Dr. D. James Kennedy of Coral Ridge Presbyterian told me this funny story. Yes, Presbyterian’s have a sense of humor, a heavenly humor!
One day a very successful business man who had made it a point over the years to donate 10% of his profits back to the community, came to Dr. K with this dilemma. “Dr. Kennedy” he said. “I am in a situation where my 10% donations have come to a very large amount of money. I am thinking that I need to cut back. What do you think?” Dr. Kennedy replied: “Sir, I think we need to pray about this.” The successful business man agreed. “Yes, let’s do that.” So Dr. K began to pray. “Dear Lord please lower this man’s income to a place where he can comfortably donate 10% again.”
OOPS! Some of you don’t get this joke! Because some of you have never thought about donating back to the community, shoot, that’s what our overburden tax payments are for, right. Sure it is. But giving back to the community has far greater returns. Stop! Don’t think I’m going all religious on you.
There are tangible benefits to giving back to the community. For one thing, if you give enough, you'll be able to use the charitable deduction on your income tax. For another, giving back to the community can raise your business' profile and even bring you more customers or clients.
Many businesses even include their charitable work in their advertisements, potential customers like the sense of being able to combine their pleasure in patronizing a business with the pleasurable sense of helping others.
But lastly, community service is about building a stronger community and a stronger community means better customers!
Let me tell you about a business in the city I live in, Flint, Michigan. Teton Business Solutions. Teton is a company that helps other companies in a multiple of areas; Hiring, tax consulting, payroll, employee training and bunches more. But along with their drive to create quality business solutions they also have a community heart.
I can’t at this time talk about the details of what their doing here in our community because a lot of it is still in the making and I don’t think they need or want to be praised for what they think of as a “natural thing to do”, but let me tell you that they’ve taken what there good at and used it to start up a community workforce program with Carriage Town Ministries, a place where the “Homeless” or “Jobless” can go to find work. WOW! Do you understand what that means to a community? Those folks that are out walking our streets, panhandling for money, filling the shelters, now have the opportunity to get back into mainstream sociality.
Learn more about Carriage Town Ministries at:
http://www.carriagetown.org/
Showing posts with label funny. Show all posts
Showing posts with label funny. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Can Making Fun of Yourself, be Good for Business?
Our
society does find self-deprecating humor endearing, we enjoy when others reveal
their life failures, especially if it’s relatable to our own. It might even be good for us to laugh at ourselves once in a while! Yet, can making
fun of your Business have benefits?
We’re
thinking that to a limited extent, it can. Sure, you don’t normally want to
make fun of your employees, product or services. But then again, you just might
want to!
Try
this one out, for a restaurant: “We have the slowest service in town!” WITH THE
TAG LINE: “That’s because we make each order individually with loving care!”
This is a fun way to explain to your customers that you care about the food you
serve and teaches them that excellent food takes time. Course, it could also be
used to cover-up your poor service management! LOL
Or
How
about this one for a Rock Band: “Don’t come out to hear us tonight!” WITH THE
TAG LINE: “Cuz we turn the volume up way to LOUD!” This might really discourage
some attendees, but will energies others. Most likely, those “energetic” ones, knowing
what to expect, are the ones that will make a special effort to come out, enjoy
your show, and give you the best reviews!
Now,
what would it be like if a City used self-deprecating humor about itself? Let’s
say a City like the one I live in, Flint, Michigan. Most all of you have heard
of my city of Flint; “Murder capital of the country.” “But, we are hoping to
get the world ranking soon!” “The most dangerous city in the country, flax vest
await you at our border!”” When we say, built Flint Tough, we’re not talking
about the cars!” “All our sports teams are named the “Flames,” cause they
really are on FIRE!” “Come to Flint, if you’re looking for a job! Everyone else
is too!”
Okay,
okay, I could go on and on, and although this kind of humor does point a
negative spotlight on my city, could it also be used to promote the City?
Could
negative promotion create positive results? This might be a dangerous idea in
promoting a city, especial, one that has been working so hard to destroy its own
negative self-image.
Let’s
think about it. Could promoting our bad boy image to the country be used as
cover while we actually improve our city?!
Could someday, the very people that laughed at our city actually begin
to see that it is becoming a safe, honorable place to live?
Could
exploiting our negative image allow us to laugh all the way to the bank? Could
marketing our City’s “toughness”, be made profitable? Sad to say, I believe it
could. Sad, because our country thrives on the “bad boy” image, the western “shot’em
up” mentality, gansta want-ta-be’s, and we could use that craze to make a
profit!
I
already regret writing this! Some of you will believe I’ve hit on a brilliant
idea and actually go about implementing it. This is not what I want my City’s
image to be. Not even for a PROFIT! NOT even if it cured our un-employment, not
even if it put public services back on our streets.
Sometime
the right way of doing things is the toughest way. “WE ARE FLINT, AND WE ARE DANGEROUS!”
Check
out some positively dangerous Flint sites!
Facebook:
“Positively Flint” “Bring Two to
Flint” “Flint Home Buying”
Websites:
“Carriage Town Media” “Damascus
Road Church, Flint”
Blogs:
“Funny Business” “The Way You
Should Live”
Flint
Photos:
“Fine Art American/Positively
Flint Gallery” Marketplace on Facebook “Positively
Michigan”
ctmediaflint@gmail.com
Carriage Town Media Social Media Management Starting @ $50.00 per Month. We don't control your site, we just improve it! We can post on all your social media sites! Let us post the information that your customers/friends need to know! Timely and Correctly! This months special: We can TOTALLY run your sites! $150.00 per month! LEARN MORE, CLICK HERE! . https://sites.google.com/site/carragetownmedia/ Email: ctmediaflint@gmail.com
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
An Irish Business Song?!
No, Nay, never, No, nay never no more. Will I play the wild rover, No, Nay, never, no more ...Irish Folk song
Negative thinking stops the flow:
I’ve worked as a professional improvisational comic and improv instructor for many years and I have personally seen many instances relating to the stories of Malcolm Gladwell, from his book “Blink”. He uses as an analogy that I can relates to in how negative words can stop the flow towards a goal. He tells about how while he was sitting in on a improv class, he watched first hand how the word “no” can stop the flow of a scene and how the that stoppage of flow was relatable to our everyday lives. In his story he describes a group improvising a scene that went something like this.
A: I’m having trouble with my leg.
B: I’m afraid I’ll have to amputate.
A: You can’t do that, doctor.
B: Why not?
A: Because I’m rather attached to it.
B: Come on, man.
A: I’ve got this growth on my arm too, Doctor.
The trouble with the scene was that by using a negative “You can’t do that, Doctor.” it gave his partner no were to go. It stopped the flow. The B player had nothing to build on, nothing to work with in creating a new thought. One of the very first things I teach my students is to “Never say NO! Never deny, always be accepting and always be building.”
If the player hadn’t used the stopping word “Can’t” the scene may have moved along and flowed something like this:
A: I’m having trouble with my leg.
B: I’m afraid I’ll have to amputate.
A: But it’s the one you amputated last week.
B: So you’re having problems with your wooden leg?
A: Yes, it’s hurts.
B: Let me take a look. Sure enough you have termites.
A: Termites! Is that bad.
B: It’s not good.
A: Can you fix it?
B: Sure, comeback on Wednesday, on Wednesdays I do wood work!
See how words can stop the thinking flow in others as well as ourselves? Did you see how using open words, allowed his partner to open his mind to the flow of creating?
How to stop a negative: By using a double negative against it? NO, NEVER!
I can hear what you are thinking right now. Your thinking: “I want to stop my negative thoughts so I will just say no to negative thinking!” Oops, using a negative to fight a negative is not going to work. But replacing a negative with a positive will. Don’t worry about the math, that’s for someone else to figure out. In removing negatives from our vocabulary and our thinking, you will be leaving a void that will have to be refilled with something. So we need to fill that void with something else. That something else is positive speaking and positive thinking.
