Seven Deadly Sins… The qualifications of a copier salesman…

Over the years of being an equipment consultant I have uncovered or become aware of some odd understandings relative to the industry that I work in. I originally wrote this a while ago but as the industry compresses and economic times become increasingly tough this writing comes to mind frequently. With that in mind I have decided to repost it.

The idea of 7 deadly sins is not spoken of in the bible directly but was used in early Christian teachings to illuminate the idea that man was prone to sin. Catholic teaching broke sin into 2 classifications, venial and mortal sin. The 7 deadly sins are capital or mortal sins.

Listed in the same order used by both Pope Gregory the Great in the 6th century, and later by Dante Alighieri in his epic poem The Divine Comedy, the seven deadly sins are as follows: luxuria (extravagance, later lust), gula (gluttony), avaritia (greed), acedia (sloth), ira (wrath), invidia (envy), and superbia (pride).1

Every day I walk a simple path.

I talk to people and listen to their problems. After considering the causes and effects of their situation I ask them questions to probe into what they have done to fix their problems and how that effected their situation.

I pay close attention to the things that bother them the most and try to get them to prioritize their problems and find out what they are willing to do to fix or remove the problems. I identify the people involved in the problem and the people that are affected by it. I try to assess how much the problem costs them in both hard and soft costs.

Once I get a picture of who is involved and the process that they go through to solve their problems, I get an idea if this is something that they want to fix now or in the future.

At the end of the day I have to sit with myself and put together a plan of action and present it to the people that are responsible to fix the problem. If they buy into what I have put down they agree and act, if not they disagree we discuss it further. If we cannot come to an agreement we both go our separate ways and they continue with the situation that they have as it was before I came along.

This is the life of a document management equipment and services professional.

We are sometimes referred to as the "copier guy." I am sure that in this day and age we should be called the "copier person," as the gender reference is quite unnecessary. In this game either sex has the same opportunity to participate in the 7 deadly sins that are so profound in this industry.

When I talk about being a corporate pirate most laugh and think I am joking or exaggerating the situation but if you could be a fly on the wall in our building and the many buildings just like ours you would not sleep at night.

Ok, that is probably an exaggeration, but it would shock you and in many cases disgust you. After almost 5 years in this industry many things make me feel ashamed of the people I work with and for.

I have said that your success with a company like mine as a customer is dependent on your connection to it. If your rep is not good, neither will be your experience with the company they work for. Manufacturers and dealers of office equipment and document management services work on a very basal level. And in many cases the parent company or distribution organization is quite evil by nature. Your only hope is to have a buffer "rep" to keep you whole in the experience, or at least minimize the beating (both financial and emotional) you will take from it.

I most of the time try to overlook how others act and the underlying tones that are so prevalent in my business. I try very hard to balance myself and offer solutions to problems and charge people a equitable price somewhere between the extremes that are going to be presented by my counterparts. I also try to the an expert in the areas of topic so that I bring value and am not making money without earning it and putting in the work needed to earn the business for the long term.

I was privy to a conversation which displayed the ugliness that is so frequently seen that makes even the most native business person wary of people in our industry. When dragged into the conversation I was a presented a scenario and asked a question. I answered, "oh that is greedy you can't do that well I mean you can but you will be exposed and the customer will hate you for life."

Everyone looked at me like I was a Martian speaking Swahili.

I for a brief moment remembered why I consider leaving this business almost daily. The sad thing is it is the culture that has been fostered for many generations of salespeople and managers and is not needed at all.

You could almost say the 7 deadly sins are the 7 needed qualities of a "copier salesperson."

Companies interview perspective employees and make sure that they have ample quantities of each of the 7 deadly sins and forgo any real qualifications.

My first boss said, "Michael even a monkey can do this job." He further illustrated, "I could tape a lease to the back of a blind dog, kick him out of the building and eventually he would come back with it signed." He would later prove himself correct and become wildly successful as a salesman, sales manager and then a branch manager for a fortune 1000 company.

So let's for fun look into the world of a copier salesperson just briefly and examine the qualifications first hand shall we.

Qualification of a good copier salesperson 1

Latin: luxuria (extravagance, later lust)

In copier sales an effective sales manager will show a young salesperson how to drive their desires for things which of themselves are not evil but to excess are lustful. Whether it is sex, money, power, control if you are still breathing surely you don't have enough of any of them.

