Children's Stories Are Powerful

Remember the stories that shaped our lives when we were younger?  The Giving Tree... The Very Hungry Caterpillar... The Little Engine That Could.

The great thing about children's stories is that they open our eyes to the possibilities.  They give listeners the power to believe, the freedom to imagine, and the desire to be a better person.  The lessons taught aren't given in stern school-room fashion. Rather, they show what to do by giving the right examples in 'follow what I say and what I do' format.

How many times have you heard managers spew "do as I say, not as I do"? Why would incongruity be a good thing at work?  Isn't it disingenuous to promote authority to those who don't do lead by good example?  And, why would you ever WANT to be "one of those people"?

The Little Engine That Could illustrates how a small engine accomplished big things through the power of positive thinking.  He didn't listen to the ones that told him he couldn't solve the problem, that he wasn't good enough, that he wasn't strong enough.  He repeatedly encouraged himself with "I think I can, I think I can" - and indeed he could.

If you tell yourself it's possible, it is.  If you surround yourself with people who are drama-free and who are supportive (rather than nay-sayers or doubting folks), not only will you be happier but you will amaze yourself at how the power of positive thinking allows you to exceed your wildest dreams.  You can dream as big as you want - like creating a successful life in the heart of a volcano!

http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/10/25/451643327/descending-into-a-volcano-to-farm

Start Giving to Yourself First

There’s been a lot of talk lately about GenXers saving more income than Baby Boomers for retirement, as well as the lack of participation in 401k plans or other means of saving.  But what people aren’t talking about is the ideological differences that may be driving these differences.

Tom Brokaw wrote a book, The Greatest Generation.  The nomenclature derives from a sociocultural definition - meaning, a consciousness among people in a cohort - in addition to a geographical place and era.  Even back in the 1920s, people were seeing the problems with divisions of generations - just ask Karl Mannheim.  

The defining of a non-related group of people by sheer cultural or historical circumstances eradicates individualism and creativity.  A member of any given generation has to be nearly as tough as nails to stand out from a crowd.  Subculture is overlooked and tensions are falsely created or, more typically, emphasized because “they” don’t understand “us”.  [Remind anyone of “movements” lately because people aren’t seen for who they are? Yet, I digress…]

When considering “Baby Boomers”, they emerged post-war as they rejected traditional values or wanted near wholesale redefining of rhetoric. Though there is “generational ownership” debate with the early versus later boomers, all are still focused on the post-war American spirit, and the ironic surge of power in the concept that “we defeated everyone”. So should not come as any surprise that this cohort didn’t save like their parents, didn’t have companies with lifetime employment like their parents, didn’t think anyone could bring them down (because their parents won, so would they).

Conversely, the Me Generation/ GenX, were the children of the ‘revolutionaries’ and  denounced the America that the Greatest Generation helped create (and from which they were prospering).  They have the highest education levels, which should be no surprise being a personal-achievement-oriented group.  This particular cohort bleeds into the GenY group, who have been described by some as narcissistic (i.e. what’s best for me).  It is no surprise, then, that they look out for their retirement welfare first, sometimes at the detriment of other important milestones in life.

But this all gets back to the generalizations of cohorts, and throwing the baby out with the bathwater.  While we may not like the sense of entitlement that Millennials have (because too often, perhaps, we are cleaning up the mess they leave) or the personal Me-focus of GenX (because teamwork produces better results in a relay race), as with all other things, we can benchmark the good and adopt portions.  Looking out for yourself, for your financial future rather than the good of the whole community to your own detriment is important.  Perhaps philanthropic endeavors gear back a bit until you have more saved for yourself in the long days ahead.  Or consider what this article says about how you choose to invest.

After all, when we plan for disasters, just as the flight attendants say - put on your own oxygen mask before attempting to help others.

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/250194

The Phantom In Your House

Perception is Reality.  Any marketing student has learned it; any advertising professional has used it; any public relations expert has spouted it.  They can create what doesn’t exist or intensify what may only be a trace, a ghost, a whisper of a presence.

