OH Mountain How I Did I Get Here...

Here I stand alone upon a mountain top,
My trials and fears no one will ever know.
I have struggled beyond my wildest dreams,
The darkness like a river continued to flow.

My ignorance, my weaknesses and even my insecurities,
were what walked me down this path.
It was my lack of attention that brought this mountains wrath.
And now that the storm is over and the winds have died down,
I look out over this mountain top and cannot wear a frown.

For a brief moment I look out at the serene beauty of the valley below
In my mind I remember; but my fear I do not show.
For my emotions took me through a dark place, and my weaknesses I did pack.
Through life changing chasms and cliffs I did face.
My fears I did overcome; my weaknesses I did attack

I do not know how I got here, this mountain was not on the map!
This was not my destination, nor part of my plan.
This Mountain just showed up as a challenge to where I stand.
Nor friend nor enemy was this mountain was to me!
Just another chance to witness God’s grace that he wants me to see.

Many days I've traveled and now here I stand,
It is a beautiful place but not what I understood of God’s plan.
I know this is not my destination, so my journey is not over.
There are many miles to go through valleys of flowers and fields of clover.

The mountains are high and the valleys are low,
The crimson fields in front of me are where I must go
I speak to the mountain and I say why did you hide
The mountain spoke back in loud rumbling roar
Nor trick or surprise did I bring to you, with the eagles you did not soar,

Pride and ignorance is the undoing of us all
As you were climbing up my sides I awaited your fall.
Your strength and courage you surely did find
Now mastering your lessons will be the test of time!

For love and courage is not all that you need,
But a strong back, a strong will, and the desire to succeed.
Knowing what to do will not let you plead,
But your actions over time will show you how to lead.
So push on do not linger you must continue for what you seek.
I was not your goal, so let your travels take you afar.
A relationship drives your journey so keep your eyes on the stars.

The pain and anguish my heart swept away, as this mountain explained that I was not here to stay
So I took one last look from this very high peak,
After I caught my breathe I grabbed my flag to create a memorial,
It was not this mountain but a relationship that I did seek.

I plant it firmly in the rock and the mountains rich soil.
My soul is refreshed and I have forgotten my pain and toil.
As I place this flag in remembrance of my challenges, I look down into the new valley below.
All I see is her face, her smile and how our future will grow!
I love her and her son as if they were my very own.
My love is not in vain, and my commitment now in stone!
Upon the mountain top I stand firm with a chart in my hand,
My dreams are wide, and my visions are grand.
For it is a woman that I love and a family that I have made
That pushes me on to victory and to take on my fears.
It is her love that motivates me and dries up my tears.

look at my flag as it reaches out of the soil,
I remind myself of the things I did learn, of the things I did toil,
And one last time I linger and take one last look at my map
The mountain speaks to me yet again, "what are you doing now?"

I have learned a great lesson that I do not want to repeat.
I have plotted carefully so that I know where you are and have tracked my feet!
So that I do not make this mistake again or tempt life I do not dare.
Surviving a visit with an unseen mountain was not just a great feat,
But a life lesson that I will want to share.

I replied as I started to make my way down the other side…

Today She Believes In Your Dream!

Have you ever noticed that people seem to change their minds? Well in relationships they do as well. What is funny is that at any given moment we have some idea of what would like to accomplish or some set of goals written or otherwise that we would like to see happen over a period of time. When we are dating we are confronted with our dreams and goals as our new potential companions are very concerned with them.

As we build up our dreams and start to flesh them out we vocalize them over and over. Eventually someone grabs a hold of it and claims that it too is their dream. So like most people you two start to build a foundation for what will become a committed relationship and ultimately a new marriage. Hopefully as you go forward you two do not lose sight of what brought you together in the first place. Having a common dream and vision is important to long term success.

Interestingly enough people evolve or change quicker than many long term goals can be accomplished so what happens is as the two in the relationship change their individual goals chance as well. The overall goal isn’t being communicated or checked regularly to ensure that this new “couple” is on target for reaching their cooperative goals and dreams.

Over time the personal dreams gets stronger and stronger, as the overall dream gets weaker and weaker. No one checks to see if the milestones of the overall dream are being accomplished in a timely manner or that new obstacles have been brought out of the way to allow for success. More important is that not only has the communication of the overall dreams, steps to be taken and new obstacles that need to be overcome has stopped but there has never been any communication on the new personal dreams being built inside of the individuals in the couple.

Typically one will stay true to the dream but the other will be now secretly building their own dream with is never communicated so it is separate from the collective dream and therefore separate from the committed union. This rogue dream is not building steam where the collective dream has all but died. “It is for the lack of a dream that my people perish.” Now replacing the collective dream the secret dream now gains steam and momentum and overtakes the individual that has entertained its fancy.

