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Happy New Year! Now, Let’s Just DO IT!

Happy New Year

I used to scoff a bit at the New Year’s resolutions. But no more…

Everybody needs a “restart.” It’s one of the things that made high school or college so great; every year, or ever Semester, you got a do-over. But once you get into working adulthood, the do-overs are a LOT less frequent, and while they can be invigorating they usually are a bit more dramatic (new job, moving, so on). So the very thing that’s great about sleep–the separation of days which results in the proverbial “it’s a new day” sentiments in the morning, is what’s even greater about the New Year on a more broadscale spectrum.

But, you contest, “most New Year resolutions are out the window within weeks or months!”

To which I reply, “so what!”

We will not achieve if we do not try. And our success takes daily work and discipline, but also a day of commitment–otherwise the subsequent days won’t just magically follow. And sometimes, just sometimes, that newfound commitment requires a “new day.” Not always, but it sure can be helpful. So, I’ve come to really appreciate the little gifts we’re given, like a new day, a new week, a new year, and in this case as well a new decade.

So here it is…A few of my commitments that I’m making for the year.

1. Get it shape. Really get in shape. For 16 months I have had this goal of working towards 15% bodyfat (or less) while also exercising and eating well. I’ve ebbed and flowed on this one. And patellar tendonitis this past fall kept me from running my marathons and I fell off my eating wagon. Well, no mas! Erica and I have committed to really make health a priority this year. With my work hours, sometimes relentless travel, as well as natural cravings (I just love food–it’s that simple) I struggle with this one. But enough of the excuses. You’re all busy too. So, we’re getting in shape. We’re changing how we eat. We’re cleaning out the cupboards of junk. And we’re going to fight as best we can the constant deluge of our sugar-crazed society. How are we doing it? South Beach Diet and a rigorous exercise program for 90-days to kick start us, followed by a moderate and sustainable program. And I’m committing to run one marathon this year, barring any more tendonitis. Which isn’t going to happen! Done.

2. Personal development. I used to sell Cutco knives. And I did pretty well. But apart from all the money I made, what I really earned was the benefit of hours and hours and hours of personal development. It was part of my daily personal life as well as our weekly sales meetings, sometimes I taught them and sometimes I listened. But I always learned something–and it’s a behavior that is easy to let fall by the wayside. This next year I’m not going to let myself work on personal development “when it’s convenient”, but instead I’m going to work on it in a consistent and disciplined way. How am I going to do this? Using Success Magazine and it’s website, Philosophers Notes, TED, among other resources–including a little bit of work on developing some Spanish speaking skills.

3. Philanthropy. Last January I spent a few weeks abroad doing work, which probably in my mind receives the least amount of attention for meaningful contributions this past year (I tend to think of my success based on the metrics and results, which is important but can also be misleading) yet in actuality it was probably some of the best work that I did this past year. This coming year, I want to and should do more. And it doesn’t need to involve traveling anywhere, I can do it right in my local community. I volunteer with the Hands On Children’s Museum in Olympia, where I want to spend more time. Also to help better promote and raise contributions for the great Univera Serve First program that helps provide nourishment to children everywhere. But there’s much more I’d like to contribute beyond this–financially and with my time.

There’s more, of course. I’m going to spend more time with the family. Be a better Dad. Develop more spiritually. Turn the phone off more. Improve my professional skills. Grow our business faster…

We all have our things we want to do. I believe one of the keys to keep committing, not give up, re-commit and re-commit, discipline, fail and get back up, and on and on. That’s part of the fun of a New Year. A redo, of sorts. And chance to make a (re)new commitment. I’m sure there will be some stumbles as I work towards my goals, and yours as well. But if we keep on pressing we will be far better off, than if we allowed ourselves the passivity and doubt that lies hiding in wait in our minds and bodies at times.

Happy New Year. Let’s make it a great start to an outstanding year!

No doubts, take Lasix only as prescribed by your doctor. Levitra is one of the best-known medications of all date. What is the most significant information you must study about levitra vs cialis? Most doctors say the effectiveness of Levitra is well documented. Absolutely, a sexual problem refers to a problem during any phase of the sexual response cycle that prevents the individual from experiencing satisfaction from the sexual life. Whilst sex is not vital for good soundness, its doubtless great for anyone. Why it happen? What kinds of professionals treat sexual diseases in men? A common class of antidepressants, which include Zoloft can kill the mood in bedroom.

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10 Tips from Happy People

happiness

This one requires little intro or explanation. 🙂

10 Tips from Happy People
Are you happy? It’s a simple question, but with numerous variables underlying it. What makes someone happy? Is there more than one route to happiness and more than one way to measure it?
If you’re an economist or a social scientist, you may conduct scientific surveys that try to gauge levels of contentment or satisfaction. If you’re a religious leader, you may wonder if someone feels spiritually fulfilled, connected to a community and in touch with his or her chosen deity. Being married often boosts happiness, as does a genetic basis for a sunnier disposition. Older women become less happy than their male counterparts, who report increased levels of happiness as they age

Click here to read the whole story.

happy

No doubts, take Lasix only as prescribed by your physician. Levitra is one of the best-known medications of all date. What is the most significant info you must study about levitra vs cialis? Most doctors say the effectiveness of Levitra is well documented. Absolutely, a sexual problem refers to a problem during any phase of the sexual response cycle that prevents the individual from experiencing satisfaction from the sexual life. Whilst sex is not vital for good health, its doubtless great for anyone. Why it happen? What kinds of professionals treat sexual diseases in men? A common class of antidepressants, which include Zoloft can kill the mood in bedroom.

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An Unexpected Gift

This is probably one of the most amazing stories I’ve heard in quite some time…Words don’t do justice to it, so if you read the article and like it I’d suggest you also watch the video. What an incredible story of an unexpected gift.

Although Phoenix cab driver Tom Chappell insists he always knows where he’s going, he has been known to miss a turn or two.
Such was the case the day we rode with him, and such was the case a few months ago, the day Tom got called to the home of Rita Van Loenen.
“I was running about 30 minutes late. When I finally did pick her up she was not a happy camper,” said Tom.
“Well, I mean I’m expecting a cab driver to be able to find his way,” said Rita.

Read and watch this story.

No doubts, take Lasix only as prescribed by your doctor. Levitra is one of the best-known medications of all time. What is the most significant information you must study about levitra vs cialis? Most doctors say the effectiveness of Levitra is well documented. Absolutely, a sexual problem refers to a problem during any phase of the sexual response cycle that prevents the individual from experiencing satisfaction from the sexual life. Whilst sex is not vital for good health, its doubtless important for anyone. Why it happen? What kinds of professionals treat sexual diseases in men? A common class of antidepressants, which include Zoloft can kill the mood in bedroom.

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Friday Evening Session

What a great evening that as one Associate described was just a roller coaster of emotions! Stuart Ochiltree kicked off the session by giving us a unique perspective of what Ten Years – One Truth means in terms of service. We heard some exciting news about how Univera’s Serve First initiatives are evolving. Univera favorite Dr. Taylor Hartman encouraged us to look within to find the humor and humanity in all of us. And comedian Michael Jr. closed the night with his unique and clean brand of comedy.

Thanks to these Associates who took the time and shared their thoughts with us:

There’s probably no better way to get people out of their seats than to shoot t-shirts into the crowd!

We’ve got a great evening session featuring presentations by ECONET CEO Stuart Ochiltree, Univera favorite Dr. Taylor Hartman, and Comedian Michael Jr.

No doubts, take Lasix only as prescribed by your physician. Levitra is one of the best-known medications of all when. What is the most significant info you must study about levitra vs cialis? Most doctors say the effectiveness of Levitra is well documented. Absolutely, a sexual problem refers to a problem during any phase of the sexual response cycle that prevents the individual from experiencing satisfaction from the sexual life. Whilst sex is not vital for good health, its doubtless important for anyone. Why it happen? What kinds of professionals treat sexual diseases in men? A common class of antidepressants, which include Zoloft can kill the mood in bedroom.

