Gord

This morning I received a notification from the CBC News app on my phone that Gord Downie, lead singer of The Tragically Hip had passed away. Yes, I was notified by the CBC that a man who wrote lyrics about news breaking on the CBC had died.

I'm not usually significantly impacted by celebrity deaths. Even if I enjoy their work usually I'll take a very brief moment to reflect then I carry on with my day. The passing of Gord Downie has made me feel a lot of things. 

I listen to Rebel 101.7 a lot. Weekdays between 10 and 12 they always have two hours of commercial free music. Today they played Tragically Hip music. In fact they played the setlist from their last concert. They didn't play the actual concert but they played the studio recordings of the songs in the order that they were played at that show. A few songs they played the version off Live Between Us. As I listened, I thought about how these songs were  not just a soundtrack to much of my life but also seemed to help explain it.

I grew up near the Hundredth Meridian. The Great Plains start a bit further east but not much. The imagery in the song fit my childhood. I remember buffalo. Their songs were about a lot of different parts of Canada. Their experiences were vast and many can relate to what they said.

The bold imagery of Wheat Kings also sticks out in my head, I can see a room "Hung with pictures of our parents' Prime Ministers," and if you are of a certain age we have all received  a "Late breaking story on the CBC." It's amazing to think these lyrics came from a man who grew up in Eastern Ontario, very different in topography and feel than the Prairies but for me, he captures it.

I've seen The Tragically Hip at a variety of venues from a variety of vantage points. I have been in the last row in the house of an NHL size arena and in front of the front row because I donated a can to the food bank that night. The last time I saw them it was on a rainy night at Ottawa Blues Fest. I've had the chance to watch the band up close and watch the crowd.

The lyrics of The Tragically Hip were varied. He sang about a lot. Some of it was darker and deep and some of it was cheeky and fun.  I remember the sly grin that came across his face as he sang Poets. He had fun when he performed. 

I love to listen to music while I work. It helps the day go by and helps me focus. There was a period that I shared work space with someone who insisted we don't have music in the office. Eventually he moved onto a different position, at a different unit, in a different city. After his last day I started listening to music at work, the first song I played on my portable iPod speakers was Music @ Work. I feel like a jerk, my music at work.

I did a lot of road trips across the prairies. Before the days of iPods, I always grabbed at least one Hip CD for the trip. The music would permeate you as you drove into the sunset.

He sang about love. Bobcaygeon is a love song that speaks to me. It's about a mature love, one where you think about changing it all for someone. I always hoped to find that kind of love in my life and now I have. His lyrics explain the romance with my fiancée even though it was written long before we ever met.

I remember back in my university days when Trouble in the Henhouse was about to come out and the first single was released to radio. I got up early (at least for those days) to hear it. It was worth it. It's the only band I've ever forced myself to get get up early to hear.

He sang about hockey. It showed up in several songs. He sang about a girl "loosening my grip on Bobby Orr." It doesn't get much more Canadian than that.

Some Hip songs rocked. Some were soft. Some were fun and some talked about serious ideas. Grace Too was just really intense. However, they were all distinctly from The Tragically Hip. They were more about poetry over music. Gord Downie wasn't a great singer. When you heard him your jaw didn't drop like it would if you hear Bruce Dickinson. However, his passion rang though. You could hear him project his feelings to audience.

Then there were the rants. He's the only singer I know of that would shoot off into an unscripted stream of consciousness spoken word rant in the middle of a song. He often did it during New Orleans in Sinking but it could strike anytime. I think my favourite rant is the Killer Whale Tank, they had lots of money from the government so, it was huge.

I feel sadness that he's gone. There will never be another performance or rant. He won't be dancing with the mike stand. As I went about my day and listened to a lot of The Tragically Hip's music I found myself smiling a lot and at other times I was very sad. However, we can't cry because it's over, we have to smile because it happened. 

Gord Downie was armed with will and determination, and grace, too.

America and Guns

Last weekend America suffered through the worst mass shooting in their violent history. The second amendment to their constitution provides the right to bear arms and as such a lot of Americans own guns.

Guns are not the problem.

I am not going to whip into the guns don't kill people, people kill people argument. Although this is true it really isn't the problem.

America has a perverse understanding of firearms.

There are a lot of reasons to own a gun. You can use a gun to hunt and help feed your family. You can shoot guns for sport, in fact it is an Olympic sport. However, owning a gun for protection is not what a gun is designed for.