Today’s Assignment: You are going to be conscious of how many times you use negative words. Right now, just say to yourself that this is what you’re going to do today. “I am going to be conscious of how many times the words no, nay, never, no more, are used in my vocabulary and thoughts”. (Okay, so you won’t use the word "nay" too much).
This doesn’t mean you can’t say the word no. Later we will even discuss when it is imperative to say no. Common sense will dictate your use of the word, but watch how many times you use the negative form of the verb. Then try to think about how you could have restated or to have inverted the sentence to a positive.
Example: “No Johnny you can’t do that.” USE: “Johnny instead of doing that, how about you doing this.
Example: “I can’t get this work done on time.” USE: “I can get this work done on time, but let’s take a moment to figure out how.”
Example: “I don’t have the money to fix this” USE: “So I need how much? Okay let’s find the money”
Example: I will not drink (Insert anything you don’t want to do) any more.” USE an alterative statement, “I am going to start “exercising” (Insert what you do want to do) more.”
Remember words are incredibly powerful. The uses of words affect our thought process and our bodies. The words you use can create a bad day or a fantastic, fulfilling, abundant day.
So go out and have a fantastic day! Remember; we're all in this together!
P.S. The Irish Folk song “No, Nay, never, No, nay never no more.” was written by a Irishman that was about to be married. He used the negative words as a means to contemplate and keep his marital vows, which actually worked against him, as the negative thinking turned into reality. Not the positive outcome he imagined. He went on to later to pen a song for Brittney Spears named: “Opps, I did it again”
P.S.S Just kidding! Stephen James
Funny Business is a humorous look at some serious issues your business or organizations have to address. http://funnybusinessbystephenjames.blogspot.com
Negative thinking stops the flow:
I’ve worked as a professional improvisational comic and improv instructor for many years and I have personally seen many instances relating to the stories of Malcolm Gladwell, from his book “Blink”. He uses as an analogy that I can relates to in how negative words can stop the flow towards a goal. He tells about how while he was sitting in on a improv class, he watched first hand how the word “no” can stop the flow of a scene and how the that stoppage of flow was relatable to our everyday lives. In his story he describes a group improvising a scene that went something like this.
A: I’m having trouble with my leg.
B: I’m afraid I’ll have to amputate.
A: You can’t do that, doctor.
B: Why not?
A: Because I’m rather attached to it.
B: Come on, man.
A: I’ve got this growth on my arm too, Doctor.
The trouble with the scene was that by using a negative “You can’t do that, Doctor.” it gave his partner no were to go. It stopped the flow. The B player had nothing to build on, nothing to work with in creating a new thought. One of the very first things I teach my students is to “Never say NO! Never deny, always be accepting and always be building.”
If the player hadn’t used the stopping word “Can’t” the scene may have moved along and flowed something like this:
A: I’m having trouble with my leg.
B: I’m afraid I’ll have to amputate.
A: But it’s the one you amputated last week.
B: So you’re having problems with your wooden leg?
A: Yes, it’s hurts.
B: Let me take a look. Sure enough you have termites.
A: Termites! Is that bad.
B: It’s not good.
A: Can you fix it?
B: Sure, comeback on Wednesday, on Wednesdays I do wood work!
See how words can stop the thinking flow in others as well as ourselves? Did you see how using open words, allowed his partner to open his mind to the flow of creating?
How to stop a negative: By using a double negative against it? NO, NEVER!
I can hear what you are thinking right now. Your thinking: “I want to stop my negative thoughts so I will just say no to negative thinking!” Oops, using a negative to fight a negative is not going to work. But replacing a negative with a positive will. Don’t worry about the math, that’s for someone else to figure out. In removing negatives from our vocabulary and our thinking, you will be leaving a void that will have to be refilled with something. So we need to fill that void with something else. That something else is positive speaking and positive thinking.
Today’s Assignment: You are going to be conscious of how many times you use negative words. Right now, just say to yourself that this is what you’re going to do today. “I am going to be conscious of how many times the words no, nay, never, no more, are used in my vocabulary and thoughts”. (Okay, so you won’t use the word "nay" too much).
This doesn’t mean you can’t say the word no. Later we will even discuss when it is imperative to say no. Common sense will dictate your use of the word, but watch how many times you use the negative form of the verb. Then try to think about how you could have restated or to have inverted the sentence to a positive.
Example: “No Johnny you can’t do that.” USE: “Johnny instead of doing that, how about you doing this.
Example: “I can’t get this work done on time.” USE: “I can get this work done on time, but let’s take a moment to figure out how.”
Example: “I don’t have the money to fix this” USE: “So I need how much? Okay let’s find the money”
Example: I will not drink (Insert anything you don’t want to do) any more.” USE an alterative statement, “I am going to start “exercising” (Insert what you do want to do) more.”
Remember words are incredibly powerful. The uses of words affect our thought process and our bodies. The words you use can create a bad day or a fantastic, fulfilling, abundant day.
So go out and have a fantastic day! Remember; we're all in this together!
P.S. The Irish Folk song “No, Nay, never, No, nay never no more.” was written by a Irishman that was about to be married. He used the negative words as a means to contemplate and keep his marital vows, which actually worked against him, as the negative thinking turned into reality. Not the positive outcome he imagined. He went on to later to pen a song for Brittney Spears named: “Opps, I did it again”
P.S.S Just kidding! Stephen James
Funny Business is a humorous look at some serious issues your business or organizations have to address. http://funnybusinessbystephenjames.blogspot.com
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
A Confidence Scheme
“Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt.” William Shakespeare
Some may think that confidence is the opposite of humility. People sometimes even equate confidence with arrogance. That is a mistake. Rather than being the opposite of confidence, we need to understand that humility is an entirely separate issue.
The truly confident person is one that can fully embrace and celebrate their strengths and talents, and yet never forgets their humanity. They can admit mistakes and failings and yet never feel like a failure. It’s true, your failures do make you stronger. Nothing you endeavor in is ever worthless. You always walk away with more knowledge, being more prepared to attempt and succeed in the next endeavourer.
A person must live in gratitude for the abilities they have been given and never fail to see the giftedness in others. Never be jealous of others talents but willing to learn from what other’s talents can teach us. Understanding that within ourselves we too have a inner genius that must be in continuous development. We must always be learning, always trying and never, never give up. These elements make up true and lasting confidence.
Living with confidence because you’re a genius!
You’ve heard it said “Necessity is the mother of invention” Well I say “Creativity is the mother of invention”. I define genius as finding your very own inner creative menes. That’s right, menes, our bodies are built with genes, that is what makes each of us as physical individuals. Our menes are the parts that make up our personality. Just as each of us have physical genius: or physical abilities such as balance, flexibility, reflexes, strength, movement, all equaling our physical capabilities. Our menes are the parts that make up our personal genius that we are mentaly capable of.
It’s not just about your tested mental IQ. To find the sum of your menes or genius takes the wiliness to commit to the search of your genius, testing and looking for its limits and abilities just as we do with our bodies. It doesn’t just come to you like a bolt of lighting, sure some find their physical genius early like the ability to play pro baseball while others get to publicly display their mental genius like the famous genius of Einstein or Leonardo. Just because you’ve not been on television or someone hasn’t written a book about you does not mean you’re not a genius! Most genius is un-published! It can be found in the everyday of living. It’s found in the little bits of brilliance of our daily living and it can be developed into adding value to everyone else’s daily living! There is no test created for your personal genius. You have to write it yourself!
Everyone has their own inner genius for which they are superior at doing. We all have a genius within our own nitch. Think about this! If you where stranded on a desert island and living in a cave and one night you heard something rustling around in the bushes outside. Who would you really want to be there in the cave with you? Einstein!? What would he do? Confuse the creature with his theory of gravity. No! you want someone with the genius of bravery or the genius of survival or the genius of mimicking the scary sounds of a shell being racked into a sawed off shotgun.
You should be committed! It all starts in the doing. One step at a time, one foot before the other. Committed to the long walk.
Here are the first steps! Takes approximately 20 minutes.
1) If you liked what you have read here or want to learn more, commit to a day and time for continuing to stopping by this site and reading what’s going on.
2) Think about 10 things you like to do. Count them out on your fingers.
