The three ingredients mentioned are mandatory for me. I’m uninterested in interacting with, being around, or being involved with any business that isn’t going to make these three pillars the foundation of their enterprise.
I also give you a perfect illustration of the power of word-of-mouth. Discount Tire is where I buy tires. And no, I didn’t get any compensation of any kind. Oh, I’d happily accept a gift, bribe or payment…but so far, that hasn’t happened. Still, I’m willing to tell you how I feel about them.
Years ago my wife and I stepped out one evening to grab a bite to eat. Across the way was an older couple. Yeah, even older than us!
They were already sitting down when we walked in. We were there for just under an hour. The entire time – and I mean, the ENTIRE time – she was on her cell phone talking while her husband sat in silence.
Their food arrived and she ate while holding the cell phone to her ear. Quietly, her husband ate his meal while she was apparently fully engaged with whomever was on the other end of the line. As they exited the restaurant, she was still talking on the phone, leading the way out the door, with her husband quietly in tow. My wife and I marveled at it and wondered a few things. Who was she talking to? What kind of cell phone plan did she have? Serious questions.
I was reminded of a John Prine song with these lyrics, “How the h-ll can a man leave home in morning, come home in the evening, and have nothin’ to say?” (You’ve likely heard the Bonnie Raitt version, but John wrote it)
It’s now very common among people of all ages. It happens in restaurants. It happens at the table in our own homes. Electronic connections have disconnected us physically.
It’s getting tough out here though. Much tougher than it used to be. Maybe it’s time to re-evaluate what we’re doing…and more importantly, what we’re failing to do.
Meanwhile, in my ears ring the lyrics to Angel From Montgomery.
P.S. No, I didn’t lose my wife to her iPhone, but I do often have to compete with Words-With-Friends. 😉
The answer seems easy when we’re small. A fireman. A football player. A teacher. A nurse.
By the time we leave elementary school our likely answer is, “I don’t know!”
I marvel with envy those people who say, “I’ve ALWAYS wanted to be _________.” How cool would it be to have always known what you wanted to be, what you wanted to do?
I wasn’t that lucky. Or astute.
I’ve had to figure it all out on the fly. It is hard work. Very hard work. You know, right?
And then…there’s the urge to dabble. We all do it. We do a little bit of this and a little bit of that. All in the hopes of finding success. The problem is, you can’t dabble your way to success!
Today’s show is super short, but the message is among the most powerful lessons I’ve learned. I know it’s true. I believe it. But, that doesn’t mean it’s easy to do it.
It’s a dermatology term that means sun protection factor. I’m not using it as a dermatology term though. Rather, I’m using it to establish my life’s priorities.
Growth in these areas, in this specific order, is very important.
I’m planning a future “podcast review” show talking about the various shows I listen to and why. I just looked inside my iTunes account and I currently have 49 podcasts in my feed, including my own (just to make sure it shows up like it’s supposed to). How many podcasts do you subscribe to?