A good copier salesperson will never be satisfied, and will always be disappointed with how much they sell, how much they make (see greed), how quickly they get promoted, how long their vacation is. A great copier salesperson will stop at nothing to further their lust of all things corporate.

Qualification of a good copier salesperson 2

Latin: gula (gluttony)

In copier sales the best sales representatives will be easily identified by how well they gorge themselves on all things corporate. Copier salespeople are not temperate or aware that they should have any natural limits to anything the desire (see above).

A good manager will gather his or her sales people together on a regular basis and teach basic gluttony. This is really quite a simple thing to learn, you just take your newbie's out and feed them a $200 dinner, drink 2 or 3 bottles of very expensive liquor/wine, and have grand discussions on how they too can have more than they can legitimately use for themselves. A good sales manager will take the new people out shopping and show them how to buy things they don't need or will ever use.

The virtue of overkill will be a daily practice until they even employ it in their own lives.

Qualification of a good copier salesperson 3

Latin: avaritia (greed)

Money is just the beginning of greed. A good sales manager will make sure to teach the principle if the customer is spending $10 and is unhappy they will gladly spend $20 to be happy, even when the solution costs $2 and can be sold at a profit for $4. Why would you save the customer $6 when you can increase their budget based on the pain they have and make an extra $16, $8 of which you will get to keep.

Managers are quick to instruct their salespeople to get what is theirs and a bit more. It is so bad that over time it becomes so common that the goal is to see how much you can charge someone without them going bankrupt before they make their first payment and lock themselves into the deal or before they realize how bad they got screwed.

Greed goes way beyond the customer but reaches into the team that they are on and the associates that they work with. Greed says that you must sell everything in your neighbors' pond before reaching into your own. A good manager will promote greed as it facilitates the need to sell more and makes everyone more competitive as they must to survive.

Qualification of a good copier salesperson 4

Latin: acedia (sloth)

This is a principle that is taught by the manager that has to be managed all the time. It is the manager's job to manage focus of their salespeople and ensure that their needs are met first. Sloth is taught as a privilege. If you over achieve and sell more than anyone needs, and ensure the managers needs are cared for you can do absolutely nothing.

They are taught to sleep in, stare at their computers, take time off. It is the reward for proper lusting, greediness, gluttony as well as the other 3. When you have overloaded on the other 6 deadly sins you must Sloth. Slothing becomes a way of life. You wake up driven by the lust of being over full (gluttony) and greed and the reward for over achieving is Slothfullness.

Qualification of a good copier salesperson 5

Latin: invidia (envy)

A good and experienced manager will stack rank their salespeople and grade them against all of the other salespeople across the organization regardless of how much of an apple vs orange comparison it really is.

A good copier salesperson cannot stand to see another have success and becomes driven by the lust of success to overachieve and be as greedy as possible so that they can overcome and surpass all of their comrades.

A quickly rising manager will ensure that every one of their sales reps cannot stand to even hear of someone else's success or participate in an activity with someone they think could possibly out do them.

Envy resents anything that is good that happens or is good about anyone that they see. Envy is very closely related to Pride, and it drives the lust of self worth which is the fuel that makes pride gluttonous.

Qualification of a good copier salesperson 6

Latin: superbia (pride)

A sales manager cannot graduate until they are good at making each sales person believe that they are the best and deserve everything and more. Days of sloth are awarded to those that can be the fullest of themselves.

Copier sales people gorge themselves with the lusts of the flesh and material goods until they cannot move or afford to move then are pushed out the door with belief that they are the only person alive and that they deserve more. They are rewarded for becoming a prima donna. A good manager will know how to control their prima donna's and let them all think they are 1. A practical organization will parade their top performers around and show them that they are invaluable and that they can have anything they desire fueling their lusts.

Then the manager just begins over and finds new untapped desires and drives them to gluttony with greed, and keeps them competing with envy in the fearlessness of their pride. When they fall over from exhaustion they give them days to recuperate by awarding them time to Sloth. If they are having a bad month they will use their pride to control them with the envy and wrath of their fellow associates.