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Yet Another Way to Live Longer

When you do a Google search for images related to the word “purpose” I don’t understand why the results pull up esoteric whispy trees in the middle of green fields, or that of a person paddling a canoe in the reflective moonlight in the middle of a widespread ocean with nary a sign of life in sight (and, really, should someone be in a canoe that far offshore?).

Yet, it seems these are the images that conjure up purpose–so the one above represents the prototypical “Successory-style” purposeful image; what that image actually means I have no idea, but it’s a placeholder for an article in this blog posting that actually is pretty insightful. 

The below article from HealthDay News was a great reminder about the importance of a holisitic view on life–and that your longevity isn’t just dependent upon the foods you eat and the way you treat your body–but, also, the way in which you focus your energy and life’s work:

Your purpose. 

Victor Frankl wrote about this at length in “Man’s Search for Meaning” based on his observations of life during prison camp–and the life altering, and defeating, result that occurred when you took away a part of a humans destination and, ultimately, meaning. 

So here’s an interesting study that highlights for those who rank higher on identifying a purpose also enjoyed a longer life. Most would agree that regardless of the years it can add to your life, having purpose will make the years on earth all the richer–but it’s all the more interesting if there’s a benefit in longevity as well. 

If you have a purpose in life — lofty or not — you’ll live longer, a new study shows.
It doesn’t seem to matter much what the purpose is, or whether the purpose involves a goal that’s ambitious or modest.
“It can be anything — from wanting to accomplish a goal in life, to achieving something in a volunteer organization, to as little as reading a series of books,” said study author Dr. Patricia Boyle, a neuropsychologist at the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center and an assistant professor of behavioral sciences at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.

Click here to read the full story.

No doubts, take Lasix only as prescribed by your doctor. Levitra is one of the best-known medications of all season. What is the most significant info you must study about levitra vs cialis? Most doctors say the effectiveness of Levitra is well documented. Absolutely, a sexual problem refers to a problem during any phase of the sexual response cycle that prevents the individual from experiencing satisfaction from the sexual life. Whilst sex is not vital for good health, its doubtless important for anyone. Why it happen? What kinds of professionals treat sexual diseases in men? A common class of antidepressants, which include Zoloft can kill the mood in bedroom.

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Lesson from 54A

dscn3151
This is the charming welcome sign to the left of the entrance to the Mother House

Thanks for tuning in this past week for excerpts based on my recent Servant Leadership article “Lessons Learned from Mother Teresa.”

Funny as the way life goes, I had many great blogging ideas this week (seems to always be the case in the rare event that I’ve got a weeks worth of entries already considered). Thanks to all of you who have emailed me during the week about this series. I’ve added an audio clip at the end that summarizes a bit of my experience and a special memory from spending time with the “Missionaries of Charity.”

Here’s the PDF version of the full article (Lessons Learned from Mother Teresa), or here’s a link to the web-based article on the DSN website. 

Lessons Learned from Mother Teresa
I jumped headfirst into the direct selling industry in fall 2005. In the years since, I can’t think of another industry where more time and effort are spent developing a corporate and field culture.

If that causes you to think of power suits, rushed lunch meetings, and the host of “Dilbert” cartoons you’ve enjoyed over the years, I wouldn’t blame you. After all, I had worked for some exceptional Fortune 500 companies prior to joining Univera. Corporate culture was embedded into my business vocabulary, but the term wasn’t always viewed in a flattering light.

It wasn’t until I began working at Univera that the word culture took on a positive tone. Our company encourages a culture of respect, integrity, listening to and helping others—a term we refer to as servant leadership. Let me be clear; we’re far from perfect, but I’ve loved the opportunity to work in a company that shares this aspiration.

Click here to read the full article.

And as a final sign off to this series, I’m including an audio clip from my last day at the Mother House. It just gives a glimpse into what it’s like there; after an early AM breakfast each day one of the Sisters leads the group in a Catholic Prayer (incidentally, I’m not Catholic–nor were many of the other volunteers).

Then, before sending us all off for the day, they sing two songs. Every single day, the exact same songs. 

The first is more like another prayer but with some voice behind it. The second is sung to all of the volunteers who are on their last day of service. 

Along side me each morning were newfound friends who were atheists, agnostics, protestants, buddhists, hindu’s, spiritualists, and many others beliefs. Yet, without exception, they all enjoyed this time together (though not all sang along). I’m not even sure I totally understand why so many people liked this–perhaps it was being and feeling part of community, even if some didn’t believe in the same God as did the Sisters. But it’s still a favorite memory for me as well. 

So before you continue–my word of caution: the song contains the word “Jesus.” A few times.  So if you don’t dig the word, or if it might offend you, just don’t press play. 🙂

There are really two reasons that draw me to post the clip: 

1. It was for many the volunteers a favorite moment of the day and it’s a condensed sound bite that gives a glimpse into the “Mother House” every morning at 7:30am.

2. It’s an example of how many people from different backgrounds can come together for a united purpose of service, and even sing and share together yet by still holding onto starkly different beliefs. 

dscn3364

No doubts, take Lasix only as prescribed by your physician. Levitra is one of the best-known medications of all day. What is the most significant info you must study about levitra vs cialis? Most doctors say the effectiveness of Levitra is well documented. Absolutely, a sexual problem refers to a problem during any phase of the sexual response cycle that prevents the individual from experiencing satisfaction from the sexual life. Whilst sex is not vital for good heartiness, its doubtless important for anyone. Why it happen? What kinds of professionals treat sexual diseases in men? A common class of antidepressants, which include Zoloft can kill the mood in bedroom.

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“Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person.” -Mother Teresa

 

The guy on the right was driving a motorcycle and slammed the breaks to insist on posing for a picture. One of the best parts of India is meeting the people and experiencing their joy and perspective.
The guy on the right was driving a motorcycle and slammed the breaks to insist on posing for a picture. One of the best parts of India is meeting the people and experiencing their joy and perspective.

The following post is part of my weeklong series “Lessons Learned from Mother Teresa” (read that post first). This excerpt is part three, the final component, of the Direct Selling News article from March. I’ll post the full article and link this weekend. 

“Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person.”

                                                                                                -Mother Teresa

During my first and second visits, I had a near identical experience and awakening. I remember walking to the Home of the Sick and Dying, through a part of town called Kalighat (which is also home to a very popular Hindu temple).

This is the road to the Home of Sick/Dying, also to the Kali temple. Here there was much security (due to the bombings weeks before in Mumbai) coupled with vendors lining the streets as well as thousands of homeless.
This is the road to the Home of Sick/Dying, also to the Kali temple. Here there was much security (due to the bombings weeks before in Mumbai) coupled with vendors lining the streets as well as thousands of homeless.

 

As I was walked I saw thousands of people on the street. Thousands. Babies, literally newborn infants, sleeping on dirt streets with nothing.

Begging children who were blind, as a result of unspeakable horrors inflicted upon them intentionally by adults in an attempt to amplify their appeals for help.

Innumerable bodies that were frail and physically afflicted with — at best — malnourishment, and — at worst — deadly diseases without any source of healthcare assistance.

As I continued to walk, the sights and sounds became more stirring, and my soul became emotionally discouraged. I felt a sense of helplessness and hopelessness I’ve rarely experienced. In the past, I always felt in most situations that I had a sense of control or an impact-based solution. In this case, the further I walked, the more I saw, and the deeper the extent of the extreme poverty, I began to feel that there was absolutely nothing that I could meaningfully contribute.

entrance-to-nirmal
This is one of my favorite pictures even though it's so simple. It's the entrance to the Home of Sick and Dying, which is an overwhelming sensory experience that I can't fully express--sights, sounds, smells, touch. It is overpowering. Yet calming. I can't explain it. And this is one of the first things you see as you walk in, and this image has so many metaphorical and literal connections to the Home and India that I love it (some of which would require a longer explanation)

Yet, when I walked through the doors of the Home of the Sick and Dying, I saw 65 men lying there — whose lives, at that moment, I could impact. I remember Mother Teresa saying “Just one, even if you can help just one…” It was with this memory of her voice, coupled with the experience, which led me to understand during my time with the Missionaries of Charity that you’ll make a difference by helping just one person.

