What Do You Want for Your Birthday?

I'm sure everyone has both asked and has been asked this question many times in their life. Seems simple enough, doesn't it.

I suppose that most people have "something" in the back of their mind that they do want or "something" that they were thinking about giving the person they are asking but, since I actually DO have a birthday coming up soon, I started thinking about this.

Maybe it's that I'm getting older, having more stuff or just becoming more settled lately, but I really don't want anything for me because I asked myself, DO I REALLY NEED ANYTHING?

Most of you, if you're reading this and if asked, would have to, honestly, answer "No, I don't really need anything."

What if we all just made birthdays an opportunity to ask people to give the value of all the stuff we get from family and friends to people and organisations that really DO need things. Things like food, clothing, medical care & supplies, housing...or even just friendship and caring?

I know that sounds a bit like a beauty pageant answer but just imagine what that could do? After all, everybody has a birthday...and it would cost a thing to redirect that value?

I don't know how to make it start to happen but I'm going to at least try to start it this year. I don't have a single cause to dedicate this to but will be asking family and friends to start by not giving to me. Give to someone or an organisation that does give back to the world. People, animals, environment...I don't care...lots of stuff needs fixing...

I'm not really being all that philanthropic here - it's just that I have all the "stuff" I need and want.

So, just in case you were planning on giving me a present for my birthday...please don't... but I'd love to hear about to whom or to where you did give something. Maybe it will give me some ideas. Maybe I'll take some time to actually get organised and start a fund that can make a difference.

So, the challenge is, "Do you really need something for your birthday?"

"Happy" New Year and Just "Being"

I, like many, have just come back to work after having 2 weeks off, over the holidays.

Although I would have loved to continue sleeping until 10 am, having a glass (or 2) of wine at lunch and not shaving until I went out to dinner at night, I did really enjoy coming into work this morning and seeing everyone smiling, greeting one another and feeling, genuinely, well..."happy".

I started to wonder why we can't seem to maintain that sense of being pleased that we can sit up and take nourishment, walk, breathe, laugh and just be alive all the time...?

I'm as guilty as anyone many times in seeing the negative aspect of everyday life but I do hope that I am starting to gain an appreciation of the simple joy of just "being". I made a point (resolution?) of saying "hello" to anyone who would look me in the eye this morning and, at a risk of being thought of as crazy, I consistently got a huge smile and greeting in return. It really didn't take any effort but I noticed that it started to create an energy around me that I really enjoyed.

It wasn't that I was doing anything incredible at all - in fact, I was doing it for ME! I didn't think it through, I didn't plan it. It just started happening...

I made a joke (at least it was funny to me) a few days ago that Vegemite was invented so that if you ate it first thing in the morning, everything else during the day would seem fantastic by comparison (apologies to those who have been brainwashed into thinking Vegemite actually is a good flavour...). So, is that what we need to do to feel "happy" all the time? Eat Vegemite?

Why do we need to be separated from what we do normally (e.g. going to work) for 2 weeks to recognise that it actually does bring us happiness?

Sure, we all need to relax and clear out the cobwebs of too much work and stress. But I can't help but think, however, that we all need to keep in mind that our daily lives, for the most part, are what makes us "happy" and that we have the ability to remind others of that, just by BEING, we can make ourselves "happy".

There is a very trite old saying that goes, "If you see someone without a smile, give them one of yours...". Those you rolling your eyes right now, just try it with the next person you see.

Wouldn't it be great to have that feeling I got this morning, surrounded by "happy" people, all the time? Or maybe it's the new drugs...?

The Squeaky Toy

I'm one of those people who have to keep their bedroom very dark - not because I can't sleep when it starts to get light but, rather, my dogs can't (yes, I know - dogs shouldn't sleep in the bedroom...not the point here). The moment there is a hint of light in the room, they are awake, on full alert, watching for that first flutter of an eyelid and then - -BAM! It's the first second of the first minute of the first day of the rest of your life!

With the excitement being generated, one would think they were both just shown the open door to a fully stocked butcher shop and welcomed in. Running, jumping, barking, chasing....it's manic!

Then it's a race to see who can first locate the squeaky toy - this disgusting, chewed up fluoro-green sausage-looking thing. The interesting bit about this toy is that, although it is pretty ragged looking, they have yet to manage to destroy it and rip its guts out like all their other toys...and it squeaks....LOUDLY! It becomes the main focus of the morning like a celebration of life. Whichever one has the squeaky toy parades all over the house chewing and squeaking the damn thing continuously - even pushing it into the other's face, mockingly.

Meanwhile, I am barely dragging myself out of bed, wondering how it got to be Monday so soon or is only Wednesday and why I wasn't born rich instead of so good looking (or some such thing).

So, I started thinking, "Why don't I have a squeaky toy?" What is my thing that makes me want to race out of bed in the morning and celebrate?

Many people will say, "I can't believe you are complaining." Well, I'm not....really. I have it pretty good - I have a great life and I am truly blessed with many "things"- amazing experiences, opportunities and options. But, I'd still like to have a squeaky toy.

I'm sure it's there and I just haven't found it this morning. It's probably under the bed or stuffed behind a sofa cushion, right where I left it. It could be in plain sight but in my rushing around or complaining about it being Tuesday -  I missed it.

Do you have a squeaky toy? Maybe I could borrow yours for a few minutes but then, it would always be YOUR squeaky toy. I think it's important for everyone to have one of their own. There would be a lot of noise in the morning but, then again, that's a lot better than wandering around in the dark.