Qualification of a good copier salesperson 7

Latin: ira (wrath)

Wrath is a byproduct of the final two deadly sins Envy and Pride. It is quite ugly and not as common but is a product of greed and envy.

When someone else has success a good copier sales person becomes instantly envious and because they are excessively greedy they fuel this emotion with wrath, which satisfies their pride in that they should be the only one that can be so successful or rich or whatever the deadly sin promotion is for the month. It is most obvious when the greed of one sales person takes an account from another to fuel their lust of one of their desires. Since they cannot satisfy this gluttony with their own accounts they must do it with someone else's. It is much more pleasurable to satisfy themselves with someone else's accounts.

This lust and greed creates the wrath of the sales person that is feeling envious of the success of the greedy and gluttonous sales rep. A good manager deals with wrath in the most obvious way, with a good dose of pride. "You are not going to let so and so do that to you are you?" "You know you are twice the sales person they are!" Then an experienced sales manager will look for a lust that can fuel the envy and promote the rep that has wrath to go out and be greedy enough to show up the original rep. Wrath is a great way to push someone to compete with the others when the other 5 are having little effect. Sloth is reserved for those that have been over gluttonous for some time and had a lot of success being lustful and greedy.

The seven deadly sins require a lot of effort to perfect so typically a good manager will only focus and practice one at a time till they manage a group of major account executives or specialists. In which case the sales people are quite advanced and can practice multiple sins at a time.

This requires a very greedy and prideful manager that can truly harness the energy of their people and use it to fuel their own desires (lust) and gluttony. And of course a good manager works their sales people to death chasing after the dream while they practice the greatest of all sins; Sloth…

In the end a good copier salesman or saleswomen (which there are many) are taught that they deserve whatever they can take from someone else and that it is ok at any cost. They are taught to pull out the stops and go for broke. They are taught how to gamble as professionals and to know when to risk it all for the payoff of the ultimate permanent full time sloth which is held as a carrot to a donkey.

I hope you have enjoyed this enlightenment…

PS – There are organizations that promote the 7 virtues and moderate their sales people keeping them "connected" and customer centric. But they are far and few between, and almost nonexistent in the copier business.

This is why I live a simple life on a 34 foot boat, forsaking the trappings of Dallas and all that is offers. Not that I haven't had my moments being caught up in the limelight. I was after all a 2 time president's club winner and a 1 time circle of excellence winner for that unnamed fortune 1000 company that I talked about above.

Life is fast, life is hard, life never lasts long enough to learn how simple it really is. We complicate it so that we can feel superior to everything else that God has created, when really we were created from the very dust that everything else walks on - Pirate Mike

I am sure that this is considered blasphemous to those that are in my industry as we all want to believe that we are saints. (It is part of our pride) – Pirate Mike

2009 Texoma Lakefest Regatta

(2009 Second Star Racing team consisted of: JD Hill, Susan Hill, Ben Gray, John Kleineberg, Michael (Pirate Mike) Brooks, Angela Haar, Harald TenWolde, Scott Spurlin)

Well I haven't been home for 24 hours and I am writing the chronicles of another great adventure. Texoma Lakefest (website) a long standing tradition in North Texas has been recognized as the largest inland charity sailing regatta in the nation. 2009 was no different and a tremendous amount of effort was put in by the races sponsoring yachtclub the Texoma Sailing Club (website)! 47 boats and close to 300+ competitors came to battle it out on one of Texas' biggest lakes. Lake Texoma is one of the largest reservoirs in the United States, the 12th largest Corps of Engineers (USACE) Lake, and the largest in USACE Tulsa District. ¹

4 days of fund raising for a great charity; the Make A Wish Foundation (website). Thursday is the Chaos Cup where the corporate sponsors get to try their hand at sailboat racing! Teams are sent out to have a great time and get a chance to meet the sailors that will for the next 3 days battle it out with the famous North Texas weather and the top rated competitors that come from around the nation to try their hand at getting their name engraved on the ever sought after silver cup. Thursday had overcast but fair weather as we saw great sailing from the cast of competitors. Almost event free Thursday did bring about one casualty when 2008 3^rd place competitor Nelda Ray snapped their mast to end their campaign for the silver cup.

