Posts tagged life lessons
separate but one
Jul 28th
“… be as separate as the fingers, yet one as the hand in all things essential to mutual progress.” 
Booker Washington
Ok.
I am going to take this awesome quote and talk about two things: business and personal.
Business.
Whenever anyone asks me about “integration” this is the quote I use.
We talk so often of “staying on strategy” or “meeting objectives”.
Why? Because there is so much everyday other shit going on you worry about losing control. So you have one of two choices. Leverage off of something (strategy) or aim for something (objective).
That’s it. Let’s call it vectoring for success. Okay. Let’s not.
And you have to choose because today everyone is “integrating.” What I mean is everybody is seeking to implement a shitload of tactics in a shitload of different vehicles and it can all go to shit really really fast.
Ok. So you are on your ‘vector.’
You have one of two choices (in general).
Create chemistry through conflict management (think dictator insuring all the fingers stay on one hand or get chopped off if they start flipping you off). This hand can punch a bunch of people along the way but just as a boxer ages over time your career as a conflict hand organization will wear out in a relatively short time.
And then there are hands that face conflict with chemistry. Create a culture that thrives on that vector. (whenever I type that word I want to ask “what’s your vector? Victor” … anyway …) this one is a little scary because it contains that evil word “decentralization.”
Uh oh.
Great organizational chemistry almost always has a thread of some autonomy. But great organizational chemistry embodies the quote also. So. Choose your path. But if you like the quote you know which way to go now.
Personal.
Whenever someone asks me about what makes a great relationship this is the quote I use.
I believe being one while remaining two is the greatest thing that can ever happen in any relationship.
‘To be one yet remain two’ is the way I believe I have heard it said before. But Booker says it better.
I would imagine this means a balance between independence and dependence.
Uhm.
Yes. Dependence.
Being dependent isn’t a bad thing on occasion. In individual moments we all need someone. If we don’t … well… I would argue you aren’t human.
But having some independence keeps the partnership healthy and growing. And actually keeps the “ones” stronger as ‘ones’ so when they become ‘two’ they actually have strength far beyond the numbers. (I think Pythagoras proved this in his third marriage).
national program to support Childhood Curiosity
Jul 27th
So I saw a TV commercial encouraging maintaining arts/music in schools curriculum the other day. I didn’t pay much attention to the details and I am not really a government program gwonk (whatever that is) but I assume someone in their infinite wisdom is cutting money supporting these things in schools.
Well, in general, I would say I would jump on this soapbox.
But.
I won’t because of ignorance with regard to the choice. Huh? If I support this, does funding get cut from some other children’s education program? As I stated I am not a policy gwonk so I don’t really know how these things work.
But.
Here is what I do know.
Every child is born curious.
And every child has an unopened box of curiosity which has a key to open it.
And I do know every child needs a different key to open it.
For me it was words. Words in songs. Words in books. Whatever. I listened to the radio music incessantly and read every Nancy Drew and Hardy Boy book I could get my hands on. Somewhere in elementary school a teacher read us Tolkien’s The Hobbit during reading hour. (I couldn’t wait to be able to read it on my own.)
For others I assume it’s something else.
The stars and planets and space.
Playing an instrument.
Understanding what makes things run and go.
How do things live.
Why is the grass green and the sky blue.
Crap like that.
Frankly I don’t care about any individual program (music, math, social studies, chemistry, etc.).
What I care about is giving children a box of keys and let them figure out what opens their curiosity box. And then making sure that curiosity never grows hungry. That it can be fed for as long as they want to keep eating. Curiosity will never have an obesity issue .. there should be an all-you-can-eat buffet 24-7 for kids.
Is that realistic? Once again, frankly, I don’t care.
This is me being unreasonable. Having music fight for money from sciences who is trying to make sure they have money from machine shop/woodworking is kinda nuts. You are choosing among the children (literally and figuratively).
So while I am okay with a TV commercial fighting for something like music in schools I am not okay that money has to be spent on the fight (versus actually using the money for feeding kid’s curiosity).
This is not “no child left behind” (although I guess if I did some research I could be really sure about that statement).
In fact, I read somewhere that inadvertently the ‘no child left behind’ program kind of created the arts cutback situation because funds had to be diverted to sciences & math to insure the program met its goals (I don’t think anyone planned it to work that way).
