Thought of the Week: December 28, 2014

Every once in a while, get off the merry-go-round and ask yourself these questions:

·          What are we doing?

·          What should we be doing?
·          What should we be doing next?
·          What should we not be doing?

                                    - Communication Briefings

                                    - Adapted from 'From 36,000 feet'
(Repeated New Year’s thought)

Thought of the Week: December 21, 2014

“Teach us to value most eternal things.

To find the happiness that giving brings...

To know the peace of misty, distant hills.

To know the joy that giving self fulfils.

To realize anew this Christmas Day.

The things we keep are those we give away.”
 

~Marvin Davis Winsett

Thought of the Week: December 14, 2014

“Children sleeping, snow is softly falling
Dreams are calling like bells in the distance
We were dreamers not so long ago
But one by one we all had to grow up
When it seems the magic's slipped away
We find it all again on Christmas day”

~  Josh Groban ("Believe")

Thought of the Week: December 7, 2014

“Just how do I keep everyone, including myself, on track and motivated throughout each long year — all for one long night's big splash? The answer is basic and simple: through an unwavering and uncompromising focus on our mission.”

~ Santa Claus (The Leadership Secrets of Santa Claus)

Thought of the Week: November 30, 2014

“Show me your calendar and your checkbook and I’ll show you what is important to you”
                             ~ David Jeremiah

Thought of the Week: November 23, 2014

“You simply will not be the same person two months from now after consciously giving thanks each day for the abundance that exists in your life…the more you have and are grateful for, the more will be given you.”

~ Sarah Breathnach

Thought of the Week: November 16, 2014

“Feeling grateful or appreciative of someone or something in your life actually attracts more of the things that you appreciate and value into your life.”

~ Christiane Northrup, M.D.

Thought of the Week: November 9, 2014

“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.”

~Leo Tolstoy

Thought of the Week: November 2, 2014

"Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young."

~ Henry Ford

Thought of the Week: October 26, 2014

“The secret of joy in work is contained in one word – excellence. To know how to do something well is to enjoy it.”     ~Pearl Buck

Thought of the Week: October 19, 2014

"It's easy to come up with new ideas; the hard part is letting go of what worked for you two years ago, but will soon be out of date."

~ Roger von Oech

Thought of the Week: October 12, 2014

“Service is the outer expression of your inner values.”     ~ Angela Perkey

Thought of the Week: October 5, 2014

“If you don’t care, your customer never will.”

~ Marlene Blaszczyk

Thought of the Week: September 28, 2014

“The trouble with not having a goal is that you can spend your life running up and down the field and never score.”

~ Bill Copeland

Thought of the Week: September 21, 2014

“The two words 'information' and 'communication' are often used interchangeably, but they signify quite different things. Information is giving out; communication is getting through.”

~ Sydney J. Harris

Thought of the Week: September 14, 2014

"They don't care how much you know until they now how much you care."

~ Theodore Roosevelt

Thought of the Week: September 7, 2014

“Whether it is an unexpected act of kindness, providing extraordinary customer service, or being sincerely interested in every word that someone says…great leaders usually have one thing in common: They consistently do more than is expected.”       ~Marcy Blochowiak

Thought of the Week: August 31, 2014

“Thunder is good, thunder is impressive; but it is lightning that does the work.”

~ Mark Twain

Thought of the Week: August 24, 2014

“You’ve got to start with the customer experience and work back toward the technology – not the other way around.”

                                                ~ Steve Jobs

Thought of the Week: August 17, 2014

“I think I overcame every single one of my personal shortcomings by the sheer passion and determination I brought to my work.”

~ Sam Walton

Thought of the Week: August 10, 2014

“Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love, time is eternity.”

~ Henry Van Dyke

Thought of the Week: August 3, 2014

“We keep moving forward. Opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity leads us down new paths.”

                                                ~ Walt Disney

Thought of the Week: July 27, 2014

“Look closely at the present you are constructing.  It should look like the future you are dreaming.”

~ Alice Walker

Thought of the Week: July 20, 2014

“It is wonderful how much may be done if we are always doing.”

~ President Thomas Jefferson

Travels with David: Canyons Trails

Canyons Resort – Park City, UT – July 10, 2014

The business conference as I was attending was held at the Grand Summit at the Canyons.  Of course, this is a big ski area.  With the absence of snow in the summer, they have done a great job of converting many runs & areas into hiking/biking trails.  When we had a break in the sessions, I decided to go up the mountain and do some hiking.