Yet, science and medicine know it, too.  The pain of a leg removed after a war injury.  The itchy finger that was severed during an accident.  And now, they realize that you can taste things that aren’t there, either.

Perfumer and Flavorist noted six years ago that there can be phantom aromas.  Perhaps you smell the scent of a loved one on a favorite shirt.  There could be the baked apples your mom used to make when you walk into her empty kitchen.  Memories can shape the sense - including your scent with smell.

We know that food stores like it to smell like pumpkin or vanilla in the fall, as it promotes a feeling of need (not always hunger… men seem to associate it with “attractiveness” as reported in the NYT last December and many other places previously). Marketing people use scents to lure people to specific areas of the store, too - I used to do it as an assistant manager in retail, just like the store playbook said, though they likely didn’t have science, just a push of the scent of the month.

So now the “big boys” are beginning to scent your food to mask the “healthy qualities” such as lower sodium or lower fat.  If you smell something associated with salty tastes (such as ham, in the article below), your mind will convert the scent to taste influences.  Maybe this is how the Starship Enterprise got away with all of those replicator meals being deceptively “normal”.

By pushing the envelope of dimension and blending two usual things to mask that one is missing, a new normal can be created.  Granted, it’s a bit duplicitous.  But if it moves a generation toward the right end, can the means be justified?

Starting here, with the most elemental of sensations, where will it go from just a simple taste test?  Maybe getting back to home-cooked meals and wholesome ingredients has more than just meets the eye (and nose)…

http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/10/tasting-a-flavor-that-doesnt-exist/411454/

What Do You Value Most?

If you were working on a team in the 90s, it is likely that you played some team-building games - or you may have even played The Question Box Game or Table Topics game at home with friends and family members.  A question asked may be “if you were on a dessert island, what are the three things that you want with you?” These playfully oriented questions are painted to reveal where someone’s beliefs and ethics fall in a more relaxed manner than what could be comfortably revealed an “inquisition”, so to speak.

Investments frequently give insights to someone’s values, too.  If you put your money where your social responsibilities align, then you feel comfortable knowing that your investments support the community habits and projects you choose to support.  Perhaps you put your money on “Made in America”, showing that even if the costs of construction are a little higher here, you want to invest where you live and your national community.  Then again, you may just select stock that is high risk in order to maximize returns - and that’s okay, too.

New opportunities for investments include fine arts - including paintings, sculpture and wines.  These unique objects cannot be replicated and never truly duplicated (only mimicked).  Returns on purchases of master paintings, original sculptures or fine wines increase independently of the  stock market.  It’s about the value to the eyes of the beholder… and the one who covets that prize.

You can take a hobby into a fun investment and learn new things at the same time.  But watch your security systems - who knew that you could steal a bottle of wine and sell it for $25,000 or more?  Or that $2.5 million in wine was easy to heist?

What this article really tells you is that someone who choses fine art realized he had a hot bottle of wine and did the right thing - returned it to the rightful owner at a huge financial hit.  But it was the right thing to do instead of furthering sour grapes.  He did have a reputation, though, in that small circle of doing the right thing and that matters more than an old bottle.

Make good investments and choices in your life.  When things start to ferment, it can only get explosive and sour from there.  Remember what matters most and act on it.

http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/10/21/449975059/grand-theft-vino-higher-wine-prices-are-attracting-more-thieves 

You Are Worth It

Talking about work one night, a friend commented that you better know what you’re worth.  The conversation was oriented toward our jobs.  My job at that time for a large and growing company that was going head-to-head with the big dog in the industry.  If you don’t know how you contribute to the bottom line and (worse) cannot articulate it to the boss, then you can’t really know if you are making a difference.