Simply put this individual is now at odds with the collective dream either actively or passively but is now seeking to find ways to implement their own new dream. This divisiveness undermines the foundation or what the original union was based on. Now not having a foundation to stand on the union is in jeopardy.

Typically this will not come out in steps. It will boil and fester inside of the individual until it becomes overwhelming to the one that has lost the collective dream and either in the middle of a fight or disagreement or just as a stand along conversation confronts the other. This confrontation is typically a blame session where they are at fault for the new dream not getting accomplished. Sadly the one being accused of holding the one back was not even aware that there was a new dream at all!

Typically this is the first time this new desire has been brought up and being shocked and hurt the individual doesn’t know how to respond. In fact they typically respond poorly and things go downhill from there.   This quick degradation of the relationship typically ends with the destruction of the union. Ultimately the one that has come up with a new dream feels like they are alone and cannot ask the other to change.

Why? What would be the harm of open communication along the way? What could happen if when the seed was planted that it wasn’t communicated early on in its development? Is it because we do not communicate enough with the ones we love? Or is it more insidious that we are not listening? Is someone at fault or is it a draw?

Who originated the original collective dream? Was it one’s dream that was forced onto the other? Or was it truly a collective dream that both parties were bought into it and committed to see come to fruition? When a dream is “owned” by one there is a high likely hood that the union will fail. When the dream is truly co-operative there is still not guarantee that the union will hold together without constant communication and evaluation of what steps lie ahead and who has ownership of the individual components.

The problem with dreams is that most times there is a level of sacrifice that has to be made to execute the tasks tactically to allow for success of each successive level. Even the most well laid out plans will fail when the “owners” or those “tasked” are not 100% sold on the collective dream. Dreams are like living creatures their health is reflected by the collective mental health of those that are carrying out its tasks.

When the health of the dream suffers it is due to the lack of nurturing of those that are the carriers of the dream. Dream survival and success relies heavily on the participants keeping strong lines of communication open between all of the individuals. When some or all of the participants are silent about their fears and concerns the group or team becomes weakened.

So after the collective dream fades and the new secret dream takes over the heart and soul of the one harboring the new dream everything changes. Now things that were exciting and fun now become dreary and points of contention. Now what brought the group together will now ultimately destroy them.

I do not know the answers to the many questions that come from this phenomenon, but I have lived through its destruction. So as a leader of the dream one must champion every chance you get and maintain the excitement that is deposited in all of the participant’s hearts and soul this is the sign of a true leader! 

Best of luck to your dream and those that you get to believe in it!

How do you bring two lives together?

Well in our modern day society there are many things that can start a “union.” Also in the world of unions there are many types and levels of commitment? So what is it that drives us to desire someone else’s commitment to our dream? Is the success of that dream dependant on the quality of our vision? How about the detail by which we “flow chart” it? Is there a value to a written dream? Should all dreams be constantly be re-evaluated to ensure the longevity and validity? Can a dream started 10 years ago become null and void? Can a dream become non relevant?

At what intervals should we check ourselves and our dreams? Is there a formula for success? And whom should we share these dreams with in the first place? Should they be protected and hidden or should they be published and openly communicated? If we communicate our dreams to others the first thing we risk is rejection and ridicule. What is the benefit to communicating our dreams with others? Accountability, oversight, corrective criticism, and maybe if we are lucky help to get from a current step to the next.

So if we meet someone and you want to bring your lives together, the first thing you have to overcome is them being closed minded or not receptive to your current dream. So if that is true should you immediately change your dream to match their expectations? Should you look for the common ground and find a way to build your foundation upon the parts of the dream where there is agreement?

If you can successfully present your dream and get buy in what is your next step? Do we build business plans around our personal dreams just as if we were starting a company and were going to need a loan from the bank? Do you not think that an emotional loan will be requested at the time of your presentation? How much will this cost your potential partner? What are the risks? How much common ground do you have with individual that gives them the confidence to trust that what you are planning will work?

Fear, uncertainty and doubt will surely be your foes! Prepare to put the war paint on and draw your sword as you have just entered the coliseum! And just like the days of old, 2 go in and only 1 comes out! So in the world of dreams and unions does 1 side of the union have to lose for the originator to win? Well of course not, so that brings us back to how do you bring two lives together.

The collective dream is only possible when there is a symbiotic relationship place where both individuals need and respect the other. There already has to be an understanding before there can ever be a presentation or collective dream. Without harmony there can be no peace, and without peace there can be no honorable regime.