Heck. President Obama announced a $250 million initiative to train math and science teachers and help meet his goal of pushing America’s students from the middle to the top of the pack in those subjects in the next decade. Obama said the $250 million in public and private investments for his “Educate to Innovate” campaign will help train more than 100,000 teachers and prepare more than 10,000 new educators in the next five years. I am all for that also. Just not at the expense of other curriculum options students could select.
Why do we have to choose one over the other? (I guess that is where I get stuck on this issue)
So. What would I do? (being the unreasonable guy I am)
Use that 250 million to train Curiosity Fulfillment teachers. Create a Curiosity Fund and go get stuff in front of kids. And keep shoving it at them until they find something they gravitate to. The only reason (in my opinion) kids “give up” in school is because they just don’t find anything relevant to them. I am NOT suggesting we should ignore a well rounded education (they do need to know 2 and 2 is 4 and stuff like that) but give them a “hook.” Something to hold on to. Something that inspires them to want to know more.
There you go – a National Childhood Curiosity Program. Educating to feed Curiosity.
purging sucks: Purged Living Part 1
Jul 24th
Sometimes you move for a job and sometimes personal. Most of the time you purge some stuff (and its ok) but sometimes you have to take the big step and do “the massive purge”. My mother and I just went thru it at the same time.
Here is the thought. Purging sucks.
Financially and mentally.
The act of downsizing or simplifying is called purging. And purging sucks. If anyone tries to tell you it is invigorating or cleansing they are full of shit. Part 2 will talk about the aftermath of purging (let’s call it the positiveness of simplifying). But this is about getting there. The mental and financial and physical gauntlet you need to run to be able to join the famous and spiritual tribe ofSimpliriquois or Simpleminoles? Simplaches? (I believe Crazy Horse was a simplicity guy himself. But they did call him crazy).
Let’s talk financially. My first inclination is to suggest if you want to downsize simply pack everything up, put it in a trailer or van and then proceed to have the van “accidentally” drive over the closest cliff and be declared unsalvageable. Or go ahead and just burn your house down instead. Or rent a moving van and park it downtown with the keys in it. At least with insurance replacement value you get some cash to overcome the mental aspect. You collect fair value in insurance. And you can physically just start over. Yeah. I am kidding. But I am writing about money at the moment. Or at least what looks like money on paper when you list all the items you own in your space, closets, attic, garage, etc.
By the way. If you do anything I suggest above (and you don’t go to jail) you have no mental anguish of attacking each item one by one in the keep versus no keep mental cage match (by the way .. playing the card game War would be simpler in choosing what to keep and what to go).
Alright. So that’s not really an option for legitimate sane people (although I envy in illegitimate insane who get away with it).
Downsizing preparation. Remember. Purging sucks. Be prepared. Financially it is a bottomless drain of which you will watch money value disappear down the sink to be dispersed somewhere into some financial cesspool where wasted dollars and cents slowly rot and the stench sours your nose.
When I moved out to west coast to help my mother we ended up purging both our households at the same time. She sold her house to move into a senior complex.
Her? A two bedroom three story townhouse (after 22 years) into a one bedroom two room apartment (yup. The mental aspect may outstrip the financial on that one).
Me? A three bedroom house of things down to a studio apartment.
Let me give you a financial example to prepare you.
I went from around a 75-80k value in things on my homeowners insurance to maybe a 4k check selling the stuff and the core things I kept (but my replacement insurance is a lot cheaper now). Yeah. On paper your net worth takes a pretty big hit.
Mom? Well. How do you put a dollar value on the wedding gift silver set? (eBay and consignment store can do that).
Dollars and cents wise it gets painful to even write this. Describing either myself or my mother’s situation. But it helped we did it at the same time. And interestingly there was a reverse relationship that kind made the mutual purging palatable. Because she sold her house in less than a week financially it became easier (and take that with a grain of salt) to swallow “things” slipping out of her home and ownership to the tune of small amounts of cash. While I was tempted to drain an entire bottle of Jack every time I thought of the dollars and cents.
I will be honest here to anyone truly thinking of extreme home purging. I got lucky. I did it at the same time as my mother. It put my situation in a completely different light.
If I did it myself? Whew. Not sure how that would have gone. The reverse is true (so keep it in mind if you are dealing with moving parents or grandparents). If they are the ones solely going through the process, and you are the one standing around pointing “go”, “must go”, “yup, that too, go.” You are gonna be in a world of hurt my friends. Be aware.
Ok.
