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.

Driven… to excellence or failure

You know over the years I feel like I had less to do with myself than I used to give myself credit for. I back in my 20's used to think that I was the sole "destinator" of where I would end up ultimately. Well a few years later and a lot of emotional circumstances, both wins and losses have shown me that I was but a guest in the grand scheme of things. Just a light gust of wind on a breezy sunny day.

What I mean by that is I did have free choice, and I did exercise it on many occasions. But both good and bad decisions that I have made that still seemed to bring me to the same place where regardless, (or should I say in spite of myself) of the choices that I made I ended up ok. The opportunity presented itself and I acted; now I may have been able to act better but as you will see later I knew that if I didn't do something quick I may do nothing at all. I am a firm believer that success happens when opportunity and preparedness meet. Success is a 2 part offer. The sad thing is that many of us would have had more success if we would have had been prepared to take advantage of the opportunities that presented themselves.

Have you ever said to yourself, wow just think; I thought of that years ago, or man if I could have saved my money just a few months longer, or …. Well that is where preparedness comes in. Many times we wander through our life like a leaf in the winds of time. As a sailor I am quite aware what happens when you put your sails up without checking where the wind is and at what angle the sail is to the wind. Many times we think we are ready for an opportunity and we put our sails up, but we did not prepare ourselves and like the sailor that put his sail up incorrectly and went nowhere with a full sail.

Now how sad is it to watch someone we love struggle against the tides of indecision or even worse make choices that they would later regret. One thing that I know is that the tide goes out and if you are patient the tide surely will return. Knowing timing is important; this is a component to being prepared. You do not want to get in a narrow pass during a tidal exchange, especially if you are trying to sail against a current when the tidal exchange is dramatic. Why you might ask? Well when the tide goes out or even comes in (sometimes incorrectly referred to as a low or high tide) and the exchange of water is great, currents form that head out to sea or come back at great speeds. (Tides come and go, also referred to as flood tide(high) and ebb tide (low)

Trying to sail 6 knots against a current that is 9 knots is futile. You will end up going backwards at a rate of 3 knots. But if your timing is right and you head out at the slack tide (a time in between tides when the water is neither going out to sea nor coming in) you will make headway and get to your destination.

Knowing timing in our life is very important, as we identify our desires we need to make sure that we are prepared to make the decisions that have to be made in order for those desires to come true. And many times also must know when to not act on a desire due to lack of preparedness. Surely if we take off to tackle a great desire and yet have bad timing, we are sure to fail. This can be seen in relationships when people didn't finish with themselves and yet moved forward too soon with the right person in a deep relationship that they were incapable of maintaining. How sad it is when they lose the relationship only due to lack of preparation and not due to lack of opportunity.

I have had many opportunities in my life. Many that I took on at or near the right time and several opportunities that I took on way before my time. I have also been a part to and witnessed people that had a desire and prepared themselves for it. Waiting for the tide to go slack, got in their vessel to take on the opportunities and just as they left the slip let go on the sheets that held onto their sails and sabotaged themselves due to fear of the unknown.

One of our greatest enemies many times is ourselves. Many times in our subconscious we are scared of winning/success. We are scared that what happens if I achieve this great new job, or this great new relationship. I will be required to work hard to maintain, or earn it. The fear of what will I do if I get this, or achieve this. When we sit down to identify our desires and spend the energy and time to prepare ourselves for opportunity we must also be ready to stave off the fear that will settle in as we approach our new goal or desire. We must be ready to reestablish new goals to replace the one that has been achieved so that we can like the sails set properly can maintain forward movement in a desirable direction.

Many times fear of success is as great of a detriment to our future as apathy and laziness. Nothing is ever static we are either moving forward or backward. We are born and we immediately start the dying process. In life we are in a constant state of evolution. Just like the seas, they are in constant motion and only slow down for a moment, many times the way we do only to start back up again, moving forward or backwards.

