Honest Achievement

“Achievement is not always success, while reputed failure often is. It is honest endeavor, persistent effort to do the best possible under any and all circumstances.” - Orison Swett Marden

A few years ago a major American baseball record (home runs in one season) was surpassed. There was tremendous angst over the method or possible method in which it was achieved.

World hunger and society worried about a baseball record.

There were claims of illegal steroid use and other performance enhancement drugs. What followed were other players being accused and caught up in these methods of artificially enhancing their performance on the field.

In our society, everyone wants to see new and bigger records get set. The pressure to achieve lofty goals can result in less than honest achievement.

Society tends to forget who came in second place.

At the same time, society also wants to see achievement but achievement with some strict written and unwritten rules. Those rules state you better achieve with legal means. And you had better do it honestly or people will cast a shadow of doubt or shame upon the accomplishment.

Time and history will settle the score regarding these achievements.

For the individual, each will have to live with his/her own honesty in how achievement was gained. For some, conscience does not have the same 'equalizing' effect upon them as it does other people.

True achievement means to always be honest in the pursuit.

Achieve your goals in life honorably not only for yourself but for those that support you. The reward will be greater in the books of time.

Stay inspired my friends.

Pumping Your Own Gas

“And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.” - Nelson Mandela

Some years ago, a high tech company from Boston named Data General existed creating computers and other devices to help businesses advance in the emerging computer era. It was a reasonably large company with a large field service organization supporting the needs of its customers.

Their support organization eventually became centered in the Atlanta, Georgia area. As a reward for doing exceptional work, Data General service personnel from around the world were rewarded at an annual awards conference. One particular conference was held in the "Big Easy" (New Orleans) and everyone had a great time.

Data General conference organizers needed someone to emcee video highlights and contacted a person by the name of Jim. This fellow named Jim was an executive in the Atlanta support center and said he had the perfect person at hand for this task. His son was an aspiring comedian in the Atlanta area who could really use the money. There are still VCR tape copies of his work from the conference floating around somewhere.

Data General would not last too many more years before getting bought out by the EMC Corporation. But this aspiring comedian by the name of Jeff Foxworthy would become very successful at this comedy thing. Today he is sought after for his brand of humor which keeps people laughing.

So why would he pump his own gas?

Well the story goes like this.

Jeff still lives in the Atlanta area and had to put gasoline into his vehicle before going to pick up one of his kids. It is something each of us do everyday and is a normal thing to be doing. Jeff truly is just a normal, average kind of guy. So he is at the gas station pumping gas into his vehicle when a lady notices him and questions him on who he is. She even asks for identification to prove it.

Now Jeff could have shunned this woman and asked her to leave him alone. There are many celebrities who would have done just that. But Jeff listened and politely accommodated the woman. It turns out they had a very nice conversation and it became apparent to Jeff this woman needed assistance with a project.

The project is House of Joy which serves homeless women and homeless mothers with dependent children in Gwinnett County, Georgia who need emergency shelter and crisis intervention services. Jeff saw a place where he could help and he did so by hosting a benefit show.

What does all of this have to do with anything?

You see it is the little moments in time that if we rush by them, we will never find opportunity to do something good.

Jeff Foxworthy could have been too rushed and missed out.

The lady who approached him could have been too busy to even ask.

But from time to time, each of us get presented with little moments which can open up an opportunity for us to do great things. You don't have to be famous or funny like Jeff. All you have to be is willing to slow down and recognize the moment.

My guess is that people will now be stalking gas stations, looking for Jeff being in need of gas again. But his calm and kind demeanor will probably handle the situation just right.

Yet we do not have to wait for a chance encounter with someone famous.

All we have to be is open to experience the moment. When you least expect it, the opportunity will appear. You will see it, you will grasp it and you will shine. so whether pumping your own gas or any of a number other tasks, be ready to seize the moment.

And stay inspired my friends.

Amongst the Madness

“It was madness. And, as Finan had said, sometimes madness works.”
― Bernard Cornwell

I have just returned from five days working a convention in Las Vegas, Nevada. Yes, the city also known as Sin City or Lost Wages. A day or night overload of ones senses. A constant ingest of sounds, lights and visual madness. It was also a chance to conduct EMCWorld 2015, showcasing some of the world's greatest data storage technology.

It was connecting with people.

When you put on a convention in a city such as Las Vegas, the risk of what grabs a person's attention is constantly at play. One has to decide the importance of a new virtual storage system discussion over the ringing and dinging of a slot machine. It is called a vVNX if you are interested in checking it out.

It was also connecting with people.

What I find most interesting about Las Vegas are the people. I am not speaking of the residents of Las Vegas outside of "The Strip" where all the bells and whistles are. I am pretty sure Las Vegas is like any other city outside of the 4-mile strip of madness and the residents are as well. But walk through the casinos, the buffet lines, the shoppes and the convention halls; this is the interesting piece of being in Las Vegas.

It was constant connections with people.

Over the course of four days, I participated in over thirty customer meetings, there were breakout sessions to attend and the impromptu hallway meetings. I met old friends and created new friendships. There was a lot of information sharing but there was a lot of information learning from listening to people. It was not simply the noise of a Las Vegas game of chance.

It was about connecting with people.

Sure, everyone had fun in a lot of different ways. After a long year of relative peace and quiet, Las Vegas lends itself to the short term visitor offering many forms of madness. But within the madness are the people and that is what works.

Stay inspired my friends.

Sisyphus Kept Going

"The will to persevere is often the difference between failure and success." - David Sarnoff

In Greek mythology Sisyphus was a king who was punished and made to roll a huge rock up a hill, only to watch it roll back down. He repeats this throughout eternity.

The sheer will to keep performing his task has different meanings but maybe in the struggle itself towards greatness is enough to fill your heart. In other words, maybe it is the journey we should be enjoying.

I am pretty sure that Sisyphus was not enjoying his journey but something kept him going. He showed perseverance to continue his struggle over and over again.

We also persevere in our efforts to reach a goal, dream or final destination in life. What we fail to do many times is to enjoy that wide spectrum of activity between starting and achieving. It can be in the "doing of life" that provides us with the most enlightenment and enjoyment.

The achievement itself is wonderful but many times it simply becomes another step to something even greater. It is the journey which continues beyond our achievement and perseverance that keeps us moving forward.

Enjoy your journey and persevere throughout the process. Achievement will only be temporary. The real reward is in the journey itself.

Stay inspired my friends!