3) Write a personal resume. Not a work resume but a resume of your life. Write down the things that you like to do: fishing, reading books, watching movies, painting, organizing your sock drawer, talking to people. List everything you like to do.
4) List the education you have: classes that you liked taking, books you have read, life experiences, places that you have traveled to, things that people have taught you.
5) List jobs that you have done, not just paying jobs: Pick out the parts of the job you liked best or feel you did best at.
6) When you’re finished just set it aside for the night. The next day look for the pattern of things that you really like doing or felt good doing. Be proud in seeing the things you like to do and look how those are the things you always seem to see though to completion.
7) On a big piece of paper draw a large inverted triangle: with the point at the bottom, the widest area at the top. Write out words or short sentences representing the thing you like to do or are good at within the triangle.
8) Now start thinking about the list and watch as you melt the overall list into just a couple of short sentences that can be written underneath the point at the bottom of the triangle. Those sentences are what you should be doing. Don’t be inhibited with coming to a conclusion that it doesn’t look to be rational. Don’t look at “what you should be doing” as needing to be practical. Don’t see the outcome as not having any monetary reward. Just look at it for what it is.
9) Next time we get together we will discuss how to make what you like to do into a money making reality.
10) I acknowledge I do not have the genius of grammar, spelling or in the written word but I am better at it than I used to be and will be better at it as I continue to work this menes’ muscle. Thanks for your genius of understanding my inadequacies.
Yours, Stephen James
Some may think that confidence is the opposite of humility. People sometimes even equate confidence with arrogance. That is a mistake. Rather than being the opposite of confidence, we need to understand that humility is an entirely separate issue.
The truly confident person is one that can fully embrace and celebrate their strengths and talents, and yet never forgets their humanity. They can admit mistakes and failings and yet never feel like a failure. It’s true, your failures do make you stronger. Nothing you endeavor in is ever worthless. You always walk away with more knowledge, being more prepared to attempt and succeed in the next endeavourer.
A person must live in gratitude for the abilities they have been given and never fail to see the giftedness in others. Never be jealous of others talents but willing to learn from what other’s talents can teach us. Understanding that within ourselves we too have a inner genius that must be in continuous development. We must always be learning, always trying and never, never give up. These elements make up true and lasting confidence.
Living with confidence because you’re a genius!
You’ve heard it said “Necessity is the mother of invention” Well I say “Creativity is the mother of invention”. I define genius as finding your very own inner creative menes. That’s right, menes, our bodies are built with genes, that is what makes each of us as physical individuals. Our menes are the parts that make up our personality. Just as each of us have physical genius: or physical abilities such as balance, flexibility, reflexes, strength, movement, all equaling our physical capabilities. Our menes are the parts that make up our personal genius that we are mentaly capable of.
It’s not just about your tested mental IQ. To find the sum of your menes or genius takes the wiliness to commit to the search of your genius, testing and looking for its limits and abilities just as we do with our bodies. It doesn’t just come to you like a bolt of lighting, sure some find their physical genius early like the ability to play pro baseball while others get to publicly display their mental genius like the famous genius of Einstein or Leonardo. Just because you’ve not been on television or someone hasn’t written a book about you does not mean you’re not a genius! Most genius is un-published! It can be found in the everyday of living. It’s found in the little bits of brilliance of our daily living and it can be developed into adding value to everyone else’s daily living! There is no test created for your personal genius. You have to write it yourself!
Everyone has their own inner genius for which they are superior at doing. We all have a genius within our own nitch. Think about this! If you where stranded on a desert island and living in a cave and one night you heard something rustling around in the bushes outside. Who would you really want to be there in the cave with you? Einstein!? What would he do? Confuse the creature with his theory of gravity. No! you want someone with the genius of bravery or the genius of survival or the genius of mimicking the scary sounds of a shell being racked into a sawed off shotgun.
You should be committed! It all starts in the doing. One step at a time, one foot before the other. Committed to the long walk.
Here are the first steps! Takes approximately 20 minutes.
1) If you liked what you have read here or want to learn more, commit to a day and time for continuing to stopping by this site and reading what’s going on.
2) Think about 10 things you like to do. Count them out on your fingers.
3) Write a personal resume. Not a work resume but a resume of your life. Write down the things that you like to do: fishing, reading books, watching movies, painting, organizing your sock drawer, talking to people. List everything you like to do.
4) List the education you have: classes that you liked taking, books you have read, life experiences, places that you have traveled to, things that people have taught you.
5) List jobs that you have done, not just paying jobs: Pick out the parts of the job you liked best or feel you did best at.
6) When you’re finished just set it aside for the night. The next day look for the pattern of things that you really like doing or felt good doing. Be proud in seeing the things you like to do and look how those are the things you always seem to see though to completion.
7) On a big piece of paper draw a large inverted triangle: with the point at the bottom, the widest area at the top. Write out words or short sentences representing the thing you like to do or are good at within the triangle.
8) Now start thinking about the list and watch as you melt the overall list into just a couple of short sentences that can be written underneath the point at the bottom of the triangle. Those sentences are what you should be doing. Don’t be inhibited with coming to a conclusion that it doesn’t look to be rational. Don’t look at “what you should be doing” as needing to be practical. Don’t see the outcome as not having any monetary reward. Just look at it for what it is.
9) Next time we get together we will discuss how to make what you like to do into a money making reality.
10) I acknowledge I do not have the genius of grammar, spelling or in the written word but I am better at it than I used to be and will be better at it as I continue to work this menes’ muscle. Thanks for your genius of understanding my inadequacies.
Yours, Stephen James
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Moe Howard of the “Three Stooges”, displayed incredible leadership abilities and now you can too!
[After a prolonged fight in the dark where everyone keeps hitting the wrong people before finally knocking out the bad guys]
Moe Howard: “I knew you'd get the right ones if you kept on swinging. You knuckleheads”!
I’ve read countless books on leadership and how to be a better leader. But finding stuff written about how a person can become a real leader and not just one in appearance are few and far between.
Here’s some hints and tip on leadership that have been given: Let just say they’re from the Moe Howard School of Leadership.
Remind people that you are in charge. “You guys are nothing but a bunch of Knuckleheads” Moe Howard
Never linger after a meeting. Leave A.S.A.P. so others think you’re off on more important matters. “Shut up your mouth, if I want your opinion I’d give it to you!” Moe Howard
Don’t make friends with underlings. “I can’t waste my time talking to you boneheads!” Moe Howard
Being a good leader is about being more than what you appear to be. The secret is……Integrity, gentleness and empathy.
Integrity is the incorporation of outward actions from inner values. A person of integrity is the same on the outside as on the inside.
Gentleness is best defined as: Someone with the power to crush another person but doesn’t use it. If I have to explain to you what that means then you don’t have leadership abilities, but you might make a good Moe Howard.
Empathy: "The ability to share in another's emotions, thoughts or feelings." -- Webster's New World Dictionary
If you want to persuade and influence people to buy into your vision and your leadership, you must first question them to understand them. But you must also share some of your own personal dreams, aspirations and fears so that you create a bond of mutual respect.
The best workers in the world are ones that have a personal bond to the organization they work for. Don’t create a workplace of fearful, robot, yes men. Let the most important asset your company has; be unleashed to bring you their ideas and opinions that may, just turn out to be, the best idea your company ever had!
Remember! Be the leader you would want to follow. This will inspire others to emulate you and your values.
Stephen James
Funny Business is a humorous look at some serious issues your business or organizations have to address. http://funnybusinessbystephenjames.blogspot.com/
Moe Howard: “I knew you'd get the right ones if you kept on swinging. You knuckleheads”!
I’ve read countless books on leadership and how to be a better leader. But finding stuff written about how a person can become a real leader and not just one in appearance are few and far between.
Here’s some hints and tip on leadership that have been given: Let just say they’re from the Moe Howard School of Leadership.
