I'm republishing one of my first blog entries (from about seven years ago). When I re-read it I remembered the 1st time that a friend suggested I write a blog: very dumb idea I thought. I don't have anything to say. Then I was reminded of Ed Karthaus' sage career advice: keep your head down, work hard and don't look up for a year. When you do, you'll be amazed at how far you've come. In hindsight I might add: and how much will have changed. Here's a quick seven year re-cap.

• My and my wife's fathers, many friends, and their dogs have passed away.
• We have moved to and from Manitoba to care for my wife's father.
• I've re-invented myself (again). I now work for myself and do remote creative and management support.
• I just finished writing my mother's memoirs.
• I'm working on a book about Charlie and all the stuff we've learned on our walks together. It's still pretty rough and not worth publishing yet, but if you had asked me seven years ago to write a 350 page draft - I would have told you that I'm not capable of doing so.
• I've also been blogging for seven years now - usually once a week.
• Charlie is still with me! He just had a big operation, came through with flying colours and seems prepared to be my constant companion and creative muse for a while longer.
• I'm still learning to enjoy the moment rather than "worry about what's next".
• I'm happier in my skin than ever - and doing more of what I really love to do more often than not.

 As I read this edited entry I can see the framework of a vision that I had seven years ago but was not sure how to realize. The lesson here: FAITH. Some-how despite my uncertainty, my wish has come true.

Janet told me that each of us has at least one book inside of us. I thought she was nuts. Then Charlie came into my life and changed a lot of my beliefs and priorities. Anne told me that our relations with dogs are more genuine because people and dogs have very open relationship anchored in this moment, free of the politics and all the other stuff that encumbers human relationships. When we were told Charlie had skeletal necrosis I was speechless. It took weeks to put the news into context: realizing that his already short life would be cut shorter. And that’s when I started listening – and not worrying about Charlie because Charlie began teaching me about life. He began with one of the most basic lessons - one that most of us understand philosophically but struggle to apply.

• To live in the moment.
• To not worry about what might be.
• To enjoy and appreciate what we have.

Charlie doesn't know how long he has and neither do I. So that’s the ‘beginning’. My goal is to write a ‘lesson’ a week and then put them all into a book - or this blog - a week at a time.

Many years ago I learned about a study conducted in New York City. Two groups were sent out across the city on a mission – not knowing what the other group’s mission was.

One group was sent out to find money on the street. The other was asked to count and record all the different species of animals that they came across. At the end of the day each group was asked about their findings and then asked the other group’s mission question. The responses were something like this:

• Those who were sent out to find (not beg for) money on the street found between $5.00 and $15.00 each in one day.
• When asked how many different species of animals they had come across, they said they saw between 0 - 3 each.
• Those who were sent out to count and record all the different species of animals that they came across counted over 50 species, but saw no money on the streets.

I was reminded of that survey when my neighbor gave me this little Thanksgiving gift. It’s made, almost exclusively, of windfall that she finds lying in the parks that she and I frequent.

It also reinforces my belief that to have a productive strategic or tactical discussion (with you) I need to understand your vision.

Agatha’s clear vision helps her choose which windfall items to take home and which to leave behind.

Is your business vision that clear and helpful?

If not, maybe we need to talk.

1. Failure & Perception     

Put failure in the right perspective, it’s an opportunity for regrouping and evaluation while accepting the experience as part of the journey of success. Rich lessons are the fruit of failure and your can extract them at will.

2. Failure & Change          

Change depreciates the value of past information, making and predictions difficult, ambiguous, and riskier. In the presence of change, you need to adjust your course-of-action to align with the emerging and desirable new realities.

3. Failure & Limitation      

In a world of limitation, the fundamental question is not whether people should accept failure, but how to anticipate it and redirect resources to grow from it.

4. Failure & Information    

You’ll never have all the facts – let alone all the mission critical bits. The key is to learn from your failures and prevent them, if at all possible, from happening again.

5. Failure & Perfection      

Unless you’re God, perfection is unattainable, so failure is always possible a realistic outcome to an endeavor. Any assumption regarding perfection stands at odds with the most fundamental premise of success: failure is inevitable.

6. Failure & Planning        

Because the future is so hard to predict, we must attempt to get through then mystic fog as best we can. A critical goal is to estimate and anticipate failures with tolerable precision – and equip your plan with redundant options.

7. Failure & Execution        

Failure is not only the output of an unsuccessful activity or a poor plan; it is also the input of a successful one. Performance only changes and improves to the degree that you change and improve.

8. Failure & Mistakes        

Those with an eye for success respond first by anticipating mistakes. Second, we accept responsibility for them. Life is for learning lessons and mistakes are some of your best teachers.

9. Failure & Consequence          

Some look at failure as an extremely blunt instrument and surrender their dreams because of its potential consequences. Although tempting, do not allow the consequences of failure to harden your heart.

10. Failure & Progress     

The world is littered with the victims of failure. Yet failure leads to victory. Use each failure as feedback in your constant progression toward your goals. Our world is one of adjustment, of conflict, and of mutual gains and losses. In short, of failure and progress.

The other day I treated myself to a new pair of work gloves.

This high tech ballistic nylon and wire cable binds the two gloves’ brand labels together. That got me wondering about the Package Design Company’s Account Director, the Mechanix™ Marketing Manager and the Brand's Lawyer who conspired and approved this odd solution to some problem.

Perhaps the heavy-duty electrical-wire-tie that binds the gloves together at their cuff was not enough to deter crafty criminals.

Maybe this high tech thing will help.

What does it say about the team + brand that brought this idea to life:

SECURITY DEVICE

Please Remove Before Wearing

To me it says:  “Caution, fools at play" and “I’m paying for this functionless stupidity.”

 I bought them anyway.

So what does that say about me?

In Canada poop bags look like the one. The little dog pic reminds me of the intended purpose. How I use them is left up to me to sort out. On some bags I buy there’s a warning reminding me that these bags are not toys and that I need to keep them away from babies and children – as well as their cribs, beds, carriages and playpens.

I really want to meet the parents who would consider buying a roll of these (at the pet store no less) thinking that they will be really great toys for their kids. I’d also like to meet the lawyer who advises the company that this warning is not a waste of time or printer’s ink.

In the U.S. a number of towns and parks now offer free poop-bags to encourage people to stoop and scoop. Their bags look like idiots, Jr. Brand Managers, or both designed them.

• The bags are branded: “Dogi Pot”.
• There’s a slogan: “The green solution for dog pollution.”
• The bag thanks you for cleaning up after your dog.
• There’s a website link so you can learn more.
• Look + learn diagrams teach you the fine art of stooping + scooping in 5 easy steps. Profound stuff.
• And finally a reminder that this is a litter pick-up bag, (not a kid's toy).

The diagram really blows me away.

It’s much too similar to the airline seat belt use demo that is still preformed before every flight even though seat belt use has been law in the U.S. since 1968 and 1976 in Canada.

How did we manage to dumb-down our society to this degree? Is this all to avoid some frivolous lawsuit?

Or, am I missing the point and a dormant opportunity? Should we print proper use instructions and disclaimers onto rolls of toilet paper?