The Sunday Squirrel...acorns of wisdom

Okay, I can either get irritated or embrace the fact that I have become the kind of person 

Keep reaching, my friend...you can only achieve more!

synonymous with the traits of a squirrel, often snapping a quick picture of beautiful clouds in the middle of an afternoon meeting.  Or channeling a catchy tune when the room is blank and silence threatens to drown a room.

I also throw out dozens of far-fetched and crazy ideas … waiting for one to stick.  Let’s hold that thought and consider my furry kin, the squirrel.

What exactly is it about the squirrel that gives her a bad rap?  I mean, come on…anyone can think in linear terms.  It takes a real trailblazer to think like a squirrel.  And if I have to pick my exact type, I choose the ground squirrel (though tree squirrels are more solitary and more like my personality).  I resent a little being referred to as a rodent; if I were indexing the animal kingdom classification for adjustments, I’d move the furry little squirrel over into a different category…maybe one all its own.

I’m not surprised to learn that if I trace the word “squirrel” back to its source of origin, it jumps back to Anglo-Norman (1327), taken from Old French, “escurel”, Latin, “sciurus”, and finally Ancient Greek, skiouros, meaning “shadow-tailed.”  Seems most things I see these days have some sort of origin or connection to Ancient Greece and its rich culture and history…and that’s not all bad since my two youngest sons are Greek American.  And if you’re counting, this would be the first diversion and call out of “Squirrel” on my thought process and storytelling.

Every time I’ve used the name “squirrel” in conversation, it has been to bring attention back from my kids or someone else, who has gotten off track or off topic.  I have also had occasion to be called “squirrel” in the middle of one of my own thoughts, darting and jumping from one thing to another…finally arriving at my point, which was good all along…it’s just not always easy to follow me when I’m on a spurt of inspiration.  While most are putting up the first roman numeral "I" and outlining a plan, I’ve already skipped ahead and thought about how to bring it to life.  I'm not saying it's good or bad.  Just a different approach.

And let’s think about squirrels and their strengths for a moment.  They have an excellent sense of vision (check, me too!), they are versatile (hey, me too!), and have a good sense of touch (I’m seeing a pattern).

Sadly my squirrel friends live a life more fraught with danger than I.  Did you know that most squirrels die in the first year of life?  Next time, I hope you swerve!  These guys are cute, with lots of potential.

Squirrels are also seamless in adapting to almost any environment, capable of living almost anywhere.  And they learn through observation.  At this point, I really can’t think of a reason why there would be a negative connotation to being referred to as a squirrel.

After all, the term “squirreling away” is a positive indication of anyone who is thinking ahead and storing up resources for the future.  The squirrel is smart in her own way, adaptive and flexible.

So the next time you see me in “squirrel mode,” remember this:

Some of my best ideations were hatched in squirrel mode…

• Developed a social responsibility initiative to support children learning with assistive technology, resulting in a pilot program, followed by $100,000 in funding over two years.
• Became a night-time blogger, making new friends and realizing you’re never too old to learn something new.
• Helped my son dream so big, he created a #ShareaScare campaign to support autism, resulting in a grass roots fundraiser, with over $1,000 raised to support Autism Speaks.
• Wondered what it would be like to finally publish a book I wrote decades ago…and so I did…and laughed out loud when friends from other countries asked me to autograph it.

Never take no for an answer…argue to the bitter end over an idea, supporting all the reasons it is brilliant…and be willing to sometimes concede that it just won’t work.

I have created revenue generators from everything from writing to yard sales and even making jewelry…knowing that like my furry friend, I need to squirrel away what I can, so that when the lean times come, I am well prepared.

So you wanna call me a squirrel?  Go ahead…I’d argue we need a lot more squirrels like me to deliver breakthrough results in a world full of nuts!

M

Courage is Perspective and Kids Really Do Know it All

If I were The Wizard of Oz for one day and I could hold court with all the troubled souls coming in and out of the Emerald City…oh what a day that would be.

