Changing Trajectory

In 2001, Oprah Winfrey was introducing Quincy Jones as a Kennedy Center honoree and she used a phrase that has stuck with me all these years. She described him as someone who could change the TRAJECTORY of someone's life.

Stone Soup Story

Adapted from a Swedish folktale and from Marcia Brown’s retelling of the fable in her book.

There once was a traveler who came to a small village, tired and weary from his long journey. The traveler did not have anything to eat and hoped that a friendly villager would be able to feed him. He came to the first house and knocked on the door. He asked the woman who answered if she could spare just a small bit of food as he had traveled a long journey and was very hungry. The woman replied, “I’m sorry I have nothing to give you. I can barely feed my own family.”

It Takes a Village BUT...

It’s been said many ways: “it takes a village”, “no man is an island”, “many hands make light work”. One of my favorite “ways” was said by Margaret Mead:

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

How Do YOU Solve a Problem...

Rodgers & Hammerstein addressed that question often in their musicals and sometimes concluded  “It’s a Puzzlement”! OK, I’m dating myself a bit but I am sure modern songwriters like Taylor Swift are addressing that same question...

How to Move Mountains...

This may not be on your "to do" list but many of us have goals, projects, and plans that may seem daunting if not darn-near impossible. Her is my current favorite word: LEVERAGE!! In short , it means accomplishing a lot with the resources available.

5 Years Ago.. and lessons learned

5 years ago to the day, we launched our eNutshells.net website. It has proven to be one of the mainstays of our business. The concept wasn't radical (a simple idea) nor the business plan extensive (there wasn't one). It is now the platform for many websites including CordovaCouncil.org and sac-connect.com, has thousands of pages, and ranks pretty well in the search engines.

I am grateful for it's success but even more grateful for the lessons it proved.

1. Write a goal down. I committed (in writing) in Nov. 2007 to launch the website in January 2008. On Dec. 31, I was researching how to do it. It was completed* in 30 days.
2. There is no perfect solution. Nothing will be exactly as you envision, so start with the best compromise. If you wait for that "perfect fit" you will still be waiting.
3. *Nothing is ever finished. This project has evolved (and improved) over the course of the past five years. I learned in my early years that computer systems are "never completed, they are abandoned".
4. The Universe rewards action. I heard that on a Jack Canfield ("Chicken Soup") tape. It's another way of saying that nature works in serendipitous ways... After about 2 hours of Google searching and two phone calls, I found the software I used to build eNutshells.net. That can be referred to as "dumb luck" but I prefer the Universe precept.
5. Discover yourself, invent your career. "Find something you love to do, and get someone to pay you for it". Can't recall who said it but it is the best career advice there is... "Fish gotta swim..."

I'll summarize all this in one of my favorite quotes:

“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back-- Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth that ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now.” 

~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

PS - I just started my next 5 year project... EXCITED!

The Creative Spark

We are all born with creativity as part of how we express ourselves. Remember finger paints and sparkle and glue? Some, like artists, musicians, performers, and innovators nurture that spark into their vocation or avocation. For some of us, we can sometimes find little time for creativity and self-expression amidst our busy lives. However, we should and can find time for it, to explore and tinker and enjoy!