Army’s are run by dictators but relationships are run my patriarchs. These benevolent monarchies look simple but are nothing even close. Insecurity, Jealousy, fear, Distrust all come into play to erode the hierarchy that is put into place to ensure that the kingdom is run efficiently and honorably. Fear creates mistrust and mistrust creates divisiveness.  A house divided shall fall. There is no way for a union to succeed if both parties are not 100% committed to its success.

So then how do we bring two lives together? Well the first step is strong, frequent and open communication, after that  the two in question have to have a meeting of the minds; the minds have to be at peace. Time; time is the builder of trust and without trust no kingdom can be built. Trust is a funny asset as it can be constructed over time and in fact the best trust built is trust that has taken its time and has weathered a few storms yet is like peace of mind it can be wiped out in a second.

Communication

Peace

Time

Trust

Understanding: there has to be a clear understanding of what is bringing the two together in the first place. Random relationships with no purpose have no chance of standing against the storms that will soon be brought against it.
Plan; No kingdom can be built without a solid plan. The plan should have S.M.A.R.T. goals and should be measured and readjusted regularly to ensure progress is being made and that both parties take ownership of the successes and failures. Just as you would shoot an arrow at a target you must; aim, pull, shoot, readjust and start over till the bulls eye is hit or the game is won!
Execution; One must have impeccable execution of the plan. A plan without execution is nothing more than a pipe dream, thought of my the illusions of grandeur of fools.

Could anything be this easy?

Free Gem Tumbler, Stones Not Included...

Free Gem Tumbler, stones not included…

When others look into your life what do they see? Do they look at you and see an ugly old stone, or as a polished gem? All of us are in the tumbler of life and we provide the stones for which it will polish. We are all in different stages of completion. As we wander through we find the stones that we must carry to the next destination. As we go from stage to stage we see those stones change and begin to polish up. The ultimate goal is to become polished enough that someone would want to keep us.

The sad thing is when people are too afraid to go through the polishing process. Many people refuse to change and embrace the challenges that come our way. They are always avoiding pain. They will not allow themselves to be ground into something new. The stones of our lives are collected and are never fully complete. The grit that the tumbler uses are the sacrifices and struggles that come against us as we walk down life's path.

Between the motion of crashing into the stones and the intense friction that is created with the grit the hard outer shell soon comes away and what is left is a shiny exterior that was the inner self of the stone. We too must go through the tumbler of life and let the hard outer shell of this world come off so that we may become that which we were intended; beautifully polished and desirable.

When we look upon a person for the first time what we typically see is the outward appearance that is what attracts us to them. After the first 30 minutes it is usually apparent at what stage they are in their tumbler and what stones that they are carrying around with them. It is very unfortunate that most can't look into a mirror and see what it is that others do. Often times people project what they want you to see and work very hard to hide the stones that they are carrying with them.

They do not want you to see them and know what they are and in what stage they are in. That would expose them and sometimes painfully so. I have always believed that people will eventually see your stones; therefore it is best to leave them out in the open so that if there is one of particular interest to someone they will see it upfront and not 6 months later. This is not always possible as many times we can overwhelm people with our history and needs. This is typically a process and requires some tact so that you just don't go run people off.

But what is the saddest is when people totally refuse to grow and change, and do not allow themselves to tumble. I have been tumbling for some time now and have fought the process with everything I have. I have climbed out of the tumbler on occasion and spit on the grit. Somehow I keep getting scooped up and thrown back in. I hope that as I start to wear down that someone can appreciate me. I know that it has taken everything I have to get to here. I hope that at the end of the road there is someone that really cares about what I have gone through to be the shinny pebble that they keep in their pocket.

Pirate Mike, caught in the tumbler again…

"The weather has come to discourage me from my choice of destination, but what she doesn't know is that without her wind and waves I surely would never get there..." - Pirate Mike

8:30pm and where are you?

Yes I am at work. What am I doing you may ask? Well I am preparing a file for print, so this could be considered in production terms “ripping time.” Ripping is when a print file is processed and is prepared to be printed. I happen to be preparing 6000 post cards with complex variable data that are needed for an open house that we are putting together.

Why 8:30pm you ask? Well I am in outside sales and this is the only time that I have to myself where I can sit down and think. 8 to 5 is selling time and that is when all good salespeople should be out meeting new potential clients and talking with old ones. It is the time when you should be finding leads and closing business. It is not when you should be printing something.

Time is always of the essence. We never have enough time either for ourselves or to accomplish everything that we would like to at our work. Some jobs differ as they can be walked away from and they come to a stopping point at the end of the day. Mine on the other hand never has an ending point it just starts over each day and goes till I give up.

Commitment to the task and integrity is what all companies are looking for. If we could find people that took pride in their work and made sure the task was completed we would not find many of our jobs being sent over seas. It is hard to get mad at someone just because they will work till the job is completed or have taken the time to get an education and work for a price that attracts a company’s attention.