Firearms were designed to project the users force beyond his or her arm's length and inflict harm on the someone else. Guns do not stop bullets or knives. Guns do not prevent bombs from exploding. Guns are an offensive not a defensive tool.

Very often gun advocates say that they own a gun for protection. They talk about how they have to keep a loaded weapon under their pillow to protect their home. Keeping a loaded weapon under your pillow is not going to protect you, it may get your kid shot when they are unsupervised in you your room or a bullet to the head while you sleep.

Now, I'm not anti-gun. I've shot guns. I may shoot a gun again in the future. However, I do not live in a delusional world where guns protect people and the shooting in Las Vegas is an example of this.

It is often stated that if I have a gun, I will brandish my weapon if threatened and shoot first if necessary to protect myself. That's all well and good, as long as you know someone is about to shoot you. A gun in your ankle holster won't help you if you don't know you are in the crosshairs of an assault rifle 100 yards away.

America needs to change it's attitude about guns. It needs to understand what they do and what they can't do.

Guns don't kill people but guns don't protect people either.

The Sensitivity Olympics

We are in the middle of the Sensitivity Olympics. I heard this term a couple of weeks ago on Real Time with Bill Mahr and it has been sticking with me.

If you are not the most outraged, sensitive human on the earth, you must be a piece of scum. If you don't declare all white men as racist and sexist, you are letting them off the hook because they have the power and they set the system up for their success.

Here's the thing, within every classification of people there are good people and bad people. That is a fact. 

There are horrible white men who have done horrible things. However, being white and a man does not make you horrible by default. There are also many who are extremely generous with their time and other resources and like every group of people there are a lot in the middle.

I cannot comment on what it is like to be a minority. The closest I can come is being an anglophone working in a primarily francophone organization. Let's be honest, that's not too bad, I was effective and got my job done. However, I can appreciate that there are a lot of people in the world who have faced unreasonable barriers because of their gender or colour of their skin amongst other qualities that have no indication on how well you can do something. The evidence is overwhelming. 

For the last few months I have been spending a lot of time driving with the Uber platform. It has afforded me the opportunity to interact with a lot of different people. The platform continues to grow in popularity and the diversity of riders grows with it. Through observation, I have a few ideas that will help everyone.

First, learn to use the primary language of the land. Now, if it is your second, third, or fourth language, that becomes very obvious very quickly and nobody expects perfection. These are not the people I'm referring to. If you only use one language, learn to read and write it properly. All languages are systems used for communication. All systems work better when they are used properly. Proper sentence structure goes a long way to improving clarity and clarity goes a long way to getting what you want.

Second, be polite. Honestly, it doesn't take any more effort to be a pleasant person. If you have a question ask it in a respectful way. If a question is asked of you, answer it it promptly and respectfully.

Third, don't behave in a manner that perpetuates negative stereotypes. This doesn't help anyone. It will only draw negative attention to yourself and your group. Stereotypes can be quite harmful but when someone behaves in a manner that is consistent with a negative stereotype, it only acts to reaffirm the stereotype, which is divisive. We need inclusive behaviour, not acts that drive us apart.

There is one more thing we need to do. We need to toughen up a bit. Just because someone doesn't accept your argument, like what you have to say, or share your view on the world, it doesn't mean that they are a horrible person. When someone expresses a differing but fact based opinion you don't need to retreat to a safe space. Yes, words can make you feel uncomfortable, they can make you question what you believe, they can incite rage or hate. However, if you don't listen to words you don't like and try to understand how someone can come to that position you are setting yourself up to an impact from hot projectile lead or a fist to the nose, and those things hurt a lot more. Deep listening and understanding does not and has never incited violence. Your idea may change the world but it won't do much if you can't share it and have people understand it.

When I was in university, one of my professors told the class that if you don't question your beliefs at some point during a university education, you should ask for your money back because the institution didn't do it's job. University campuses used to be a bit scary. You headed off for higher education and you would meet people with what seemed like crazy ideas. If you took the time to listen to some of them you would find some are crazy but some might be onto something. Universities are there to change you, retreating to safe spaces doesn't change you, it only provides confirmation bias.

The rifts in the world are getting deeper and wider. We need to change this trend. We have to judge people on their individual behaviours. For the people who are marginalized, calling the majority racist is not going to advance your cause. For the majority, not being inclusive is only going to make things worse. Everyone needs to open their ears and be willing to hear the other side while behaving in a positive manner. There is too much at stake to not try and do things better.

Chill Out

The world is headed in the wrong direction. It's getting really scary. I don't know if North Korea has the capability to launch nuclear missiles. I hope they don't but let's be honest, we really don't know what capabilities are in their arsenal. 