This was a profound idea for me as I came home. Many problems around the world, in my country, and even in my local community are not easily fixable. But what I clearly realized is that there’s no reason why I can’t have an impact on that one person who is out there, that needs a voice, a friend, an ear, some time, or a meal.

And most likely, what they really need is love.

This is the hospice inside of the Home, it's both dreary and bright; dreadful and beautiful; dark and light. It's a world of complete contrasts, and I found my time there to actually be calming, rewarding, and deep--something I remember from my last trip a decade ago
This is the hospice inside of the Home, it's both dreary and bright; dreadful and beautiful; dark and light. It's a world of complete contrasts, and I found my time there to actually be calming, rewarding, and deep--something I remember from my last trip a decade ago

 

There exists no rational reason why I, as a human being who has been given so much, can’t simply take another few steps to help that one person who needs it most – regardless of whether that circumstance exists in my company, field organization, church, family, or community. Or, simply, a random person in the path right in front of me.

What I learned about real, undying, and unyielding acts of service from Mother Teresa were shared with me by herself in the 90’s, and re-stated this most recent trip by Father Abello, a priest involved in her cause who to this day—after many decades—spends time with the volunteers on a regular basis.

She shared with me and a few of the volunteers the following observations.

“You’re welcome here for two reasons”, she began.

“One, is the witness you can share. You come from a place that those staying at the Home of the Sick and Dying view as heaven. And, they feel they’re living in hell. So when you come from your heaven, to invest time and love with them in their hell, they must ask themselves the question ‘why would someone do this for me?’, when the world views them as worthless. The person that asks that question dies a very different death than the person who never gets to ask themselves that question.”

She continued, thoughtfully. 

“Two, you are welcome here because of the change that you can become. You are going back home to a place that we all know is not heaven; in fact, your people suffer as much of the loneliness and hopelessness as anybody. If this will make you a better person, help you find purpose, then you will have benefited tremendously, and you will have received a gift as a result of your service.”

As I flew the long journey home from too short a stay in Kolkata, I realized the impact of Mother Teresa’s words.

Ultimately, there are two gifts—what we give and what we receive—which comprise some of the characteristics of Servant Leadership. Often, we describe it in seemingly sterile adjectives or simple nuances like “be nice to your spouse” or “tell the truth”, important yet basic fundamentals that hardly address “Servant Leadership.” During this last trip I learned from the Sisters at the Missionaries of Charity and other volunteers there’s a much deeper meaning to a spirit of Service.

The opportunity we have to take small steps can change the world. We make an impact by sharing compassion and love — particularly with those who need it the most, and often these are the very ones who can’t or won’t reciprocate. It is therefore beyond just virtuosity, some would say its vital, that we support and nurture a culture where the dignity and respect of every individual — regardless of rank, title, money, or stature — is viewed as sacred.

Servant Leadership, I learned, might be a lot of things. And at times we might be tempted to think of Servant Leadership as even a few great things. However, Mother Teresa best summarized what I learned about Servant Leadership:

“There are no great things, only small things done with great love.”

 

 

 

No doubts, take Lasix only as prescribed by your doctor. Levitra is one of the best-known medications of all time. What is the most significant information you must study about levitra vs cialis? Most doctors say the effectiveness of Levitra is well documented. Absolutely, a sexual problem refers to a problem during any phase of the sexual response cycle that prevents the individual from experiencing satisfaction from the sexual life. Whilst sex is not vital for good health, its doubtless great for anyone. Why it happen? What kinds of professionals treat sexual diseases in men? A common class of antidepressants, which include Zoloft can kill the mood in bedroom.

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“One of the greatest diseases is to be nobody to anybody.” -Mother Teresa

Daya Dan Entrance, one of Mother Teresa's Orphanages for kids with mental or physical disabilities (most have both)
Daya Dan Entrance, one of Mother Teresa's Orphanages for kids with mental or physical disabilities (most have both)

“One of the greatest diseases is to be nobody to anybody.”

-Mother Teresa

The street outside the Daya Dan orphanage
The street outside the Daya Dan orphanage

There’s a lifestyle component to our industry that sometimes we feel that we need in order to sell “the opportunity.” There’s nothing wrong with lifestyle; nice homes, comfortable cars, and exotic trips are all part of our industry at various times. There’s a balance, of course, but even Mother Teresa said, “There must be a reason why some people can afford to live well. They must have worked for it. I only feel angry when I see waste.”

But sometimes in our industry and in life, we sometimes border on the worship of lifestyle—corporately, in the field, or personally. This actually serves as a distraction from some of life’s greatest sources of meaning — and ultimately can lead to one of the greatest afflictions that exist: loneliness.

In Kolkata, there were children who were content, happy, and fulfilled. The others, in contrast, were destitute, forgotten, and lonely.

 

This is my little buddy Mongol's younger sister, she's 12 years old and is undoubtedly one of the best kids I have ever met; so happy, so precious, and sweet.
This is my little buddy Mongol's younger sister, she's 12 years old and is undoubtedly one of the best kids I have ever met; so happy, so precious, and sweet.

I’d like to suggest it was food or some cool toys or something more tangible and “fixable” that brightened a child’s disposition, but that just wasn’t so. Those children who were most happy experienced a level of love and attention that made them feel they had value. Worth. Significance. Using Mother Teresa’s expression, they were enjoying “being something to someone.”

Rank advancements, new enrollments, compliance and retention are all vital things. Without them, none of us have a viable and successful business, and independent associates don’t have a meaningful source of income.

Yet, I think we are tempted to look at advancement as the next source of meaning or the step that will spark true contentment. For others the draw might be something material, it might be a title, it might be experiential; but regardless of what “it” is, one thing I was sharply reminded of is that “it” is not the ticket to happiness.

 

No doubts, take Lasix only as prescribed by your physician. Levitra is one of the best-known medications of all season. What is the most significant information you must study about levitra vs cialis? Most doctors say the effectiveness of Levitra is well documented. Absolutely, a sexual problem refers to a problem during any phase of the sexual response cycle that prevents the individual from experiencing satisfaction from the sexual life. Whilst sex is not vital for good soundness, its doubtless great for anyone. Why it happen? What kinds of professionals treat sexual diseases in men? A common class of antidepressants, which include Zoloft can kill the mood in bedroom.

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“If you judge people, you have no time to love them.” -Mother Teresa

The sign over the entrance to the Home of Sick and Dying

The following post is part of my weeklong series “Lessons Learned from Mother Teresa” (read that post first). This excerpt is part two of the Direct Selling News article from March.  

This is the truck ride on the way to Dispensary duty, with Sister Nathaniel among others. There are a lot of things that aren't well communicated in pictures, but the smell and soot of Kolkata is one of them.
This is the truck ride on the way to Dispensary duty, with Sister Nathaniel among others. There are a lot of things that aren't well communicated in pictures, but the smell and soot of Kolkata is one of them.

“If you judge people, you have no time to love them.”         -Mother Teresa

When you arrive in Kolkata, despair, more than anything else, greets you. There are an inordinate number of people that live on the streets, and there is an exceptionally difficult amount of poverty to absorb.  From the vantage point of an outsider, poverty—whether in India, North America, or elsewhere makes it relatively easy to pontificate solutions, point fingers at problematic fulcrums, and even become embattled in a bitter debate about political partisanship while sitting safely on the sidelines. I was reminded that it’s much more difficult – emotionally and physically – to actually do something about it.

Each bag represents a months worth of provisions--oil, biscuits, and wheat
Each bag represents a months worth of provisions--oil, biscuits, and wheat

Similarly, in other matters of life it’s sometimes hard to listen without making a judgment. Whether it’s financial troubles people are having (“and you bought what!?!?!?”) or leadership problems (“why would you say THAT?”) or emotional baggage (“okay, tell me again what exactly was it that happened at ten years ago that you’re still so rankled about?”), to simply listen, and love someone, is an exceptionally difficult thing for most of us to do. For some, it’s a God-given gift. Yet, I think for most of us, it’s a developing skill that takes effort as we experience both the need and the blessing that can arise from compassion and grace. It also needs to be coupled with honest accountability. Often we’re better with the judgment side of the ledger rather than the grace side — until, that is, it comes to ourselves.