Let’s talk emotionally. It is difficult to compare my loss of ownership of that Pousette Dart cd with the song that reminded me of great times in the bar with great high school friends in Vermont to the loss of my mother’s mother’s (my grandmother to you who don’t want to draw a diagram) best plate set. Or something my father gave my mother years ago.
I lost things. Sure. Some things important to me (my 3000+ cd collection and half my library of books). But my mother was losing memories. She hung tough. There were certainly some really tough days. I spent a lot of time on the phone with my sister talking about how to help her through it.
Emotionally, no matter how careful or selective you are about what to keep and what to let go, you will, yes, will be letting go of memories. Some are good to let go. But, doggone it, they are memories.
So. that said. If you are going to do a major purge I recommend one of two things (or do both):
- Hire someone to do an estate sale or huge garage sale for you. And leave. Do. Not. Be. There. Yup. You won’t make as much money (but I have already made it clear that percentagewise of value you are gonna have to suck it up anyway). Yup. You won’t be there to watch a slow and painful excruciating death. Let someone else deal with it.
- Consignment shop. Out of sight out of mind. Oh. And don’t stop by the shop. Let them just send you a check whenever they sell something or whatever their protocol is.
Emotionally the key to not self destructing is to get it out of your hands and out of eyesight. Say your goodbyes the night before and let them go.
Bottom line.
Think of purging as running a financial and mental gauntlet. (gauntlet definition: a form of physical punishment wherein a man is compelled to run between two rows—a gauntlet—of soldiers who strike him as he passes.)
The journey sucks but it is the destination that matters. Part 2 of Purging showcases the destination.
But the only way, and let me repeat that, the only way you can make it through the actual purging is to keep the destination (a simpler space and life) in clear site.
Trust me.
Your eyesight gets a little fuzzy (possibly clouded in pain) every once in awhile during the process but focus on the destination and as you get closer to the end of the gauntlet you start seeing it a little more clearly (and it seems like a huge light of hope at the end of the tunnel).
Do I regret going through purging? Nope.
It did make me realize some of the stupid nonsensical purchases I made over the years and while painful to release some of those things, and painful to recognize what I paid and lost, in the end, these things didn’t matter because you know I kind of like the destination I reached.
It is a nice spot.
And I think more people should visit it.
And I mean that mentally and physically.
My purge was so extreme that it is almost like my mind has been ‘reset’ with regard to purchasing and priorities and stuff like that. Me, being a studier of behavior and such, may suggest that the purge shock actually prompted a behavioral shift.
Do I recommend it for everyone? Nope.
Is it a bad thing? Nope.
And physically … it has made me recognize ‘space and value’ or maybe better said … space and usefulness … better.
Unused space has no value. Often used space has high value.
Okay.
Let’s get past the pain and onto the positives.
Purging Part 2.
the riches of Purging: Purged Living Part 2
Jul 24th
So you now have purged and are living “small space living.”
The functional benefits are really obvious – financial savings, less upkeep, etc. and they become obvious very quickly (which helps overcome some of the emotional shock of turning around and seeing your entire living space).
A good friend of mine suggested simplifying is all about a decision to live simply versus simply live. And it could be. That is a big big thought.
But big thoughts usually take a while to incubate in our pea like brains (well … at least mine for sure).
So. Possibly after a period of time it smacks you in the back of the head as such.
But in the beginning it may sometimes just be simply that it is … well … simpler.
Less choices. Less maintenance. Less expense.
So it means you have more of other things … one of which is time.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh … but there’s the rub.
We Americans rarely accept “free time” as a gift to relax but rather we fill it up with other things. Therefore this “smaller space frees up time” slips through the cracks in the consciousness pretty quickly. (but I bring it up with the hope you try and remember it as a positive).
Shifting to living simply is also a neat opportunity to give life a “fresh start.”
And I imagine I never really thought about the outcome of the purging as having a variety of paths until my mother and I went through it at the same time. My mother and I going through it at exactly the same time showed us two paths:
- I simply consolidated my stuff and took the best of the best and created a space where I love everything that I have.
- My mother took a core favorite group of pieces and items, basically built her bedroom and kitchen with the comfortable stuff from her past things and then started from scratch in the living room (reupholstered comfortable chairs, bought new couch, used two of my paintings she liked, bought new lamps, etc). So she created a new look in her main living space.
So once you get through the purging gauntlet you do have a smaller space, a simpler life and, frankly, a space you have difficulty finding fault with.