North Korea is not an open player in the global community. They spew out a lot of propaganda which is so blatantly over the top, it's hard to know what actual technologies are at the North Korean regime's disposal.

Here's the thing, I don't think that North Korea is the biggest wild card.

Donald Trump is not doing a very good job of being President of the United States of America. He cannot seem to get any of his legislative agenda moving. He is losing the faith of the Republicans in the House of Representatives. It has be making him question himself. However, just because it's going poorly, you don't try to pick a fight with North Korea. 

The 'Fire and Fury' rhetoric has got to go. It does not make President Trump or his nation look strong. In fact it makes them look weak. President Trump looks like the kid who was bullied and all of a sudden his parents won the lottery. Now he feels like he can say and do what he wants.

Blunt force democracy can work in some situations. When you are dealing with simple people on simple issues, you can simply force things through. The world of geo-political posturing is much too complex and much too important to be handled with blunt Trump diplomacy.

Donald Trump won the general election by using a very simple message to a very specific audience. That's what the Trump Organization is good at. They know a lot about branding. Most of the products with the Trump name on them are licensing deals. They come from the world of hype. They really don't spend a lot of time operating entities. I'm not saying they don't run anything but they put their name on a lot more than they operate themselves. 

The world needs President Trump to dial it back, take a measured approach, listen to the experts and most importantly, delete his Twitter account. He can't be spewing any more garbage. Everything coming out the White House needs to be reviewed and vetted. It needs to go through all the experts.

That's the first step.

Next, America needs a new President before the next election. That's all I can really say about that.

The world needs to chill out, especially Mr Trump. If we are not careful, we are all going to pay dearly.

She's The One

I'm getting married. Well, at a minimum, I'm engaged to be married. We don't have a date. We don't have a location. We don't have a plan. Honestly, I'm ok with no plan yet. I got through the hardest part.

I've known for a while that she is the right one for me. We just work. We talk about the hard things such as what scares us. We are very vulnerable with each other. She could crush my heart in an instant. I'm so open with her. I've never allowed myself to be this way with anyone, but with her it feels right. It wasn't a series of calculated of conscious decisions to let her in bit by bit. 

All that being said, asking the woman I love to marry me was the scariest thing I've ever done.

I have taught teenagers how to fly aircraft that don't have engines but this was scarier. I have flown across Northwestern Ontario in a light aircraft in bad weather but this was scarier. I have negotiated multi-million dollar deals but this was scarier.

Even though we had discussed it numerous times and were on the same page, I was so scared when I got down on one knee and asked her.

But then she smiled. It was the biggest, happiest, most beautiful smile in all the big, happy, beautiful smiles I've seen from her. I knew that she meant it when she said yes, and I also knew that my life was on a better path, forever.

For the record she wasn't surprised, she knows me too well. She had me all figured out. This also makes me happy. I love her so much that the idea of love doesn't seem like it fully describes how I feel. I miss her every moment we are apart and my heart fills with joy when I see her. I want to hear about her day and I want to share mine. The little things are better with her.

My parents always told me when you find the right one, you will just know. Mom and Dad were right. She's the one.

The Grind

About a month ago I left my full time job and I have been making my living as an Uber Driver Parter. Like nearly every way to earn enough to pay the bills, it is a grind. On those days when it's slow and you have time to think, it's not great. On the flip side, when you are doing back to back to back trips, the time flies by.

There are some upsides to driving an Uber.

I'm working for myself. I have had a few amazing bosses in my life. They have all retired so I can't go back to them. I've had quite a few bosses that make me lose faith in humanity. Not having a boss means I don't have to endure poor leadership and bad decisions.

I work when I want, as much or as little as I want. If I want more money, I simply drive more trips. If I have to be somewhere or want to do something, I don't turn on the app. It means I don't have scheduling conflicts with my job. You do have to have the discipline to put in the time to make the money you want to make and nobody is going to tell you to keep working or get started. Thankfully, I don't need that in my life. I get up, get cleaned up and dressed. then I drive.

Most of the costs of my car and my phone come out of my pre-tax income instead of my post-tax income. These are costs to my sole proprietorship and lead to some savings from the tax man.

However, the best part of the Uber gig is I have some really interesting conversations. Not everyone talks but some of those who do are really interesting. There was a woman I picked up from a TV studio who was just on live TV, she was going to work, and had her luggage with her to catch a flight to Paris after work. There was the guy who re-screens windows, and is trying to move his business but has so much work in town that every other week he rents a van, comes back and sleeps in the van while he does a bunch of jobs. These are just two examples but there is a couple of good conversations everyday. 