Remind people that you are in charge. “You guys are nothing but a bunch of Knuckleheads” Moe Howard
Never linger after a meeting. Leave A.S.A.P. so others think you’re off on more important matters. “Shut up your mouth, if I want your opinion I’d give it to you!” Moe Howard
Don’t make friends with underlings. “I can’t waste my time talking to you boneheads!” Moe Howard
Being a good leader is about being more than what you appear to be. The secret is……Integrity, gentleness and empathy.
Integrity is the incorporation of outward actions from inner values. A person of integrity is the same on the outside as on the inside.
Gentleness is best defined as: Someone with the power to crush another person but doesn’t use it. If I have to explain to you what that means then you don’t have leadership abilities, but you might make a good Moe Howard.
Empathy: "The ability to share in another's emotions, thoughts or feelings." -- Webster's New World Dictionary
If you want to persuade and influence people to buy into your vision and your leadership, you must first question them to understand them. But you must also share some of your own personal dreams, aspirations and fears so that you create a bond of mutual respect.
The best workers in the world are ones that have a personal bond to the organization they work for. Don’t create a workplace of fearful, robot, yes men. Let the most important asset your company has; be unleashed to bring you their ideas and opinions that may, just turn out to be, the best idea your company ever had!
Remember! Be the leader you would want to follow. This will inspire others to emulate you and your values.
Stephen James
Funny Business is a humorous look at some serious issues your business or organizations have to address. http://funnybusinessbystephenjames.blogspot.com/
Friday, June 22, 2012
Finding Your Life Passion!
Make a list of the things you do for fun, or that you really enjoy. Include in the list the parts of your job that you really like, the things you volunteer for. Example: Mentoring children (Working with your church or a community organization), type of sports, the arts (Music, painting, poetry, theater, ect.), organizing things (At work or home), reading, writing, meeting people, eating.
How do you choose to spend your free time?
This list is of your passions; the things that you love to do, or would do simply for the pleasure they bring you.
Now, write down the names of people that you admire, and why you admire them. For example, you might admire Patch Adams for choosing to step out of the traditional role of medicine and creating new ways of healing and connecting with his patients while also having fun. You might admire Oprah Winfrey for choosing to reveal her truth, at a time when concealing is the norm.
Name as many as you can think of. When you're done, look at the list and know that what you appreciate about others is also in you. You are attracted to these qualities, because they speak to you, and they speak to you, because they are a part of your path. This is your Attraction list.
Now, make a list of the things you do naturally without even thinking about it. (You may want to ask others for feedback, as it's common for them to see talents in us that we don't see ourselves) Such natural talents may be: an eye for detail, a great sense of humor, a nurturing side, the ability to focus intently, or being playful. (Consider also, the things you've done that have gotten you into trouble--oftentimes if you turn them around and look at the positive aspects of it, you'll find a gem of a natural talent that you previously hadn't appreciated)
These are your genius. Genius comes easily and profoundly, without needing to expend a lot of energy. Some people are geniuses at math or music; but there are lots of other types of genius as well. There are genius mothers, genius teachers, genius listeners, and genius independent thinkers.
We are meant to use our genius in service of our Life Purpose.
Now, imagine you're a billionaire with no worries about money. What would you do? Add those things to the list, even if you don't do them now. This is your No Worries list.
Now look over your list of Passions, Attraction, Genius and No Worries lists,
Let them all melt together.
You are now on your way to finding your Life Passion! Enjoy the ride!
If you’re looking to re-energize your Staff, inspire your Marketing Department or to encourage your Board to think “Out of the Box”, “The Stephen James Comedy Troupe Corporate Team Building” will work together with you in delivering the message you want to give! Team Building
CONTACT US AT:Email: stephenjamescomedy@gmail.com
Thursday, July 14, 2011
WHY PEOPLE ARE LATE...
WHY PEOPLE ARE LATE...
AND WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT!
by Alyce Cornyn-Selby
Why is it that it’s always the most talented employee you have seems to have some kind of irritating habit! Example; Lateness.
You’re on time. You see no reason why everyone shouldn’t be on time. What is it about
time that some people just don’t “get”? Whether the perennially late person is in your personal life or your professional life, it can create stress for you to the point that it may disrupt work and ruin relationships.
Four reasons why people are late (to appointments or with scheduled assignments):
Because you make excuses for their lateness. Yes, sometime we employers cover for late arriving employees. This is mostly done because the late employee is so good for our business in other ways that we cut them a break that we wouldn’t cut for others for being late. This just empowers the late employee to continue to be late.
They’re late and they don’t know their behavior is a problem for others.
1) They’re late because they’re living up to a reputation for being late. Take this quiz. Who sang: “I’m late, I’m late...for a very important date”? We all recognize the rabbit from Alice in Wonderland. “I’m late, I’m late” was the bunny’s mantra; he said it over and over to himself. His reputation was his identity. He was the late character. Many people have become like this rabbit. They think of themselves as people who are always late so, guess what? They’re late. It becomes a part of how they think the world sees them and therefore, how they must be.
2) They’re late because they’re too optimistic. I know you’ve been told to look on the sunny side of the street but optimism can get in the way when you say to yourself, “I can make it across town in 15 minutes.” Yeah, sure, if it’s 3 a.m. on a holiday and you catch all the green lights, maybe! The optimist thinks that the car will start; the parking place will be there, the computer won’t go down, the weather will hold, planes will fly on time. They cut the time so close that if the slightest thing goes wrong--they’re late (again).
3) They’re late because there’s no reward for being on time. “Behavior that is acknowledged will increase in frequency.” This is a basic pearl of behavioral psychology. Fear, pain, boredom and anger are primary motivating factors in human beings. Unless there is a reward for being on time...or a punishment for not being on time...why not be late?
4) They’re late because they’re “drama queens.” Don’t let the title fool you. At least half of all “drama queens” are male. A true drama queen may even be addicted to their own adrenaline.
If you’ve recognized your boss or yourself or your teenager or your spouse. Now what can you do about it? A problem can’t be solved until you make it important enough to solve. Decide that this is an issue that you want to do something about. Once you’ve decided “Yeah, I’ve had enough,” here are five things you can do.
1. Come clean. Tell your late person what effect their lateness is having
on your job performance, your relationship. Use only “I” statements, not “you” statements. “I’m uncomfortable with having to cover for you.” “We’ve got this scheduling system and any lateness puts a strain on the system--there’s no margin for error.”
2. Don’t label someone late or make jokes about their lateness. It makes it part of how they see themselves and they become stuck with it as a behavior pattern even when they don’t want it.
3. If you’re late person is of the optimistic variety, diplomatically direct this person to reality. The optimist requires retraining and you’ll need patience with this person but don’t just do nothing. A reassuring tone of voice and simple statement of fact...repeated frequently...will help the late person rethink their priorities. “Let’s treat ourselves to a little stress reduction,” you say, “and get this out early.”
4. If they’re late because they sincerely love the action and chaos it creates, you’ve got a special problem. They’re action junkies or drama queens. It’s OK for them to be that way but it’s also OK for you to not want to participate. Take yourself out of the Game. “I know it’s exciting to nearly miss an airplane but it’s not fun for me anymore.” “It was exhilarating the first time we had to get that report done overnight but it’s getting boring now.” Bored is the last thing the drama queen wants to hear. They create chaos to avoid boredom. If you express the idea that the chaos is now boring, they are apt to change.
5. Reward behavior you want repeated. I had to work with a chronically late person and I did not have the sophisticated tools listed above but I knew that you train dogs by rewarding good behavior. It works with people too. I had an idea but I didn’t know if I had the nerve to pull it off. I bought a gift and wrapped it in paper and ribbon. I had it with me and when the appointed hour came I told myself that if he arrived on time, I would reward him with the gift. If he did not arrive on time, I would tell him, “I was going to give you this gift if you arrived on time...but, maybe next time,” and then put the gift away. The next appointment, he was on time and I gave him the gift. He was always on time after that. When was the last time you thanked or rewarded someone for being on time?
It proved to me that people can do it. They can be on time. Being on time gets to be a habit.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Funny Business Friday. Weekend business jokes!
A bad day fishing is better than a good day at work.
A bird in the bush usually has a friend in there with him.
A bird in the hand is always safer than one overhead.