How do you evaluate your worth?  There are ways to see your contributions to sales, for instance (some of my sales team laughed once when we determined my SEVEN HOUR impromptu meeting earned a deal with a huge client, and that my hourly rate was about $1.7m in direct bottom line contribution for that one experience.  Client told the sales rep that I sold it, and I wasn’t in sales! Whew!)  It’s not always easy to figure it out.  

It depends on the industry and corporate culture as to what’s important to the boss - and how to not “threaten” the boss because you are good.  If your boss is a leader, no sweat: my best boss >>ever<< told me here’s what I need in three months, go to it and find me if you need me.  We exceeded that goal and blew it out of the water, because the leader empowered team members!  If your manager can’t produce and worries you are out-producing him so has paranoid behaviors, you need to find a leader anyway.

At some companies, the team atmosphere is the desired outcome and the dollars are the second tier outcome.  That you are available when the team needs you… that you your area of expertise… that you aren’t grumpy and bring outside baggage to your office… that you shine for your own brand and represent the company well.  

Know yourself and your talents.  Determine how you help the company where you are.  Decide if they value you, or just have you fill a chair… and know that you can find a great leader at a fantastic company who values what you bring to the table every day.  It’s all up to you.  You’ll find that great fit and enjoy life that much more.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/carolinecenizalevine/2015/10/22/seven-contributions-indispensable-employees-make-to-their-companies/

Flying High

As a child, what did you love to do?  If you lived in the city, perhaps on car trips you liked to look out the window and fantasize about the wide open farmland, the rolling green hills, and the fresh cold streams through the mountains.  

When people fly, they have preferences for the window or aisle seat.  And face it, no one likes the middle.  But some people make the best of it, no matter where they are.  Last week, returning from a business meeting, three people were in the back of a plane that had no air conditioning (it was in the upper 80s in New Orleans, so yes we are still using the AC) and an older plane with very small seats/leg room - and I got the middle seat.

I was prepared to work on the laptop for the short final hop from Houston, but the young man to my right was so excited to come to Nola for the first time - from Canada.  Way, way northern Canada.  It was late at night, travelers were tired, but he had just finished college and saw a cheap flight, so he and a friend booked the trip.

He didn’t care about how he got there, he was just focused on the final destination.  So, the plane was hot? It was 30 below when he left.  Could he get food on Bourbon Street when we landed? When did the casino close? Will he really not get arrested for walking with my drink in my hand?

His enthusiasm was contagious.  I began talking about where to eat because food seemed to be his number one priority.  The guy across the aisle said walk down to Frenchmen for music while he carried his drink.  The guy to my left leaned over and offered the phone number of two buddies that would take him deep sea fishing.  The guy in front of the one on my left said to not believe us that nutria isn’t good eating (but when our young friend said “yeah dere, but does it look like a rat, eh?” and he admitted “it sure does”, he said he would stick to boudin balls and other less rat-like things).

Window or aisle or across the aisle, these two rows were nearly all involved in helping the guy spend his nine days the best way we could recommend.  When we exited at Moisant Field, the window guy on my left said if it wasn’t for our lively conversation, the trip home would have been miserable.

Amazing things happen when you reach across the aisle or just to the person next to you - and you don’t even think about what seat you wish you had.  Maybe some other folks need to remember to reach across the aisle.

http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20151019-the-moments-that-made-me-love-flying

Fearless and Fabulous

Businesses may say they want diversity, but is that only skin deep?  Bosses say they want transparency or open communication and feedback, but do they really?  The best way to evaluate what someone says is to watch what they do.

When we talk about different people can bring different ideas, it makes brainstorming fabulous.  Someone can bring ideas and respectfully that counter someone else’s - but it’s how the boss reacts that makes a difference.

If the boss is receptive, then people will feel free to contribute ideas.  If the boss discounts everything, then no one speaks up.  You could have Einstein in the room and he would be shot down (likely because the boss’ ego overrides all common sense). Two heads in the room don’t mean didley if the one head shuts his ears.

