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Who Am I?

I was born in one country, raised in another. My father was born in another country. I was not his only child. He fathered several children with numerous women. I became very close to my mother, as my father showed no interest in me. My mother died at an early age from cancer. Although my father deserted me and my mother raised me, I later wrote a book idolizing my father not my mother. Later in life, questions arose over my real name. My birth records were sketchy. No one was able to produce a legitimate, reliable birth certificate. I grew up practicing one faith but converted to Christianity, as it was widely accepted in my new country, but I practiced non-traditional beliefs and didn't follow Christianity, except in the public eye under scrutiny. I worked and lived among lower-class people as a young adult, disguising myself as someone who really cared about them. That was before I decided it was time to get serious about my life and embarked on a new c...

The Choice

Sometimes we think that "getting ahead at any cost" is the best choice for success and happiness, but sometimes, it is the true and steady course, or the long view, that gets you to true bliss. The story below gives a good example on how to do this...  +++++  A successful businessman was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor to take over the business.   Instead of choosing one of his Directors or his children, he decided to do something different. He called all the young executives in his company together.   He said, "It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO . I have decided to choose one of you. "The young executives were shocked, but the boss continued. "I am going to give each one of you a SEED today - one very special SEED. I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from the seed I have given you. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I ch...

Dogs and God (The Wow Factor)

You know, I talk a LOT about customer service and the "WOW Factor," but I wounder if anyone would go as far as this story embodies.  It is NOT only going beyond the pale of expectations, but also renews your faith in mankind!!! Sometimes…we need reminders of how awesome people are Someone in the Postal Service needs to be rewarded A letter from the Post Office... this is absolutely the best!! We don't know who replied, but there is a beautiful soul working in the dead letter department who understands something about kids and their pets… Our 14-year-old dog Abbey died last month. The day after she passed away my 4-year-old daughter Meredith was crying and talking about how much she missed Abbey. She asked if we could write a letter to God so that when Abbey got to heaven, God would recognize her. I told her that I thought that we could, so she dictated these words: ---- Dear God, Will you please take care of my dog? Abbey died yesterday and is with you in heaven. I miss h...

One Word Motivations

They say a picture captures a thousand words...and I guess the one word motivations do just that... Enjoy!      

What is a Verteran?

This post is to show my respect for all the veterans out there who served unselfishly, who gave unconditionally, and who sacrificed unrelentingly.. Thank you… Booyah and Semper Fidelis ________________________________________ It is the VETERAN ,  not the preacher,  who has given us  freedom of religion. It is the VETERAN ,  not the reporter,  who has given us  freedom of the press.  It is the VETERAN ,  not the poet,  who has given us  freedom of speech.  It is the VETERAN ,  not the campus organizer,  who has given us  freedom to assemble.  It is the VETERAN ,  not the lawyer,  who has given us the  right to a fair trial.  It is the VETERAN ,  not the politician,  who has given us the  right to vote.  It is the VETERAN  who salutes the Flag,  It is the VETERAN  who serves under the Flag, to be buried by the flag, so th...

The Four Agreements

Today I put out a quotation by...William James that states... “As a rule we disbelieve all facts and theories for which we have no use.” A good friend of mine, Jimmy Caplan responded with the following...    “As a rule we believe all facts and theories for which we have no use.” He went on to say.. 'As human beings, we don't discuss and argue over Truth. We defend symbols (our interpretations of the truth) and attack the symbols (interpretations) of others. This unending dynamic is the root cause of war, suffering, bombings of abortion clinics, dysfunctional politics in D.C., etc. All this is perfectly stated in The Four Agreements and The Fifth Agreement by Don Miguel Ruiz. ' The Four Agreements are: 1. Be Impeccable With Your Word:  Speak with integrity.  Say only what you mean.  Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others.  Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love. 2. Don't Take Anyt...

Creating a Great Start Up Culture

E very startup team has different ambitions. “ Get big fast ” is sometimes one of them: raise as much capital as possible so you can hire an army of engineers, marketing, sales and customer service people. This is a very short-term view on what it takes to build and grow a company. For some reason, people often think companies with a big team are more successful. But in reality, it’s not the quantity of people that matters, but the quality . The bigger a company gets and the faster a company grows, the bigger the risk that people start feeling “alienated” from the company. There is a risk people will start feeling like a cog in the wheel, and a lot of times that’s when people start looking for other opportunities where they feel appreciated, where they can build cool products that are a true expression of themselves and where they can make a difference. As Stephen Cohen, cofounder and Executive VP of Palantir Technologies, said correctly , people tend to hugely underestima...