A bird in the hand is dead.
A bird in the hand makes it hard to blow your nose.
A boss with no humor is like a job that is no fun.
A clean tie attracts the soup of the day.
A closed mouth gathers no foot.
A committee is a group that keeps minutes and loses hours. - Milton Berle
A committee is twelve men doing the work of one.
A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking.
A consensus means that everyone agrees to say collectively what no one believes individually. - Abba Eban
A conservative is a man who believes that nothing should be done for the first time.
A conservative is a man with two perfectly good legs who has never learned to walk. - Franklin D. Roosevelt
A consultant is an ordinary person a long way from home.
A coup that is known in advance is a coup that does not take place.
A couple of months in the lab can often save a couple of hours in the library.
A crisis is when you cannot say "let's just forget the whole thing."
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Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Time to Start Thinking About Taking a Vacation!
Time to start thinking about a vacation! Yup, now is the time. This week snuggle up with your laptop, warming your legs, and start creating your own dream vacation! Okay, so maybe the economy has you unable to take that “Dream Vacation” at this time but, you can always start planning to take a trip within you own local area. You might be surprised when you learn that there are so many cool places to go within your city or state. While I lived in Florida, I used to think it was incredible how many local people would tell me they hadn't been to the beach in years! It was right in their back-yards! Here in Flint, Michigan where I live now, I can think of a dozen neat places to go and see.
Take a few minutes or maybe the afternoon, either daydreaming of your dream vacation or the reality of planning a shorter local trip out-of-town. Check out some of these sites I’ve put together for great vacation ideas. If you ever feel the need to get away, even if it’s just while sitting in the office, check out “The Way You Should Live” for a “One Minute Vacation”.
Flint Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Pure Michigan
Superior Travel
Travel Brokers Inc.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Guy Gossip, Garlic Pills & Genesee Tower
Today being Tuesday, I awoke to prepare for my weekly 8a.m. meeting with the guys at one of the local coffee beaneries.
It’s been our routine over the last year for a group of my neighbors, local businessmen and community leaders to sit together and discuss the latest news and happenings. This might best be called “Guy Gossip”.
This morning I did my normal washing up, showering, shaving, teeth brushing and vitamin consumption, when something went terribly wrong. My garlic pills (Whose benefits real or imagined, I’ve bought’en into) were not the capsule types I regularly buy. It turns out this pill form leaves a slight after-tastes of garlic and a slight odor to the breath! Yeee. I was hopeful that a breath mint and coffee would cover my “after Italian diner breath”. It didn’t.
When I arrived, some of the fellows were already seated, sipping on their coffees and discussing the Genesee Tower fiasco. If you’re not familiar with this situation, in short, our local City government has been saddled for a payment, mandated through the State Courts, of 8.4 million dollars to it’s property owners, who originally paid fifty thousand dollars for the building a couple of years ago.
It seems this lively discussion all started when one of the guys brought up how he’s going to receive an eleven hundred dollar tax bill as his part in covering this community debt. Lots of information and misinformation was analyzed among us, blame was laid at the feet of the departed city officials, discussion of the greed of the owners. Ingenious, but impossible ways of rectifying the circumstances were painfully picked apart, heads wagged side to side or up and down displaying agreement or displeasure with each suggestion, all climaxing into the total silent’s of ….”The Befuddled”.
It was in this quiet moment of group reflection, that I inadvertently let loose an open mouth sigh of disgust. Each face around the table, twisted from meditative pondering to knit browed bewilderment, trying to place the source of this new, odious odor.
“That stinks!” one of the guys blurted out.
Sensing an opportunity to cover my breathy blunder, I piped in, “That’s it! We’ll turn the place into a private men’s club, with its own bowling alley and a restaurant catering only the smelliest of fatty foods, a place where we can smoke cigars, wear worn out bathrobes, a place where the occasional fart or stinky breath will go unnoticed!”
With that, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to be the first to announce the newly formed L.L.C . “The Big Lebowski Men’s Group” dedicated to the construction of a new men’s club inside the Genesee Tower, and the construction within of the new “Men Only” restaurant and lounge named….. “The Dude”
Wait a minute! When you think about it, it was the same kind of group of morning coffee “Guy Gossip” that started this whole mess in the first place!
One stink’en idea after another.
If you’re looking to re-energize your Staff, inspire your Marketing Department or to encourage your Board to think “Out of the Box”, “The Stephen James Comedy Troupe Corporate Team Building” will work together with you in delivering the message you want to give! Team Building
CONTACT US AT:Email: stephenjamescomedy@gmail.com
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Envy me!
Today for lunch my beautiful and talented Wife and I had fresh corn on the cob drenched in creamy, yellow butter, heavily salted with finely crushed sea salt, and some sliced, raw, round, red, vine ripened, organically grown, juicy Brandywine tomatoes, along with a whole, just off the dock of Leland Fishtown, smoked White fish from the cold waters of lake Michigan and topped it off with rich, velvety smoked fish dip spread on stone grounded multi-wheat crispy, crackers. Life it great, envy me!
P.S. I did gnawed off all the meat from the inside of the skin. MMMmmmm....fish fat!
If you’re looking to re-energize your Staff, inspire your Marketing Department or to encourage your Board to think “Out of the Box”, “The Stephen James Comedy Troupe Corporate Team Building” will work together with you in delivering the message you want to give! Team Building
CONTACT US AT:Email: stephenjamescomedy@gmail.com
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Business Jokes of the Day!
If you see a man approaching you with the obvious intent of doing you good, you should run for your life.
If you see that there are four possible ways in which a procedure can go wrong, and circumvent these, then a fifth way, unprepared for, promptly develops.
If you stand in one place long enough, you make a line.
If you step out of a short line for a second, it becomes a long line.
If you think that OSHA is a small town inWisconsin
If you think the problem is bad now, just wait until we've solved it.
If you throw something away, you will need it the next day.
If you try to please everybody, nobody will like it.
If you understand it, it is obsolete.
If you want to be well liked, never lie about yourself, and be careful when telling the truth about others.
It works better if you plug it in.
Stephen James Comedy Improv & Human Resource Training Consultant Flint, Michigan.
If you’re looking to re-energize your Sales Force, inspire your Marketing Department or to encourage your Board to think “Out of the Box”, “The Stephen James Comedy Troupe Corporate Team Building” will work together with you in delivering the message you want to give!Team Building
If you see that there are four possible ways in which a procedure can go wrong, and circumvent these, then a fifth way, unprepared for, promptly develops.
If you stand in one place long enough, you make a line.
If you step out of a short line for a second, it becomes a long line.
If you think that OSHA is a small town in
If you think the problem is bad now, just wait until we've solved it.
If you throw something away, you will need it the next day.
If you try to please everybody, nobody will like it.
If you understand it, it is obsolete.
If you want to be well liked, never lie about yourself, and be careful when telling the truth about others.
It works better if you plug it in.
Stephen James Comedy Improv & Human Resource Training Consultant Flint, Michigan.
If you’re looking to re-energize your Sales Force, inspire your Marketing Department or to encourage your Board to think “Out of the Box”, “The Stephen James Comedy Troupe Corporate Team Building” will work together with you in delivering the message you want to give!
Sunday, August 29, 2010
A Confidence Scheme.
“Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt.” William Shakespeare
Some may think that confidence is the opposite of humility. People sometimes even equate confidence with arrogance. That is a mistake. Rather than being the opposite of confidence, we need to understand that humility is an entirely separate issue.
The truly confident person is one that can fully embrace and celebrate their strengths and talents, and yet never forgets their humanity. They can admit mistakes and failings and yet never feel like a failure. It’s true, your failures do make you stronger. Nothing you endeavor in is ever worthless. You always walk away with more knowledge, being more prepared to attempt and succeed in the next endeavourer.
A person must live in gratitude for the abilities they have been given and never fail to see the giftedness in others. Never be jealous of others talents but willing to learn from what other’s talents can teach us. Understanding that within ourselves we too have a inner genius that must be in continuous development. We must always be learning, always trying and never, never give up. These elements make up true and lasting confidence.
