We urge you to vote in what is arguably the most important election of the past fifty years, regardless of your political beliefs.

So, please, take the time and make the effort. You may feel that your vote isn’t important, but it is, and while you may not personally determine the outcome of the election, you can still be proactive in exercising your rights – rights which slip away every time we fail to exercise them.

  1. Doing Stuff
  2. This Week’s Tip
  3. Around The Office
  4. Quotes
  5. From The Tool Chest
  6. Please!

1. Doing Stuff

A very long time ago I heard a story about a man who searched the world over for someone who could tell him the meaning of life. At long last he found himself, starving and freezing, at a cave entrance high in the Himalayas facing a renowned Wiseman

“Please,” he gasped, “tell me the meaning of life.”

The man looked at him. “Doing stuff,” he said. Then, taking pity on the man’s collapsing face he added, “…as opposed to death, which is not doing stuff.”

I’ve always liked that story (which may say way too much about me) because it also addresses many of our drinking patterns: drinking becomes a way of “not doing stuff” or a substitute for “doing stuff.”

What aren’t you doing? What would you like to do? What do you think is impossible? Or too scary? What don’t you think you deserve?

We are always working at doing stuff, and helping you learn to do stuff, and getting you to teach us new stuff. Don’t let alcohol move you into the “not doing stuff” category prematurely – or permanently.

2. This Week’s Tip

Under the category of “doing stuff” comes goal setting. It’s only two months until New Years and now’s a good time to start thinking about real goals and the process for achieving them. Remember that goals need to be specific – “lose 15 points by June 1st,” not “lose weight.”

We suggest that you divide your life up into manageable categories and consider one area at a time. For this week why not sit down and write out you perfect home or work situation? If you could have it the way you wanted it right down to colors, smells, sounds, people, pets, and so on, what would it be like? Don’t forget to include the “absence of” items like “no traffic noise.

Over the coming weeks we’ll add other areas to think about, and formats to use, and tips on how to start turning wishes into realities.

3. Around The Office

It’s been a strange week here at the shop. Mary Ellen ran off with her husband for a week’s fall road trip around the Sierra’s and my wife Denise headed off to visit her father for a week. Shogun’s off with relatives and Jazz is dozing away. I don’t remember anyone asking permission to present me with this very quiet week.

Then again, that’s one of those things we suggest to folks: more planning and doing and less asking for permission, confident that others can adjust and adapt, and that we can too.

I did, by the way, adapt and adjust, but I’ll also be glad when everyone is back where I prefer them to be.

4. Quotes

Every person is the creation of himself, the image of his own thinking and believing. As you think and believe, so you are.

Claude Bristol

Look, I really don’t want to wax philosophic, but I will say that if you’re alive, you got to flap your arms and legs, you got to jump around a lot, you got to make a lot of noise, because life is the very opposite of death. And therefore, as I see it, if you’re quiet, you’re not living. You’ve got to be noisy, or at least you thoughts should be noisy and colorful and lively.

Mel Brooks

5. From The Tool Chest

This week we’re working on adding to the chest with some new planning tools that you can download next week. So, stay tuned!

6. Please?

Please Vote