From first time newbie's to Amercia's Cup sailors Texoma Lakefest brings them all together in the spirit of competition and love of the sport. Friday is the first day of competition and typically is full of emotion and excitement as the boats get launched and the competitors look over the scratch sheets to see whom they will be battling it out with. This year Friday brought lightning storms and while we all went out to the battle ground not one race was started. After the high winds and lightning got within masts reach the races were postponed and we were sent in to wait out the weather. By the time the weather was past us night had fallen. Over the Eastern sky one could see thermal lightning giving everyone a great fireworks display. Dinner was a great Texan tradition barbeque catered in from a great Fort Worth practitioner. (Riscky's Barbeque)
The night wouldn't have been complete without some great dancing to a live band and Captain J.D.'s Lavaritas! Saturday started off well as the dangerous weather had passed us and we were hoping to get out on the proving grounds and play hard! Rain started to fall as the winds had given way to glassy seas. With light to nonexistent winds we got off one race that became extremely tactical as we raced for what seemed like an eternity. The multi-hulls and the spinnaker boats got off the course in reasonable time but the working sail classes extended the race for about 3 hours till there was no more wind or light to race. Coming back to the marina everyone was joyous and in one piece all wanting more wind and a chance to compete. Saturday night Riscky's came up with a great meal of fajitas while the headliner band broke out with some winner tunes. Lavaritas (margaritas that come from a ten foot volcano) were flowing again as the mountain starting erupting as soon as the competitors landed. In sailor style competitors bid silently for all kinds of trinkets of all kinds and values from a nice massage to a Donzi boat. Dancing went on till everyone was satisfied. Everyone went to sleep early as they knew that the race starting times had been pushed up an hour early so we could get in enough races to satisfy the regatta.

Sunday was the day, sunny cold and windy. Wind started off easy 8-10 knots as everyone got suited up for the insanity. When we got out to the proving ground out in the exposed main body of the lake the winds quickly bumped up to 20 knots. Everyone suited up in full armor as we awaited the starting sequence. 3 races convened that opened everyone eyes to the dangers of sailboat racing. From the many near misses and close calls to gear breaks and collisions Sunday was full of "Lakefest" spirit. Lakefest is always a serious competitors concern as the weather is always a big factor; proved again Lake Texoma brought forth serious conditions for the competitors to overcome.

From Terra Nova getting hung up on the judge's boat to God Speed having a serious collision and boom breakage to fishing sailors out of the lake to the sad personal injury on Predator. It was a busy day indeed, and the weather came back to revel her serious side to us. To the family & crew of the injured sailor we send our best wishes. We await the verdict on the injured sailor but from some reports someone fell and possibly broke ribs and collapsed a lung. We pray that he heals fast and comes back to win more races. As the sailor lay on the deck in serious condition some of the last reported words from his mouth were, "Finish the race!" Predator did manage even with a DNC to finish in 2nd place for class #2. Congratulations to all the sailors that made that win possible! (Consequently Predator was in OUR fleet!)

All in all it was a typical Lakefest averaging about 15 knots from days at zero to days with gusts over 30. The official results will be posted on the Lakefest website
and on the Texoma Sailing Club's website.

I learned a lot and am grateful that we only had a few mishaps and no serious injuries. I am blessed to have met Scott and Harald two passing experienced sailors that graced us with their skill for this special journey. I look forward to our new J122 and learning how to use it as the weapon that it is. To everyone out there, fast sailing…

Pirate Mike.

"Sailing doesn't make a man but it reveals him to himself. His strengths, his weaknesses, his fears and his accomplishments. Sailing is a culmination of everything he knows, thinks, and feels. It brings all the senses together and like the rest of nature shows us how small we really are. Sailing puts things into perspective but yet allows us to be supernatural if even just for a moment." – Pirate Mike…

1 Reference pulled from Wikipedia at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Texoma

The Shimmering Darkness…

The day was finally over, the sun had settled down within the depths of the lake.

The sun had put up quite a fight and left the land bleached and dry.

The lake goers had been drained as they filled the lake with the sentiment of their desires.

As the rebels quieted down, and the crowd parted a new set of sounds took over the area.

The moon arose quickly and settled in about a third of the way into the sky.

Only a sliver its presence was quite diluted as the clouds rolled into place and the stage was being set.

It was the day after the great and terrible day and vengeance was about to take its toll.