Living with confidence because you’re a genius!
You’ve heard it said “Necessity is the mother of invention” Well I say “Creativity is the mother of invention”. I define genius as finding your very own inner creative menes. That’s right, menes, our bodies are built with genes, that is what makes each of us as physical individuals. Our menes are the parts that make up our personality. Just as each of us have physical genius: or physical abilities such as balance, flexibility, reflexes, strength, movement, all equaling our physical capabilities. Our menes are the parts that make up our personal genius that we are mentaly capable of.
It’s not just about your tested mental IQ. To find the sum of your menes or genius takes the wiliness to commit to the search of your genius, testing and looking for its limits and abilities just as we do with our bodies. It doesn’t just come to you like a bolt of lighting, sure some find their physical genius early like the ability to play pro baseball while others get to publicly display their mental genius like the famous genius of Einstein or Leonardo. Just because you’ve not been on television or someone hasn’t written a book about you does not mean you’re not a genius! Most genius is un-published! It can be found in the everyday of living. It’s found in the little bits of brilliance of our daily living and it can be developed into adding value to everyone else’s daily living! There is no test created for your personal genius. You have to write it yourself!
Everyone has their own inner genius for which they are superior at doing. We all have a genius within our own nitch. Think about this! If you where stranded on a desert island and living in a cave and one night you heard something rustling around in the bushes outside. Who would you really want to be there in the cave with you? Einstein!? What would he do? Confuse the creature with his theory of gravity. No! you want someone with the genius of bravery or the genius of survival or the genius of mimicking the scary sounds of a shell being racked into a sawed off shotgun.
You should be committed! It all starts in the doing. One step at a time, one foot before the other. Committed to the long walk.
Here are the first steps! Takes approximately 20 minutes.
1) If you liked what you have read here or want to learn more, commit to a day and time for continuing to stopping by this site and reading what’s going on.
2) Think about 10 things you like to do. Count them out on your fingers.
3) Write a personal resume. Not a work resume but a resume of your life. Write down the things that you like to do: fishing, reading books, watching movies, painting, organizing your sock drawer, talking to people. List everything you like to do.
4) List the education you have: classes that you liked taking, books you have read, life experiences, places that you have traveled to, things that people have taught you.
5) List jobs that you have done, not just paying jobs: Pick out the parts of the job you liked best or feel you did best at.
6) When you’re finished just set it aside for the night. The next day look for the pattern of things that you really like doing or felt good doing. Be proud in seeing the things you like to do and look how those are the things you always seem to see though to completion.
7) On a big piece of paper draw a large inverted triangle: with the point at the bottom, the widest area at the top. Write out words or short sentences representing the thing you like to do or are good at within the triangle.
8) Now start thinking about the list and watch as you melt the overall list into just a couple of short sentences that can be written underneath the point at the bottom of the triangle. Those sentences are what you should be doing. Don’t be inhibited with coming to a conclusion that it doesn’t look to be rational. Don’t look at “what you should be doing” as needing to be practical. Don’t see the outcome as not having any monetary reward. Just look at it for what it is.
9) Next time we get together we will discuss how to make what you like to do into a money making reality.
10) I acknowledge I do not have the genius of grammar, spelling or in the written word but I am better at it than I used to be and will be better at it as I continue to work this menes’ muscle. Thanks for your genius of understanding my inadequacies.
Yours, Stephen James
Some may think that confidence is the opposite of humility. People sometimes even equate confidence with arrogance. That is a mistake. Rather than being the opposite of confidence, we need to understand that humility is an entirely separate issue.
The truly confident person is one that can fully embrace and celebrate their strengths and talents, and yet never forgets their humanity. They can admit mistakes and failings and yet never feel like a failure. It’s true, your failures do make you stronger. Nothing you endeavor in is ever worthless. You always walk away with more knowledge, being more prepared to attempt and succeed in the next endeavourer.
A person must live in gratitude for the abilities they have been given and never fail to see the giftedness in others. Never be jealous of others talents but willing to learn from what other’s talents can teach us. Understanding that within ourselves we too have a inner genius that must be in continuous development. We must always be learning, always trying and never, never give up. These elements make up true and lasting confidence.
Living with confidence because you’re a genius!
You’ve heard it said “Necessity is the mother of invention” Well I say “Creativity is the mother of invention”. I define genius as finding your very own inner creative menes. That’s right, menes, our bodies are built with genes, that is what makes each of us as physical individuals. Our menes are the parts that make up our personality. Just as each of us have physical genius: or physical abilities such as balance, flexibility, reflexes, strength, movement, all equaling our physical capabilities. Our menes are the parts that make up our personal genius that we are mentaly capable of.
It’s not just about your tested mental IQ. To find the sum of your menes or genius takes the wiliness to commit to the search of your genius, testing and looking for its limits and abilities just as we do with our bodies. It doesn’t just come to you like a bolt of lighting, sure some find their physical genius early like the ability to play pro baseball while others get to publicly display their mental genius like the famous genius of Einstein or Leonardo. Just because you’ve not been on television or someone hasn’t written a book about you does not mean you’re not a genius! Most genius is un-published! It can be found in the everyday of living. It’s found in the little bits of brilliance of our daily living and it can be developed into adding value to everyone else’s daily living! There is no test created for your personal genius. You have to write it yourself!
Everyone has their own inner genius for which they are superior at doing. We all have a genius within our own nitch. Think about this! If you where stranded on a desert island and living in a cave and one night you heard something rustling around in the bushes outside. Who would you really want to be there in the cave with you? Einstein!? What would he do? Confuse the creature with his theory of gravity. No! you want someone with the genius of bravery or the genius of survival or the genius of mimicking the scary sounds of a shell being racked into a sawed off shotgun.
You should be committed! It all starts in the doing. One step at a time, one foot before the other. Committed to the long walk.
Here are the first steps! Takes approximately 20 minutes.
1) If you liked what you have read here or want to learn more, commit to a day and time for continuing to stopping by this site and reading what’s going on.
2) Think about 10 things you like to do. Count them out on your fingers.
3) Write a personal resume. Not a work resume but a resume of your life. Write down the things that you like to do: fishing, reading books, watching movies, painting, organizing your sock drawer, talking to people. List everything you like to do.
4) List the education you have: classes that you liked taking, books you have read, life experiences, places that you have traveled to, things that people have taught you.
5) List jobs that you have done, not just paying jobs: Pick out the parts of the job you liked best or feel you did best at.
6) When you’re finished just set it aside for the night. The next day look for the pattern of things that you really like doing or felt good doing. Be proud in seeing the things you like to do and look how those are the things you always seem to see though to completion.
7) On a big piece of paper draw a large inverted triangle: with the point at the bottom, the widest area at the top. Write out words or short sentences representing the thing you like to do or are good at within the triangle.
8) Now start thinking about the list and watch as you melt the overall list into just a couple of short sentences that can be written underneath the point at the bottom of the triangle. Those sentences are what you should be doing. Don’t be inhibited with coming to a conclusion that it doesn’t look to be rational. Don’t look at “what you should be doing” as needing to be practical. Don’t see the outcome as not having any monetary reward. Just look at it for what it is.
9) Next time we get together we will discuss how to make what you like to do into a money making reality.
10) I acknowledge I do not have the genius of grammar, spelling or in the written word but I am better at it than I used to be and will be better at it as I continue to work this menes’ muscle. Thanks for your genius of understanding my inadequacies.
Yours, Stephen James
Monday, July 26, 2010
You know what Michael Moore’s problem is:
You know what Michael Moore’s problem is: he was the psychologist for Flint!
Think about it; what do psychologists do?
They work with people who have life adjustment problems.
They help people see problems within their lives, helping them dissect the problems and then guild them on how to solve those problems.
With his movie “Roger and Me” Moore brought to the attention of the people of Flint a problem they didn’t want to see.
The reaction of the people can be seen in parallel with the Battered Woman syndrome.
DENIAL: The woman refuses to admit--even to herself--that she has been beaten or that there is a "problem" in her marriage. She may call each incident an "accident". She offers excuses for her husband's violence and each time firmly believes it will never happen again or in many cases even transfers her anger onto the therapist for making her face the facts.