I'm not going to drive with Uber forever but it's a pretty good in-between-mid-life-crisis gig. I personally find it super low stress, even if the hours can be long to make the money I want to make. I feel like I have a lot of control over my life, more than I've had in a very long time and it allows me to be picky in my next step, which is what I need these days.

April Showers Bring.....

I was at a breakfast meeting last Wednesday where somebody mentioned that the normal rainfall total for the month of April in Ottawa, Ontario is 60mm. At the time Ottawa had received 91mm. This is a clear indication that it has rained way too much.

The Rideau River was on the brink of overflowing its banks, but now it has receded. Meanwhile the Ottawa River is really full of water. Also signs that it has rained too much.

There are a lot of great things that come with rain. The grass is greener. Less pollen is floating in the air, my sinuses really like that. However, it's getting a bit tiresome to have to deal with rain everyday.

It kept me from flying on Friday evening. It's keeping me from spending more time outside. It's making a lot of days grey. It's just not very cool.

We have a week remaining in April. If mother nature wants to keep dumping water for the rest of the month, that's fine. When May comes, we better be getting some sunny weather.

Spring in Ottawa can be really nice. It can be a great city to have a tasty beverage on a patio. It's a great place to go for a walk or run. It can be very beautiful and you want to walk with your camera. However, when it rains everyday, none of that is much fun.

I admit it, I'm frustrated with the weather. It's a bunch of garbage. There is however an upside, the snow has all been washed away. It's been swept away in the Rideau and Ottawa Rivers. It isn't underfoot and slippery.

I know the weather impacts my mood but it's time for it to get better.

Musical Mood

I sell advertising for an independent rock radio station. I really like the station. It was listening to the station that I discovered that they were looking for sales people. The station is very heavy. It is one of the heaviest in the country. Even though I really like most of the music played, I was finding that I was more and more on edge. I also noticed that when I was most on edge it was when I was listening more to the station.

So, last week-end I started to listen to the music on my phone. I had not done this in close to six months. Even though I'm a rock guy, I like a lot of different music and within about thirty minutes of listening to some different music, I found my mood changing. There was some Neil Young, Mumford and Sons, and Scott Nolan. All of these amazing performers are not what we play at the station. I found myself smiling and singing along.

Music can have a profound effect on mood. It gets deep into you and makes you feel different. It can explain how you feel or make you feel different. It makes us different.

There are songs that will get you jacked up for an encounter. There are songs that will make you feel romantic. There are songs that will make you smile and sing along. Everyone has a song or two that will take you back to a moment.

I don't want to abandon listening to the radio. I still enjoy the station but I needed to remember that we do what we do to get the results we want. However, we don't play everything I like and I shouldn't abandon that music I like.

I love a good party song, the ones that make you smile and sing along. I like to calm down with some Neil Young. There are even some country tunes that get my feet tapping. I have all of this on my phone. 

I enjoy music and it may have taken me a while but I realized that I should enjoy all of the music I love.

Exclusive Access

Most Canadians don't know that there is a restaurant that operates in Centre Block of the the Parliament of Canada. The primary mission is to serve Members of Parliament and Senators. It's a place they can take their guests and have a nice meal and not be in the public eye.

Additionally, there are opportunities for the staff of Members of Parliament to attend events. Now, I don't work for a Member of the House of Commons but the love of my life does.

Thursday night we went to an event where the Chef of the Parliament of the United Kingdom was in town and cooking. It was the one of the best meals of m life.

Most people have access to something exclusive. Often this is because of where they, or someone close to them, works. Unfortunately, this often becomes normalized and people don't take advantage of their opportunities. 

As I have moved through my sometimes strange life, I have had access to different opportunities. I have not always taken advantage of what was right in front of me. Now that some opportunities are no longer available, I miss them. As a result, when people ask if I want to do things or when I have opportunities to do things through my connections, I make sure that I find people who want to go and we enjoy the experience.

In my current gig, selling advertising at a rock radio station, I get opportunities to go to concerts. It's slower over the winter but will pick up as the show season gets going. Long before I ever worked for a radio station I went to a lot of shows and I won't be slowing down anytime soon.

So, look at your life. Look at what you get to do that not everyone may have the same access to, and make sure you enjoy it. These are the moments that are going to make the stories when you are old an sitting around at the Legion. Let's be honest, everyone wants to have good stories.

