Post Conference Thoughts

It is amazing how a well run conference re energizes the participants, whether they be part of the faculty or whether they are among the presenters.  Regardless of the category, it appears the second annual conference of Optimist International Nepal was  very successful.

But this was not all work an no play.  Sunday was a day of learning for me as a couple of my Optimist friends here took me on a tour of the city and then into the mountains where roads are in places barely passable and have more twists in them than a pretzel.  There are also holes in the pavement where you could get a small car stuck if you weren't careful.  And we saw something that is not for the faint of heart which I was half tempted to try.

But again, I was only half tempted. While the conference has ended and the sightseeing is about over, the Optimist news out of Nepal will continue to be positive.  It was announced at the conference there will be two new Optimist Clubs in the country by the end of June, a second Club in Biratnager and a new Club in Damak.  Plus, work is underway for a second Junior Optimist Club in the country to compliment the one already in Pokhara.

You should also know the sightseeing tour was not all work and no play.  While at the View Point, 5,500 feet above the Pokhara Valley in Sarangkot, I started talking with two gentlemen who are Nepali nationals.  Just so happens that now,  one lives in Virginia and the other in Colorado and after some conversation, both are very interested in trying to start Optimists Clubs when they get back home later this month. I'll definitely be having conversations with both of them.

Nepal is fast becoming a stronghold for Optimist International in Asia.  The members here are passionate, committed, and full of energy. And it was heartening to see entire families that made the journey to Pokhara for the two day event. The Optimists here  have no intention of stopping anytime soon which puts a very positive spin on the idea of a "Global Perspective for Promise Yourself."

Now.....on to Thailand.

Marshmallows and Tennis Balls in Nepal

I thoroughly enjoy making presentations which is why it was so much fun to present workshops on communication and leadership at the second annual Optimist International-Nepal conference May 3-4. I break several rules with regard to  Power point protocol and general public speaking guidelines all in the name of making workshops interesting and something participants  will remember while actually learning something.

So it was Saturday during a Leadership workshops which appropriately followed a Q &A via video conference with Optimist International President Rebecca Butler Mona.

The workshop that day focused on the five, or six characteristics of leadership.  One of them is innovation.  Strong leaders are innovators and that's where tennis balls come into play.  The room is divided into three groups.  Each group forms a circle and each is given a tennis ball to pass around the circle.   After a minute or so, you add a second tennis ball to the circle and then a couple minutes later you add a third tennis ball.  So you get this...

People having fun.  And the argument goes that if you are enjoying yourself and are of a positive attitude, you are more receptive to learning.

It is kind of like that with the marshmallow challenge.  It 's a teaching tool that has been around a few years at Optimist International, to help people get to know each other and to teach, collaboration...another one of those characteristics of leadership. The rules are simple; takes 20 strands of spaghetti, some tape, some string and a marshmallow.  The goal is to build the tallest freestanding tower with the marshmallow on top so it stands for at least five seconds.  They did very well at the conference as you can see...despite me having to correct a couple of the teams who borrowed a couple of other marshmallows to shore up their tower.

So whether it be laughter through innovative practices or team building through collaboration, Optimists in Nepal have a better understanding of at least some of the characteristics about leadership.

Until next time....

One of Those Absolutely Perfect Days

It's not often you can see the words that are found in the title of this blog. But it really was an absolutely perfect day from the beginning of the Optimist conference in Nepal to the end of the day and a last cup of coffee or iced tea as the case may be.

The Optimists in Nepal really do know how to put together a conference. There was pomp and circumstance and traditions were upheld. Representatives of each of the seven clubs in the country provided the conference with an update about what their club has been doing to positively impact the lives of young people in their area.

I had the privilege of presenting a workshop on effective communication skills and will present a second one on Saturday with regard to leadership. Most of not all of the 60 participants at the conference were eager  and willing to learn. They want to become better people and better Optimists and my sense is they will continue down that path for months and years to come.

The conference adjourned for the day around 2 PM. This left a little time to see some sights around Pokhara. We walked down dozens of stairs to go at least part way down into one of the deepest caves in Southeast Asia. The only issue was going back up the stairs but I was able to make it without too many pulled muscles.