FLINT: Flint refused to admit that there was a “problem” with how GM was treating them. Their action (GM’s) was just a byproduct of doing business.
Moore made us see that there was a problem and many of us just didn’t want to believe it. We wanted to believe that it would all just work itself out. We made excuses that there was a changing economy and that we had to just go along, or that we just needed to work harder and give up what we had gained so that business (GM) could grow, or that the unions where the problem helping to create a lazy workforce.
The confusion over what excuse was the correct “one” created frustration that caused us to turn against the messenger. Not knowing who to take our anger out on or how to combat the deeds being done to us and the embarrassment brought by being duped by the “Big Three”, clouded our decision making to the point that we transferred that frustration and anger onto Moore.
Do I personally think that Moore knew that he became the psychologist for Flint? Not really. Yet, consciously or unconsciously Moore did play a roll in making us face the facts. Those facts did make us see the problems and yes, Flint continues to struggle through the process of the “Battered Woman” but we’re getting there.
The problem with Michael Moore as our psychologist: He didn’t complete the job! Good psychologist help give guidance on how to solve life problems.
“Roger and Me” left us with no positive solutions. We’ve had to go it alone, searching and struggling to find our new path and identity. But still all in all, Michael Moore may not be a hero but certainly he has become a legend.
This article (attached below) about Michael Moore has given me a new respect for the man, a better idea of what’s in his head and why he’s done what he’s done.
Sometimes it just takes a awhile to figure a guy out!
http://www.alternet.org/news/147430/michael_moore:_why_i_had_to_hire_9_bodyguards_after_winning_an_oscar?page=1
Think about it; what do psychologists do?
They work with people who have life adjustment problems.
They help people see problems within their lives, helping them dissect the problems and then guild them on how to solve those problems.
With his movie “Roger and Me” Moore brought to the attention of the people of Flint a problem they didn’t want to see.
The reaction of the people can be seen in parallel with the Battered Woman syndrome.
DENIAL: The woman refuses to admit--even to herself--that she has been beaten or that there is a "problem" in her marriage. She may call each incident an "accident". She offers excuses for her husband's violence and each time firmly believes it will never happen again or in many cases even transfers her anger onto the therapist for making her face the facts.
FLINT: Flint refused to admit that there was a “problem” with how GM was treating them. Their action (GM’s) was just a byproduct of doing business.
Moore made us see that there was a problem and many of us just didn’t want to believe it. We wanted to believe that it would all just work itself out. We made excuses that there was a changing economy and that we had to just go along, or that we just needed to work harder and give up what we had gained so that business (GM) could grow, or that the unions where the problem helping to create a lazy workforce.
The confusion over what excuse was the correct “one” created frustration that caused us to turn against the messenger. Not knowing who to take our anger out on or how to combat the deeds being done to us and the embarrassment brought by being duped by the “Big Three”, clouded our decision making to the point that we transferred that frustration and anger onto Moore.
Do I personally think that Moore knew that he became the psychologist for Flint? Not really. Yet, consciously or unconsciously Moore did play a roll in making us face the facts. Those facts did make us see the problems and yes, Flint continues to struggle through the process of the “Battered Woman” but we’re getting there.
The problem with Michael Moore as our psychologist: He didn’t complete the job! Good psychologist help give guidance on how to solve life problems.
“Roger and Me” left us with no positive solutions. We’ve had to go it alone, searching and struggling to find our new path and identity. But still all in all, Michael Moore may not be a hero but certainly he has become a legend.
This article (attached below) about Michael Moore has given me a new respect for the man, a better idea of what’s in his head and why he’s done what he’s done.
Sometimes it just takes a awhile to figure a guy out!
http://www.alternet.org/news/147430/michael_moore:_why_i_had_to_hire_9_bodyguards_after_winning_an_oscar?page=1
Monday, July 19, 2010
But I can’t start without a GRANT
Hanging around my old home town again, for the last 9 months, I’ve been hearing the same mantra over and over again. I can’t do it till I get a GRANT!
Hmmm. So, I’m thinking about what grants are and what they do.
Government and philanthropic grants are a great way to stimulate the economy, helps create needed organizations and creates some jobs. Yet, when you think about it, government grants should only be available till the economy finds its equilibrium.
See, the trouble with grant money is, that you become dependant on it. Your job might even depend on ‘em continuing. That dependency could even influence whom you vote for politically.
Shoot, many politicians pride themselves on bring home the “bacon” and many voters rate a politician on how much of our tax money they get out of Washington and back into our hands. This might be rightly so but, it also helps to keep the grant business in business, and you have to understand it’s BIG business.
Those in charge of granting grants, especially those philanthropic groups that have been given the right to administer government grants, have a lot of power and that power can influence how our communities’ economy and governments are run. Once you start suckling on that sow's tat it’s hard to get weaned from it.
The WEANING: We’re doing a good job in Flint of getting grants for training programs, spending lot of money keeping those offices staffed, giving them paper work to be pushed and even getting some people educated along the way. But what comes next?
Entrepreneurship! Look, Flint is full of brain power. We’ve got U of M, Kettering, Mott College, Baker etc. Of course the brain power that is being produced here is being exported to other states to fill their job needs. That’s crap!
It’s simple. Flint’s number one product is BRAINS and our number one export is….. BRAINS. We’ve got to find ways to keep those BRAINS engaged here!
If anything needs a grant here in Flint it’s the start up to an entrepreneur college and programs that gets the brainiacks meeting the risk takers. Can you see what that will cause?
Smart people with technical ideas (with no business experience or want of business experience due to their going to get a job anyhow), coming together with the folks that have the drive and know how to start new businesses and enterprises, plus we already have a trained LABOR force ready to put the sweat behind the construction of physical needs.
What will happen then? Brains and Risk Takers come together, start a business. That business needs buildings built, floors swept, and office clerks etc etc. so that makes more people working, more tax dollars collected, policemen, firemen back on the job etc. etc.
But I can’t start without a GRANT!
Dear banks and lending companies, you’ve screwed up bad! The government is about to replace you with its own form of lending institute. It’s going to take your job away cuz you forgotten what you are soposta do. Take on loans for qualified applicants and help them….help them and guide them to success. You need your “lendees” to succeeded cause then you get your money back and you get to lend that extra money to lots of others so that you can keep your fat profit margins and stock holders happy!
Crap, you guys forget that “we the people” are the ones whose money you’re using and we the people are the ones living outside your very front doors. It’s not about the Chinese (Bless their hearts) or stock swap schemes or spending all your time figuring out how to create fees or loop-holes to screw over someone’s bank account or mortgage! Get back to basics.
Bottom line! I am not against grants, grant makers, or the idea of grants, just that we need to think about how dependent we can become on them.
By the way, I might be starting a new web dating site that matches Brainiacks with Entrepreneurs. Maybe I’ll call it “Job Creation for Flint!” of “Finding Flint’s Flintapreneurs”!
That is, if I can get a grant to start it.
Stephen James Comedy Improv & Human Resource Training Consultant Flint, Michigan.
If you’re looking to re-energize your Sales Force, inspire your Marketing Department or to encourage your Board to think “Out of the Box”, “The Stephen James Comedy Troupe Corporate Team Building” will work together with you in delivering the message you want to give! Team Building will always be a top priority for today's organizations. Building effective teamwork through leading edge corporate and organizational team building programs is one of “The Stephen James Comedy Troupe” (Corporate Team Training) greatest capabilities! And we make it so much FUN! CONTACT US AT: Email: stephenjamescomedy@gmail.com Phone: 810-618-7517 Website: http://sites.google.com/site/thestephenjamescomedytroupe
Funny Business is a humorous look at some serious issues your business or organizations have to address. http://funnybusinessbystephenjames.blogspot.com/
Hmmm. So, I’m thinking about what grants are and what they do.
Government and philanthropic grants are a great way to stimulate the economy, helps create needed organizations and creates some jobs. Yet, when you think about it, government grants should only be available till the economy finds its equilibrium.
