The Rain’s Coming – A Story About Preparing for Success

Here’s another original story for you.  I hope you like it.

There were two farmers, Hank and Joe, who lived on adjacent properties.

They were in the middle of a long drought that had left their land parched, making it almost impossible to grow crops.

One day Joe looked over his fence and saw Hank working on building a new dam.

“What are you doing that for?  There’s no water.” Joe said.

10 Reasons to Stand Out From the Crowd (Plus a Couple of Reasons Not To)

Sometimes, we have a tendency to just want to look and sound like everyone else, to wear the same clothes, listen to the same music and buy the same big-screen TV’s.  As social beings, we are inclined to want to blend in with everyone else, conforming to their values and ideas.

Even those who say that they are anti-conformists often end up looking and sounding just like each other.

We feel that there is safety in numbers and if everyone else is acting a certain way then it must be OK, but I suspect that for us to maximise our true potential, we need to stand out from the crowd.

Here are ten reasons why I think we need to stand out from the crowd:

When You Become a Parent Everything’s Harder, But Everything’s Better

Sometimes, Karen and I reflect on what it was like before we had kids.

We had more money, more sleep, more time, more peace and quiet, more time together and less grey hairs.

Then six and a half years ago everything changed when our oldest son, Hayden was born.

All of a sudden, virtually every aspect of our lives was altered in some way, generally becoming more difficult.

Instead of just doing what we wanted when we wanted, we had to consider the needs of our little bundle of joy.

How to Get Wisdom

You don’t get wisdom by reading great books or blogs.

You don’t get wisdom by spending time with an amazing mentor.

You don’t get wisdom by attending conferences with the best motivational speakers.

You don’t get wisdom by going to university or night school.

You don’t get wisdom by observing those who are the leaders in your field.

Why People Prefer Horses to Camels

Camels are able to travel without water for much longer periods than horses.

Camels can carry heavier loads than horses.

Camels are less likely to bolt after being scared then horses.

Camels don’t need to be shod, so they can be less expensive to keep than horses.

However, camels have a reputation as being much more unpredictable, surly and stubborn than horses. As a consequence, people prefer horses.

The Retiring Carpenter – A Story About the Life We Build for Ourselves

An elderly carpenter was due to retire.

He told his employer of his plans to leave the business and start a life of leisure with his wife and extended family.

He would miss the money, but the time was right and he was ready to hang up his hammer.

His boss was disappointed as the carpenter had been a loyal and diligent worker for many years, so he was sad to see him go.

He asked for one last favour, requesting that the carpenter could build one last house before retiring.

Jerry Seinfeld’s Three Rules of Life

I’m a big fan of comedian Jerry Seinfeld and his legendary show Seinfeld is still my all-time favourite television series.

My favourite episodes include the Pony Remark, the Puffy Shirt, the Serenity Now and of course the iconic Soup Nazi, but to me even the worst of Seinfeld beats the best of almost any other show on TV today.

His unique ability to find humour by simply observing everyday life has turned him into a great communicator who can relate to most people.

A few years ago he was asked to give the commencement speech at a New York school, so he sat down with a pen and paper and wrote down his three rules of life.

It’s a great list that gives some terrific insights as to how he’s become such a great success story.

Here are Jerry Seinfeld’s three rules of life:

Maintenance in the Knowledge Age

Many years ago, people were hunters and collectors.

They had spears as tools and to maintain their equipment they would sharpen the tips of their spears.

If they didn’t do it, eventually they didn’t eat.

Then people became agricultural.

Which Voice Are You Listening To?

We often find ourselves with a lot of conflicting voices speaking into our lives.

These voices or opinions could come from the people around us or even from within ourselves.

The voices that we pay heed to significantly influence how we live our lives, so my question today is, which voice are you listening to?

What Should You Do When Your Boss Goes Away?

For the next two weeks, my boss is on a well-earned holiday.

As I contemplated the next fortnight without her at the helm, I thought about the range of options that I had at my disposal.

What would I do?  How hard will I be working?  Will anything be different?  Should anything be different?

As I look at it, there are three main options that we all have when our boss goes away and the choice that we make tells us a lot about our mindset and will indicate the sort of career we can expect in the future.