The he next stop took us up switchback type road to an area where cars were parked on the side of a mountain.... and there were more stairs. I didn't remember to count how many there were but my legs will tell you there were quite a few,  After a six minute climb,  we found ourselves face-to-face with the World Peace Pagoda.  It is a place held in reverence by many because of the statue of Buddha which sits near the top of the pagoda. And as you can see from the photo, the area  provided a fantastic view of the city of Pokhara.

The day ended with a stop at a coffee shop.  And while there was some coffee and some food what really made the day was the conversation. Even though I sometimes could not understand a word that was being said because my hosts were speaking Nepali, you could tell everyone was enjoying themselves and the opportunity to share conversation with one another. And the Adirondack style chairs made it that much easier to kick back and relax for a few moments.

Day to the conference is Saturday.  These are exciting times…

Half Way Around the World in 47 Hours

 There are so many experiences to relate after 47 hours of travel.  That is the time frame from leaving my home in arriving in Pokhara, Nepal via stops in Chicago, Istanbul and Kathmandu. International travel is chaotic, exhilarating, cause for some anxious moments and breath-taking. 

It’s chaotic because you are at the mercy of others’ schedules and many times you are in an unfamiliar environment.  Just try going from one terminal to the international terminal at Chicago’s O’Hare airport.  You leave from your arrival gate and then figure out exactly where to exit security, which is something you'll regret doing later, in order to catch a shuttle bus that will take you from one terminal to the international terminal. Then there is always the issue of exactly where you can pick up the shuttle bus. Having done that, you get to the international terminal and then start regretting coming out of security because you now have to go through security in order to get to the gate for your international flight. All in the span of an hour and a half.

While this is chaotic it can also be exhilarating because in the end you're going to wind up in a place where you've never been. I was struck almost with awe as the plane was about to land in Kathmandu Nepal.  I was  looking out the window of the plane, seeing the houses, and thinking to myself," My goodness I'm about to land in Kathmandu."

Anytime you travel overseas there is the immigration issue that you have to address. And it took what seemed to be forever to get through the process in Nepal. This in no way is meant to be disrespectful to the Nepalese people but the process can be confusing for someone who is experiencing it for the first time. You have to stand in line in order to register to get your visa. You then have to stand in line to pay for your visa. You then have to stand in another line to meet with the immigration officer who make sure your papers are in order and then provide you with the visa. After all that,  you have to go through security to enter the country, and then finally find your luggage which is been available for the better part of an hour. An hour spent going through immigration.

My Optimist friends in Nepal were very gracious and very patient. They took me from one area to the next and always with a smile on their face. They escorted me from the international terminal to the domestic terminal and made sure I got where I needed to be. I was treated equally well by other Optimist friends who greeted me at the Pokara airport and then took me to the hotel where I would stay for the next four days.  The final leg of the journey is one I will always remember as we crossed the narrow portion of a lake to get to the hotel.  

Take a look at the video

Periodically over the next 10 days  there will be updates to the blog for this journey that I've titled, " A Global Perspective for 'Promise Yourself." Be Well..

Staying the Course Despite Rejection

Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.”

                                                                                                                            ― Winston S. Churchill

I have a very hard time accepting the fact that something cannot be done.  It is perhaps the reason I am so persistent in the position I hold at Optimist International.  My position is designed to, with the help of others, to create initiatives and programs for our members to use that will help the organization turn the corner and reverse the two-decade trend of declining membership.  Other service organizations are in a similar situation.

It’s not easy.  It’s frustrating and disappointing at times.  I see potential if there would just be some persistence in the area of focus yet people who hold the potential in their hands get stopped dead in their tracks because of negativity or someone rejecting their message.  A couple of quick examples seem to be order.

 I recently made a presentation to establish a new Optimist group in the Pacific northwest.  The presentation seemed to have generated some interest among some of those in attendance but everything stopped when a respected member of the group says he saw no benefit to his group working to establish an Optimist group.   This appeared to be the consensus at the moment but I later learned there were people who could not make the meeting who were very interested.   Enter plan B.  After learning the group did not want to do something collectively, my inner voice told me to pursue the few who did individually while trying to combine their interests with an outside group in the community.  This is still a work in progress but it demonstrates how a “No” produced another course of action.

Similarly, I had been having a heck of a time trying to connect with a prospect in person because schedules would not line up and life got in the way for this individual.  The door apparently had closed.  But then the voice spoke up.  “Why don’t you try to meet via SKYPE or some other electronic means?  I had been so focused on meeting this individual in person that I had completely overlooked the other option.  Enter plan B.