But a picture (a snapshot or picture of past action) shows how a person has reacted in the past, the actions predict future behavior.  It’s not your job to force everyone’s eyes open.  Only a few people have the metal to do that - to be fearless in the face of the boss-man.  Know your strengths and work them!

For those leaders that only do lip-service to the possibilities of diversity:  If you don’t embrace other’s ideas as a boss (note I’m not saying a leader because real leaders listen!), then you will find yourself with yes-men that will yes-you right down the drain… and if you are a working for a boss that doesn’t embrace all facets of diversity, including the ideas that aren’t your own, then you should find a real leader or become one yourself.  

Remember it is your most important role to be true to yourself, to hold your ethical standards high, and to be as inspired as you were created to be.  When you are fearless and give feedback that’s worthy of your intelligence and creativity, people will see you as a fabulous star - it may not come right away, but your legacy is more important than one meeting.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/carminegallo/2015/10/22/why-you-should-hire-people-like-kate-winslets-character-in-steve-jobs/

A Client's New Book

One of my clients decided to write a book and created a great novel.  It's the first of a trilogy, so there's more to come.

Timely in light of discussions about colonizing Mars, and the possibilities of the future - harkens to the anniversary of Back to the Future on Oct 21, 2015, too.  Check it out!  I thoroughly enjoyed it.

http://amzn.com/1516950127

Polite Satisfaction

I was recently traveling for business, and was pleasantly refreshed about the polite manners business people showed not only to one another, but also to service workers. College students, presumably witnesses to this routinely nice commentary, mimicked the polite thanks and quips of "have a nice day" to service personnel - from restaurant staff to bus drivers. How admirable!

And surprising. Living in the Deep South, which is supposedly the epitome of culture and chivalry, I realized that the niceties are given more frequently upward. Deference and politeness are overly exuberant toward persons of higher rank. Alas, these genteel folks aren't so appreciative in thanking someone for bringing tabasco to the dining table or opening a door for someone who's hands are full if it doesn't seem like they can get something out of it. There is an aura of expectation that others simply perform what they consider menial tasks for them - even when the tobacco is set on a service area for them to access themselves.

Many suppositions could be made for why the upward deference remains in the south. But, I cannot imagine why you cannot be polite to everyone. Why would anyone choose to be self-isolated on a beautiful day and not even share a smile of not mutter a thank you?

Perhaps the message of community needs to be reinforced without huge natural or manmade disasters in the south again. Community is important, regardless of where you are or when you lived. When a community is weak and propped up essentially on propaganda, it's not healthy for anyone and the smoke and mirrors will eventually focus the light in the right direction to see the puppeteer behind the curtain.

Even in the 1800s, there were guardians of propriety as well as doing the right thing - and it was everyone looking out to make sure everyone was ok, well-informed, and not rudely overstepping bounds or takin advantage of others. The link below is interesting for many reasons, but it shows how society viewed things such as the sanctity of someone's home.

It's a shame that people have forgotten why being nice and doing the right things are important (and it doesn't cost a thing). But you don't have to go along with the crowd - stand out and stand up for what's right and polite.

http://www.npr.org/sections/npr-history-dept/2015/10/16/448709223/12-etiquette-screw-ups-in-1896

Investing Wisely

Everyone should be investing for their future - not only with education and math, as has been the focus of recent posts, but also with their money.  There has been lots of news about bears and bulls, who's making big salaries off investments, and more.  We get tired of hearing about how much we should be investing, what are good investments (or not), and even being 'pushed' into options based on our age.

But what if you invested your money with your heart instead of your head?  What if you picked something because you liked the "look" of it?  Have you invested in a company because you like what they make and the way in which they make it?  Perhaps they are environmentally conscious or they may invest back into the community for projects near to your heart.  Good reasons to check the investment box.

If you live as you believe, then it truly fits to put money where your mouth is - your wallet should align to what you say to others "matters most" to you, so you aren't just talking a good game.  If you believe in using in environmentally products, shouldn't you consider the stocks in which you are investing, so it's not preaching about projects that are good enough for cocktail conversation but not having other support from you?