I rode the Red Pine Gondola up to one of the landings on the mountain.  This is where the restaurant, Red Pine Lodge, is located and around 8k feet up.  Since it was lunchtime, I caught some quick fresh home-made chips to give me some energy and started off.  Since you can hike or bike (biking has become a huge business for them) most of the mountain, there are trails going in every direction.  I started with a short hike up to Alpine Lake.  This was  an easy hike, a little climb but simple enough, to a nice little lake sitting on the side of the mountain.  What a view from up there.

After viewing people fish and paddle-boat, I then took off on the Mid Mountain trail for a few miles.  I ended back up at the Lodge and proceeded to hike their very simple Nature Trail.  Since I had a little more time, I rode the High Meadow ski lift back to Alpine Lake and then hiked back down (much easier than hiking up and down).  After nearly 7 miles hiking, I decided that was enough for me.  I rode the gondola back down to the resort.

It is amazing the trails that are up in the mountains and the effort they have put into cutting the trails and setting bike ramps through-out.  The views back to the valley are wonderful and it is so peaceful hiking around up there.  Guess I found the poor man’s use for the ski slopes.

 

Travels witih David: Wind Cave Trail

Wasatch-Cache National Forest - Logan, UT – July 8, 2014

When you are in the beautiful valley and mountains of Logan, UT, why not go for a hike.  I had a  few hours after a customer visit up in Logan (just north of Salt Lake City) and decided to take advantage of the area and go for a hike.  Luckily, I had brought my hiking boots.  I drive about 15 minutes from the customer into the Cache Forest.  I had seen there was a trail for Wind Caves with beautiful views of the national forest.  On the web site, it listed as a moderate (not easy, not hard) trail.  When I arrive at the base, the sign refers to the trail as ‘difficult’.  Well, I am here, decided to go for it.

I start hiking up a thin semi-rocky trail and realize about ½ mile up, the sign was right.  The trail is about 2 miles one way and climbs nearly 1000 feet.  It is that continual climb at 5-6k feet that make me wonder about my sanity.  The trail is narrow but well-marked.  I decide I must make this happen and no going back.  I stop for many breaks  and sip water along the water (thank goodness for my water bottle). 

Once at the top, the view is beautiful.  The caves are a great site.  Amazing how erosion has worn out the caves overlooking the mountains and the continual breeze.  After sitting in the cool cave for about 15 minutes, I decide to head back down.  It is amazing how much easier going down at a slope as compared to going up.  Once back down at the base, drinking several bottles of water was a must.  Please note, one water bottle was not enough up the slope in the afternoon sun; take a hydration pack.

This was not a hard trail, but not easy either.  If you are ever in the Logan, UT area, this is a beautiful area and a great trail.

 

Thought of the Week: July 13, 2014

“Conditions are never just right.  People who delay action until all factors are favorable are the kind who do nothing.”     ~ William Feather

Thought of the Week: July 6, 2014

“Two important things to teach a child: to do and to do without.”
 

~ Marcelene Cox

Thought of the Week: June 29, 2014

“They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.”

~ Benjamin Franklin

Thought of the Week: June 22, 2014

“To give real service you must add something which cannot be bought or measured with money, and that is sincerity and integrity.”

~ Douglas Adams

Thought of the Week: June 15, 2014

“One critical piece of advice I received and have used throughout my career came from the best teacher I have ever had, my Dad. He would remind me that delaying or not making a decision was in fact making the decision not to decide.” 

~Jim Ligotti, (VP, Maritime Solutions at Ingersoll-Rand)

Thought of the Week: June 8, 2014

"The greatest gap in life is the one between knowing and doing."

~ Dick Biggs

Thought of the Week: June 1, 2014

"Don't let your preoccupation with the daily grind stifle your ability to think and be creative and do what you do better.  Spend some time each week out of the grind - use that time to think.  Focus on your buisness...do it in a way that inspires you.  Get away from it all.  Take a walk. Relax." 

                                                ~ Marc A. Corsini (Corsini Consulting Group)

Thought of the Week: Happy Memorial Day

"And I'm proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free, and I won't forget the men who died, who gave that right to me."
                                   ~ Lee Greenwood (Proud to be an American)

Thought of the Week: May 18, 2014

"What we ponder and what we think about sets the course of our life."