See, the trouble with grant money is, that you become dependant on it. Your job might even depend on ‘em continuing. That dependency could even influence whom you vote for politically.
Shoot, many politicians pride themselves on bring home the “bacon” and many voters rate a politician on how much of our tax money they get out of Washington and back into our hands. This might be rightly so but, it also helps to keep the grant business in business, and you have to understand it’s BIG business.
Those in charge of granting grants, especially those philanthropic groups that have been given the right to administer government grants, have a lot of power and that power can influence how our communities’ economy and governments are run. Once you start suckling on that sow's tat it’s hard to get weaned from it.
The WEANING: We’re doing a good job in Flint of getting grants for training programs, spending lot of money keeping those offices staffed, giving them paper work to be pushed and even getting some people educated along the way. But what comes next?
Entrepreneurship! Look, Flint is full of brain power. We’ve got U of M, Kettering, Mott College, Baker etc. Of course the brain power that is being produced here is being exported to other states to fill their job needs. That’s crap!
It’s simple. Flint’s number one product is BRAINS and our number one export is….. BRAINS. We’ve got to find ways to keep those BRAINS engaged here!
If anything needs a grant here in Flint it’s the start up to an entrepreneur college and programs that gets the brainiacks meeting the risk takers. Can you see what that will cause?
Smart people with technical ideas (with no business experience or want of business experience due to their going to get a job anyhow), coming together with the folks that have the drive and know how to start new businesses and enterprises, plus we already have a trained LABOR force ready to put the sweat behind the construction of physical needs.
What will happen then? Brains and Risk Takers come together, start a business. That business needs buildings built, floors swept, and office clerks etc etc. so that makes more people working, more tax dollars collected, policemen, firemen back on the job etc. etc.
But I can’t start without a GRANT!
Dear banks and lending companies, you’ve screwed up bad! The government is about to replace you with its own form of lending institute. It’s going to take your job away cuz you forgotten what you are soposta do. Take on loans for qualified applicants and help them….help them and guide them to success. You need your “lendees” to succeeded cause then you get your money back and you get to lend that extra money to lots of others so that you can keep your fat profit margins and stock holders happy!
Crap, you guys forget that “we the people” are the ones whose money you’re using and we the people are the ones living outside your very front doors. It’s not about the Chinese (Bless their hearts) or stock swap schemes or spending all your time figuring out how to create fees or loop-holes to screw over someone’s bank account or mortgage! Get back to basics.
Bottom line! I am not against grants, grant makers, or the idea of grants, just that we need to think about how dependent we can become on them.
By the way, I might be starting a new web dating site that matches Brainiacks with Entrepreneurs. Maybe I’ll call it “Job Creation for Flint!” of “Finding Flint’s Flintapreneurs”!
That is, if I can get a grant to start it.
Stephen James Comedy Improv & Human Resource Training Consultant Flint, Michigan.
If you’re looking to re-energize your Sales Force, inspire your Marketing Department or to encourage your Board to think “Out of the Box”, “The Stephen James Comedy Troupe Corporate Team Building” will work together with you in delivering the message you want to give! Team Building will always be a top priority for today's organizations. Building effective teamwork through leading edge corporate and organizational team building programs is one of “The Stephen James Comedy Troupe” (Corporate Team Training) greatest capabilities! And we make it so much FUN! CONTACT US AT: Email: stephenjamescomedy@gmail.com Phone: 810-618-7517 Website: http://sites.google.com/site/thestephenjamescomedytroupe
Funny Business is a humorous look at some serious issues your business or organizations have to address. http://funnybusinessbystephenjames.blogspot.com/
Monday, May 31, 2010
At What Price Freedom?
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." -- Edmund Burke.
Three days of great weather in Marvelous Mid-Michigan, mmm. Cookouts, beaching, boating, biking, visiting friends and family or just sitting around relaxing, we’ve had three wonderful days with the freedom to choose what we want to do.
But at what price that freedom?
My friends at Teton Business Solutions and I want to take a moment to remember what price our freedom has cost.
Along with the fun in the sun we are enjoying this Memorial Day weekend take a moment to think about those that made the ultimate sacrifice for the freedom we sometimes take for granted.
The "Memorial" in Memorial Day has been ignored by too many of us who are beneficiaries of those who have given the ultimate sacrifice. Often we do not observe the day as it should be, a day where we actively remember our ancestors, our family members, our loved ones, our neighbors, and our friends who have given the ultimate sacrifice.
Take time today to think about all who have served this country and that are now serving. Reflect on the families, who also serve by losing precious days, weeks and months spent without their loved ones who are off serving, preserving peace and the freedom we have in this country. Think for just a minute about the families who paid the ultimate price, who's loved ones died, or were taken captive and never returned.
Remember and be thankful for being an American: Taking nothing away from any other country, I'm just being thankful for my own. It may not be perfect--what place is?--but I love it nonetheless.
Have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend, relax, take time for family and friends and when the weekends over give Teton Business Solutions a call and let them tell you about all the services they have available for you and your business to choose from.
A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself. ~Joseph Campbell
Stephen James Comedy Improv & Human Resource Training Consultant Flint, Michigan.
If you’re looking to re-energize your Sales Force, inspire your Marketing Department or to encourage your Board to think “Out of the Box”, “The Stephen James Comedy Troupe Corporate Team Building” will work together with you in delivering the message you want to give! Team Building will always be a top priority for today's organizations. Building effective teamwork through leading edge corporate and organizational team building programs is one of “The Stephen James Comedy Troupe” (Corporate Team Training) greatest capabilities! And we make it so much FUN! CONTACT US AT: Email: stephenjamescomedy@gmail.com Phone: 810-618-7517 Website: http://sites.google.com/site/thestephenjamescomedytroupe
Funny Business is a humorous look at some serious issues your business or organizations have to address. http://funnybusinessbystephenjames.blogspot.com/
Three days of great weather in Marvelous Mid-Michigan, mmm. Cookouts, beaching, boating, biking, visiting friends and family or just sitting around relaxing, we’ve had three wonderful days with the freedom to choose what we want to do.
But at what price that freedom?
My friends at Teton Business Solutions and I want to take a moment to remember what price our freedom has cost.
Along with the fun in the sun we are enjoying this Memorial Day weekend take a moment to think about those that made the ultimate sacrifice for the freedom we sometimes take for granted.
The "Memorial" in Memorial Day has been ignored by too many of us who are beneficiaries of those who have given the ultimate sacrifice. Often we do not observe the day as it should be, a day where we actively remember our ancestors, our family members, our loved ones, our neighbors, and our friends who have given the ultimate sacrifice.
Take time today to think about all who have served this country and that are now serving. Reflect on the families, who also serve by losing precious days, weeks and months spent without their loved ones who are off serving, preserving peace and the freedom we have in this country. Think for just a minute about the families who paid the ultimate price, who's loved ones died, or were taken captive and never returned.
Remember and be thankful for being an American: Taking nothing away from any other country, I'm just being thankful for my own. It may not be perfect--what place is?--but I love it nonetheless.
Have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend, relax, take time for family and friends and when the weekends over give Teton Business Solutions a call and let them tell you about all the services they have available for you and your business to choose from.
A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself. ~Joseph Campbell
Stephen James Comedy Improv & Human Resource Training Consultant Flint, Michigan.
If you’re looking to re-energize your Sales Force, inspire your Marketing Department or to encourage your Board to think “Out of the Box”, “The Stephen James Comedy Troupe Corporate Team Building” will work together with you in delivering the message you want to give! Team Building will always be a top priority for today's organizations. Building effective teamwork through leading edge corporate and organizational team building programs is one of “The Stephen James Comedy Troupe” (Corporate Team Training) greatest capabilities! And we make it so much FUN! CONTACT US AT: Email: stephenjamescomedy@gmail.com Phone: 810-618-7517 Website: http://sites.google.com/site/thestephenjamescomedytroupe
Funny Business is a humorous look at some serious issues your business or organizations have to address. http://funnybusinessbystephenjames.blogspot.com/
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