Why didn't I listen?

Why didn't we listen to our parents? Why didn't I listen?

I was pondering on something a buddy said to me the other day, which is something I've been sharing with others for many years now. He said, "You know Joey, the older I get, the smarter my parents become."

There is so much advice that I should have implemented into my life when I was young, but I just didn't do. But, at the same time, I think there was a lot of "stuff" in my parent's lives when they were young adults that they just didn't know like we as parents do now.

But still they had wisdom that I didn't, and they tried to share it with me.

With many hard knocks along the way, and with the hopes that it might make a difference for someone somewhere, here are some of the things I'd like to share with younger audiences:

• Constantly have mentors in your life.
  There's no such thing as one mentor for life, no one can do that. But throughout your life, seek out mentors for a specific goal you're trying to accomplish. Whether you seek a career mentor, relationship mentor, financial mentor, spiritual mentor, etc., seek out someone that is where you'd like to be and meet with them once per month. Have a specific agenda for each meeting and make it worth your mentors time when you meet with them.
  
• Always have 1, 5 and 10 year goals.
  If you don't have goals, how do you ever know when you score? Goals keep you on track, keep you focused and motivated. Share your goals with others to help hold yourself accountable.


• Understand that "homework" never ends.
  Just because you get out of school, don't fool yourself into thinking that homework ends, because it doesn't. You'll have research to do on someone you're going to meet to make a sale too; for someone you're going to provide your resume too; for any organizations you join; for any event you're going to attend and the list goes on. You'll also need to constantly have some reading plan in your life if you really want to grow to be all you can be.


• Try to compete with those that are better than you are.
  If you're always playing against someone you can win against, how do you ever grow and get better? Sure you need a win occasionally to remain motivated, but spend a majority of your time competing with superior forces.

My question: What additional advice would you provide a young person?

[Note: photo from http://i.telegraph.co.uk/]

“Your Success Is My Business.”™

pondering - "to think about : reflect on"

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Line In The Sand

Something happened the other day that caused me to ponder: Each of us have drawn a line in the sand. But there's a difference in our lines. Please allow me to explain.

Have you ever driven down the road, maybe passing the other cars as you go because they're not driving as fast as you want too. Then, all the sudden somebody comes along and passes you. You look at that vehicle and silently think, "I hope the cops catch that guy".

For yourself, you hadn't passed the line you'd drawn in the sand for your speed, but when the other driver passed you, they passed your line in the sand; suddenly they were wrong and you weren't. The thing is, the other driver's line in the sand hadn't been crossed yet as far as they're concerned.

So we each have an internal line we've drawn in the sand of our lives. We have certain rules, certain morals that we strictly stick too. We're okay with everyone else doing whatever it is they do as long as they remain within the borders we've created with our line in the sand. But when they cross our line, we start to think differently about them.

But what about the people we associate with and our line is further down that internal road than theirs is? What do they think about us? And, do we really have a right to be concerned when we often do the same to others?

My question: How do you interact with those whose line is drawn in the sand further out than yours is?



[Note: photo from http://1.bp.blogspot.com/]

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pondering - "to think about : reflect on"

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I Can See! (Vision - Part II)

I've been pondering a lot recently about vision. In fact, I just wrote another blog about it so it's really been on my mind a lot lately.

For business, I can't fathom a reason why there wouldn't be a clearly defined vision, mission and culture statement that every employee knows by heart. When I talk with great business leaders, they tell me they literally cringe when their teams can't immediately recite all of these to someone. For everyone in your business to understand the purpose of the business, how you're going to get there and how you're going to work in accomplishing this is so vitally important to any company's long-term success, how do businesses operate without them?

I was recently listening to Bill Hybels share some keys in creating a organizations vision and wanted to share some of them with you:

• Vision creates the picture of the perfect future.
• The most incredible vision is worthless if no one owns it.
• The first step in creating your vision is to use the team approach in drafting it. "People don't have to have their way, they just have to have their way considered."
• The vision must be refined before delivered in it's final version.
• Declare the vision to your company - this is a team activity.
• Vision leaks. Use all tactics available to keep people's vision buckets full.

And the last point of creating a successful vision: The single most determining factor to whether your followers will own the vision is by how deeply they believe that you own it.

My question: What is your company's vision?


[Note: photo from http://intimacywithgod.files.wordpress.com/]

“Your Success Is My Business.”™

pondering - "to think about : reflect on"

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Vision

Vision. It's not just what you see; sometimes it's about what you don't see, but what you want to see. You ever ponder on this?

