is truly everything.

Don't define yourself by what you do...define yourself by who you are.

Smile and the world will smile with you...frown...and you are all alone.

What is it in a Bloody Mary that truly heals?

Encourage imagination.

Look for moments of clarity in your life.

I have come to the conclusion...we try to define ourselves in our 20's by a proactive act that we initiate. We get redefined in our 40's by a reactive act that usually happens to us or around us.

The more you look at the glass half full, the more full the glass appears.

Say thank you more than you think you need to.

The older extraverts get, the more they appreciate being alone. I think the opposite is also true.

Coffee and red wine...both great elixirs that help you think. One starts your brain going in the morning. The other helps it wind down at night. Both serve a purpose.

Don't plug into negative people. Typically...their negativity is contagious.

Innovators and adapters...both are needed.

Always be thinking about how you can make someone's day.

If you are seeing something that you don't like...change your viewing angle...you might like it better then.

Passion goes a long way.

Music can motivate.

Play...often.

Comfort zones are like hotels...they weren't meant to be permanent addresses.

And finally...

1.) Engage and learn.
2.) Have fun.
3.) Take ownership.

Thanks to the coffee this morning. Wonder what the wine will bring tonight.

Advertising or advice?

Writer's note; I am now writing much more professionally than I have been so sometimes I may stray from the personal and "double dip" into the professional if that is OK with you.








Ahh…Don Draper. Now he was an Ad man.

Remember those days?

Imagine not having a clue what your brand stood for? What your brand meant? Hell, you probably didn’t even know your business was a brand. You walked into the “Ad Exec’s” office and he sold you a concept. It was creative. It made sense.

Then…the magic happens. He puts his creative team on the job. Slick, well produced TV ads. The voice of God radio ads. Full page layouts in the daily newspaper. And…they worked. People actually came into your business and wanted to use your product or service because of the advertising.

Let’s fast forward to now.

Those ads don’t work as well do they?

How come?

Because we no longer believe their claims, propositions, promises or customer testimonials. They became cliche and contrived. They were no longer relevant.

Who do you trust now? Your friend or your ad man? Do you want advertisements or advice?

This is where social media marketing comes in. Social media has conversations…not sales pitches. It focuses on communities…not customers. Creates value based loyalty…not price based transactions.

Don’t get me wrong…you still build a brand by mass media…but you build the why behind the brand with social media.

Ahhh…but which social media platform do you use and how do you use it?

Don’t know…haven’t had a conversation with you about your community yet. Once I do…I will know which way to go.

The "Big Game" maybe isn't as big after all...

What suits you?

Ever look back at history and think about whether or not you would've fit in better during another time?





Taking everything into consideration...pop culture, music, the arts, education, technology, sports, political rhetoric and direction...everything.

I think I found mine.

Instead of '67...I should've been born in '34.

First and foremost, I would've come from humble beginnings because I would've been born at the tail end of the depression. I would've learned how to appreciate things.

In the 40's...I would've been old enough to hear about the war in school. I would've learned to love my country...and appreciate real war heroes.

In the 50's...I would've been in my teens and 20's and I would've found music and myself.

In the 60's...I would've been old enough to know what cool really was.

In the 70's...I would've been just old enough to miss the club scene. No Studio 54 for me.

In the 80's...I would've been middle age and would've been longing for "my" music and would've been old enough to appreciate the "new" economy.

In the 90's...I would've been hitting retirement age at a prosperous time.

Around the turn of the century...I would've started to slow down at a time when everything around us was speeding up.

Now...I would be ready to call it a day...looking back and smiling.

Don't get me wrong...life's good right now where I am...but sometimes I wonder.

When was your time?

Better late than...

Writer's note:
You ever feel like you could write more about something but you really shouldn't because less is more on this given subject? Yup...I am there today.


Here's a quick one to always remember...

Good news is never late.

Which one comes first?

They say life imitates art.

Couldn't agree more.

Got a new one though...

Art predicts life.

Yup. It's true.

Head and heart present. Fingers...not so much.

I love to write.

I write for myself on a personal level.

I write for my clients on a professional level.

Ever get writer's block?


I got it this morning.

And even the aroma of my coffee is not getting me moving my fingers over the keyboard to produce anything meaningful to say.

But here is the thing....it's not because I've got nothing to say. It's because I have too much to say.

The head is filled to the brim with stuff. Thought provoking (at least from my opinion).

The heart is as well.

But it's hard to put a finger on the stuff marinating in my logical warehouse and in my emotional vault...

Well...I did it. By talking about my inability to fill a page...I filled a page.

It's kind of like rice cakes...not a lot of taste but it fills a hole.

But like I have said before...getting something on paper is better than staring at a blank page.

One of my previous posts talked about writing like a photographer takes pictures. You take hundreds of pictures to find one good one.

Write to make mistakes...and eventually you'll get something good. Eventually...

What did you like best?

Writer's note; A friend of mine who is going through a rough time just wrote about the beginning of the movie "City of Angels" where the question on the way to heaven was asked...'what did you like best?" Top of the head...in no particular order...here goes...

Any time or thing that had to do with my dad.

The night I fell asleep on the couch with Lynn at Tom's house.

Cleaning my loft apartment when I was moving out.

On a winter night in Rosendale, Wisconsin long ago.

Vilas Hall.

The Beloit Country Club.

Anything to do with the Union Terrace.

The days when my kids were born.

June 13...1998.

My kids as babies falling asleep on my chest.

Eating food right from the fridge on the kitchen floor.

Drinking milk from wine glasses.

Making bacon/egg/zucchini casseroles.

Dancing in the water fountain.

Lying on Bascom Hill looking up at the sky.

Movie Nights.

Easter 1996.

Packer games live at Lambeau.

Jamaica, Punta Cana, San Francisco, Napa Valley.

The woman who spoke at my Dad's visitation.

Father's Day 2011.

Jack Sikma and Isaiah Thomas.

Fiddler on the Roof and Camelot.

The Summer of '85.

A Soloflex and a Barbie house.

The first night in our house in Oregon...the second time.

Morning hugs and good night kisses.

Sunrises and sunsets.

Writer's note #2: Some of these are self explanatory...some have no meaning to no one else but me. Either way...sorry for the TMI...