This is the male side of the "Home of the Sick and Dying", essentially a hospice for the sickest of the sick.
This is the male side of the "Home of the Sick and Dying", essentially a hospice for the sickest of the sick.

Perhaps the greatest impact I experienced from my time at the Home of the Sick and Dying was to see, firsthand, the many patients in the home — some of whom were there as a result of their own circumstances — to be able to live their final days experiencing love and compassion.

Regardless of their past, their poverty, or their personalities, there was no judgment, no critique, no “rehab” program to get them restarted and on a life of significance and meaning. Behind the scenes, never a word was said among the Sisters or volunteers about what it was that led them to this final destination. They were there. It was home, and that’s all that mattered.

In my professional and personal life, there’s an easy carryover of this particular theme. Many people in my life are “home,” and how they got to this place doesn’t really matter. 

life-on-the-tracks

No doubts, take Lasix only as prescribed by your doctor. Levitra is one of the best-known medications of all time. What is the most significant information you must study about levitra vs cialis? Most doctors say the effectiveness of Levitra is well documented. Absolutely, a sexual problem refers to a problem during any phase of the sexual response cycle that prevents the individual from experiencing satisfaction from the sexual life. Whilst sex is not vital for good health, its doubtless great for anyone. Why it happen? What kinds of professionals treat sexual diseases in men? A common class of antidepressants, which include Zoloft can kill the mood in bedroom.

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Lessons Learned from Mother Teresa

Sister Nathaniel at the gate where some of the poor are trying to get in to our Dispensary for food and medicine
Sister Nathaniel at the gate where some of the poor are trying to get in to our Dispensary for food and medicine, there were already nearly 1,000 served that day...And she let in a few more.

In January I took two weeks off to go to Kolkata, India to do some volunteer work and personal study at Mother Teresa’s organization called the “Sisters of Charity.”

Streets of Kolkata, the well pump there is filled with people in the mornings and evenings bathing, cleaning dishes, brushing teethAbout the time I was leaving, I was asked to write an article on Servant Leadership for the Direct Selling News publication. So the decision of what to write about, given the timing and the topic, was pretty easy.

However, the actual writing itself about acts of service, specifically Servant Leadership, is among the most difficult for me personally. In part, because I have so much to learn about it. And, also in part, because I realize I’m not particularly good at it.

So I’m approaching the topic with a lot of humility and acknowledgment there’s much I don’t know and I realize there are many things I don’t get right.

Directions to the Mother House (basically Sisters of Charity HQ--where they sleep, meet, base station, etc.)
Directions to the Mother House (basically Sisters of Charity HQ--where they sleep, meet, base station, etc.).

I’ve got some great memories from that trip; today, at this very moment, it’s almost surreal that it happened. Such a world apart from where life is right now.

This week my blog theme will be based around the entire theme of Servant Leadership; I’ll be taking the core of the article I wrote and will break it into several smaller parts along with some pictures from the trip along the way. At the end of the week I’ll post the full article.

The article comprises the lessons I learned about Servant Leadership–or more simply just service and heart–from Mother Teresa and the Sisters of Charity. If word count for my article weren’t limited I could’ve written about dozens of lessons learned, some big and some small. But these three were the most profound to me–at least at the time of the writing.

So here it is: Part one of “Lessons Learned from Mother Teresa” from my Direct Selling News article published this past March.

man-on-the-streetI jumped head first into the Direct Selling industry in winter of 2005. In the years since then, I can’t think of another industry where more time and effort are invested in developing a corporate and field culture.

If that thought causes you to think of power suits, rushed lunch meetings, and the host of Dilbert cartoons you’ve enjoyed over the years, I wouldn’t blame you. After all, I had worked for some exceptional Fortune 500 companies prior to joining Univera. “Corporate culture” was embedded into my business vocabulary, but it wasn’t always in a flattering light.

It wasn’t until the last few years where I looked upon the word “culture” with such a positive tone. Our environment encourages a culture of respect, integrity, listening, and helping others – a term referred to as “Servant Leadership.” To be clear, as an organization and as individuals—particularly myself—we’re far from perfect. Yet I’ve loved the opportunity to work in an environment that shares this aspiration.

And it’s this very thing that I love about our industry—that culture is sustained by heart and driven by purpose.

Altruistic terms such as “Servant Leadership” that are adopted by the business world are often rooted in more selfless endeavors, and my awareness of and adherence to Univera’s credo is no different—thought I didn’t know it as “Servant Leadership” at the time.

Entrance to the Home of the Sick and Dying (often called Nirmal Hriday, or Kalighat because it's right next to the famous Hindu temple named after Kali the goddess
Entrance to the Home of the Sick and Dying, often called Nirmal Hriday or Kalighat because it's right next to the famous Hindu temple named after Kali the goddess,which ironically is a goddess of destruction.

In the summer of 1996, I had the privilege of volunteering at one of Mother Teresa’s “Missionaries of Charity” homes in Kolkata, India. After a month of working with the poorest of the poor, I gained a perspective that changed me as much as any other event in my life — including the birth of my two daughters, the passing of a newborn son, and the experiences of living in Manhattan during 9/11 just blocks away from the World Trade Centers.

The reason for the impact is difficult to describe, but I would attribute it largely to the impact that a spirit of service can have on both a single individual—and an entire organization.

In the first two weeks of this new year, I was blessed with the opportunity to go back to Mother’s home in Kolkata and again take up the call to serve those most in need. This trip was initiated by a personal commitment I made to pursue some of my own dreams in different arenas of my life in 2009, this being one of the cultural ones.

During my time there, I started my mornings working at “Dya Dan”, a children’s orphanage for kids—often disposed of by their parents—with mental or physical disabilities. If you have kids, it’s an environment so “primitive” that you wouldn’t leave them there for weeks or even hours. Yet, for these kids and in their environment, it’s a home of laughter and joy. It’s paradise, relatively speaking

One Saturday we did dispensary work, where I went to a very poor village outside Kolkata with about a dozen others, mostly Sisters, to dispense food and medicine
One Saturday we did dispensary work, where I went to a very poor village outside Kolkata with about a dozen others, mostly Sisters, to dispense food and medicine

My afternoons were filled by Mother Teresa’s first love; a home called “Nirmal Hriday” or more commonly referred to as “The Home of the Sick and Dying.” Fundamentally, it’s a very rudimentary hospice where people go to pass from this life to the next. It’s a home that has very little light; the walls speak with a muted echo, the facilities smells of a combination of infection and disinfectant—yet it’s also a home filled with great love and compassion.

So here, rather than trying to put a new spin on often-discussed topics such as corporate strategy, leadership development, and even our industry’s advantage in light of the current economic collapse, I hope instead to share some of the life and business lessons that I learned, or re-learned, during my most recent journey to this place many thousands of miles away…

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No doubts, take Lasix only as prescribed by your doctor. Levitra is one of the best-known medications of all day. What is the most significant data you must study about levitra vs cialis? Most doctors say the effectiveness of Levitra is well documented. Absolutely, a sexual problem refers to a problem during any phase of the sexual response cycle that prevents the individual from experiencing satisfaction from the sexual life. Whilst sex is not vital for good health, its doubtless important for anyone. Why it happen? What kinds of professionals treat sexual diseases in men? A common class of antidepressants, which include Zoloft can kill the mood in bedroom.

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A Tale of Two Gates

Unhelpful Gate AgentsTravel can be a lot of fun, albeit in doses. And I certainly prefer personal over business, as a lot of the road wears on you and in many ways that people who don’t have to travel simply do not realize or appreciate. But it can also be very rewarding and the experiences provide so much learning along the way.

An old football coach of mine used to carry the quote by someone (unknown to me) which was “You’ll be the same person ten years from now that you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read.”

Largely, I think that’s true.

So I try to do a lot of reading. And, particularly on trips, I try to make it an intentional point to make the best of each adventure and learn something along the way—particularly from the people that I meet.

So I’m checking in around 6am on WorstWest Airlilnes, a carrier that I simply do not like and is generally notorious for poor service. So as I’m checking in, the two people behind the desk are throwing verbal assaults like left and right hooks at each other. Honestly, I was in shock.