While experts make good recommendations, you should always make choices based on your comfort level.  You never know when your $2.00 will yield $5,000,000 after a one year investment - and you picked it just because you liked it.  And, that is some good math right there!

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/10/15/448993361/-2-photo-found-at-junk-store-has-billy-the-kid-in-it-could-be-worth-5-million

Reach Again for the Stars

STEM - science, technology, engineering and math - gets higher notoriety and "appeal" when integrated into shows such as The Big Bang Theory. This particular bunch of nerds have close social connections with a few non-STEMs thrown in for their apparent entertainment. But, in a nod to audiences of non-STEMs, it shows how even nerds that speak a different language are attracted to an unarticulated "sexy" factor on a molecular level.

Though likely not the declared intention of big studio producers and investors, focusing on the more mundane (less scary) parts of academic life and the old-school dreams of being an astronaut bring new careers to the American living rooms. They aren't new, but since smartphones don't easily link kids to quarks the same way that games might attract their attention, it brings a level of interest and exposure to fields where America used to excel.

We need kids and adults alike to be invigorated by math and science again. Encourage imagination and playing mad scientist, even if it means the kitchen needs detoxes after the little ones make their first volcano from baking soda and vinegar. Just use your feet and move the project outside before Vesuvius erupts again.

Learn more about the fun of math and help your memory last longer in the process. http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/10/12/opinion/the-importance-of-recreational-math.html Or the full screen version at http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/12/opinion/the-importance-of-recreational-math.html

When Pennies Count

For the students in my MBA class, the Economics professor was brilliant - a PhD from MIT.  Yet, he was so difficult to understand for two reasons - he predominantly talked to himself while facing the board as well as his thick accent.  Students had to put on an interpreter hat that filtered his language AND what the heck does guns versus butter really mean?

Do you find you learn more from teachers - either in a formal school setting or life lessons 'on the road' - that speak your language?  I'm not talking about literally the King's English, but I mean relate to your situation, take time to find parallels and relative experiences to make it more personal?

One of my teachers had a writing exercise (in a pharmacology course) where he asked "do you need to do heroin to know how to treat it?"  Experiential learning isn't necessary, but you need to have someone that can relay information in a way that can students can understand.

An American was awarded a Nobel Prize yesterday by doing just that (not heroin - explaining things well).  He was able to explain various aspects of poverty and inequality.  For the past four decades, he has completed research and explained why numbers matter in terms of every day wealth for people around the world.

If the stock market matters to your retirement planning, or the health of the American nation, or working towards greater equality for all really means something to you, see how this American helped shape the world by watching - and explaining - why simple things matter in big ways.

http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/economic-sciences/laureates/2015/popular-economicsciences2015.pdf

What Are They Thinking?

Do you ever look at someone and wonder to yourself, "what are they thinking?"  This could be a result of the outfit they chose, the words they say, or how someone handles a situation.  The choices we make are readily seen by others, but we forget that the world is quick to judge (or what we do may not really be what we meant).

Psychology looks at why people make the decisions they do, while sociology considers the interplay of others on an individual.  Sociology is closer to game theory, which is used in economics to consider mathematical solutions for the best outcomes.

The weakness of all three of these 'social-oriented science theories' is that they place serious importance on rational intelligent people.  How many people are always rational and are focused to use their highest intelligence when making decisions?  What about that normal human nature factoring into the situation?

Marketing looks at variables for consumer behavior as people satisfy their needs - the crazy irrational gut-feeling choices that people make, and tries to appeal to the "human" side of choices.  It crafts messages to get through the irrational haze and filter to the main message.  Marketing is the process and design behind the drive for profit - because you need to explain to someone the value of a decision to purchase, to replace, to dispose, to try new things.