It has been proven many times that people will do more to avoid pain than to gain pleasure. Therefore in the sense of motivators, we will many times go way out of our way to avoid something we are unfamiliar with. Unfortunately many times this thing we are not familiar with is success. All too often we are more comfortable with where we are at then where we really want to go. Typically where we want to go is somewhere that we are not and have been not. This uncertainty is what creates the emotion of fear and doubt. This is where the uncertainty comes in, once the uncertainty has grasped the brain, the emotions that come from that are death. Death to the new ideas, Death to the new dreams, Death to the new job, Death to the new relationship, Death to the new move across the country, Death to the hopes and goals that you have lived a lifetime to never achieve. Fear becomes our greatest motivator, and with fear no good thing can be accomplished. Knowledge is the great dissolver of fear. Therefore the second half to being prepared other than timing is knowledge. Knowledge is power this old saying is true, and knowledge with great timing is success.

Don't allow fear to grasp you in this way. I am no different. I have fears. I have found that sometimes I must not use too much "common sense" as if it is common and shared by the general public it probably is laden with fear and insecurity. The problem with Common sense is that it is common and is easy to get a hold of. So in that, I am a bit of a gambler. I have a tendency when something I want is at risk to take chances. I am always looking for an uncommon knowledge, the same knowledge that created men like Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, William Churchill, etc.

Normally if it will not kill me, won't financially ruin me, or mar me for life. I will just give in to my passions and desires. Try it and jump with both feet in. That way if the water is really cold I cannot back out of it due to doubt and insecurity. Living this way is not for everyone, you could end up with many regrets. Most people do not realize that they shouldn't regret anything, because at one point that was exactly what you wanted. Be grateful that you were able to have it, and many are not so fortunate, their fears have kept them from experiencing anything.

I would rather look back are realize that I would with 20/20 hindsight maybe have done things a bit different, but I would hate to look back and realize that I did nothing. That is my biggest fear, is that I will get to the end of my journey, and realize that when the wind came I never put my sails up. How sad, to never have used all that was given to you.

So as for me, I am taking chances every day. I am meeting new people. I am conquering and overcoming my fears. I am enjoying learning to love new activities. I am experiencing touch and being tactile in new ways. I am exploring my mind, and my senses. I am challenging my natural tendency to be scared of things I am not familiar with. I match that fear with the knowledge of self discovery. I get a hold of new ideas and facts and apply them to new problems and issues. I am a problem solver, I am a lover, I am an explorer, I am a learner and in the world of high dollar technical sales you can not afford to slow down or take a break. Learning is the foundation for future success. And knowledge without action is futile.

The reality is that many times we must face our own demons. We must prepare and we must use good timing, but without the hard work it is all in vain. And too often we look to find fault with others actions, when indeed it was our own inappropriate or lack of action that brought us to a particular junction. I was talking to one of my old sales managers that has moved on to become incredibly successful with his career. He said to me "Michael, usually when the grass appears greener on the other side of the fence is because of a lack of watering on our own side." - Zack Jones

Again, I must agree. It is funny how I agree more and more with the man that I used to yell at and almost get into fights with every Friday afternoon at approximately 5pm. Amazing how a few years along in the industry will change perspective.

Typically when things are slow and our pipeline empty, this simply means we have not been diligent with what has already been given to us to tend to. I look forward to the new opportunities and challenges that lie ahead. I am watering my plot of land and am planting seed. But I have drawn my sword should someone stumble onto my land, lest I find a quick meal and a handful of coin.

I am a hunter, and as a hunter I kill what comes by, but I will also tend my land; as a hunter in winter becomes a busy farmer by the late summer with the proper planting. The cycle of plenty will come back around and I do not want to miss my chance to live off the land either by plow or by the sword.

Well it is true now more than ever when we look on the other side for greener pastures it is typically becuase we have not been watering our own side. Activity begets success almost in everything. Without the sowing their can be no reaping. Without the lying in wait their can be no great surprise or great kill.


The ever evolving rambling of Pirate Mike…

"The seas never stop; they come and go bringing to their inhabitants the substance of life, so is the tide of our life's, people come and go and with them they bring us the substance of life… don't ever give up on people, as you will have given up on your yourself…" - Another original from 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