Employees fighting or undermining each other in front of customers is among the childish as well as recklessly irresponsible behaviors. So I try not to be annoyed, I mean I really tried, I smile and manage to squeeze out a  “thank you” as politely as possible despite standing there at the desk for five minutes waiting for these two cranks to quit their bickering, all while cringing to think about the impact this behavior has on customers as well as others in their organization.

We board the flight to Montreal, I actually sleep for a few hours which is quite rare for me—generally I love the cabin time for solitude, writing, and reading. I did read a bit in the book “They Call Me Coach” by John Wooden, as well as jammed through about seven old Wall Street Journals. 

Upon arriving we’re probably a half hour late into our transfer city of Minneapolis, but there’s seven of us on the plane continuing onto Montreal so I’m certain they’ll hold the next puddle jumper for us. Certain. 100%. I mean, what idiot wouldn’t hold the gate when 25% of your cabin (remember, puddle jumper) isn’t there but only a few minutes away. Right? 

We run to the gate, only to find the doors are closed. One person made it, from row 19 on our first leg. We, unfortunately, were in rows 35 and above. So, yes, the back of the plane is safer. It is also slower. I prefer the “crazy and reckless” front of the plane to that of the “safe-and-cozy-in-the-event-of-a-????” in the back of the plane. 

Then, knowing that six more were right behind them, they closed the door. So the group of us sat there for ten minutes, all the while the plane is sitting there as well, with a group of gate attendants full of “I can’t” (umm, actually you could but you don’t want to), “No” (Why say yes, when your culture makes it feel so good to say no?) and “Well what do you want me to do?” (Ah, yeah, well, just do your job and help me out here…And maybe a smile would be nice as a kicker).

The two of them had about the level of service, empathy, and desire to try to help as much as a door knob. Really, it was unbelieveable. I really tried to give them the benefit of the doubt, and perhaps these are really at the heart of the matter good people having a bad day. But, then again, it’s likely they’re a product of the environment and culture they’ve created.

Suddenly, like a little angel fluttering her way through the terminal wearing red and white, a bubbly woman by from another gate to offer to help us over in her little area, a totally different culture. In fact, RGL (Rude Gate Lady) actually tried to stop NGL (Nice Gate Lady) from taking us over to her little section. RGL actually had us rebooked on a flight that got us into our final destination by about 11pm, with two more flight legs to go. And all the while, she was doing us SUCH a favor and it was SUCH a burden to get us on our way.

A little jacked with such bad service, we followed the NGL just with the hunch that someone who smiles and actually offered to help us simply MUST have some better outcomes for us—and if not, at least she’d be nice to work with.

When we walked over to her gate, it was a totally different experience. Apologies for the delay. Empathy. Solutions-orientations. It was as simple as “Hey guys, looks like a long day. I’m sorry. Let’s find some solutions to get you outta here into your final destination, and I think I might find some better options that what you currently have that can get you in a few hours earlier.”

No surprise, she found seats on a flight that got us in earlier—three hours earlier—but more so did it in a way that made the group of us feel better.

And, I expect, her as well. 

No doubts, take Lasix only as prescribed by your doctor. Levitra is one of the best-known medications of all time. What is the most significant data you must study about levitra vs cialis? Most doctors say the effectiveness of Levitra is well documented. Absolutely, a sexual problem refers to a problem during any phase of the sexual response cycle that prevents the individual from experiencing satisfaction from the sexual life. Whilst sex is not vital for good health, its doubtless significant for anyone. Why it happen? What kinds of professionals treat sexual diseases in men? A common class of antidepressants, which include Zoloft can kill the mood in bedroom.

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Find a Cause

Rendition of FUTURE Hands On Children's Museum in Oly
Rendition of future Hands On Children's Museum in Oly

Over the past year I’ve found meaning in finding a cause.

Outside of work. 

Work is meaningful, and in fact I genuinely ENJOY work. I doubt I will ever retire–though I’m sure if you’re a bit more “experienced” in life you’re thinking “well that’s easy to say at 35 years old”, right?

Work is a real blessing, and I have always felt that way. Probably more of us feel that way now than a few years ago.

But I’ve also become convinced that work shouldn’t be our only cause. Your spirituality, of course, is important. Politics are important (side note: my blog is mostly apolitical and areligious yet it’s hard to separate fully personal beliefs from life’s experiences and ones writings). Family and friends are important. And sometimes it hardly seems time to do these things well, let alone add one more to the mix. 

This year, more  so than I have in the past ten years, I’ve concluded volunteerism is important as well. Maybe beyond important–maybe it’s our duty, or a calling as a citizen.

I think JFK during his inauguration (obviously this was pre-womb for me, so I live vicariously through reading about this) provided timeless and truthful words encouraging that Americans need be ACTIVE citizens. 

So after feeling pulled and compelled in this direction, by both desire and duty, about 18-months ago I began looking into various volunteer activities locally where I could spend consistent time working on a set of projects and initiatives that I believed in–and would help the community. So I found a cause where I thought I could make an impact, and also something in which I believed in: The Hands On Children’s Museum in Olympia (HOCM).

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So for the past year I have had the privilege to work on the Board of Directors at the HOCM locally. I don’t write about this to be self-promoting in any way, if anything I’m a little embarrassed that I haven’t done more volunteering over the past ten years of my life, especially compared to the amount of time I’ve “wasted” on things way less important. Instead, I write about it because the experience has given me new insight and meaning. Beyond what I hope is a positive impact to my community and to an organization that focuses on childhood development, here are a few of the great experiences that being involved have provided. fb8490a9504a36c21

1. Perspective. When you’re consumed by work, then it seems at times that work is all that matters. When you get engaged in something else, perspective changes. And sometimes that different perspective comes back and helps out in other areas as well. 

2. Collaboration. This might strike you as odd, I get a chance to collaborate a lot at work internally and with all our field partners. Yet, I’ve never felt the same invigorating feeling of collaborating with a bunch of people on a project for which they were paid nothing. In fact, recently we were working on a marketing plan for the HOCM and the 90-minutes were among the most enjoyable I’ve had in a team dialogue. Motive, totally pure. No politics. No posturing. No ego. Just an intense desire to passionately do what was right for the HOCM, community, and the kids. Not to say these dialogues can’t and don’t happen in a work environment, but as many of you know, it’s just different when you’re doing it philanthropically versus for money. 

Marketing Committee Meeting
Marketing Committee Meeting (yes, we work at the kids chairs and tables!)

 

 

 

 

 

3. Fulfillment. I’m not one to suggest finding your highest fulfillment in things or activities, but I do think there’s something fulfilling about being a productive member of society. Whether you’re getting paid to do it or not. In fact, maybe we’re more productive to society when it’s unpaid. 

What about you? 

I’m curious to hear your activities and some of the projects that you participate within, locally or nationally, occasionally or often, and to hear of some of the experiences it’s provided you.

No doubts, take Lasix only as prescribed by your doctor. Levitra is one of the best-known medications of all time. What is the most significant info you must study about levitra vs cialis? Most doctors say the effectiveness of Levitra is well documented. Absolutely, a sexual problem refers to a problem during any phase of the sexual response cycle that prevents the individual from experiencing satisfaction from the sexual life. Whilst sex is not vital for good soundness, its doubtless great for anyone. Why it happen? What kinds of professionals treat sexual diseases in men? A common class of antidepressants, which include Zoloft can kill the mood in bedroom.

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The Problem with People

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I know it’s a negative sounding start, but there are–indeed–quite a few problems with people. All of us. 🙂

Without railing against humanity, as there’s good to humanity as well, the problem with people is we’re often greedy and selfish.

I’ll forego the whole “well is it nature or nurture” debate, partly because it doesn’t really matter and partly because it’ll distract from the post.

I remember reading about a really interesting study done a while back, this is probably many years ago now though I expect there have been quite a few variations before and since. The study was simple. They looked at a group of people and through a series of systematic trials and proper research offered them two different options to determine which choice they would make and why (the numbers I’m using below are illustrative–I don’t remember the exact amounts offered but the principle is what I’m trying to share).

