Get Busy Livin'

Two options: live or die. Get busy doing one of them...or so I tweeted earlier this week.

But shortly after I hit send on a seamlessly innocent message, I learned of a story about a mother and her son. A little six year old boy that was diagnosed with Medulloblastoma, a malignant tumor that attacks the brain.

So much for my innocent tweet. I thought I was witty in recycling a motivational quote from a great movie. But really I was just trying to spin someone's words about life and parlay them as my own thoughts.

But what do I know about living or dying? Death is but a (seemingly) distant foreign object and life, well life is good these days. But what does it mean to really live it? You know, as if you were dying?

What does it mean to approach every day like Noah’s mother who is recounting her battles with her son’s awful disease as a testament to his will to live each day.

Or to blog five times a day about the joys of life. About facing each day like you’re ready to conquer the world, not for yourself, but for your son.

These are two examples of people that know the meaning of the phrase “get busy living.” They know, because they do. Forget cheap words and status updates. Forget living for yourself. Forget worrying about what others think.

I never wish their trials and tribulations on anyone. But I can only hope to learn how to live with an ounce of the same zest they have for life. After all, isn’t that makes life worth living?

Life is short. Get busy living.

Reducing the Clutter

Simple question: If given the choice, which desk would you prefer to work at:

A)


or would you rather work here:

B)


My reasoning is simple, literally. By reducing the level of clutter in my office I'm able to focus more on the essential tasks at hand. Think about that for a minute.

When was the last time you realized that you were so distracted by all the noise around you, that you had difficultly accomplishing the simplest of tasks?

I just unsubscribed from over 25 blogs on my Google Reader. Why? Because they were clouding my feed and distracting me from more important blogs I want to follow.

But why stop at removing clutter around the office/work? What if this same concept were applied to more important stuff?

I wonder how much heartache we could save ourselves if we were able to remove some of the emotional baggage that clutters life's bigger decisions?

Is This Thing On?

Testing, testing. Microphone check.

It's been awhile, but I think it's time to knock the dust off this blog and once again add some occasional short, witty, and insightful thoughts to the blogosphere.



You've been warned my loyal readers (all 3 of you)...I'll be back soon. Here's to more John Blog in 2010!

Freedom In Letting Go

I once heard a quote about love that was something along the lines of "if you really love something, you must let it go." I remember that quote striking me as odd. If you love something, why wouldn't you want to hold onto it forever. And if someone wanted to take it away, they would have to pry it from your kung fu grip. Right?

But the older I get, the more I realize (ironically enough) the truth of those words. The fact of the matter is, there's a freedom in letting go of something. In fact, sometimes once you actually let it go, you realize it was never yours to hold in the first place.

The same is true for control. A friend of mine recently wrote about that very thing: learning how to let go of her sense of control. And more importantly, learning what happens when you do let go. Because the truth is, you and I have control over far fewer things than we think.

It only takes a few minutes of CNN or CNBC to realize just how little we actually are able to control. Even Uncle Sam, in all of his power and strength can't snap his fingers and pull our nation out of a recessapression. (It's my new favorite word to explain our current economic condition.)

I think the same thing applies on a more micro/personal level too. You and I may think we have a secure job or a relationship that will always be there. But that's simply not true. Everything vanishes eventually. Even you. I don't mean to be overly abrupt, but it's true.

The fact of the matter is, we can't control most things in our lives. Therefore the best that we can do is to work on the things that we can control, and learn to let go of everything else.

Working on it,
John

An Open Letter to HR

Growing up, I can remember hearing my step-dad talk about an entity he called Personal. It was a department at his company, every company really, that served one primary purpose: to take care of it's employees.

Sure they also happened to hire people, fire people, pay people, settle disputes, etc but all of those functions served the before mentioned main goal of keeping their employees happy. A happy workforce = a more productive workforce = greater profits. A simple enough formula, right? You would think.

But sometime between my step-dad retiring from BellSouth after 35 years of service (gold watch in hand) and today, something changed. Corporations' Personnel departments changed. It didn't happen overnight, and I'm not sure what started it. But slowly and surely, they shifted from mainly looking out for the individual to looking out for the company's best interests. Aka, avoid any and all potential lawsuits at any costs: including productivity, practical business sense, and even common sensical human behavior.

That shift gradually led to a point in time (we'll call it today for the sake of argument) in which companies existed solely to create profit and yes, consume resources. Enter Human Resources. No longer are we personnel, but rather a resource that is to be consumed. Ouch.

Now don't get me wrong. I certainly appreciate making a profit. In fact, I am a big fan of it. But what happens to an entire workforce when they are coddled to the point of being herded around as yes men/women and actually heralded for their abundant use of politically correct statements.

So I propose this...moving forward let's re-org Human Resources into two new departments: Talent and Drama. There marching orders will be very clear. Talent will be responsible for finding and recruiting all new talent for the company. The actual hiring of people will reside where it's always resided: management. Talent will be a small team of unique individuals who, like Major League Scouts, comb the country looking for the top performers in a wide variety of categories or roles.

But what about solving all of the petty (or not so petty) disputes that arise between people within the organization? I'm glad you asked. The second half of the newly designed organization will be somewhat reminiscent of high school: Drama Department. I'm not talking about the one that put on pre-pubescent versions of Shakespeare's Hamlet. I'm talking about the other kind of drama. (If you're not sure what I'm describing, please click here.)

