Month: December 2009

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Give Where You Can

And the last of the Top 10 things I learned in 2009:

#1

We Are The World – Are you aware a billion people do not have access to clean drinking water and nearly 40,000 children die every week from lack of this basic need? Charity: Water is one of the nonprofits that provides clean and safe drinking water – with 100% of donations funding freshwater projects in developing nations. Just $20 gives a person in Africa safe drinking water for 20 years. Take a look at how Scott Harrison and his organization are saving lives.

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It’s Best to Address

The penultimate thing I learned in 2009:

#2

Think It, Say It – One of my weaknesses as a husband, father and friend is trying to keep those I care about from feeling pain. Thus, I tend to withhold bad news and act as a peacemaker whenever there is rising conflict. (Interestingly, this never is a problem with clients; when needed, I ask hard questions and address tough issues.) After one challenging situation this year that ended with Kathy saying, “Why didn’t you tell me?” I vowed to stop being the great protector and start being the great communicator.

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Money Isn’t the Answer

Continuing counting down the Top 10 things I learned in 2009:

#3

Hold That Tiger – Dan Jenkins, the legendary former SI writer and author of many humorous sports novels, once described the “10 Stages of Drunkenness.” Number one is ‘Witty and Charming.’ Four is ‘Clairvoyant.’ Six is ‘Patriotic.’ Nine and Ten: ‘Invisible’ and ‘Bulletproof.’ In the last three weeks, we learned the invincible Tiger Woods was drunk on power and wealth. The meteoric fall from grace of another high-profile celebrity is a reminder that happiness does not come from money and fame. If it did, then so many blessed with so much wouldn’t act so little.

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Seek Professional Advice

Another of the Top 10 things I learned this year:

#4

Target 2027 – Up and down. Up and down. The rollercoaster ride of the stock market the past decade is enough to make you woozy. With my Big 5-0 arriving in 179 days, we recently entrusted our retirement savings to a money management firm. Aligning with professionals who take a ‘preserve capital first’ approach and understand the intricacies of blending the stock market with fixed investments to create a diversified portfolio seems like a better approach than dollar-cost averaging and being ‘all in’ all the time.

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Find a Way to Surprise

One more of the Top 10 things I learned in 2009:

#5

A Big Bow Wow – We put down our 16-year-old Golden Retriever in July. Those who have experienced that passage know it’s tough. As we worked through detachment the next several days, our vet surprised us in two ways. First, a nice sympathy card arrived, signed by her entire staff. Then, she gave us a hand-painted casting of Genevieve’s paw print. Those wonderful gestures touched our family. Regardless of the business you’re in, look for opportunities to connect with your customers’ hearts. They’ll remember.

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