People can have a vision about where they want to go, what they want to accomplish, how they want to get there. Businesses are supposed to have a vision as well. It's all about "where are we going and who wants to go with us."

I always enjoy listening to great leaders (whether the leaders of industry, nations, religion, etc.), to hear their passion and to listen to their vision. I learned in a leadership session once, some of the keys it takes to be a great leader (sorry but I can't remember which one now or who said this) but there were three keys to it and it all surrounded vision. From my notes, the three keys to a great leader are:

1. A passionate vision.
2. The ability to share the vision so that you get disinterested people to follow.
3. Exhibit no embarrassment in the articulation of the vision.

Think about the people you'd call great leaders and see how they applied each of the items above.

My question: Are you sharing your vision with others?

[Note: photo from http://joeypeacock.com/]

“Your Success Is My Business.”™

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Questions about you

You ever see one of those "Questions about you" that you can answer and share with others that helps tell who you are? They're pretty cool and can often times be very revelling.

I was digging through one of my many paper-pads looking for a specific quote I wanted to use as a “status post” for my Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter pages, and while doing so I found “10 Questions” from notes taken a couple of years ago during a talk by Steve Siebold. You don’t have to answer them back to me, I just thought they’d make you stop and ponder:

1. What are the three (3) most positive experiences of your life?
2. List the three (3) most important things you’ve learned about success?
3. How did your family make you feel about yourself?
4. List your three (3) biggest heroes.
5. Write down your own obituary as if you achieved all your dreams.
6. What do you want your great-great grandchildren to say about you?
7. What does success mean to you?
8. What accomplishments are you the most proud of? Why?
9. What beliefs and values are you willing to die for?
10. Describe the perfect day in your life, if there were no limits.
    

My question: What did you learn about yourself from answering these questions?

[Note: photo from http://www.promotionalpro.com/]

“Your Success Is My Business.”™

pondering - "to think about : reflect on"

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An Open Letter to YouTube

[Following is an open letter from me to Google-YouTube:]



Dear YouTube,

I really like you a lot! I log into my YouTube channel on a daily basis. YouTube is one of my personal top social media destinations. I enjoy connecting to others and watching their content - history, culture, creative, inspirational, encouragement, etc. I like it that you offer me the ability to share with others as well.

I would like to suggest to you that you begin offering "paid subscription" accounts which allow folks like me to post longer the 10 minute videos. Not that I need unlimited upload options, just that sometimes I can't get all the material squeezed in under the ten minute mark.

I already have the option of breaking the videos up into ten minute sections, so it's not like a person couldn't post an entire movie (which there are many) or entire video of some event (which again there are many), but this is so inconvenient. If I'm using the same amount of upload bandwidth, and I'm uploading the same amount of videos anyway, why not offer it to me as an option (say, up to 20 minutes in length) and at the same time you put some money in your pocket?

I've been pondering over the pros and cons of this option, and think the pros greatly outweigh the cons.

Thank you very much for your consideration and I look forward to a forthcoming option,

Joey Peacock

[Note: photo from http://www.scommerce.com/]

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pondering - "to think about : reflect on"

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Where are you?

I'm not a baseball fan. And I know, I know...it's the "American Past Time", but it's just a tad to slow for me to sit, watch and enjoy.

Now I'm not saying I've not ever watched a baseball game as I have. I just never watched an entire game on TV. I have attended my kids games while they've played. I guess when you have some form of participation that's directly connected to you it's different. Other than that, I'll probably not (I hate to use "never") attend a professional baseball game other than the fact I could say "I've done it".

But I was thinking about baseball the other day and about how they separate team plays into innings. "Where are we?" I've heard people say at games and I always hear the announcers on TV updating us with "...bottom of the ____". So this seems to be an important part of the game.

Well, all this caused me to ponder on life and how we might break it down into innings.

So while thinking about all of this, knowing the age & stage I am in my life right now, what inning would I say I'm in?

I thought about this long and hard, back over all my life, where I am now and here is what I came up with: I'm still at batting practice, but I am in the major leagues.

I find that each day I'm still learning, still discovering things and still working (with my perfectionist mentality) to get it right. Sure, I've stepped up to the plate many times and I've swung the bat. I've hit the ball, sometimes getting on base, sometimes a pop-fly out, sometimes a foul, and yes, sometimes a home-run.

In a way, I hate to think about it ever being the "ninth inning" and the game being over...but I guess that's all part of the game too.

My question: So with all that said, what inning are you in?