 Usually, there is always going to be a Plan B. I’m arguing that Plan B keeps the door open for our goal or objective but we have to be persistent in both listening for such a revelation and being willing to act on it when it happens.  This then, brings into play perseverance because our willingness to be persistent creates the desire to stick with something until there is a positive result. This formula has worked time and time again when it comes to membership recruitment or development of a new Optimist presence in a community.  By getting into this practice, you will find more and more of your projects will reach a satisfactory level of completion, your objectives and goals will be attained and you will find yourself doing a happy dance more frequently.

This is not a formula solely for community service groups.  Any leader worth his or her weight in pretzels should know alternatives are necessary for any initiative because nothing ever goes completely as planned.  The characteristics of persistence and perseverance work in community service work, the legal profession, finance, construction and so forth.

  So let’s go to work shall we?   

The Inner Voice Will Guide You

“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan Press On! has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.”

                                                                                                                                Calvin Coolidge

NO.    There are not a lot of us who do not like hearing that simple two letter word.  It means we can’t do something we wanted to do. And, sometimes the word is used because what we are thinking of could actually bring harm to ourselves and others.  But, in the context of achieving a goal or objective in the professional or personal realm, I argue it is an opportunity to invoke the art of being persistent and to chart a different course in order to attain the goal or objective.

 One of actor Denzel Washington’s many starring roles came from the dark drama “The Book of Eli.”  There is a scene showing him sitting around an open fire with co-star, Mila Kunis, and the conversation is about how he survived after “The War.”  Mr. Washington tells the story of how one day he heard a voice from inside that set him on his journey regarding the Book and how the voice told him he would be protected during the journey.  The key is that he listened to the voice.

Our internal voice, which some call a person’s  conscience, is a guiding beacon each one of us has access to but we have to listen when it speaks to us.  The”Voice” (not to be confused with the television series)  is almost always right and can point us in the correct direction to go.  Christians call it the Holy Spirit.  Your voice can help overcome NO by suggesting a new direction that likely will help attain the goal or objective established at the beginning of your project.  Often times it’s referred to as Plan B or Plan C. 

I argue there is nearly always a second or third path to achieve the objective if Plan A isn’t working but we have to listen for that direction and then act on it when we hear from our inner voice.  Sometimes doors of opportunity will close but it usually means another door of opportunity is about to open.  When it does, we have to use persistence to go through it so we can accomplish the goal at hand.

A case in point the next time we connect.   Be well.

The P&P Combo to Accomplish Your Goals

       We give up too easily. Time and time again stories can be heard from people who had all the best intentions in the world of getting a project done or achieving a career or personal goal only to later be stopped short of achievement because of a myriad of factors.  Granted, there will always be times when surrender is the only option left, but it consistently, at least in my opinion, is an option exercised too quickly.   My argument is supported by an excellent, recent, article in Inc. Magazine, titled, “Seven Reasons Why People Give Up  on Their Goals Too Early.”

 A lot of us have done this before.  We set out to get into shape.  We purchase a membership to a health club and we embark on an effort to improve out physical condition or lose weight.   The initial stage amounts to a bunch of sore muscle that don’t seem to go away with a few more trips to the gym.  So,  we give up. ”I just can’t do this anymore”…..or I’m getting nowhere fast”….”I don’t have time to spend a half an hour or an hour working out” can be heard under our breath.  Excuses come easily; achievement does not.  So, no sooner did we begin our self-improvement project then we abandon it, frustrated and dejected and wondering why we ever had this hair-brained idea to begin with.

There is a word that starts with a “P” that can provide a partial answer to this situation.

Perseverance: “Steadfast in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success,” according to Webster.    To persevere, then, flies in the face of what is commonplace in our society today, which is an expectation of almost instantaneous and positive results. 

There is a second “P” word worth mentioning that is equally useable when we hit a roadblock.

Persistence:  “continuing firmly or obstinately in a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition” 

 Most people like the concept of getting it done quickly when it comes to attaining our goals and reaching our objectives.  They look for the easy path.  Rarely is that going to happen which is why persistence and perseverance are critical components of getting a project completed successfully. We have to maintain a mentality that at times says, “No,  is not “my final answer.”   It instead becomes an opportunity for new ideas, new directions and new opportunities for success.  These two words starting with “P” can be, should be and will be critical in achieving goals set in our professional and personal lives as well as those sought after achievements in our community service lives. 