Here were the two simple options presented to the study participants.

1. You get $20 and another peer/neighbor would get $40.

OR

2. You get $10 and another peer would get nothing.

Guess what the majority of people chose?

Option two.

I don’t understand it. If you’re reading this you’d probably say you don’t understand it either. But, the conclusion was that many people (not everybody) are generally were not motivated for a decision that was better for them (though perhaps not as “better” as someone elses) but, instead, opted for the decision that would be lesser for them than the alternative BUT better than someone else’s alternative.

It’s not just scarcity thinking (a whole other topic which isn’t quite as black and white as some project), it’s really just selfish thinking. It’s pride. It’s ego.

So maybe, just maybe, this is our natural inclination (I don’t really like to admit it, but I’m relying on the research here), yet there’s also a way to work through it. I’m not sure how to really articulate it, but I think part of it is through community (though we should work to be less selfish even if people aren’t in community).

(I sure am using a lot of parenthesis in this blog posting).

Over the past week I’ve seen some great examples of humanity and selfLESSness. And I think it’s one of the virtues of getting connected in the right community. Some are small examples, and others still quite big.

It’s one of the great things about Univera, after some fantastic meetings with the best of our leadership at the Corporate offices last week followed by some exceptional meetings over the weekend down in Portland. During this time I met people that through personal development, aspiration, inspiration, and discipline were focused on forging out the selfish behaviors and decisions that cloud the success we can see in our life–and I’m not just talking about success in the context of “more money” though I think that’s probably related as well.

The Kimpton Hotel chain is, to me, a great example of what can be done through community that helps change personal behaviors. It’s one of the best service chains I have EVER experienced. I could easily give you about ten examples of some spectacular service I’ve experienced. But it’s not forced. THE PEOPLE THERE ACTUALLY LIKE TO SERVE. It’s not like the Ritz Carlton, which I never have liked because of the expense AND pretense of the environment, what rubs to me as “forced” levels of service. I realize some will disagree with this so it’s just my opinion. But, instead, the Kimpton employees are genuinely gracious. Sincerely kind. Helpful. Polite. Naturally friendly. But part of the catch is they are already hiring in great people, it’s not like they are trying to run a rehab program for people with bad attitudes. But I am also certain that, in conjunction of hiring genuinely great people, those people in turn become better.

I am certain that a key part of their very sophisticated strategic plan is the exceptionally complicated initiative called “let’s just hire nice people.”

So how does this relate to the origination of the post, where the study referenced suggests people would rather have much less but be “better off” than their peers versus having more yet being “less” compared to others?

Well, a few simple things. And I don’t think there’s anything profound here–it’s just some observational thoughts after a long week of seeing a bunch of human dynamics.

1. Ego ruins an awful lot. And it causes people to make very irrational decisions. In addition to simply selfish ones.

2. Community is important. Lest we become even more selfish, greedy, and try to keep up with even more Joneses.

3. The right community is even more important. It’ll either spur you on and encourage you to give and serve more, or in the wrong one it’ll cause likely encourage the reverse.

4. And, finally…I think rationalization helps improve selfishness. If, at times, it’s an instinct to make for a selfish decision I think the process of stopping. Thinking. Assessing. Reassessing. And then really looking at, as the wise Dr. Taylor Hartman says, your motive.

No doubts, take Lasix only as prescribed by your doc. Levitra is one of the best-known medications of all period. What is the most significant info you must study about levitra vs cialis? Most doctors say the effectiveness of Levitra is well documented. Absolutely, a sexual problem refers to a problem during any phase of the sexual response cycle that prevents the individual from experiencing satisfaction from the sexual life. Whilst sex is not vital for good health, its doubtless great for anyone. Why it happen? What kinds of professionals treat sexual diseases in men? A common class of antidepressants, which include Zoloft can kill the mood in bedroom.

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Doctors, McDonalds, Airports, Associates, Oh My!

img_0528This morning I departed Orange County to head back to Seattle.

At the airport and in line at McDonalds (Egg McMuffin w/ only one piece of bread, extra egg—280 cal’s, not bad—but for that and a decaf $8.91—not good! Makes Essentials seem like a bargain) I chuckled, reflecting back on our Road Tour in the Fall where I somehow compiled over a half dozen pictures of myself and Univera Chief Scientific Officer Cherniske with a McDonalds in the background.

So as I’m in line thinking about this, totally at random, I see ahead of me in line is our sister company’s Chief Scientific Officer—Dr. Qi Jia! So we laughed sheepishly a bit about the both of us getting caught eating fast food, albeit selecting a reasonably healthy food offering, and then proceeded to chat a bit about business. He’s both a brilliant scientist and great colleague. In fact, we’re launching a couple amazing new products this year that include some amazing new Unigen ingredients. You’ll get to see and hear about it firsthand at Convention in June. So Qi was off to San Francisco, and I was headed home. But before we parted ways I offered to take a picture of the two of us at the McDonalds and he refused by laughing “No no, Rich, I know if you take a picture of us at McDonalds you’ll put it on your blog!!!”

Well, Qi, I don’t HAVE to get a picture to put it on the blog. It just makes it a bit more interesting. J

img_0530During my travel here I spent time at the Natural Products Expo as well as with some of our field associates attending a few meetings. The Expo is an annual trade show for our industry, it’s THE health and natural products event of the year—mostly oriented around B2B. Attending this event makes me remember how wellness/nutrition industry is—I really do feel great about being in this sector right now, the energy at the event was explosive. But beyond that, it’s becoming so exceptionally clear that there MUST be a monumental paradigm AND practice shift with healthcare in North America. And we’re going to be a major part of it.

During the event I attended a speaking session by acclaimed author and speaker Dr. Andrew Weil. He shared what he thought were the two most impactful things you could do for your health, based on all his years of research and experience.

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Don’t eat manufactured or processed foods. Dr. Weil referenced several of Michael Pollan’s books, which are exceptional, that really talk to the importance of eating “real” food.

2. Breathe. There’s a breathing exercise that he picked up, I think from some Eastern medicine though I missed a bit of the history of the story, that he said he felt was transformational to a persons well being. The regimen is simple. Breathe in through your nose four seconds. Hold it for seven seconds. Open mouth (keep tongue loose, like a dog does when his mouth is open) and exhale for eight seconds. Do this four times. Not any more. And do it at least twice a day. After six to eight weeks it’s supposed to be magic.

3. Activity. Unequivocally, those that have the best health and wellness, especially in the later years, are those who have maintained or engaged in an active lifestyle. You’ve gotta be active.

He didn’t go into a fourth best practice, but I am quite certain it would have involve something like Univera’s transformational Xtra product.

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The Natrual Products Expo event was great, booming excitement. Just another reaffirmation: right time, right place.

Apart from the Expo, I spent time on Thursday at a Univera opportunity meeting—over 150 were in attendance, and the event had leadership participation from a whole variety of Univera associates, including Bev (Tom had a conflicting meeting), Khai, Danny, Tiffany, R-Dawg (Richard Ross), Dianne McCourtney, and many others. It was a great event, lots of excitement, growth, and new people. At the event people were fired up about these amazing Univera products. And excited about the opportunity.

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Later that evening over Korean food I enjoyed the excitement and energy of some of California’s enthusiastic leadership, like Danny, Tommy, Tiffany, Khai, Shari, and others. A lot of fun and excitement, a very gracious group of people whose efforts and contributions I appreciate tremendously.

As I continue to study our industry and see its constant evolution, a few things come to mind.

Let’s always remember that first and foremost we’re a product company that focused on delivering breakthrough cellular renewal products that help the body reduce damage and increase repair more exceptionally than any other Company in this industry—and we’ve got the science to prove it.

In this industry there are some who try to emphasize business opportunity as the first and single most important (or borderline “only”) criteria for their company’s existence. This is a mistake. Building any business on JUST the business opportunity is pretty darned close to the definition of a pyramid.

Beyond that, it’s not sustainable. Why? Because it belies the importance of having an actual product or service that meets an unmet consumer need, which is the purpose of any for-profit business. Any sustainable business MUST start by delivering some type of unmet consumer need.