[Note: photo from http://www.scoreboards-us.com]

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Lessons I Learned - While Taking Out The Garbage

I'm not a big fan of taking out the garbage. And for me, it's not a quick stroll to the street in front of the house. I live in the woods so it's a drive to get it out to where the company picks it up. But upon my last trip out to get the garbage to the road, I pondered about all the life lessons I could learn from this regular event.

Here is my list:

• In life, you have to do things you're not going to enjoy. You might as well get yourself mentally prepared, you're going to have to do things you don't like. Whether it's to discipline an employee or a child, or even a friend, they have to be done regardless and sometimes quite often! There will be trips you don't want to make, doctor visits you aren't going to want to do, exercising you'll need to implement in your life, and this list can go on and on.
• The weather isn't always going to be pleasant. One of my favorite quotes about life is an old Arabic proverb that states, "All sunshine makes a desert." And just like sometimes it's raining or cold, or muggy, that's just part of life.
• You hands are going to get dirty. But that's what they make soap for. Get dirty, and then clean yourself up.
• You have to pay for the service. There's no free...well, you already know that. There's a cost in everything you do, whether it's monetary, mental or physical, you're going to have to pay up. So make sure you're getting your best value and return in whatever you do. And, another thing is: you had to pay for all those items in your garbage. Some items end up there faster than others. The items were important, even necessary, at the time of purchase, yet here they are now. Our life decisions need to be taken in a similar context.
• Sometimes you make a mess. Have you ever had an accident getting the garbage to the road? The can tips over, or falls out of the truck, or you accidentally drop it? Garbage is strewn all over and it causes a huge "ding" in the can. If somehow you haven't yet, you're going to make a mess with something in your life too. And just like when you spilled the garbage, you'll get your life spill repaired and put it all behind you (but, like the ding in the can, you might create a scar for yourself as well). If you're smart, you'll learn what you did to cause the spill and take the appropriate steps to prevent its happening again.
• Sometimes you forget things. Did you ever wake up on garbage day and it dawned on you that you've forgotten to take "the can" out and now you'll have twice as much to deal with the next time? Ever forget anything else? We all have. You need to formulate your strategy for helping your remember chores, ideas, meetings, etc.
• Get someone else to help. Sometimes you're not around to carry the garbage out, but that's why you have family and friends that don't mind helping out. The key, though, is next time you're asked to help someone out with something you don't really want to do, remember that someone once carried your garbage out...I'm sure they weren't looking forward to that either.
• Renew. Occasionally, I'll discover a new "can" to use. Cool! And the same is true in life. Renew yourself constantly. Whether through an exercise program, adding an honest-to-goodness vacation week into your schedule, start a new book reading plan, join or recommit to a church or civic organization, etc. Renew your soul and fire your spirit up!

My question: Can you think of anything I missed?


[Note: photo from http://lakers.freedomblogging.com/]

“Your Success Is My Business.”™

pondering - "to think about : reflect on"

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Last Man Standing

[This blog is just for fun.]

"Zombies man, they creep me out."

Those are the famous words of Paul Kaufman (Dennis Hopper from the movie "Land of the Dead"). Well, not me!

I'll fess up: I have a huge fascination for zombie movies. There's something about that "last person left" or last man standing thought that really causes me to ponder. (And I realize this post is a LOT out-of-the-ordinary from me...but sometimes a fellow just has to talk.)

And I'm not alone in this fascination. Not long ago there was a popular book written about surviving a zombie apocalypse, which lead to an even more popular book about the world afterwards, which is leading to a possible movie. There are popular videos on YouTube, fan sites, people who try to figure it out for real, and recently what seems to be a resurgence of movies about the genre.

There are tests to figure out how long you'll live if bitten, and tests to see if you'll survive an outbreak. So, like a true zombie infestation, there's just no stopping it!

But do you ever think about it (if you think about it) that if this really happened, it's not just the zombies you have to worry with? There will be other survivors around, and they might not be a "helping hand" looking to support other survivors.

Once the world falls apart from the zombie apocalypse and there's no more food being mass produced, no more bottled water/drink supplied, no more ammo boxed up, no more fuel delivered - things are going to get more than hectic over and beyond the zombie problem. Everyone will be looking for a meal...literally...and will do whatever it takes to acquire it!

While it is true there are strength in numbers, I'm afraid that others, maybe even most others that survive, might be just as app to "off you" as a zombie would be.

And though there are numerous sites trying to tell you 'pack this, store that, go here, do this', etc., etc., what is the real strategy?

First, it depends on where you are caught when "it" happens - where you live and/or where you work. If either is in a big city or urban environment...you're in big trouble to start with.