We are ultimately lazy and this is seen in ever vertical market there is. Whether you are a plumber or an electrician an auto mechanic or a printer we all know someone that is always looking for short cuts and isn’t concerned for the quality of their work. It is a shame that we take so little pride in what we do that we can be replaced so easily.

At my job people always look at me crazy as I tend to offer a hand, show up at accounts that are not mine, take time out of my day to explain or teach a concept to someone new. I don’t fight over accounts. I have been known to hand over a prospect to someone that has the relationship or can get the deal done quicker. I try to put my clients first and make sure their needs are tended to.

In any organization there are many levels of management that are constantly looking at the numbers, maximizing margins, protecting the company’s interest. Who looks out for the client? I have always felt that I was that person. I was the front line sales rep that had to make sure someone that knew what was going on argued on their behalf.

Now there are times when a client is unreasonable but many times things go wrong and the customer is just waiting on an action on the part of the vendor. When things do not get done the customer isn’t sure what happened other than the promise wasn’t kept. It is our duty to ensure that the promises are kept and that things go as smooth as they can. The larger the company is and the more complex of an operation that has to be performed, the more that can go wrong. Many times things can get started off on the wrong foot with inaccurate paperwork, poor order entry, lack of documentation, lack of explanation or a vague or incomplete statement of work. When orders are delayed things start off poorly. Then if the implementation and execution isn’t smooth you know you are heading for disaster. Billing and Service after the fact just make things worse if you have already started down this slippery slope of non performance.

I get caught in between the customer and our company all the time. It is normal for something to go wrong at some stage in the game. The more experience you have and the better you get just means that you deal with these situations quicker and with more style. I like to think that I am pretty good at what I do and that many times it looks like everything is under control even when I am about to come unglued.

Customers don’t know your business like you do, and they have no clue as to what happens after they sign the “magical documents” you provide them. Many start to get excited about all of the business problems their new purchase is going to solve and start to believe all the reasons why they signed the paperwork you gave them in order to feel good about what they have done. Once things start to come down they start to have feelings of uncertainty that unravel their thoughts and give them fears that create new objections you must over come.

It is in your best interest to soft sell your timeline and to build in some help for yourself by selling your customer some of the potential pitfalls upfront so that they know there will probably be some things that go wrong and how you have overcome them in the past. When they realize that this is part of the overall process and that you have prepared for it, they tend to be a bit more forgiving.

What happens many times is that deals that we have been working for a while or deals that came up suddenly many times mature quicker than we had originally expected, as the customer comes to the decision that he or she is going to move forward. Many times this happens at the end of a month, quarter etc and then the pressure is on within the company to find product and people to do the service functions that surround it. Supply chain demands push everything to the limit. Backorders are commonplace and technicians and analysts are booked out weeks in advance. No one is available for that new order you just brought in at the last second.

But no one is going to stop an order they simply let nature take its course and everyone plays the “quiet game” till the customer breaks the silence just to inform everyone that they are about to pull the plug on the deal. If the proper expectations are set up front and the order coordinators stay in contact with the customer as the order in entered and processed to that the customer knows what to expect and what is going on many of the issues could be avoided. All to often the customer sets the salesperson up but trying to hold them to the fire on deadlines and time schedules.

This actually works against the customer in many ways. It sets an unrealistic expectation and pushes the salesperson away to their quiet place. This refuge is where all sales people go to “hide” from the potential negative responses that come from a client that is awaiting action from someone. When the desired actions don’t take place the typical response is the “pull” the order and look for a new vendor that can fulfill the order as they expected the process to proceed.

Communication and preparation are necessary to keep the customer engaged in the process and to ensure that they never feel caught unawares. Sometimes the simplest things make the greatest difference. Even a quick email sometimes can fend off the wrath of an unfulfilled order. Customers need to be able to plan and make arrangements so they do not look foolish in front of their supervisors and customers.

Often time’s promises are made on their behalf to others and no one wants to look the fool. We must protect our customers from themselves and set proper expectations so that we can over deliver what we have under promised. The reverse can be deadly to the highly sought after “new business.”

I am a hunter, and I am always looking for a “clean kill.” I like many salespeople hate to get messy. I am the type of person that pays close attention to details and can get lost in the minutia if not careful. I have to make sure that I keep myself out of the office and in the field or I will stay busy and not productive.

This is why it is 9:30 pm and I am still working. I am targeting this rip to be done by 10:00 pm and that means I will be able to go home by midnight. I will have enough time to get some sleep so that I can hit it hard tomorrow and start another hunt for my next customer.

Pirate Mike…


P.S. It is 12:11am and it turns out that the press I was going to use is having technical difficulties.