                             ~ Jim Rohn

Happy Mother's Day - May 11, 2014

“I remember my mother's prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life.”
                                                    ~ Abraham Lincoln

Thought of the Week: May 4, 2014

“He who every morning plans the transaction of the day and follows out that plan, carries a thread that will guide him through the maze of the most busy life.  But where no plan is laid, where the disposal of time is surrendered merely to the chance of incidence, chaos will soon reign.”

~ Victor Hugo

Thought of the Week: April 27, 2014

“Storms make trees take deeper roots.”
             ~ Claude McDonald

Thought of the Week: April 21, 2014

"Giving people a little more than they expect is a good way to get back a lot more than you'd expect."

~ Robert Half

Thought of the Week: April 13, 2014

“Tomb, thou shalt not hold Him longer;
Death is strong, but Life is stronger;
Stronger than the dark, the light;
Stronger than the wrong, the right...”

~Phillips Brooks, "An Easter Carol"

Thought of the Week: April 6, 2014

“You must have long range goals to keep you from being frustrated by short range failures.”     ~ Charles Noble

Thought of the Week: March 30, 2014

“Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something.”
                                           ~ Plato

Thought of the Week: March 23, 2014

“Plenty of people miss their share of happiness,
not because they never found it,
but because they didn't stop to enjoy it.”

~ William Feather

Travels with David: North Georgia Mountains

North Georgia Mountains - March 14-16, 2014

Every now and then, you just need to leave town and enjoy a little time with your spouse.  As an impromptu/unplanned (shocked my wife) trip, we headed out to the North Georgia area for a little weekend retreat.  I had reserved a cabin up in the mountains near Cleveland.

We had a nice retreat with a cabin in a nice, quiet place.  This cabin was very open as it is also used as an event hall for weddings, etc. (like a small chapel).  Very open living area with a nice, high-end appliances in the kitchen and a side room for the master bedroom and bath.  This place was up a gravel, dirt road that was not in the best condition but we made it work; even had some walking trails and trout pond.  It was nice to fix our own breakfast each morning rather than heading out early.

We made our rounds of Helen, Clarkesville and Cleveland areas.  This included the famous Anna Ruby Falls (in Unicoi State Park) north of Helen with a nice little 1 mile walk (1/2 up a nice little grade).  We even made it to the famous Cabbage Patch Baby Land General Hospital (really not much I can say about that waste of an hour).  We spent most of our time visiting many, many antique shops in the area; just spending time together.  Unfortunately (or fortunately) we only purchased a concrete dog for our front porch; my wife has a knack for finding very heavy concrete items for me to tote and bring back home.

A nice weekend trip in a quaint area that was well needed for this couple.

Thought of the Week: March 17, 2014

“Watch your thoughts; they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions.
Watch your actions, they become habits.
Watch your habits, they become character.
Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.”

~ Frank Outlaw

Thought of the Week: March 9, 2014

“Character may be manifested in the great moments, but it is made in the small ones.”
                                              ~ Phillips Brooks

Thought of the Week: March 2, 2014

"Never mistake activity for achievement."
 

                                                                ~ John Wooden

Thought of the Week: February 23, 2014

“You must have a game plan.  If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time.”
                                                ~ Dave Ramsey

Thought of the Week: February 15, 2014

“There is no limit to what a man can do or where he can go if he doesn’t mind who gets the credit”
                                                 ~ Ronald Reagan

Thought of the Week: February 8, 2014

“Love is not blind - it sees more and not less,
but because it sees more -  it is willing to see less.”

~Will Moss

Thought of the Week: January 25, 2014

“Our actions reflect what we believe to be really real.”
                                                ~ Dr. Del Tackett

Thought of the Week: January 19, 2014

“Sometimes a player’s greatest challenge is coming to grips with his role on the team.”

~ Scottie Pippen

Thought of the Week: January 12, 2014

“A year from now, you may wish you had started today.”

                                                ~ Karen Lamb

Thought of the Week: January 5, 2014

Tom’s Rules of Business:

1 – Spend less than you take in.  

2 – Do what you say you are going to do. 
3 – Know what you are doing. 
4 – Commit to higher values.
 
                                                ~ Tom McLeod