If anyone tells you different, they’re simply mistaken and poorly versed in business strategy and sustainability. And I’m putting it politely. New Yorkers would phrase it a bit differently.

Beyond that, they’re basically selling you a “chain letter” style business, where ultimately the masses at the end of the chain letter get burned.

So, firstly, the products are the difference.

But beyond that, once we firmly establish the incredible value and life-changing impact of these products (even in this economy, well over half the people who enroll in Univera do so purely as customers), we’d also be remiss not to clearly and in a compelling way articulate the business opportunity that exists behind or in conjunction with the products. Either so someone can earn enough to get the products for free, or so they can make a little extra money. Or a lotta extra money. And in this economy the financial opportunity component is vital, if not life saving for many, but it MUST be built on something real. And that “something real” is comprised of Univera products that truly change people’s lives.

At the Silver and above reception one of the attendees asked me what I expected from the California group. A great question, and I’m thrilled it was asked—it’s not often that I get a question like that, but it shows me that individual really is focused on unity, cohesion and the mission.

My answer was a simple one: grow

And I didn’t just mean Business Volume. Yeah, do that. Do LOTS of that.

But beyond that, grow as people. As a team. Grow the culture.

What’s the culture?

Help others, including crossteam and outside of your payline. Do the right thing—whether someone is looking or not. Never compromise your integrity to make a few extra bucks—it’ll come back to you in other ways, and even if it didn’t you’ll never feel complete. Offer respect and a listening spirit to your peers and team. Realize it’s a team victory. Conduct open meetings where everyone is welcome and can participate. Leave ego aside. Settle into the amazing things that can be done when we all work together with purposeful intent. Stay committed, don’t wander and meander with other shiny objects. Have fun, and celebrate your success at ALL levels. Give back to the community.

In other words, practice Servant Leadership.

Have fun.

Stay focused.

And continue California Dreamin’.

No doubts, take Lasix only as prescribed by your doctor. Levitra is one of the best-known medications of all time. What is the most significant information you must study about levitra vs cialis? Most doctors say the effectiveness of Levitra is well documented. Absolutely, a sexual problem refers to a problem during any phase of the sexual response cycle that prevents the individual from experiencing satisfaction from the sexual life. Whilst sex is not vital for good health, its doubtless important for anyone. Why it happen? What kinds of professionals treat sexual diseases in men? A common class of antidepressants, which include Zoloft can kill the mood in bedroom.

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PLAYING TO WIN IN 2009

As many of you saw and heard today, we launched a very aggressive plan for this year via a video on our corporate site (us.univera.com), followed by a live call which is available for playback (check your back office for numbers).
It’s a plan to go on offense.

It’s a plan to win.

It’s a plan for your success.
If you have any interest in achieving economic, physical, and personal renewal in 2009 take 28 minutes to watch this video. The decision that you make to get engaged, or more engaged, in Univera can change your life.
BUT, any plan–however good–is only as strong as the execution of that plan.
So today’s entry, albeit a little on the long side (I’m excited!), is about getting it done. Making it happen. Crossing the goal line.
It’s about heart, effort, discipline, and your ultimate success this year. And you can’t wait until June to start to plan for your success if you’re already engaged, you’ve got to start now.

Everybody in this industry talks about goals and dreams (the terms, to a degree, are somewhat interchangeable–though I think goals are more finite and short-term oriented, and dreams often convey a “bigger than life” scenario that are longer-term but oftentimes too esoteric and intangible).

Yet, often with all this great discussion there’s a vitally important missing step.

Action.

There’s a big difference between an accomplishment-oriented dreamer and a daydreamer.

An accomplishment-oriented dreamer sets tangible dreams. A daydreamer doesn’t.

An accomplishment-oriented dreamer tracks and assesses her progress. A daydreamer doesn’t.

An accomplishment-oriented dreamer knows precisely the next action steps needed to move the few steps closer to accomplishment. A daydreamer doesn’t.

The biggest difference is in the action of it.

For example, I hear people tell me all the time they want to “Go Diamond”, and while I think they think they mean it what they often don’t realize is there’s a giant chasm between their desires and accomplishment of their dream. And often it’s the “Next Action Steps.”

Sometimes people don’t realize what it takes to achieve success, but others people know it will require hard work but they just haven’t specified how to begin.

There’s a really good book on organization skills called “Getting Things Done” by David Allen. Pages 75-77 explain a simple concept that’s critical for the success of project management, but dream/goal management isn’t really that much different. It’s just a really really big project. And a really really important one.

The magic on those pages is the simple concept of a “Next Action” for each of the projects. Specifically, every project needs to have a “Next Action” that is required in order to keep it moving. And it’s not what you need to do next year, next quarter, or next month. It’s what you need to do today, tomorrow, or this week.

At Convention I challenged everybody with the “Dream Cubes”, and to try to set an achievable dream/goal in each quadrant of your life: business, cultural, physical, personal.

Then, perhaps equally importantly, on the flip side of the cube there’s a square that lists out the “Next Actions” in order for you to accomplish these dreams. It’s the very things you need to do this week, however small, to move you closer to your dreams.

I’ve been following this process as well, with both some success and failure. Right after Convention I completed my Dream Cube, and I’m including a picture of the front and back below.

rich_goal_card-2009-frontrich_goal_card-2009-back

The front, of course, are my dreams. These are simply stated, and each of them has a timeline for completion–all of them are to be done by the end of 2009. Yours might be radically different, the dreams might be for three or six months from now, or maybe not for another 12-years. Whatever works for you. But once I’m done with one quadrant I’m going to re-up for something that’s bigger or different in each part of my life.

As you look to goal setting for 2009 I would really encourage that you think about the balance in your life and the various areas where you want to make an impact–the business is vitally important, but so are the other areas as well.

For example, for me there are a few important areas outside of business that I’m focused on. One of my culturally dreams is on my mind right now; when we talk about the importance of Servant Leadership in our Company, I think it’s not just about what we do and how we act at the Company but how we serve outside of it. If I’m ONLY trying to serve associates, well, this is good–but there’s a part of my life that is unbalanced, whether that be serving my family, community, etc. So a part of my cultural dream for the next year is to spend some time at an important place to me for a few weeks volunteering, while also participating in some consistent volunteer organizations in my local community.

Naturally, I’m pretty aggressive with my business dreams–being aggressive and focused on the business dreams has never been a problem, though this year I’m writing some very specific “Next Action” steps for each of the areas important to me including the business dreams.

It’s important that each of us realize that if we had a mediocre plan for 2009, we could still achieve great success through phenomenal execution.

But here we are today, with a PHENOMENAL plan. It is unequivocally the best in the industry, created by countless hours of benchmarking, incorporating field feedback, and retrospective analysis of the things that have generated our greatest growth.
We’re here with…

  • A completely committed team.
  • The best leadership in this industry, both inside and outside the Company.
  • The number one compensation plan in Direct Selling.
  • The most superior science of any nutritional products company.
  • An incredible owner filled with passion and commitment, coupled with resources.
And it’s all tied together with a purpose to be the best in the world, and the best for the world.
Which, in part, means binding together the culture that’s so important to each of us. My encouragement to you today is to take and understand our “Playing to Win 2009” plan for your success, and to sit down and ensure you’re working towards targeted goals/dreams in each quadrant of your life, with the appropriate and visible Next Action step required in order for you to move forward today towards your success.
Best of success, health, prosperity, and relationships to each of you and your families in 2009.

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Minors Buying Booze: A Lesson in Serving Others

zoe-and-essentials

Most of you are familiar with my two kids, Royce and Zoe (ages 6 and 5). I realize I’m biased, but they really are adorable and what I love so much about them is their hearts are–usually–so passionate and giving. They are really sweet kids and we’ve been blessed by them in so many ways.

In our house we talk about how we can be better servants to each other and the world. There are plenty of examples where Erica and I fail at this as a couple and also as individuals, but yet we also hope that it’s never by intention and that there are good things that we contribute to our community and family. The words we use, instead of “Servant Leadership”, are “thinking of others.”