While there are fewer things to fondle or juggle you have more to be happy with. It may sound odd but you don’t doubt any purchase you look at around you. Nothing seems like “wasted investment.”
And no matter how rich or material oriented you are there is a lot of satisfaction in “dollars invested well.” and smaller space living focuses you n this each and every day.
Smaller space living ain’t bad. That’s the net of it.
Lastly. The odd conversations.
Inevitably the people you know knew you as a “larger living space person.” So. You find yourself in many conversations explaining your smaller space living arrangement.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh .. the harsh edge of perception versus reality. Another friend of mine when talking about our health issues in the United States stated it is because we Americans associate value with quantity (quantity of food in that case). It is similar with living space particularly if you are dealing with people who have seen you in ‘large space.’
You had quantity of space – you were happy.
You no longer have quantity of space – you cannot be happy.
It’s weird. You spend a lot of time trying to explain to people something you have already gone through (the pain of the purge .. which you don’t particularly want to relive but are constantly forced to) to explain you are happy in smaller space living.
Sure.
You rattle off all the functional reasons (smaller bills, less time cleaning, less chores) but people associate that with “you have less money and you had to do that.”
Well.
They may be right. But more likely they are wrong.
Sometimes you reach a point where doing something right for you just doesn’t seem right to others.
Okay sure. Maybe at some point after we get through this depression (oops. recession.) people will accept smaller space living decisions as something like “living life simpler” choices but for now?
Be prepared if you elect to do this.
Remember these three things:
- Purging sucks.
- Simpler life doesn’t suck.
- Explaining it sucks.
Hopefully over time #2 carries more weight in your life than 1 and 3 combined.
As I did all of this myself within the past year I am not positive I have reached the balance yet.
But I hope. And I am fairly sure it is a good place.
the origins of the personal ‘purge’
Jul 24th
So. I have had a couple of requests on the topic of purging things in order to make a radical living space change. Oh. I also have had requests on how my sister and I weaved our way through the discussion and transition with our mother (that post will come later).
This post precedes two following posts (Purged Living 1 & 2) which describe the purging my mother and I went thru when I moved out here to support her and she sold the house she lived in for over 20 years and moved into a one bedroom senior living complex. I have already written about the benefits of small space living (my own current situation).
So. Purging.
As I looked back over the years I realized, being the nomad that I am, that I have probably purged more things than even this last massive purge (just in increments).
I have probably bought 4 sets of washers/dryers over the years. Maybe 3 refrigerators (a couple of awesome ones painful to leave behind). At least 2 full dining rooms sets. Uncountable amounts of bookcases. Maybe 3 entertainment centers. I probably cannot even count the number of televisions of different sizes. Bed frames … yikes … double to king to queen to 2 queens to 1 queen and a futon to 2 queens and a futon to … well … geez .. I think there may be a couple other iterations. Pictures, paintings, artwork … framed … not framed … should have been framed. Dozens (I have always been a sucker for great visuals and artwork). Sofas, chairs, tables, plates … okay. You get the idea. Moving around a lot sometimes means starting over a lot. And, of course, looking back there is a variety of things that I would probably have been better off keeping around. But anyway.
Suffice it to say over the years and assuming you continue to move up in your career you start having more space to fill up. And that space kinda starts to match where you are in your career (generally speaking the senior accountant living space will look different than the General Manager of an advertising agency living space).
Place that scenario underneath the fact that Purging 1 & 2 is really about the purging that took place within my mother’s transition from her home of 22+ years to a one bedroom space in a senior complex. So that is the background for Purging 1 & 2. Enjoy. There were amusing moments and painful moments but in the end I would suggest the majority of all issues are in your own head (that won’t make it any easier but something to keep in mind).
difficult gets done immediately
Jul 22nd
“The difficult we do immediately. The impossible take a little longer.”
US Army
While this quote is attributable to the Army my sense is this is the attitude of all of the services.
Walt Disney said “it’s kind of fun to do the impossible.”
I guess what I like about all of them is the inherent belief that nothing is impossible.
Or maybe better said is “before you accept the impossible treat everything like it is possible”.
Too many times I have heard “impossible” thrown out so flippantly as a stop sign for people who don’t want to go the extra mile.
I guess I have also found that rarely are things 100 percent impossible.
Something can always be done.
I admit.
When I hear “that’s impossible” I typically perk up a little and go “really, impossible you say” and my brain starts going into overdrive thinking of the possibilities of what is … well … possible.