The temperatures subsided and the winds once again found the body of water that they call home.

The emergency vehicles had gone home no saving was to be done tonight.

Damage already done the mind wanders, tensions are running high.

Mind drunk with emotion, body full of pain, the potential for quite an evening is building.

As I lay aside the cockpit I looked up and realized that my destiny had called me.

The winds calling my name I could hear them saying, "follow me to the next place."

Obedient and methodical I woke up from my emotional stupor, and took on the responsibility to prepare the vessel.

At the strike of 1:00 am I set sail. Pulling the sun drenched and warmed sails I spoke to them commanding; "take me to the place that the winds are calling from."

With that I leave the cockpit and go down below into the dungeon that I call home.

Frantically digging into the darkness, feeling for a remote audio cd that still brandished its wrapper and label I hope for my release.

As I open the unique promise, I place it into my player and emerge to survey my situation.

Black as night, both lovely and unlovely I find myself echo locating the shoreline.

The winds have taken their position on the lake and made themselves prominent across the lakescape.

Then out of the blackness I see a shimmering darkness.

Heading to weather the wind positioning itself to whisper in my left ear I hold still.

As the wind picked up, the water responded in kind with a motion that took it across the lake.

Rollers they were building from the South as I headed to find the source of the wind.

Just a glimpse of their size as the moon varnished their topsides with a glow that could be seen for miles.

As the motion of the lake took a hold of me, the sound of a distant land came to the forefront.

Sharp and pleasant sounds of a simple land on the continent of Africa filled my head as I squinted to keep track of the shore.

I transported myself as the music took my soul from this ragged body and the emotions that once filled it left.

Waves crashing into the bow and it planted itself firmly into its belly. Spray fills the air as the sounds of the life that is such the beginning of all.

As the tribesmen chant their stories of family and survival, I find myself on the roller coaster of life deep within my heart as it sets happily in my chest, far from the sleeve that it once found a perch.

Whispering in my ear I can hear the wind calling me deeper into an almost trance like state.

Into the shimmering darkness I see the water and land dancing before me, leaving a path that only I can feel.

Song after song, I feel my body coming alive. My senses are overwhelmed and the thoughts of the day are far from me. Now the music takes hold and my hand holds the destiny of the vessel.

Between the thumb and forefinger of the right hand I steer this 6 ton beast. Waves crashing and spraying mist into the air, my mind races ahead in anticipation of what lies next.

Sitting in the port side stern perch, head cocked gently to the side, I try to make out the dam and the source of the wind.

Never admitting but gently remembering that it has called for me before.

An elusive friend the wind befriends the water and makes a pact with my vessel.

Completely in sync with nature as the music recharges my soul.

Now the age of completeness comes as I turn the corner to see the light of my home port.

In the shimmering darkness there I find my peace again.

For in the heat of the day, emotions ran free and the damage of their energy has taken its toll.

But now in the perfectness of the moment my soul is again whole, my mind is at ease and my body is free from pain.

Just arriving to my place, I reposition my home and engage the moon to hide me from the shimmering darkness.

July 5^th – 6^th 2008, on Lewisville Lake, listening to the original Mbube music of Africa while participating in the dance of a lifetime, after an event of emotional magnitude.

"Fair weather does not a skilled sailor make. Even the brightest of skippers must navigate through the storms of life to emerge on the other side, sometimes with nothing to guide them but the shimmering darkness of their soul." – Pirate Mike…

The Pirate Connection…

The Pirate Connection…

You know I think I get more questions about the whole pirate thing and yet even with all that I have written I think that people truly do not make the connection. People still think pirates are folklore and are left to the stories of people walking the plank and funny characters talking strange and hobbling around on a wooden leg with a hook for a hand wearing the proverbial eye patch. What they do not understand is that piracy on the high seas is common, even in the true definition piracy occurs over 250 times a year and is one of the most common dangers faced by our merchant marines. Much more common than hurricanes or other weather related dangers it is a seaman's reality. We find it also on land, and in some of the areas that we claim are the safest like our market system.