So we’ve challenged the kids (and this is Royce’s particular focus this week as it relates to her sister) to consider ways we can “think of others” and act accordingly. Zoe has now developed a bit of a passion for helping the homeless people. Erica and the girls are working at a soup kitchen periodically, and Zoe always wants to give money about to those in need.

homeless-man-signThe other day Erica and the girls were driving around and Zoe saw a guy who needed money on

the street corner–and she all but insisted we give him an Essentials as well as some money. Erica tried to dismiss it, but Zoe was adamant so she obliged.

After passing the money and Essentials over the guy said a casual “thanks” for the money and then exclaimed “AWESOME–PEACE GUYS!!!” when she gave him the Essentials.

Indeed, it was pretty peaceful until that evening.

When Erica and I were returning from a dinner with the other Board members for the Olympia Hands On Childrens Museum we thought we’d stop by a favorite restaurant of ours for a glass of fermented grape juice. For whatever reason, I didn’t park in my regular section. In fact, I pulled onto a sidestreet in Oly that I’ve never been on before, and parked right in front of this little dive bar. As I’m finishing the final turn of the wheel while backing in, Erica’s having a bit of a conniption.

I’m trying to figure out why, amidst her saying “THATS THE GUY, THATS THE GUY!” (Erica never forgets a face, so I’ve stopped second guessing her on these matters, if she says “That’s the guy” then clearly “THAT really IS the guy”).

Well, “that guy” was wearing a really nice cardigan sweater, a comfortable looking pair of jeans, along with some cozy looking boots. He was going into the bar for a drink. Weeknight, a normal looking guy, nicely dressed and looking toasty warm having just pulled up in his pretty modern car.

No big deal, right?

img_0200UNLESS, of course, this was the very same “homeless guy” who was panhandling out on the streets six hours earlier taking money AND an Essentials from a 5-year old kid who didn’t know any better.

So while Erica was debating a confrontation with “the guy”, I reasoned the better of it with her–though not before going inside to try to snap a picture with my iPhone so I could blog about this story later. A terrible but true picture is to the right that I snapped of him sitting at the end of the bar enjoying a tall cold one.

At first it really bothered Erica, and I can see why. You can also see her expression outside the bar below, she’s peeved though also posing for my picture. It’s not just the principle of it, but I think it was that the very innocence and purity of a little girl who simply wanted to help and serve had been manipulated and used.

Yet, this stuff happens all the time when we’re trying to serve others.

As I thought about this story for a day I tried to think about the lesson in it all; it just couldn’t have been coincidence to run into this guy a few hours later.

The lesson for me was a simple one, which is that we’ll forever be disappointed if we try to serve others with an expected result. And, in fact, if the result is conditional upon our service, then it really isn’t an act of unconditional service.

img_0201Is it annoying that a guy was faking life as a homeless man and using the money for beer?

Yep. Especially when it was our kids money (Zoe’s not even six and she’s already bought a drink!). Actually, as I think about it, this was our money, cycled through the hands of our kid, then onto fake-homeless-man.

But I don’t get stuck any deeper emotionally there, and I can’t.

The purpose of being a servant or simply “thinking of others” is to try to serve and be helpful. It’s not to get a favorable response. Or a thank you. Or some sense of satisfaction. Those are bonuses, but not the reason to initiate or take action and give.

There are so many more parallels that are of bigger impact than this particular story; in this case, we invested a tiny bit of money, an Essentials, and a giving spirit into the deal. It really isn’t a downer, in fact it’s quirky enough to use it as an example to illustrate a bigger point.

There are so many other times where I have seen others, or experienced myself, a genuine and sincere outreach or expression of compassion, gratitude, and desire to help others. Only to never see the result (which to me is easy to handle), or worse, get a response that’s unfavorable or even unappreciative.

Have you ever seen someone respond to an outreach of compassion with either unappreciative behavior, or worse? Of course. That’s life.

But, then, after seeing that type of behavior, do you ever think to yourself, “Well, if I had known he was going to respond that way then I would never have XYZ (pick your act of service)…”

This is the danger for all of us as it relates to building a community or family of culture and service.

A genuine act of service is one in which there should be no expected return on investment, otherwise it makes the service conditional. Conditional upon someone doing something good with it, or appreciating it, or thanking you, or being nice to you, or whatever.

So at first while I think Erica regretted Zoe’s gift giving of the fake-homeless-guy, and she resented him for it, after a bit of dialogue the perspective changed.

It was in Zoe’s heart to give the gift, and it was done unconditionally, which is the way it should be done without an expectation for any result.

And, like in all scenarios, even though the outcome visible to us might not always be the outcome we expected or desired in our hearts–there’s always more to the story, and often the more-to-the-story is what you never see.

Maybe a 5-year old giving a gift to this guy pinged his heart in some way at some point, or maybe it will cause him to do something different the next day. Maybe he will compelled to take another course of action for his own future. Or maybe he’ll just keep vamboozling little kids and will buy more and more beer.

And same goes for the person that you recently served with whom you didn’t get the response you expected. What matters most is in the givers heart, and the work that we have to do is not worry about how recipients respond but how the giver gives. That’s all we can control.

And in the case of Fake-Olympia-Homelessman-Who-Swindles-Kids-and-Buys-Beer, I’m taking a cue from Zoe who after gifting the guy simply said “I feel good, that was a nice thing to do.”

That’s really all that matters.

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Loving Left Foot

Post Convention is a little bit like a sugar crash.

Most of us went through the week with a combination of post-event elation and a little bit of fog. So while a somewhat low key week, it was also a bit of a decompression week that was filled with moments of laughter and peaks of enthusiasm when reliving the events of Convention. Again, a great event and thanks to every single person — inside and outside the Company — who helped to make it happen.

So the best way to get out of a sugar crash is to either, a) avoid it in the first place, or b) eat some more sugar. 🙂

left-foot-1left-foot-4Which led us to another back-to-back weekend activity. Yes, the weekend RIGHT AFTER Convention led to our Sunday activity which served as our annual “Serve First” work project!

left-foot-5Every July represents a service month for Univera; it’s really more a symbolic month in that what we hope and aspire to accomplish are works of service throughout the year, both to each other as well as within our community. And I know of many people who are involved in various volunteer capacities on a weekly or monthly basis throughout the year — which is fantastic.

left-foot-6What I love about Serve First is that numerous wonderful contributions to communities throughout North America spring up every year and every month. In fact, I’d love to hear what some of you are doing across Canada and the U.S. during the month or July.

left-foot-7So our (reminder: when I say “our” it is the collective field/company = together/team use of the word) annual Serve First project is with a local non-profit called “Left Foot Organics.” You can get more info about their mission on their Web site: www.leftfootorganics.com.

left-foot-2left-foot-3The day was an absolute blast, beautiful and sunny day with clear skies and a near-perfect temperature coupled with some fantastic company for about four hours. We really did have a great time working in the fields, gardening, pulling garlic, weeding, water fights (these were sporadic and largely initiated by Meredith Berkich’s son, though he then also recruited kids–including my own — to join in the mischievous fun) and various other activities which both served to help the Left Foot group catch up on some of their projects and gave each of us some great enjoyment. I was thrilled and honored that so many people came to this project from up in Seattle and down in the Portland area. Thanks to each of you who came and spent the day helping a local community project, as well as enjoying people on the team.

left-foot-8Next year’s event will be posted to a calendar or the NYCU sometime soon, but we expect it will be the third weekend in July. Finally, yes, of course I was joking about the best way to get over a sugar crash is to eat more sugar…not that I haven’t tried that in the past, though.

No doubts, take Lasix only as prescribed by your doc. Levitra is one of the best-known medications of all period. What is the most significant information you must study about levitra vs cialis? Most doctors say the effectiveness of Levitra is well documented. Absolutely, a sexual problem refers to a problem during any phase of the sexual response cycle that prevents the individual from experiencing satisfaction from the sexual life. Whilst sex is not vital for good heartiness, its doubtless important for anyone. Why it happen? What kinds of professionals treat sexual diseases in men? A common class of antidepressants, which include Zoloft can kill the mood in bedroom.