May I Speak Now?

Ok - fair warning...this one is going to be a rant! I've had 3 of these little gems today and it's only just past noon...

Why is it that certain people in business think it is appropriate to raise issues and then immediately escalate, make noise, send the hares running, release the cat amongst the pigeons, and just, generally, cause trouble before anything can be done about the problem?

Don't get me wrong. I think that appropriate escalations in business are very necessary when things do go wrong (Hint, people - stuff DOES go wrong) and no one does anything about it but, does anyone think that all the extra activity, angst, non-productivity, running in circles like a headless chook is the right way to resolve problems before there is an opportunity given to sort things out?

There are also serial offenders in this space (you know who you are). You've been around for years...you even existed in 19th century folk tales - they called you Henny Penny or Chicken Little or or some such thing...and, no, the sky STILL isn't falling!

Let's all try to remember to "breathe" before you fire off that email, copying the world, assuring them that doomsday is nye, and that you first think about the damage it is creating to everyone else, their time AND to your reputation.

Now...I'm finished...

The Whole Picture Requires Many Puzzle Pieces - Problem Solving

I found myself thinking about a couple of issues at work the other day and felt frustrated that I couldn't come up with the solutions. I had some good ideas on parts of what was needed but I couldn't exactly make it all fit together.
Then I remembered last Easter when I was away in Noosa, a group of us were, collectively, putting together a jigsaw puzzle. I hadn't done many of those before but we all soon realised that if we each focused on a particular area of the puzzle, instead of looking at the "whole" puzzle, each of us could quickly solve for that component. The puzzle came together amazingly quick smart (then we were a bit bored for the rest of the rainy afternoon, but that's another story...).
Solving for part of a problem most often gets you to the full solution faster than trying to think about it end-to-end to start with.
Very few problems are not made up of steps in a process to solve for rather than a simple single decision.
Whether it's via a team approach or mapping out your ideas, almost like a jigsaw puzzle, those components of the solution will help you to clearly and more quickly solve the problem.

We Are All Attention Seekers

We're all attention seekers - that's not a bad thing...it's how we are wired. The interesting part for me (and it should be for anyone who wants to sell anything) is that we also pay attention to anything or anyone that pays attention to us.

Where this starts to be important is that it seems to be all about devices today in reaching people. And, while its true that convenience plays a big part in getting your message out, if they aren't paying attention to you, you just become an annoyance.

Since I work in media, I started thinking about this and how newspapers have evolved and where they might be going.

Newspapers began with the thinking that everyone wanted to see the same thing at the same time (not that people had a lot of choice if they wanted news and other content). Advertisers quickly saw that this was to what people were paying attention and decided that if they were paying attention to the news and other stories, that they would HAVE to pay attention to the ads as well. This meant that I had to see ads about feminine hygeine products whether I wanted to or not. This, unfortunately, started to fall apart quickly (remember the annoyance factor above? - I even annoyed you by bolding and italicizing "paying attention" 3 times because you weren't really wanting to see that and maybe stopped paying attention).

So people started to source their information from places that seemed to pay attention to their wants and needs. They paid attention to things that paid attention to them.

The reason that there is such a focus on devices now is that the device is seen as the source of this attention. We all know its not but the reality of that hasn't struck home as yet.

What IS becoming clear to advertisers and content providers is that they really have to pay attention to all these attention seekers out there if they want to be successful. They have to give them what they want, where and when they want it. That's where the device plays a part, but only a part.

Targeted content and advertising is in its infancy really. When we can somehow provide this relevant content and relative advertising that is important to that individual, that's when THEY WILL PAY ATTENTION, and not because of the device!

The cache of Apple iPhones or Google Glass or any other manufacturer of devices will fade but the need to pay attention to attention seekers will always be there. When we focus on that endearing, innate aspect of human behaviour we will have their focused attention.

Following a Passion

This morning the alarm clock went off (for the 3rd time...I'm not really big on early mornings) to the old Survivor/Rocky song "Eye of the Tiger". Ok, before all of you say, "What radio station was THAT on!" - that isn't really my point. Showing my age, I remembered the lyrics to the song but, for the first time, some of those words really stuck to me. There's a line in the song that goes, "So many times, it happens so fast - you trade your passion for glory...".

I started to think about times in my life where I did exactly that - traded my passion for glory. Glory for money, for a more prestigious job, notoriety...whatever - it happened (happens?).

My first university degree was in music composition and I was a trumpet player, and a good one. I was incredibly passionate about it. I studied and practiced every day, 7 days a week, 5-6 hours a day. I performed, I loved it. I was also hungry. I looked at friends who had lots of free time, making more money than I was and, really quickly, decided I wanted to have those things too.

That was a long time ago. I do many things for which I feel passion today but none stand up to the passion I had for my music.

Had I not traded that passion, would I have found the "glory" I needed anyway? Would watching a musician perform on stage make me as emotional as it does now? Would I feel guilty that I hadn't practiced my horn for weeks? But would I have also found the time for new passions and creative innovations in which I have become a part?

We tell our children to follow their passion and that "the money will follow". Maybe it's more "don't do what you hate". You can't be good at what you hate and everyone wants to be good at what they do.

I do find I'm good at work things I am passionate about but which comes first? If you can be good at a few things (several things) you can create time for your real passion. 

I now play my trumpet "for my own amazement" and I do it when I want to. The times I play  I wouldn't trade for anything for but I wouldn't want to "have" to do it. That defines a passion for me.

So, should we follow our passions or just find time for them in our lives?