Yet psychology and group think (sociology) play into decisions all the time.  We need to learn to evaluate using our 'gut instinct' as well as the environmental plays around us.  Take this quiz and learn a little more about how well you understand people and the choices they make.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/business/wonkblog/majority-illusion/

Good Eating and Good Lovin'

Everyone has a story.  Your family tree has some strong roots.

Sometimes, you can spice your style, like Chef Paul Prudhomme did for many years in New Orleans.  His roots shifted from Opelousas to the Big Easy, where he branded his own style of fabulous fusion from local things he loved.

You can make magic yourself.  Find something you love and get paid to do it, just like Paul did.

Today is in memory of a master chef,  who reminds us in one of his cooking videos, it's all about "good eating and good lovin."  Remember what's important!

http://nyti.ms/1VHGEil

Remember Whose You Are

Many musicians are known by the instruments they play.  Keith Richards' 1950s Fender Telecaster named "Micawber".  Joseph Bell's 1713 Stradivari that is only known as "he".  Coltrane's saxophone, Gillespie's trumpet.  The great musicians are often only half of an intimate duo.  They helped create an instrument's brand and future generations try to live up to that name.  When it's good, it's really good.

And the next line of that poem goes along like "and when he's bad, he's very very bad."  Back in the day, kids knew if they did something out of line, that a neighbor would call their parents and before they got home, there was already a lecture coming.  Parents were highly involved, neighbors had an "eye out" for the wee ones in the community.

There was no doubt in years past where you belonged and your home.  If you got that lecture when stepping out of line, there was little doubt that you would be reminded that you were a reflection on your parents.  You were reminded that when you were out and about, you needed to "remember whose you are."  You are a direct reflection on your family name and on God (or your family's deity).

Take some time to read this article, to have your eyes open.  Make your life better.  Have your priorities right.  Remember Whose You Are - live up to your name.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/pearls-before-breakfast-can-one-of-the-nations-great-musicians-cut-through-the-fog-of-a-dc-rush-hour-lets-find-out/2014/09/23/8a6d46da-4331-11e4-b47c-f5889e061e5f_story.html

Do More Than "Acceptable"

Have you ever seen a problem around your house that you thought you could fix?  Maybe you went to move furniture and noticed that there were scratches in the hardwood floor.  Perhaps with the purchase of a new washer and removing the old hose, the cold water valve was then slowly dripping.  Sometimes when the light catches a mark on the wall, it looks like a scratch instead of a little dirt (or both) and you consider a little touch up.

Start to repair a scratch and if you select the wrong stain, you find yourself refinishing a whole floor and that requires large sanding equipment with room isolation precautions for dust, etc.  It’s a mole hill that turns into a mountain - and is directly related to your actions. If you had gone to the store and bought the small furniture pad when you placed that couch, the scratch wouldn’t have happened.

A small deviation from the norm can be a large distraction.  A slow drip turns into a slow steady stream, giving way to a flowing river yielding enough pressure to cause a disaster. 

But do you know how you can fix it? When you have the right tools for any job, it makes the work much easier.  A small cost outlay for the right part instead of “satisficing” and making due with a nearly-right part saves headaches and more money later.  If you had gone to the store and bought the appropriate cleaner rather than trying to touch-up with the original paint (which no longer matches due to aging and now you have a polka-dotted wall), you’d save lots of money on the repainting of the entire wall.

As it works with money, the same principle also applies for your time.  If you spend the time up front and invest in the right things, your life will go smoother.  Anything worth doing is worth doing well; stop trying to get away with half-efforts and do the right thing with the right tools at the right time.

Right tools, right place, right time.  Solving problems from the American colonist's days.  http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/10/north-carolina-lost-county-lines/409090/

Where Were You?

There's a pop song out right now that asks "Where Are U Now?"  This is a very difficult question for a lot of people.  They compare themselves with the Jones, considering they should be someplace that isn't even on their radar (and they likely wouldn't be happy there anyway).