What about weapons? Is a .50 caliber sniper rifle really the answer, or will a .22 rifle be a better selection (you can carry a lot more ammo, and if all you need to do is "shot'em in the head"...???)? And, if you had a similar caliber pistol...you getting the picture? Can you even shoot a weapon?

How many folks know how to grow their own food? How many of you live next to a clean, fresh water source? How many candles do you have stored? Or canned food? Money will be worthless in those days; but supplies on the other hand - priceless!

Do you own a four-wheel drive vehicle? My guess is the roads are going to be full of clutter, wrecks, and anything else possible that you'll have to drive over and/or around.

Do you own a "3-day bug out bag" (much less any long term survival gear)?

So YES I've pondered over all of this (and continue too)(don't you ever exercise your brain just for fun?).

"When the dead walk, señores, we must stop the killing... or we lose the war."
~ Old Priest (from "Dawn of the Dead" - 1979)

My question: For the coming zombie outbreak, what's your plans?

[And just to help, here are the 32 Rules of Survival.]

[Note: photo from http://www.bdh.net/]

“Your Success Is My Business.”™

pondering - "to think about : reflect on"

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I Can't Have a Positive Outlook?

A friend of mine recently posted this comment/quote on their Facebook status and made reference to it being "one of the greatest quotes ever" (sorry in advance for a couple of the words, but this was the exact quote):

"No, I'm not a pessimist. At some point the world sh*ts on everybody.
Pretending it ain't sh*t makes you an idiot, not an optimist."

Now I'm the first to agree that everyone has the right to say whatever they feel they need to. And each of us also has the right to either not listen, or not agree. So as I read this post, I pondered on what it meant and wondered if I was filtering it internally the same way they were when they posted it.

I've always thought of myself as an optimist...have even made the comment "eternal optimist" about myself before. I believe there is a positive within every negative regardless (so far) of the situation.

I'll also share that growing up in the South, from a family with all prior generations in the farming industry, I've shoveled untold 5-gallon buckets full of cow manure to use as fertilizer for gardens. So I think I can say I'm an expert in dealing with dung. But even that "dung" was useful for something!

Here's the way I'm wired and how I view things: Life is like a road - there's construction, traffic jams, turns, straight aways, slow lanes, fast lanes, weigh stations, fuel stations, stop signs, go signs, warning signs, steep grades, inclines, don't pass lanes, multi-lanes, one-way roads, toll roads, interstates, scenic highways, vehicles of all shapes/sizes/ages and, of course...the pot holes. And, don't forget that any vehicle on this road is going to need some periodic, scheduled maintenance and of course some upgrades along the way. The more you understand this, the better you mentally prepare yourself for all these...and, the better you'll make it through life when you face them.

I do love quotes, and I thought this one was perfect for this post and in response to the prior one my friend posted:

"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity;
an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
~ Sir Winston Churchill

My question: Are you a glass half full or half empty person?

[Note: photo from http://www.aspirationmag.com/]

“Your Success Is My Business.”™

pondering - "to think about : reflect on"

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I'm Excited!!!

I'll be the first to say that I get excited about stuff.

I was pondering the other day about all the hobbies I've had over the years:

• Four Wheel Drive Trucks
• Three Wheelers,
• then Four Wheelers,
• then Dirt Bikes
• Paintball
• Coin Collecting
• Hunting
• Fishing
• Gun Collecting
• Audio/Video/Home Theater
• World War II History

Just to name a few (yeah, there is more).

My problem with said hobbies was my nature to go overboard with them. I had to have the biggest/baddest truck, fastest four-wheeler, best hunting gear, top-of-the-line A/V equipment, etc. I always figured, "if you were going to do it, why not be the best at it." Wouldn't you agree?

And I catch myself sometimes when I'm speaking with someone and the topic turns to one of my passions, that I find myself dominating the conversation and getting loud & excited about it (I apologize if I've ever done that to you).

I find it in my writing too: I get so excited about something that I find I'm ending most sentences with an exclamation mark. (Note: I wanted to post one at the end of that last sentence.)

Sometimes, I find myself being like Elaine in the Seinfeld Episode "The Sniffing Accountant" when she's talking and verbally adding exclamation marks at the end of every sentence.

I'm going to do my best going forward to try to watch over all my exclamation mark usage. But I'll tell you in advance, when I'm excited about something, be prepared for them to come out!!

My question: What hobby or passion gets you excited?

[Note: photo from http://reddingitpro.files.wordpress.com]

“Your Success Is My Business.”™

pondering - "to think about : reflect on"

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