Beginning with children, from all walks of life, all suffering from the same affliction…”know-it-all-ness.”  It’s the first sign of a healthy, confident individual coming of age and also a curse to those on the fringe, struggling to find their way.

At this juncture, I give you the Cowardly Lion as a metaphor.  Throughout Dorothy’s journey in Oz, he was her faithful companion, following her in the hopes of finding courage.

I would suggest that from the very beginning, the Lion represented a child.  Impetuous, unpredictable, and full of energy and potential not yet channeled.

It doesn’t matter how I arrived at this realization or who I’m writing about.  Because what I say could apply to just about any kid in the middle of growing up while trying to navigate the swift changes coming from every direction.

But I very much see this individual as more uncommon than common, with a penchant for having more depth of thought and raw emotion than that of his counterparts of similar age.  The very extraordinary gifts he has been blessed with are what make him both unique and different.  In time, unique gifts will be fully realized potential and the path will be a roadmap that clearly shows him why it was worth the journey.  But it doesn’t work in reverse.

Time is a funny thing.  Because in the meantime, the differentness is what makes this child’s life less bright as an old soul in a bright world waits for his peers to catch up with his depth of expression and emotion.  To catch up to the wonderment of the world he sees in each and every thing in life.  To curiously question new inventions, boldly express thoughts.  And no, his differentness is not his friend as he continues to grow during what we’ve all been told are the “best years of our life”.

As parents, we try to help guide the way, raise them up when there are bumps in the road…and listen seeking to understand.

We see the world as it is…big, full of life, unlimited potential and opportunities.  But our children, they already know it all.  That is to say they truly do know it all…as much as they can know a day before the next day of knowing, living in a smaller world of a small classroom, in a neighborhood school.  It’s all they know and sometimes the knowing is not enough.

The big picture comes later, past traditional learning.  It begins with the first step they take outside the line and make a conscious choice to be different.  It’s empowering, exhilarating and terrifying all at once.  But once you realize that the whole world is made up of people just like you and completely different all at once, you realize you’re not so different so much as you are someone gifted with a spirit destined to do more.

So back at Emerald City, where I am counseling kids and thinking about that Cowardly Lion, I think my final thought is this.  Our job is to give kids courage to keep going, keep trying…after failures and after successes.  We do it through words, actions, however we uniquely show love and support.

But at the end of the day, the one thing they desperately need the most…what we possess and can’t give them.  It’s perspective.  And it can’t be bought or given by someone else.  It can’t be taught in a classroom.  It happens every second of every day we live.  And our kids are on that path to perspective, but it’s going to take some time before they can see for their own eyes, what we want them to know when we already said they know everything they can right now.  Maybe kids are supposed to be know it alls and as they grow, just like the Cowardly Lion, they earn their stripes…get their courage…find the perspective we wanted to give them, not realizing it has to be earned.  In a heartbeat, like everything else, I would give it to you, my son.  But this one must be earned and you’ll be wiser for it as you move a little further down your journey.  Truth be told, I know it all now too…until tomorrow, when I’ll have just a little more perspective.  Live in love, with a hunger for knowledge, and the courage of a lion’s heart.  And never, never, stop.  And you will learn just like you, perspective is uniquely owned and valued and when you get it, no one can take it away from you.  And with it, you’ll find the courage to do even more.

Organic Growth in Any Environment

What does your fertilizer look like?

It’s funny that of all the things I could write about on a Sunday afternoon, the topic that seems to be bubbling to the surface is my personal approach to professional networking. 

Like most business, it’s tough…not always natural, and it doesn’t always work.  I know this because it’s not the tactic I lead with every day. 

In an environment where organic sales growth is tough, hard fought and won…I have found that organic networking is completely natural, easy to do, and doesn’t involve conquering or dominance.

There are a lot of business savvy people, who could teach you way more than me.  I wonder, though, if you applied the principle of business growth in a personal way…if your bottom line might net more than you could ever imagine.

