I do not agree with what you have to say, but I’ll defend to the death your right to say it. Voltaire.
There isn’t anyone by now who doesn’t who Charlie is – and why he is in the news.
Much has been written and said – for the moment – but the conversation has only begun.
The Enlightenment came at great cost and it didn’t come overnight. Freedom of speech and secularization are the cornerstones of democracy.
These are early days. Best be careful what we say and we what we do…
Your present circumstances don’t determine where you can go. They merely determine where you start. Nido Qubein.
The holidays are over. As you head out the door on Monday, contemplating another year, are you going back to the same daily grind? Is it to be a rerun of the familiar old picture or would you like to paint a new one?
New is what the market place is all about today. Contrary to conventional wisdom, though, many great ideas or new products don’t come from just throwing yourself into a project or working hard at something.
They come from seeing new possibilities where none currently exist, from developing products and services we don’t even know we need or want. They come from being brave, curious, open to new ways at looking at things and constantly asking, “what if?” and “why not?”
“What if I tried this? or “What would happen if I did that? You get the idea.
How many times have you caught yourself saying, “Why didn’t I think of that?” How many more Uber taxis and Airbnb’s are there out there?
In our current environment, innovation – and the willingness to keep on exploring – is a must. All over the globe, in tiny rooms and garages, countless numbers of people are hard at work on their new ideas – wanting their share of the pie.
If you aren’t altogether happy with what you’re doing, vow that 2015 is going to be the year you are going to pick up the brush and paint a new picture of yourself. There isn’t a better time than – now, while the paint is fresh.
Christmas is upon us.
For a few days, people will stop their frenetic pace and take time out to gather with friends and family, to share a meal or two, exchange gifts and express greetings of love, joy and hope in the coming year.
However or wherever the greetings and wishes are expressed, or whatever language, as the old year winds down and the new one beckons, the message is as universal and timeless as the message in this medieval Celtic blessing:
May peace and plenty be the first to lift the latch on your door and happiness be guided to your home by the candle of Christmas.
And in the New Year, may your right hand always be stretched out in friendship and never in want.
My best wishes to you and all whom you hold dear – and all the best in the New Year.
I will see you back here on January 5th with some exciting news…
It’s our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities. J.K. Rawlings
Every decision we make – every decision – isn’t really about what to do about a particular problem or issue that’s bothering us. It’s about who we really are.
There isn’t anyone who doesn’t have a problem of one sort or another. Some of them come out of the blue, totally unexpected, not of our making. Others have been hanging around for a long time, old baggage we refuse to deal with: a job we hate, an empty relationship that has gone sour, a client that keeps us hanging, a promotion we didn’t get, a changing business environment we won’t address.
Whatever the cause, they can tie us up in knots, keeping us trapped and unable to move forward
A friend of mine once said to me, “You know, Drew, with the exception of a truly serious illness or something similar over which one doesn’t have any control, all problems have a solution. It’s just a matter of how much the solution is going to cost and whether you are willing to pay the price.”
It was a hard answer. But sometimes life is hard.
The problems vary in intensity and seriousness and seem unsolvable. Being human, trying to contain them, we erect boundaries around them, trying to ease the pain. But it doesn’t work.
Sometimes the problem really isn’t that big, but other times, to resolve it – you have to *’break the china.’
So you can move forward again.
* Break the China. A old, polite English expression meaning do whatever the hell you have to do to fix it. And don’t worry about appearances.
Whether you are selling a tangible or an intangible product isn’t easy in today’s social media world. The variables are hair-raising. All the more reason to tighten your focus – and then tighten it some more.
I got this piece from Seth Godin yesterday. What kind of customers do you want? It will get you thinking.
For more information, rates, or to set up a meeting:
Email drew@drewsimmie.com or call direct 416.450.8867.
