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Attitude

There Must Be a Pony in Here Somewhere

November 27, 2020 by Michael Neely

A Lesson in Extreme Optimism

The last few months have been nothing short of a little nuts for most people with “a little” being long forgotten. Some have lost jobs, careers, and have had to push themselves to redefine who they are, and what they stand for.

I am also in that boat. I fought for ten years to build a web design and digital marketing agency only to watch my target market forced into extinction by lockdowns over fears about a “virus” with a 99% recovery rate. One of the fundamental rules of business is “if my clients go out of business, I go out of business.”

When I am in extreme scenarios, I turn to the lessons of history to find solutions that work for me. I found this little gem when I was listening to Dr. Dolf de Roos’ Wealth Magnet CDs I bought many years ago. I don’t remember much more about those CDs but I remember this story. In searching for the story title recently, I find it attributed to my former commander-in-chief Ronald Reagan. If there ever was an optimist, Reagan would have been in that category. Donald Trump also embodies eternal optimism during extreme circumstances.

“If you’re going through Hell, keep going.”

-Sir Winston Churchill

The Story

A man and a woman fall in love, get married, and start a family. They have twin boys and they are identical in every respect. Except one. One of the boys is a pessimist. No matter how good things get, he can only see the dark side of things. The other boy is the eternal optimist. No matter how bad things get, he can only see the bright side of things.

The parents go to a psychologist to see what they can do to make the boys the same, the pessimist a little more realistic and the optimist also a little more realistic. They think that would make them both “normal.”

The psychologist has an idea. He says “Tell the boys that you have presents for each of them. Fill one room with the best toys you can buy and fill the other room with horse manure. Take the pessimist to the room filled with toys and the optimist to the room filled with horse manure. That should do the trick.”

The parents look at each other, shrug, and follow the psychologist’s recommendations.

First, they take the pessimistic boy to the room filled with toys. He opens the door and looks around and gets a sad look on his face.

The parents ask “What’s wrong? Aren’t you excited about all the toys to play with?”

The little boy replies “Yeah, that’s great but I can’t play with them. I’ll only break them.”

Then, the parents take the eternal optimist and take him to the room filled with horse manure. He opens the door and jumps in the horse manure scoping through it with his hands.

“Good Lord, what are you doing?” the baffled parents ask.

The boy smiles and replies “With all this horse manure, there must be a pony in here somewhere.”

Optimism is the Cure for a Lot of Things

The Reader’s Digest used to have a section called “Laughter is the Best Medicine.” I haven’t seen a copy of the reader’s digest in years, or even decades. But what if this is true?

Some of the more extreme military units and training arenas have the phrase “Embrace the suck.” Basically, what this means is that no matter how hard things get, no matter how tired you are, keep digging deeper to find the strength to persevere. Keep moving. It’s the only way things will get better.

If you are fighting to keep a smile on your face, remember this story. It reminds me to think about all the challenges others have overcome and those I am inspired by.

Filed Under: Attitude, Personal Development

How I Went Backwards in Business…and You Can Too!

May 10, 2017 by Michael Neely

It’s been a while since I’ve posted here, but that’s all about to change…permanently.

I’ve pursued my business career the wrong way for years. I’ve gotten involved with companies as a sales rep that immediately wanted me to market their way and no other ways. This also limited my potential success. I have worked 1099 “opportunities” that required me to be a certain place and do certain things and said I had the freedom to leave. I have worked opportunities where the company sabotaged my every effort to work hard and earn a living I could springboard from. Then are the government agencies that pose a risk to all business endeavors, such as the IRS.

[Read more…] about How I Went Backwards in Business…and You Can Too!

Filed Under: Attitude

Four Reasons To Begin With Where You Are

March 18, 2016 by Michael Neely

Where Do I Start My Next Project?

My life has certainly not been a straight line of successes. I have met setbacks, obstacles and even had my plans sabotaged by others. Sometimes, I have created my own setbacks and obstacles and sabotaged myself. I have re-started my life and what I am working on repeatedly throughout my life. Some projects and businesses didn’t even get to the starting gate because I didn’t think they were even remotely possible. Sometimes it was because I didn’t think I had the resources to execute the plan. Sometimes I didn’t think I had the capabilities to reach the goal or even to get started.

Don’t wait for conditions to be just right to start your business or your next project. Based on my experience, here are a few reasons to forge ahead and move forward on your next project or business.

[Read more…] about Four Reasons To Begin With Where You Are

Filed Under: Attitude

The Problem With “No Problem”

April 15, 2013 by Michael Neely

Forget_You
Source: iStockPhoto.com

I used to say the phrase “No Problem.” I don’t use this phrase anymore. I hear a lot of people using the phrase with abandon.  I have only recently experienced the negative, and dismissive attitude that goes behind it.

I was at the Georgia Department of Labor in December 2011, and my unemployment “benefits” were unexpectedly cut off after two weeks.  The restaurant I was working in as a decently paid waiter had closed for good a week before Christmas, and my last $500 went to my child support payment.  I didn’t know why my benefits stopped, but I sincerely wanted to know why.  I went to my local Georgia Department of Labor office to find out.  As it turned out, it was my fault.  I worked for a temporary agency to earn a small sum of money.  Since there is no provision in their paperwork for doing temporary work, I filled out the paperwork incorrectly that caused their computers to end my unemployment “benefits.”  I wouldn’t discover this for a couple more visits. What this meant was that I wouldn’t be getting an unemployment “benefits” check this week, my rent was due, I was in a bit of a crisis, and I wasn’t handling it well.

I hadn’t totally lost my mind…yet.  After passionately stating my case to the employee who treated me like an interruption to her otherwise perfect day, I thanked her and turned to walk out the door.  Then I heard the phrase that almost led to actions that would have gotten me arrested: “No Problem.”  It stopped me in my tracks.  I composed myself, turned around, got as close to “in her face” as possible and said “Wrong. It’s a problem for me.”

Here’s the deal.  I had a problem.  It was her job to help me understand the problem so I could take a different action to solve the problem. I left with the same problem and didn’t know what to do about it (hence, she didn’t do her job).  The problem was still there.  Her response of “No Problem” sounded like another way of telling me “Go screw yourself.”

Her response of “No Problem” sounded like another way of telling me “Go screw yourself.”

I’m apparently not the only one who has noticed the recent increase of this nonchalant, dismissive response.

To the government employee’s defense, government has never been in the customer service business and never will be.  People who work for the government work for one thing: a pension.  They trudge into to their daily course every day and do as little work as possible, including take care of their “customers.” How can they get away with it?  Because they can.  There is no competing Department of Labor across the street.  The government has a monopoly on government services.  That’s why they are called government services because you can’t get them anywhere else and there is no method to complain.

Fortunately, we, as business people, don’t have that “luxury.” If you are in sales, marketing or customer service, erase the phrase “no problem” as a response to your customer’s “thank you.” The response “no problem” tells your customer that you really don’t give a damn what happens to them.  The response “no problem” tells your customer that they didn’t ruin your otherwise perfect day by bothering you with their trivial existence (that pays your bills).  A much more appropriate response is “You’re welcome,” and if you’re genuinely on your game, you can reply with “Thank you,” as in “Thank you for your business that ultimately allows me to pay my bills.” Because your customer’s business pays your bills.

But you don’t have to say all that, just remember it.  After all, you’re in business to help solve your customers’ problems.  If you don’t, someone else will.  Or you could get a job with the government…

Filed Under: Attitude, Business

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