Drama Department will be responsible for dealing with all civil disputes between employees. But only if it's really ridiculous. That's relative you say? Ok, the first round of mediation will be held with a neutral third party from another department. That person will decide, over lunch/cup of coffee, whether or not the dispute needs to be elevated to the Drama Department.

Anything elevated to the Drama Department will have serious and lasting consequences...when deserved. If someone is just being petty and frivalous. They will be told so. If their pettiness continues, they will be asked to return to high school. Companies are for grown ups.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I appreciate the ever so difficult chore of dealing with people. Something I know little of or have any real knowledge of beyond what I've read from some text book you probably wrote yourself.

Good luck,
Just Another Concerned Employee

The Almighty Status Update

Six words. One question. "What are you doing right now?" It's staring you in the face, almost mocking you. That's right, mocking the fact that it's been three days since you've updated your circle of friends with a catchy status.

They're dying to know what you're doing this very second. Maybe you're "going through pictures of a schizophrenic poet" or you "will not be taking up rollerskating as a back up profession anytime soon." And if nothing comes to you, there's the all encompassing "is." It's the postmodern take on "Cogito, ergo sum."

To find the origins of this microcosm of monologue, you have to reach way back. I'm talking old school...or at least high school. Back when you first discovered the instant messaging phenomenon.

You would run home from school in order to dial up America Online, wait for that annoying tone, and before you knew it you were conversing with the same friends you hung out with all day long...without even picking up a telephone.

Back then, status updates were known as Away Messages. You might be sitting three feet away from your computer, but you had to tell the world something clever to sustain them while you were taking a hiatus.

Flash forward back to today. Twitter, Facebook, SMS, FriendFeed, and yes IM. We have a nearly unlimited number of tools at our disposal to instantaneously apprise the world with our every thought or action.

This newfound freedom is a double-edged sword. If you're a very interesting person with a healthy dose of humor, the internet is your oyster. If however you lack either one of those. Don't fret. You too can have award winning status updates. It just means you have to work a bit harder.

What do you think...are status updates the greatest thing since AIM or a thorn in your side?

2009: Re-Focus Everything

From time to time, I like to brand certain seasons with a particular theme that I feel sums them up appropriately. In the past there was the "Summer of No Regrets", a year of "Stop Thinking, Start Doing", and "2008: Year of Change".

With our economy in a meltdown, two questionable wars being fought, continuing unrest in the Middle East, job losses crossing into the millions, and countless cases of social injustice...it's time for action.

As I begin to think about what our collective future in 2009 will hold, it seems to me that it's time to re-focus...everything.

We can no longer afford to sit on the sidelines as the world spins madly on. It's time for us to step up to the plate, and begin making some tough decisions.

Maybe you're living in a house two sizes larger than what you wallet can bare. It's time to downsize. Maybe you're working in a dead end job. Yes the market is tight, but it's time to dust off the 'ol resume and get back out there. Perhaps you've been watching from afar as some struggle to find clean drinking water an ocean away. It's time to sign up to help.

In fact, I think the toughest (and most immediate need) we have hits a bit closer to home. I think we, which means me, need to spend the next year re-focusing our hearts, goals, and passions.

Like I said, it's time to get off the sidelines. It's time to act. It's time to change. It's time to re-focus.


Re-focus your reading in 2009, subscribe to john blog.

You. Are. Great.

Here's something we could all use a little more of...



(if you're reading this on Facebook, click here for the video.)

Thanks for the Memories

If you know me, you know that I'm obsessed with good music. There's something about the right lyric or soaring melody that can speak volumes to your circumstances at a given time. Often it's a relationship that's just beginning or maybe one that's on the rocks.

I remember back in high school when couple's would pick "their song" that somehow represented their love for one another. I always thought that was dumb for two reasons: 1.) It was extremely cheesy and 2.) I could never pick just one song.

For me, it's less about picking a single tune from the proverbial jukebox and more about a particular song/band representing a moment or a series of moments spent with someone. Here's a few that have memories attached. Some great, some bittersweet...nostalgic all.

WARNING: (Some) Sappy Love Songs Ahead...

"Ocean Avenue" - Yellowcard
"Such Great Heights" - Iron & Wine
"The Compromise" - The Format
"Hey Now" - Augustana
"Most Uncommon Thing" - Five Times August
"Flake" - Jack Johnson
"Thunder" - Boys Like Girls
"Be Still My Heart" - The Postal Service
"Sugar, We're Goin Down" - Fall Out Boy
"Meant to Live" - Switchfoot
"A Message" - Coldplay"
"Take Me Out" - Franz Ferdinand
"Oxford Comma" - Vampire Weekend
"Dark Blue" - Jack's Mannequin
"The Blower's Daughter" - Damien Rice
"Livin' in the Good Ol' Days" - Zane Williams
"Running Down a Dream" - Tom Petty

Here's to creating more memories in 2009 and having some great tunes to provide the soundtrack. I can already tell that The Fray's new album will accompany some of them in the near future. Right now I have "Where the Story Ends" stuck on repeat.

Generosity As A Marketing Strategy

What if companies created marketing plans for something more than money? What if goodness and happiness were baked into the product or service? Sound crazy?

Neil Perkin doesn't think so. The presentation below is more than worth five minutes of your time.

Goodness And Happiness - Why Generosity Is The Future Of Marketing Strategy

View SlideShare presentation or Upload your own. (tags: digital planning)