It takes a strong and faithful person to really admit where they are - to him or herself or to others.  It's not correct to check a box where he would like to be or where she thinks she should be.  To honestly know your own strengths and weaknesses creates a powerful understanding of the possibilities.

A better question is retrospective - where have you been?  It's about your growth as a person, your community and family development.  It's also about how the nation has grown and how we can set up our goals to meet our ideas - and work together to combat social problems.

Take a look at back down your path to see where you've been... you may be surprised to see where you are actually going.  And check out when and where people have come to this country.  It's an interesting three minute video about demographic shifts that may show you where there's opportunity for you to grow further.

http://www.businessinsider.com/animated-map-shows-history-immigration-us-america-2015-9

What Comes After Lions?

One of the earliest lessons we teach children comes is identifying dangers. Even when dancing down the yellow brick road, there are warnings of lions and tigers. 

It's the wild and wooly west this week in the media, and yesterday's lion brought us to today's  next big cat - leopard.  You see, the basic needs of all animals must be met - such as food or water - or rapid deterioration ensues of whatever society and hierarchy has been established. The leopard was thirsty; an unattended bucket had water. Natural progression to try to drink. 

But, the size of the problem was underestimated by the fierce feline.  He got stuck in a new problem while solving his other problem. Tigers are not ones to ask for help - and it's good that people still want to help a beast that could kill them with the flick of a claw. 

Some people rushed to help - not hurt, not avoid, not make fun of the plight of the tiger. Six hours and many hands made the work a success. And the tiger and people went on their ways, unharmed. 

Yet some people stood at the wayside, waiting to see the outcome of man versus beast versus pot. How useful is that? So do you want to lead a rescue or watch others take action?

Another "Big Cat" comes to mind, more than 200 years ago in the Songs of Experience that served as the companion of Songs of Innocence. The Tyger is the retort to The Lamb, from stanza two:

In what distant deeps or skies

Burnt the fire of thine eyes?

On what wings dare he aspire?

What the hand, dare seize the fire?

Seize your fire and run with Tygers toward your dreams.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2015/sep/30/pot-head-leopard-gets-head-stuck-in-pan-video 

(As a bonus, if you are a person who needs the trifecta, the trilogy, the story as originally sung on that yellow brick road - never fear. The bear story is here:  http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/10/151001-grizzly-bears-animals-science-conservation-nation/)

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof... or a Pole

The animals of our world certainly are reminding us of important life lessons this week!  Today's helpful feline friend gives a graphic demonstration of fear - when afraid, you can flee or fight.  When you are out of your element, it's best to get to a better vantage point, reassess the situation in order to glean information (not just collect data), and then take appropriate action.

The mountain lion in the urban area ran into some mean children, who started to scream at her.  Seriously, this is not a parable.  In the link below, she climbs a telephone pole to retreat from the immediate threat and determine the best course of action.  She didn't attack the threat - smartly, as she was uncertain if the noisy evil kids were an actual danger to her or just "background noise".  She determined she could wait out the distraction and then resume her previous path.

Sometimes, humans fight first and ask questions later.  Frequently in office spaces, this happens because a boss may realize his ill-equipped skills set for his newer promotion, and out of fear he verbally lashes out to protect his space. It may be a co-worker who was promoted for her ability to navigate the landscape and pick a good ally, but again, that skills set is far from developed in order to perform her assigned role - so using tools around her, she wins battles by recruiting others to fight for her.

There is no doubt the best work scenario is having a leader (not a manager) that is mature and brilliant, coaching and allowing star employees to excel beyond their self-determined potential. [And when you find him or her, even if one of you goes to another job, by all means keep in touch as you may be able to reconnect for mentoring or jobs later!]  Distractions happen, toxic situations develop, and we are left to wonder why we are working in such a zoo.

Visit a real zoo and see what the real survivors have learned. Whether you believe in creationism or evolution, both concepts believe animals were here first.  They have adapted and are still here.  There's a lesson in that.

http://m.vvdailypress.com/article/20150930/NEWS/150939983