I don’t think I am that different than a lot of people.
Virgil got it right:
“They are able because they think they are able.”
I do believe that as soon as you start thinking you are able to do something it becomes a little irrelevant if someone else has put the infamous ‘impossible’ label on it.
Thinking you are able to enables you to do.
Sure.
Some things really are impossible.
A 4 second 100 yard dash. Looking good in a lime green polyester suit. Seeing if you have no sight.
But.
That doesn’t mean you can’t finish faster than you may have.
Or find a situation where someone won’t laugh as much when you wear the suit.
Or seeing things from a different perspective.
Maybe what i am suggesting is rarely is impossible absolute.
It has degrees of possible within the impossible.
And what I know for a fact is that our military understands this 100%.
Every organization could learn a lesson from them.
Given the impossible task they ignore “impossible” and focus on addressing the possible no matter how difficult it is and when that is done someone is already prepared to say:
“well, we have gone this far, what the heck, those impossible things we looked at before, damn, they look a little more possible now that we are here.”
And that is the only reason the impossible takes a little longer.
Think about it the next time someone says something is impossible.
They are gonna look awful silly when you make the impossible possible at some point.
cloning self image
Jul 20th
“Why are you trying so hard to fit in, when you’re born to stand out.”
- oliver james
So. I love this quote from a variety of perspectives.
But. Today I am going to use it to discuss self esteem. Especially a woman’s self esteem (I have an entire post on this coming up on the heels of my Unhealthy Eating posts).
Anyway.
Self esteem. It comes from the inside out. In its truest sense that means a woman is not dependent upon anyone else to make her feel good about herself. She feels fine just the way she is aware of strengths and abilities and is comfortable unequivocally sharing them with others (or let’s say unequivocally enough that it doesn’t affect pursuing relationship or having positive relationships).
Sure.
She is also aware of areas needing work and flaws. But is comfortable knowing no one can be perfect. So there is a basic understanding, and inner belief, that we all have our strengths and weaknesses and she has the self esteem to be independent (not dependent).
All you have to do is work in marketing for even a short time and you realize that self esteem is a core identity issue (and Maslow has an entire hierarchical chart reflecting this which I have probably used a half dozen times in presentations).
Maslow notes self esteem is essential to personal validation and the ability to experience happiness. But. Self esteem resides within.
So. A healthy self esteem is important on a number of levels.
But here is the deal.
Self esteem is attacked or stunted from the outside.
So. A woman with low self esteem does not feel good about herself mainly because she has absorbed negative messages about women from one, or a combination, of these – society, what culture communicates around her, relationships (parents and/or companions).
Let me cut to the chase.
Society seems to doom every woman to eventual failure (unless she is made of Teflon or looks like Angeline Jolie).
Magazines, from teens on, pound away on one message – focus all efforts on appearance.
Oh. And not just “appearance” but rather “approved appearance.”
It seems many girls are encouraged by their tweens to stop enjoyable fun activities they may have enjoyed up to that point and focus their energy in pursuit of social acceptance (or they go the exact opposite direction seeking to file themselves under “outcast”).
And how crazy does it become? Well. They become rabbits eating leaves without salad dressing, jog in hurricanes, and dance like nuts to disco and sweat in designer outfits and swear they love every minute of it.
Oh. And TV. Never ending cosmetic surgery ads encouraging women to “repair” flaws in pursuit of appearance perfection (or the somewhat dubious “approved appearance”).
Yet despite all efforts women find it difficult to feel like they are good enough.
Geez. How can they? Magazine models are airbrushed to perfection as well as so thin I am not sure it is physically possible to have bones. All the beautiful movie stars are whipped into perfect shape by 8 hour workouts and personal trainers and surgery is used as if it’s like brushing teeth in the morning to create a fairly unattainable ideal.
Let me note right now. This womens’ poor self esteem issue just steams me. I know all women do not have it but far far too many do.
And this is nuts. Absolutely nuts. And I am gonna swing into a guy’s perspective on this.
This is a huge generalization but the buck stops here. With guys (men).
Since when have men followed what society tells us to do? We need to find our inner rebel and take this on (either that or just get our heads out of our asses). It is kind of up to us to solve this issue. At least for the women around us that we actually care about.
Not magazines. Not TV.
Sure. They drive me nuts but, hey … I would start with American Idol or Bridezillas before I attacked women’s magazines and cosmetic ads.