More on this new direction in the next post. I have to go to the gym now.

The Relevance of Community Service Organizations Part 5

          My Optimist Club has worked for year’s with the Children’sCancer Connection in Des Moines,  doing projects primarily to help the families affected by the disease.  One year the club provided an opportunity for a picnic and a minor league baseball game.   A couple of weeks later one of the families came to our club meeting to tell their story.  It involved their then four year old daughter who had been diagnosed with cancer at age 18 months.

While the mother was telling the story, the little girl sat across the room from me and she had a bag of Goldfish Crackers.   I made eye contact and mouthed the words, “Can I have one?”   She bounded out of her chair and came over to me and gave me….two!  She the went back to her chair.   her mother was the winding up the  story and the family was about to leave.  But before doing so, the little girl who I had just met a few moments, jumped out of her chair…ran over to me, jumped up on my lap and gave me a hug!

That’s my Optimist story.  I contend each one of us, regardless of service organization has a story just like that one.  A story that truly reflects what being part of a service group is all about.  Sure we volunteer our time, talents and money to help young people and give ourselves opportunities to grow as a person.  But there are always going to be times when what we are doing “gives back to us.”  It is just another reason why being part of a service organization is relevant is this day.

So how do we get more people involved?   We simply tell our story.  (I can provide more ways for getting people involved in future posts) We tell them about the great things our organizations do.  This is simply too important to keep to ourselves.  Our story, Your Story, needs to be shared.  I have found on innumerable occasions that when I tell my story, or just talk to someone about the Optimists that they respond by saying, “I had no idea you did that sort of thing, how do I get involved.”  It’s practically a universal response.  They just opened the door for you.  We just need the courage to walk through it.

A lot of people today are desperate for something positive in this age. Service organizations can provide that positive influence in life and all the benefits that go along with it…..but we (you) have to tell the story. And since this has been my story….let me end this way,

“By providing hope and a positive vision, Optimists bring out the best in children, our communities and ourselves.”

Be well.

The Relevance of Community Service Organizations Part 4

…A boy struggles to get a wiggly worm on the end of the hook and asks for help from an adult.   The same boy later returns to proudly show that person the four inch blue gill flapping on the end of the hook while displaying an ear to ear smile that is nothing short of priceless.

…A shy, young lady musters up the courage to participate in a public speaking contest, with the prodding of her parents.  She places in the top three gaining confidence and courage from something that used to terrify her.

…A group of students studying  English as a Second Language  participate in a horse drawn wagon ride, roast hot dogs and s’mores over an open fire, play kickball instead of soccer and decorate pumpkins all on a crisp October Sunday afternoon.  None of those activities are native to the student’s culture

    The saying goes something like,” Children are our most valuable resource for the future.”  In each of these examples and many more than could be listed, the life of the child or young adult has been enriched and enhanced through the work of community servants.  They are members of the Optimists, (www.optimist.org )the Lions, The Kiwanis and the Rotary, or several other organizations.  The projects have been able to provide education, cultural growth and just plain old fun.

     So this begs the question:  If children are most valuable resource for the future and community service groups provide the framework for helping with the positive development of young people on their journey toward becoming a responsible adult, how can those groups be considered irrelevant in the 21^st century?

      It’s rough out there.  Most agree some of the societal changes that have taken place during the past two decades have not created a positive environment for young people.(those changes can be another blog for another time) Yet membership in the aforementioned service groups has been on the decline during these times to the point in which the word” hemorrhaging” has been used to describe it.  But, there is a simple way of changing the course of service organizations so relevancy is no longer a question.

       It can be as simple as telling a story……….in the next post.

The Relevance of Community Service Organizations Part 3

                   Public speaking scares people. You may have seen elsewhere that it is the number one fear that faces the overwhelming majority of us.  We would rather jump off a 1,000 foot tall bridge tied to a bungee cord than to get up in front of a number of people and try to put several sentences together.  Effective public speaking can be a topic for another blog post at another time but it demonstrates why service organizations remain relevant in the 21^st century, more than 100 years after they were founded.