There are so many opportunities out there, find yours and don't let the day to day get in the way. Don't shirk your responsibilities but when you can, make sure you do the special things that you have exclusive access and live a great life.

The Search

I saw a memory flash up on Facebook this week. Four years ago I was lamenting that I no longer believed that I can change the world. This feeling made me eventually make a career change to go back to selling.

I was becoming increasingly frustrated with a lack of focus on the mission. The idea of returning to sales was very appealing because the mission was so clear. I knew that everyone would be on the same page. It is that way. There is no doubt about what is expected and where the focus needs to be. That part of my professional life is much happier.

All that being said, I find the focussed mission of sales to be rather singular. There are an increasing number of days I miss the multi-faceted days of my past. I miss thinking about all the ways that a change will impact the organization. I miss helping others achieve great moments. I miss being the go to person for so much.

As I look to the past I realize that the broader my responsibilities, the better I do. I don't like stove pipe organizations and I whole-heartedly believe that they stifle creativity. As well, the broader your responsibilities, the more chances you can take to have a shot at something magical.

If you emulate really good people, you can get really good results. However, if you go out on a limb you can change how everyone thinks. I need to find a way back to a place where I can change the way people think.

I realize a lot of people want a predictable life but I seem to thrive on a life of the unpredictable. I'm getting an itch to be entrepreneurial. I'm feeling like I need to be the boss again. I think there is going to be some risks in the future. Smart risks. Risks that will lead to reward. I'm fairly tolerant to risk and I'm getting close to taking advantage of that again. I used to present some crazy ideas. I used to be told on a regular basis that my ideas are a bit too much. Out of all that came some great improvements and I miss that.

Maybe I can change the world and all I really need to do is get back to thinking big and making everyone around me elevate their game and their thinking.

UBER

I started a new sales job a bit over three months ago. I like it and things are coming along. I feel that in the long run I'm going be quite successful. The buying cycle and the payment of commission is somewhat drawn out. The commissions are not paid until the services are delivered. As such, you end up with things like not getting paid for the deal I did at the end of February until June 15. In the long run this isn't such a bad thing however in the beginning, it can create a cash flow crunch.

So, in my off time, I drive a few hours a week for UBER.

I know UBER has taken a bit of a beating in the press over the last few weeks. It's unfortunate but I think in the long run, people will continue to use the service.

For me, as an independent contractor driving for UBER, it has been a great result thus far. There are a lot of things that are attractive about how they have set up the system.

You work when you want to and you don't have to schedule in advance when you work. This is vitally important for me for two reasons. With my primary gig being in sales, there is an element of unpredictability to my day. So, if my day goes long, I can start driving for UBER later and I'm not letting anyone down or breaking a commitment. If a scheduled activity is cancelled for some reason and I have a few free hours, I can turn on the app and earn some cash. If I make a lot of cash quickly or nobody wants a ride, I can can knock off early. Again, I'm not letting anyone down. This flexibility is key for me.

You get your money quickly. The work week goes from Monday to Sunday and you receive your money the following Thursday. That is a very quick turn around. There are options to get receive your money sooner, for a fee, but I don't have that much of a cash flow need. You are not stuck carrying a lot of costs for weeks before you see any cash, which is nice.

It was very quick to get signed up, if you have all your ducks in a row. I started the process on a Thursday evening and I was approved to drive on the following Sunday evening. For me, it took about 3 days. I will admit that because of other circumstances, I had all the necessary paperwork at my disposal, which sped up the whole process.

You don't have to handle cash. The transactions are handled through the app. So, you never have a car full of cash on a busy day and are susceptible to being robbed. You never end up taking someone on a long trip and they don't have any cash to pay you when you get there. You don't have to worry about anyone 'running the cab.' You get paid for every trip.

Now, driving for UBER is not for everyone.

First, you have be a confident driver. If you are a nervous driver, you will not create a pleasant experience and you will not be rated very well. If the driver comes off as scared, what do you think the passengers will feel?

You have to have some understanding of mobile technology. Everything is managed though an app. If you are not comfortable using a smartphone, you will not do very well driving for UBER.

You have to like interacting with people. I'm not saying you have to be everyone's best friend but you have be willing to greet people, and if they want to chat, have a conversation, while you are still driving safely.