Let’s consider basic business first…you start a business, it takes off and you continue to look for new opportunities to grow that business while still protecting and nurturing your base business.

If you were a business and you needed to report on your “earnings”…how would that translate into the value of networking and people?

In simple accounting terms, organic growth is cultivated by business expansion and not because of acquisition of another company.  It’s about internal growth from existing businesses.

So what if inorganic growth in relationships was compared in parallel to the business environment, where relationships were very deliberate and intentional, strategically manipulating a company’s position for growth through mergers or acquisitions?

What would that look like?  Full transparency, it probably looks a lot like what we all do every day when we go to work.  Because in business, we’re less “touchy/feely” and like to think succeeding in business has to be strategic and navigated from the helm.  I agree in principle to the overall approach for running a business.  But if I consider in comparison to relationships, I would argue that organic is better and easier, and a more practical approach to day to day living that improves the bottom line for everyone.

My current finances would likely not gain me “street creds” to debate earnings or business growth.  But organic growth?  I would argue that we can all be masters at the fine art of being human and growing our networks the old fashioned way, investing more time and less fertilizer J 

#organicgrowth #alldaylong

M

How Much is it Worth?

Ever ask that question…or have someone ask you?  Ever pick-up something and feel grateful you found a hidden treasure within your reach?

I do that every day.  I like decorating…and antiques have always held a special fascination for me.  Anything that survives for more than a 100 years and lands in my home…well, it usually becomes a new family heirloom for the future.

But how do you define value?  How do you decide what something is worth?  It’s kind of subjective, right?  I mean some things are fairly straight forward…a collectible piece of art will have an appraised value.  Your car can be looked up on Kelly Blue Book.  And your house, if you are fortunate enough to own one, has a shared value between you and the mortgage company.

I have experienced envy for things I want but don’t need… can’t have or can’t afford.  And I have pulled myself back to the basics…realizing what’s important and what really matters.

Put stock in the value you see in life.  Define what matters and who deserves to be cared for and saved, starting with yourself.

We are all guilty of putting a price on what we value.  But if we’re honest, objects and things hold no true value.  They may outlast the test of time, remaining long after our lifetimes.  But my real treasures in life are even more precious because they live and breath…are vulnerable…and don’t sit on a shelf to be dusted regularly.

My treasures are my children.  They are priceless, irreplaceable gems that make my life sparkle brighter whenever they are around. 

And unlike things that may fluctuate and go up or down in value, I know the value of my children to me will only increase and become greater year after year.  I know that having children is a gift that I was blessed with.  An investment in the future and one that will pay dividends for generations to come. 

So when you stop to check a price tag or wonder what something is worth, remember you already have everything you need at home.

M

Friends and Neighbors...and the Real World

Friends and Neighbors

What if we were next door neighbors instead of following each other on Twitter or Facebook?

What if every action or word said was met with an equal or bigger reaction right next door every day?

Instead of measuring by likes, shares, comments and images,

What if your neighborhood suddenly became a scoreboard for every exchange, good or bad?

Sure, you can give online a break and shut it out if you have a bad day.

In the real world, it’s hard to look someone in the eye each day without measuring your actions, words and intent.

In the real world, if a neighbor accidentally bumps into your mailbox or says something out of turn, an apology is usually forthcoming.

With amazing technology and constantly evolving new innovations, I wish we could slow down for a minute to remember one thing…

Earth is just one big neighborhood, becoming more and more connected every day.

If we all treated each other like neighbors, our “neighborhood” would be a lot nicer.

We wouldn’t write graffiti on someone’s garage door or sidewalk…why do we think it’s okay to do it online?

We wouldn’t unfriend someone just because they said something we didn’t agree with.

Equally important, we would share and respect viewpoints without sounding a battle cry at the first sign of a disagreement.

Oh, and hey guys, this is the real world J

M