And all the while I am living in the midst of a typical corporate merger created from the pressures from Wall Street in a very simple commodity type business and I am witnessing what I write about first hand. I mean toothpaste, toilet paper, fax machines These are all common goods that we use pretty regularly right? Well as it turns out the last year that I was working at IKON I was going to witness on a grand scale what privateering and piracy is all about at the multibillion dollar level. When I talk about sovereignty, territory and exercising power and control in the definition in the privateering of old I could as well have been talking about hostile takeovers and corporate mergers of the 21^st century. Nothing has changed our actions that we take still have lasting effects on the way we live and the security of others.

What is amazing is that we call ourselves a civilized society, well in some areas we may be, but in reality we are pretty savage and hypocritical. We are a greedy and bloodthirsty lot. The rest of the world talks about us in disdain and we the great capitalists of the west have exercised our sovereignty to line the pockets of the high and mighty. We like to talk about helping the needy and being a good big brother to the nations so that we can sit at home and sleep well at night. When the reality is that we have sent teams out into the nations to spy and steal with commission. "For the good of all" right? Well just to provide National security to protect the innocent right? "To preserve our freedom" right? Ya that is what is it all about; sure…

I am not a conspiracist nor am I a conspirator, but what I am is a realist. I am also a consumer, I live a decent life and earn a decent (6 figure) income in which 40% of it is disposable. In which I have the luxury to take time being a buyer, and not always a seller of goods and services. I have on many occasions after great study, research and consideration still been screwed by a savvy and well thought out salesperson. I myself have worked for manufacturers where I had several products all good for a purpose but when questioned by a prospect had to give them what the "best" solution that I had none of which was the best for their purpose. I have made purchases that luckily came out ok, due to the fact that a poor purchase could have been catastrophic. Like in the case of a bad purchase of insurance, or of a home or lemon vehicle which could ruin your finances or worse.

Since I am in the midst of some ruthless privateering and an employee of said sovereign body whom grants me commission to plunder I will hold my comments for a time. But there will be a day come to pass when I will talk of what many already know. Corporate America is savage and full of privateers and pirates. None of which can be trusted or believed, it is intrinsically interesting though how often they deceive even themselves. And what is even more funny is that they believe each other; listening intently to each other's stories of conquest with anticipation and belief. If you wake up and think you are innocent you are but just part of the great deception. If you wake up and think you are a great deceiver you have bought into the lies of those that are in ultimate control. If you wake up and are just not sure of what is happening you may very well still have a chance to save your soul.

What is of concern is that I have on occasion thought that I was outside of the boarders of those that would influence control over me, but in reality I live in the heartland of the controlled. I am but a mere pawn in this chess game of marauders. Corporate America, land of the free, home of the brave. What do you think it took to be brave in a new frontier? How do you think those brave men stayed free from the chains that would have liked to have bound them? Laissez-faire capitalists would have you believe that "hands off" government is the way to go, just let the fair market system prevail. What people forget is that the markets are driven by people and that people are in many cases driven by greed. If you leave markets and corporations to be "ruled" by themselves what you end up with are warlords and chieftains. They will fight over their territory and sphere of influence till they choke out the others. This is called a monopoly and in many rights a dictatorship.

Power corrupts and complete power corrupts completely. Without checks and balances what we see is that corporations like people become an enemy of the state. What we find is that groups are corporations; they are embodied to further a cause sometimes economic sometimes it is purely ideological like in the case of a political or spiritual group or organization. These groups can if left to themselves and being unchecked can rise up to power and cause great destruction. Look at the debacle going on with our financial institutions which have been highly regulated and monitored by the state and federal government. Look at the men that have plundered great fortunes just to leave the companies that they ruled ravaged by their greed and great incompetence. Look at the cost of their failures to our lifestyle and the real debt that we will have to pay for their debauchery.

So "hands off" doesn't work and neither does "hands on" so what does work? Market competition? Look at my industry? Well I would love to tell you about it, but this is a public blog and I am still under commission and still privateering.

Maybe when I retire J Or maybe if you come close I can whisper these great secrets into your ear, just before I cut that necklace off of your body! Don't forget I am a pirate… One that has made it through many campaigns and survived many sieges, and I will survive this one too. This old pirate is looking for calmer seas, maybe an inland cove to rest. Watching the sirens call to the passing ships has become a pastime and steering clear of the reefs has become old hat. I would much rather sit around the helm and tell stories while drinking rum then actually boarding a ship and taking no prisoners.