Finally, you have to be customer service oriented. If you can't find the person you are picking up, you need to politely reach out and figure out where they are. You are going to have some strange requests. I've picked up four students and a flat screen TV. I've had a guy who wanted me to drive past a house and take him back home, I had another guy who wanted to go to where he was staying, get changed and head back to where I picked him up. As well, people will say the things you don't agree with, you can't fly off the handle. People will be intoxicated. Taking an UBER is a safe and responsible choice, but some will not be happy drunks. You have to roll with it all. You have to help them with their bags. Ultimately you have to remember that they are hiring you to deliver a service, so if you deliver better service, you will be looked upon more favourably.

Now, if you don't have a car or a smartphone, I would not suggest going out and getting both for the sole purpose of driving for UBER. If you do, you will be taking on a lot of addition cost and it will eat into your profits. However, if you already have a car and phone, you can make some extra cash. You are not going to get rich driving for UBER. However, you can make some money to take your girl out, offset the cost of your car, go on a trip, all those types of things. For me right now, it makes life a bit easier and I have control of how much money is coming in.

Making a Living

I've changed jobs and careers a few times in my life and I may do it again. As the world of work changes and what I need from a job changes, I change what I do for a living.

I've come to realize that we need to change how we think about choosing a career. What you need from a job is not the same in your twenties than in your fifties. So, that means you need a different job or career at those points in your life.

In my twenties I wanted diversity, challenges, travel, and fun. I wanted to build my experiences to enrich my life. I enjoyed work travel and would seek it out. I had jobs that involved travel and I liked it. 

In my forties I want to be home and eat home cooking and I have a job that allows for that.

This may be a simplification but you get the point.

So, when teenagers are trying to pick a career, they should be thinking about what they want to do for the next ten years or so, not the rest of their life. If they want their evenings and week-ends free then pursue a nine to five gig. If they want to talk to a lot of people find a public facing job.

It's all about building your skill set to get the job you want to fit the lifestyle you want. If you don't have a job that fits with your lifestyle, start looking for one that does.

Most importantly, we need to get educators and parents to grab this idea. We need to match careers with lifestyles so people will be more likely to stay in their job. How you see the world makes different attributes of the job a benefit or a liability. It all depends on what you want. The jobs I worked in for long periods of time gave me a life that I wanted and what I wanted has changed, so I have changed what I do to make a living. If we pass this on to the next generation, we will have happier people around us and life will be a little bit better.

Safe Spaces

We need safe spaces. We need to feel physically safe. We need to be able to take chances and do something something different. We need all that.

Universities need to be safe spaces. They are a place that a lot of people move away from home end up. In no way do I think that someone should feel physically threatened. However, when you are at university, you better feel intellectually threatened. One of my professors, he went by Rabbi Rose, said that if you don't question your beliefs, you should ask the university for your money back.

I've noticed a change in the world around me. So many people cut anyone with a differing opinion out of their life. This has created a big problem. 

A lot of what is going on in America is caused by groupthink. Their 'us versus them' mentality comes from not listening to the other side. If an idea scares you, then you should be exploring it. You should be trying to find out what they are saying and why you don't like it. Beyond that, you need to know why they believe it. 

The world needs more people understanding why not everyone looks at the world the same way. We are shaped by our experiences. We will not all have the same experiences so we need to understand what makes people happy, what makes them hate, and what makes people want to do better. However, because so many people cut out anyone they disagree with, close-minded nationalism is taking a hold of a lot of people. 

The good news is, this is easy to fix. Instead of sealing these people out of your life, talk to them. Find out what they are thinking and more importantly why they are thinking this way. You need to understand people who are different than you. People don't want to have the courage that their mind may be changed. I know it's scary to change your position but I think we all need to be open to that. It's the only way to make the world a better place.

I don't want your body to feel threatened but I really want your mind to be challenged because too many people are not expanding their minds and allowing themselves to be cut off from so much of the world.

The Smart Ones

I talk to a lot of people. It's part of working in sales. Some of the people are nice and some are rude. There are some with very little mental capacity and then there are the smart ones.

Have you ever wondered how to spot a smart person? 

I've been thinking about this a lot lately. For me, the smart ones reveal themselves not by what they say but by what they ask.

I find a lot of smart people say less and ask more. They are not asking for clarification of what you have said, they are asking for understanding beyond what you have said. They are catching everything you are throwing down. They know exactly what your point is and they are trying to move beyond to the more important information.

If someone cuts you off and doesn't let you finish, they are probably not very smart. The smart ones know to let you finish because you reveal as much by what you don't say as by what you say. They are looking for the information that you leave out. 