Why us men?
- We are there and can make an impact.
- Because it matters.
This is not from me. This is from someone who has PhD’s out the wazzoo talking about self esteem:
“Because they don’t have the self-esteem to know that there is someone amazing out there for them.”
Or.
“They just don’t accept that someone really does not only accept them for who they are but could even possibly love them – as is.”
And they beat themselves up. And they compromise. And they find abusive companions. And they feed this self esteem machine running 24/7 inside of them and a lot of really smart, beautiful and amazing women get destroyed by this – and it is a slow destruction taking little bite after little bite from the inside out.
And I get steamed.
And the crazy thing? (and this is really crazy).
Society has us all so screwed up in our thinking that even the women who you wouldn’t even hesitate to put into the ‘beautiful’ category have self esteem issues.
See Audrey Hepburn quote:
Look. In my Unhealthy Eating diatribe I state my belief. Healthy comes in all shapes and sizes.
Well. Here’s is the corollary or postulate or frickin’ theorem if you want it – Beautiful comes in all shapes and sizes.
And I don’t want to hear this crap about “she has a great personality” or “beauty is within.”
Everyone has someone who finds them beautiful, as is, out there in this world.
If you haven’t found that person keep looking.
On that issue?
Do. Not. Compromise.
(deep breath here)
I would imagine I wrote this because I just finished my unhealthy eating posts and portions of this self esteem appearance issue keeps rattling around in discussions people are having over obesity versus unhealthy and eating.
And the discussions are taking place among women I value … respect … and frankly cannot understand how we (society) put them in a place where they would even question “oh, someone could never see me that way.”
Drives. Me. frickin’. Nuts.
So.
Bottom line. The quote.
The beautiful women I know are beautiful because they don’t fit into some magazine outlined appearance or whatever. They don’t meet the “approved appearance” criteria (but I also probably could count on one hand women who do).
They are beautiful because they are individuals. The package. The imperfections make them perfect. They should be encouraged to stand out not wear themselves out trying to fit in.
And, because I am a guy, I can say this.
I think more guys should step up to the plate and be more positive with women.
Especially if you care.
Nowhere in ‘caring’ do I see any derivative of “diminish.”
So guys if you want a clone, go get one. But for the women who want to stand out and maybe not fit exactly into society sameness standards please don’t try and make them into clones.
Let them find someone who loves them as is.
seeking immortality
Jul 20th
“If all else fails, immortality can always be assured by spectacular error.”
John Kenneth Galbraith
Spectacular errors can only happen if you take spectacular chances.
I am not fond of irresponsible risk taking and decision-making, but I am fond of doing ‘the right thing’ even when it may appear to be going against the stream.
Sometimes that means a spectacular success, sometimes a spectacular error.
But always something spectacular.
Now. I don’t know about all this immortality stuff. Sure. I would imagine it would be nice to be remembered for something (even if it was a spectacular failure).
But probably most important?
What more could you want to say about your life but that you have done something spectacular?
Now. Don’t start running around like chickens with your heads cut off attempting ‘spectacular chances.’ I don’t want to get blamed for that.
But if everyone looked around in their life and thought about it for awhile and were smart about it (well, as smart as you can be) and decide to take a spectacular chance because … well … it could lead to something spectacular?
I could live with that.
In fact. I think we could all live with taking a few more spectacular chances.
Playing it safe is comfortable. And, especially in this wacky world we are living in these days and all the responsibilities that seem to reside on shoulders that struggle to carry the burden they already carry, what I am suggesting may sound unprudent, unwise and unrealistic.
Maybe.
All I am suggesting is make sure you don’t deprive yourself of the possibility of spectacular.
Because in the end? What people will really remember is not the success or the failure but rather you made the attempt. And that, my friends, is spectacular.
old el paso advertising
Jul 20th
I have been meaning to write about old el paso for awhile. Mostly because I want to write something positive for once about marketing and advertising.
The old el paso flat bottom taco advertising campaign is brilliantly simple (and simply brilliant).
It has a couple of below the line less than obvious components that really take the idea to a higher level.
Solving a problem.
Heck. I don’t know if making my taco stand up is a real problem or not but if someone is speaking Spanish and I am in Middle America than … well … I would assume it is something that keeps them up at night.
Big problem.
Maybe I won’t even buy this product until they solve this issue dammit.
Oh. An advertising campaign all in Spanish (with subtitles).
