Speaking of golf … a man and his friend are playing golf one day. One of the guys is about to chip onto the green when he sees a long funeral procession on the road next to the course. He stops in mid-swing, removes his hat, closes his eyes, and bows down in prayer. His friend says: "Wow that is the most thoughtful and touching thing I have ever seen! You are truly a kind man." The man then replies: "Yeah, well, we were married for 45 years." (part of this week's invocation)
We live in a world in which we need to share responsibility ...
It's easy to say "Its not my child, not my community, not my world, not my problem." Then there are those who see the need and respond. I consider those people my hero. --- Fred Rogers a.k.a 'Mr. Rogers'
THIS WEEK'S PROGRAM
Bryan Merritt has spent 20 years fixing companies and learned five lessons about business during his experience as a bull rider! His bull riding began on the high school rodeo team in 1976 and on a bull named 'Spirit of 76'. The toughest tough question: What do you want to have happen? Bryan said most board rooms do not have an answer to this question. According to Forbes magazine, about 3% of companies polled say they are successful at executing their strategies and science says 92% of people don't achieve their goals. According to the National Science Foundation we have 60,000 thoughts per day of which only 2% are new and 20% are positive. That means only .4% are new and positive! Change is hard but we have to do the work to achieve it.
Bryan's five lessons came from riding five bulls. 1) 'Big John' - Thinking and Commitment. Have I really thought this through? You have to be committed and that was difficult after riding Big John laying on the ground with bull crap on his hat and his mouth full of dirt. 2) 'Sanchez' - Intimidation. Sanchez liked to attack its riders and the intimidation was crippling. You have deal with your intimidators and take action to overcome intimidation. 3) 'Milky Way' - Balance. To keep your balance you have to stare at the bull's shoulders, not its horns. In business you must not set too many goals and stay focused one goal at a time. 4) 'Tiger' - Clowns. A clown pulled Bryan off the back of Tiger. Everyone needs clowns in their lives and we need to be a clown for someone else. Whose life are we
changing? 5) 'Ringo' - Self-Preservation. When a bull is running in a circle and you fall into the circle you have "fallen into the well", a very dangerous place to fall. You have to exercise self-preservation but not "selfish" preservation. It can't be all about you instead of sharing with others.
Guts, bulls, business and the five lessons are all related. Bragging rights are reserved for those with vision and courage to explore their potential. Put the five lessons to work for you!
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