Yesterday and today was one of those days when I just felt like I might drown. I think we’ve all had those days… down, depressed and wondering what to do.

I imagine that firefighter or Coast Guard service member trying to save someone’s life and having to fight not only the current or freezing water but also that person that is so desperate to live that they endanger the lives of a potential savior.

So, when you are down and feel like you’re drowning, just make sure you have arm floaties. You might get scared but you’ll always know that you have protection and security no matter what life brings you.

Arm floaties rule. Unless you have a life preserver… those are better (but less portable.) Just keep your head above water and keep swimming. Eventually, you’ll hit solid ground and feel much better.

Too many people try to be the star of the game, the one in the spotlight, the one that everyone can’t wait to see play. Not everyone really wants that, however. Some people have found their happiness by helping others achieve their goals without looking for recognition for themselves. Their happiness comes from watching others succeed and quietly knowing that they helped them achieve that.

That’s the path I chose a long time ago. I’ve helped many people in my career. Some have taken my help and done nothing with it while others have taken my help and soared like an eagle.

Will you do nothing or soar. Ultimately, it is your choice when you find someone that wants to help you succeed.

I chose to soar… in the way that makes me happy… helping others.

There are times when things that will affect your life are out of your control. And it can drive you crazy while waiting for the outcome. You can only control what you can control. Everything else is out of your hands and in someone else’s. Stay the course. Plan in case the worst case scenario happens but don’t give up on the best case scenario.

You might end up grateful, surprised and more loyal than you were before.

You know I’m loyal.

Don’t believe everything seen.

Truth is what is real.

(an original haiku)

There’s an old saying that “perception is reality.” Sometimes, however, people are making judgement decisions without all of the facts and then they have a “perception” that becomes their reality. I get that. There are exceptions though.

Let’s say someone had their fly unzipped. Would you tell them? Or just let them walk around with their fly unzipped?

What if the person walking around with their fly unzipped was a friend? And you didn’t tell them. And then someone made a judgement based on that.

Would you be upset that your friend didn’t tell you?

What if that friend, instead of telling you, went to other mutual friends and said “Look, his zipper is down” and continued to let you walk around like that.

What if your zipper really wasn’t down but only LOOKED like it was but now, your friends are playing the telephone game and telling your mutual friends that it was?

Perception. Was your zipper down or not? Does it matter whether it was or not? Or does perception trump reality?

There are been plenty of people in my life that were “leaders.” The ironic thing is that they were only leaders in their own minds. Nobody followed them but for the fact that they had to do so.

Then there are leaders who act like “leaders,” but don’t realize that they have no followers. They have great intentions but, ultimately, can’t “rally the troops” or get “buy-in.”

Then there are leaders who don’t act like “leaders” but rather as a part of the team. And the other teammates WANT to follow them. They have earned that through example, empathy and inclusion, created a company culture that people want to work at and those people will do anything for the company and that leader.

The last definition is a true leader.

Look inside and ask yourself what kind of leader you are. The answer might surprise you.

If you haven’t already figured it out… stories sell.

Many businesses practice this inadvertently but they are telling a story that THEY want to tell (buy here because we’ll give you the best deal or we’ve been in business for 100 years.) Consumers don’t care.

What they care about is your morals, ethics, company culture & customer service.

By finding those types of stories & delivering them in a creative way, you’ll be able to engage your customers (or potential customers) by telling a story that they want to hear.

We all had that special stuffed animal or toy when we were young. In my daughter’s case, it is a (then young but now old) rabbit. She’s 16 and still sleeps with that rabbit. Why? Because she loves it. “Old rabbits” don’t need to be stuffed animals. They can be a person who comforted you when you needed it, made you feel safe or helped you succeed.

I know who my “old rabbit” is. Do you know who yours is?

A little out of my normal posts but I was inspired today to share two stories that have made me a lifelong fan of Garth Brooks.

First story: Garth, when asked why his tickets all cost the same no matter where they are, said that he never wanted a little kid sitting in the nosebleed sections to point at the floor seats and ask “Daddy, why aren’t we sitting down there?” and have the little kid’s dad have to answer “Because we can’t afford them, son.”

Second story: When I was about 20 (early 90s), I was living in Texas and Garth Brooks (who was already wildly popular) came to have a show at Texas Stadium. The first show sold out in a minute. Then he added a second one. Sold out in minutes. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. After 6 consecutive sell-out shows, Garth came on the radio (yeah, we still listened to those) and said that he did not want the scalpers to have all of the tickets and force his fans to pay out the nose so he added a seventh show and said that it was FREE! No ticket required. First ~65,000 people that showed up got in. All of this so that his fans could see him (and probably screwed a bunch of scalpers in the process.)

Now he is one of the best-selling artists of all times. Has released more records that hit diamond status (9) than the Beatles (6) and, as far as units sold, is ahead of Elvis Presley and second only to the Beatles.

Lesson: Take care of the people who take care of you.

We all hear criticism. Some of it is constructive, some not. Learn to know the difference. When it isn’t constructive, turn the radio off.

The title of this isn’t one way. You can turn it off, then on. Or on, then off.

If you can recognize which to do. You will be successful.

Do your thing. Do it well. Don’t listen when YOU think people are trying to bring you down. Sometimes, what you consider hate is actually help.

Learn to know the difference.