Wow. Authentic? Heck. I don’t know but I think so.
The simplicity of the solution offered by a new generation. Gosh. Everyone loves it. It’s not just that a kid with a simple thought can solve what was an apparent centuries old problem but rather that a new generation is able to see through honored tradition that those stupid adults (and past ‘stuck in archaic thinking’ generations) were blinded by to see a fundamental functional solution.
Awesome. “Out of the mouth of babes” as they say.
And the production of the execution. It’s the juxtaposition of all the elements which is awesome.
The adult conversational delivery of the problem. (let’s call this a simple build)
The innocence of a child offering a solution (in a subtitle).
Silence.
A moment of silence as everyone contemplates the solution. A moment as the simplicity of the solution slices through generations of adult traditional behavior to get to the core of what would actually be more useful.
Volume. Noise. Celebration.
The raising up of the volume to celebrate the idea (and the ideator) almost shouts that the solution is brilliant.
At the end of :30 even if you didn’t think that it was a great idea how could you not think it may be the greatest idea since the beer frig 12 pack box the way they are celebrating.
Even I, who doesn’t even eat this stuff, now take a second look as I wander the grocery store.
Awesome idea communicated in an awesome way.
It entertains. It educates.
It offers a solution to a problem (I wasn’t even sure I had).
It is delightful. And it seems authentic. And it is a great use of marketing and communicating an idea.
So. Here they are. And I included the :15 version because it is so well done also:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrbyVDMUT10&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3KXaF2_UzU&feature=related
(second is :15 second version)
Oops. Gotta go get some mexican food now.
underneath greatness
Jul 19th
An admirable trait of the truly great is their ability to recognize the limitations of their actual talent. Simply because they may have risen above the talents of the ordinary has not stopped them from believing they are not that extraordinary. In fact, maybe what I admire most is how they dwell on their ordinariness.
Or maybe it’s that they recognize the potential fleetingness of their talent and what people perceive as greatness.
“I know just how it feels to think of the right thing to say too late.”
- Robert Frost
C’mon. Can you believe this?
This is the guy who probably wrote some of the most amazing poetry of all time.
This is the guy who in 1961 JFK asked, for his inaugural ceremony, to give a poetry reading.
This is the crazy talented wordsmith sonofabitch who, blinded by the sun’s glare on the snow covered Capitol grounds, found himself unable to read the poem he had prepared. Instead, he recited “The Gift Outright” from memory. It opens with:
The land was ours before we were the land’s.
She was our land more than a hundred years
Before we were her people. She was ours …
Observers noted people frickin’ cried over his words.
Read it yourself. Imagine being there. You would be moved to tears yourself.
And this guy suggests he couldn’t think of the right thing to say? Well. Makes me feel a little better about the time I not only stumbled over words but was a blithering idiot.
Oh. How about this?
“I have no particular talent, I am merely extremely inquisitive.”
- Albert Einstein
I think like this quote so much because I cannot envision how one of the greatest minds of all time would suggest he has no particular talent.
Now. I am sure he had an ego (who wouldn’t if you thought of things people had never thought of before … consistently). But. I have no talent.
C’mon.
When is the last time you heard one of your management people say this.
When is the last time someone said this in an interview?
Could you imagine good ole Al sitting there in his rumpled suit and the interviewer asks official question number 4 “please tell me what you think you are good at?”
And Al reaches up and tries to smooth down that crazy hair of his, hesitates, and says “well, I have no particular talent, I am merely extremely inquisitive.”
(cut to interviewer making note to self “cut interview short. Not ambitious enough. Cannot identify any talent. Waste of time interviewing.”)
Look.
Robert Frost was said to be an irascible bastard to be around. Albert was seen as kind of loony (and apparently didn’t know any barbers) but nice guy. But given these two quotes I am sharing they both recognized that they weren’t always the bee’s knees (I have been looking for an opportunity to use that in a post one day).
I personally believe we could use a good dose of this attitude in today’s workplace a little more than the current dosage may be.
I guess I also think our country’s leadership could maybe take a sip of this humility too.
Regardless.
It is a good reminder that, no matter how talented you may be, even the greatest of the great minds took it all that ‘talent’ in stride. We could all use a touch of sincere humility on occasion.
Maybe these guys, for all their quirks and eccentricities, had character. And for that, above any talent they had, they should earn our respect. As any talented person who handled themselves this way would.