Smart people don't often ask difficult or intimidating questions. Those questions don't gather the information that they want. They ask very clear and often very simple questions. When you are talking to a very smart person they have probably cleaned you out and gathered more information than you were willing to give, before you realized you have shared so much.

Smart people also answer questions in a direct manner. They often give shorter answers because they find the subject material easier to understand so they don't feel the need to expound endlessly.

The good thing about identifying smart people is you can keep them closer to help make yourself more successful. Experience is only really good if it has been good experience. 

So, when you find a smart person, someone you can learn from, latch on and try to glean as much knowledge from them. There are a lot of posers out there and even though they may be at their full potential, they may be keeping you from yours.

Bullies

Nobody likes bullies. They aren't productive. They can make your life miserable. America elected a bully as their president, maybe by accident. Here's the thing about bullies, their behaviour stems from a position of weakness.

Bullies are trying to control the situation because they can't have it the way they want. They try to get out in front and cause grief for you before you can influence the situation.

Let me be very clear, bullies are not going away. Despite the anti-bullying campaigns, there will always be some people who resort to bullying tactics. However, the good thing is bullies only have power if we give them power. If they can't get under your skin, they will step up their game. They will become more outlandish in their behaviour. If you still don't give them any power soon they will have no choice but to retreat.

I know it is not easy. It's easy to react and lash out. It's easy to let our emotions drive our actions. We all do it from time to time. However, those schoolyard interactions can teach you something. They can teach you how to find a way. They can teach you how to see what is really happening and find a path to what you want.

Johnny Cash wrote, "Son, this world is rough, if you wanna make it, you gotta be tough." He was right. However, tough doesn't have to be mean. Tough doesn't have to be rude. Tough doesn't have to include standing off. 

So, President Donald J Trump acts like a bully. The thing is we can and will find a way around what he is doing and make the world a better place despite what he tries.

That's right. We can make things better despite Trump. Just like someone that tried to bully you in grade 8, you can move past it and find a way to be successful. The secret is simple. Don't react to what he is trying to accomplish, react to what he is actually doing. There is a big difference. His powers are limited. He is not a dictator, even if he tries to act like one. If he says I'm not paying for it, find someone who will. If he says you can't come here, find somewhere that will invite you in. 

All of this to say the world is going to be ok. We are going to find a way to make the world even better despite what Trump says or does.

It's Time to Listen

I have to start with saying I really don't want Donald J. Trump to run a country. Alas, he is and it's a really big country that has nuclear weapons. There are a couple of things we have to change or others like him will be able to seize power.

First off, America you have to show up and vote. Only 27% of the eligible voters voted for your president. This is a problem. If everyone just went and voted out of a sense of duty and didn't need the motivation of a get-out-the-vote campaign to show up and make your voice heard, then you could reduce the chance of this happening.

America, for a country that talks so much about democracy, you don't do a very good job of practicing it.

More importantly, everyone needs to start listening to each other. There are a lot of disenfranchised people in America. Everyone who voted for Trump is disenfranchised with the system. Why else would they vote for him? He is a terrible person. He's petty. He's not the right person to run your country. 

Everyone who didn't vote for Trump is disenfranchised with his victory. He won the election and is now in power. You can say what you want about the influence of Russia, at the end of the day, Americans went into the voting booth and selected Trump to be your president.

On Saturday, there were rallies all around the continent. People are angry. They marched and chanted and made sure their point was made. Here's the thing, as much as we want to think it will help, it really won't. It's the same thing that was happening during a year of campaigning. How did that help?

The problem is not Donald J Trump. The problem is America has moved to a point where Trump could seize power. It all happened because people have stopped listening to each other. When faced with an opinion different that their own, too many people on all sides get angry and push back. It builds walls and divides people.

When faced with someone different than yourself, you need to ask why they believe what they do. Once they explain why they believe what they do, then you have to ask how their point of view will make things better. How does your idea improve the plight of the population? Once they answer that important question, then you need to ask what drawbacks there are with their position and how do we minimize the impact?

No system is perfect. If one was perfect we would all use it.

A lot of people think the world is going to take a step back over the next four years. This does not have to be the case. We can work to make the world better despite Trump. He can't stop us from helping a stranger. He can't stop us from showing compassion in our dealings. He can't stop us from making someone's life more comfortable. 

So let's take the time to listen to each other and ask questions so we better understand. Then we can know why people feel the need to vote for someone like Trump and we can make the world a better place despite of Trump.