Taking the crew to land and plundering a city has lost its charm. I would much rather watch a sunset or the clothes fall off a beautiful silhouette. There is more to come, keep watch I am sure to tell more stories as the time passes.

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

The sea of emotions,

I have found the emotion of life is what fuels the heart, mind and soul. Without it we would not perceive our accomplishments or failures. Absent of the highest of highs and the lowest of lows we surely would take for granted our consciousness. It is to this end that we strive to feel and decipher the addiction that is our daily emotional fix. I have been “off the wagon” for some time now, and now in a weakened state I feel that it is time to check myself into rehab.
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It is now time to rehabilitate my heart, mind and soul from the daily bingeing that comes from a high pressure sales job selling capital goods for a global company. Just as coffee and cigarettes seem to be a prerequisite for a salesperson so to is his or her addiction to a high level of emotions a requirement. These emotions fuel us and drive us to our ultimate end. They are what makes us champions and like a lead weight takes us to our graves at the bottom of the ocean.
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Months after the initial shock that turned out to be a turning point in my mental career, I am still stunned. I wake up each day hoping the tidal surge will subside so that I can take residence back in my mind where my consciousness calls home. My heart is still heavy with the current that carries me along. Like the tides of the ocean, my soul is heavy from the flow of information that ebbs and floods from my mind to my heart and back. Waiting for a slack tide so that my heart can rest enough to pick back up when the information overload returns.
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Now a survivor of two corporate mergers I feel the pain of those whom have had to change their way of life over the greed of share holders and corporate executives. After watching first hand the inflation of egos and the supposition of truth for what surely was an advertisement of the worst kind. Mental marketing coming from all directions to sooth the savage salesperson and keep him or her at bay. Restricting the freedom of understanding and knowledge to minimize the impact of the truth was their only goal.
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Now I stand alone looking at the aftermath of their greed and manipulation wondering where this new direction will take me. I plot my course and compensate for the deviation that can be accounted for. With the hope that my calculations are correct I carefully proceed. With so many unforeseen reefs and barriers, I know that ultimately I am responsible for my destination and safety. With a heavy sigh I look to the North hoping the winds will subside. I too need a break like many of those that crew along side me. With the warmth that only a South wind can bring I look for a sunrise signifying that a new day has begun and again my opportunities are anew.
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I need to believe that my course is well thought out and that my helmsmanship is sure. We only get one chance to do this right and I do not want to wash up on a lea shore with no one to assist in my rescue. Even as a rudder can turn a massive ship, we as individuals have great influence on those around us and can take the team to new heights or destroy any good that is among the crew. With so many lives and families at stake I hope that those that are in power take into consideration their actions and direction.
Bringing new blood onto the ship I see new deck hands daily. Shining their shoes and straightening their uniforms I see them proudly walk around in blissful ignorance. Ahh to be ignorant again and walk hand in hand with the honeymoon that only a newbie can embrace. For those that start up this adventure under the knowledge of the new owners it is a simple task. For those that started under the old captain a new charge could mean a rough trip for everyone.
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Just as we clean the decks and keep order of the lines we must tend to the corners of our minds. Holding to the truths that we know and leaving room for new understandings that will come from experience and the enlightenments of others. Consistent effort is the key to success and I too must manage the emotions that rule my head and heart. Just as adrenaline keeps us alert in the midst of a storm we must carefully watch ourselves as the storm subsides. Sleep comes to those that take refuge in the lull of action, only to be rudely awakened to dangerous seas as the storm’s anger builds anew.
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So to in our sales career we must maintain the pressure, even when the storm seems to subside. If we take the pressure off we will find ourselves in a dangerous position as our pipeline comes to an ugly end. We must be diligent and keep alert to the ever increasing dangers that lurk around every point. In this age of technology we are constantly being bombarded with information that can overload our emotions and carry us off like a tidal wave.
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As the immediate storm system subsides I wait to clearly take inventory during the daylight to reconcile the reports. I am also curious to see the changing of the watch that is to come so that I may know whom I will report to in the coming hours and days. What we do know is we have survived the first wave, but we do not know what is behind it. Only time will tell us what our true fate is to be. I for one am eager to meet my destiny.
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Pirate Mike