Unoriginal Facebook

I like the tool known as Facebook. When I was faced with a decision to remain in Winnipeg or move to Ottawa, where I basically knew nobody, knowing that I could remain connected to the people in my life that matter helped sway my decision to move. As we all know, Facebook helps you know what's happening in your friends lives without having to call, text, or write a letter. This is most useful if you live a long way from a lot of your friends and family.

Now here's the thing, Facebook used to be a bastion of original content. Users would write on each other's wall and provide status updates about what is happening in their lives. It was a human interaction over the internet. However, as the platform has evolved, different types of users have evolved.

We have the guilt trippers. You know the people who copy and paste someone's status that says a small percentage will copy and paste this for an hour and only my true friends will do it to raise awareness for the cause of the hour. Let's be honest, this is just an extension of hashtag activism. These are so common that I can't imagine too many people read them to the end anymore.

We have the angry re-posters. These are the folks who have a burr under their saddle about something and post meme after meme that says this group is not good or the government should be doing this with a request to like and share if you agree. Nothing here is original.

There are those who share recycled content. It's usually something funny, a meme or a short clip. The content keeps popping up for a couple of months, sometimes from a different source but it gets so much retread action that eventually, nobody is liking or commenting on it. They don't even stop as they scroll past anymore.

There are all the MLM sales pitches. I work in sales. This is my advice to you, prospect with your vocal chords. People don't like to say no, so make them say no, not write no, say no. It's real easy to scroll past you and say nothing, which doesn't make you any money. No matter how well written your post is, it doesn't force action or a response. It's ok to remind people what business you are in but don't expect this reminder to make you any money. Set up a business page and drive users there after they become prospects. Facebook is much more effective at staying in contact with your customers than creating new customers.

There are the people who still post about what's up in their lives. I mostly reside here. I know my posts proclaiming victory for my favourite sports teams are not particularly original. However, I do like to post about what I see, usually something good that's happened to me or info that I feel people would appreciate such as career changes (there has been a few lately) a cool moment, a picture I took that captured my imagination or a selfie (especially with my super-awesome girlfriend.) I like this content. I like to see what is going on with the people who matter to me. I like to share some of what is going on around me.

I admit, I'm no expert at providing the best mix of content on Facebook. I have friends who share and write a much better mix than I do. I look forward to their updates as I'm often surprised, inspired, or provoked. They often generate great discussion. They make me smile and make me think. I wish there was more of them in my news feed. 

So much of Facebook is unoriginal content. So many people don't share what they are thinking. They post an article but don't say why they feel the need to share that piece or simply write is 'lol.' I know that when you say something original you open yourself up to criticism. I know it's discouraging. I know it's easier to post a funny video and there is a place for those. However, be original. It can help you grow. It can make you think. In the comments ask questions. Find out why the poster feels this is important enough to post. Learn about yourself and the people around you. Say something to spark a conversation. Ask why does it have to be this way. Pose a better way. Say something about your day. Cheer for the home team. 

Facebook is a platform. It does not create content, that's user generated. So, to make everyone's online experience better, put more original content on Facebook. It will ultimately lead to a richer experience for everyone.

New Year, New Coat

I live a long way from my parents, so Christmas gifts tend to be in the form of gift cards. They are rather easy to ship. This year, one of the gift cards I received was from a men's wear retailer. So, with it I procured a new winter coat.

As a matter of full disclosure, after 33 years of living in Manitoba, I don't find winters in Ottawa all that long or cold. However, I was getting rather lazy and not dressing for the weather.

Not only does this coat look great, it's so warm. So now, being outside is so much better than it had been for a while. The other great advantage is it fits properly. Most of my winter clothes are from my Winnipeg days, when I was noticeably heavier.

The new coat is making it easier to convince myself to go out and face the elements. So far I've worn it as cold as -20C with only a shirt under it and it's been really comfy.

There are two secrets in my mind for beating the winter blues. First, you have to exercise. You have to get the blood flowing. You have to move. You have to keep the food travelling through you. You need that mental feeling like you are not turning into a blob. Secondly, you have to get outside and breathe fresh air, even when it's cold.

It's easy to hibernate. It's easy to say it's cold, snowy, and slippery. However, when you get out and enjoy it, not only do you feel good, you make some great memories. We don't really make any memories watching re-runs on Netflix. Don't get me wrong, there are times that I enjoy Netflix but I'll save those for the days that are really cold and stormy.

So, if you live somewhere where the snow accumulates over the winter, do your best to stay active and go outside. It will make the days fly by and you will enjoy them a lot more. In about 3 weeks the sun is going to start to feel a lot warmer, that always warms people's spirit and makes the days that much better.