                Being competent and at ease with public speaking is a critical component of being an effective leader. Developing leadership skills and traits such as public speaking is another lynch pin of service organization membership. Leaders are always in demand in service organizations whether it be at the local, state, regional, national or international level.  It is through membership that a person has the opportunity to learn how to become a leader in a volunteer setting.  (The key phrase there is “has the opportunity” because you have to want to learn to take advantage of the opportunity.) Areas such as running an effective meeting, learning how to get people to do what you want them to do, project management, recruiting and oh yes, public speaking, are just some of the areas for developing leadership skills that can  be transferred to the home, workplace or other social settings.

                Sometimes “going out on a limb” can be risky when trying to make a point but it is also very exciting. I know a lot of people who will charge a lot of money to put on a seminar that is supposed to help with the development of leadership skills.  But usually for around the cost of a ‘C” note on a yearly basis, a person can gain similar knowledge by being part of a service organization.  The local club provides a tremendous learning environment for people who want to improve themselves.   In addition, seminars are conducted, on line learning avenues are available and conferences and conventions are offered.   Some of these carry additional registration fees, but the camaraderie and networking possibilities are bonuses to consider.  All of this falls under the service organization umbrella designed to increase and enhance leadership capabilities.

                To say, as a former Optimist said in an email, that service organizations have lost their relevance since their heyday in much of the 20^th century, flies in the face of reality.  Any organization, and I argue in this case for Optimist International, (www.optimist.org) that offers leadership development training for the nominal cost of membership is extremely relevant today.  Books on leadership skills continue to fly off the shelves.  Subscriptions to “improvement” blogs are high as people seek to make themselves better.  The Optimist International brand, while created 100 years ago, provides the same benefits as books and blogs with some additional ones.  The next installment will reveal some of those. 

Be well.

The Relevance of Community Service Groups Part 2

   “I am an optimist.  It does not seem to be much use to be anything else.”

                                                                                                                                Winston Churchill.

         The famous quote from Sir Winston, adorns the back if T-shirts, is used frequently in scholarship competition and when you think about it, is spot on with regards to a philosophy about life.  Few people would realistically confess to being a pessimist and be proud of it. The human condition is such that we were not wired up that way from the get go.  Instead, we were meant to be able to enjoy our days here with a positive attitude regardless of the circumstances whirling around us. 

This brings us to another weapon to dispel the notion that service organizations are no longer relevant in the 21^st century.  It’s called the Optimist Creed.  Go ahead….Google it.  Or just hang on for a few minutes and read it at the end of this post.  The words were put down on paper by a gentleman named Christian D. Larson decades ago.  They provide 10 processes to consider and implement in life that will make life better.   They are not easy words to follow on a daily basis because of the aforementioned circumstances swirling around us.  An email that has an unpleasant message, a disagreement with a loved one or having something go wrong at the office can all derail us from the first tenant…”To be so strong that nothing disturbs yours peace of mind.”

              The Optimist Creed provides a blue print for becoming a better person.  I will argue that point until the day they put me in the ground The Creed  has made me a better person just by trying to follow it and advocating the positions it lays out in black and white. Personal development is a lynch pin of membership in Optimist International and I know for a fact that the same applies for Lions International, Kiwanis International, Rotary International or any other group that falls under the service organization umbrella.   To argue that personal growth is no longer in vogue because of societal changes over the last few decades is ludicrous.  I know of very few people who do not to want to better themselves in some aspect of their life.  

            Membership in a service organization can, does and will help anyone become a better person, if they just give it a try.   There is another aspect to this scenario and it will be explored in the next installment.   Until then, think about accepting this challenge; try to live your life by the tenants of the Creed for the next 30 days.  I’m pretty sure life will be at least a little bit better a month from now.

The Optimist Creed

Promise Yourself

To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.

To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet.

To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.

To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.

To think only of the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best.

To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.

To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.

To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile.

To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others.

To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

The Relevance of Community Service Groups

             The societal changes over the last quarter of a century have been numerous.  Many fall into the unwelcome category.  The abrasive nature of conversation, whether it be in person or via social media has reduced civility.  The constant din of point/counterpoint presented by the broadcast media borders on disrespect and causes many to exclaim, “I can’t take this anymore.”  It’s one of the reasons I got out of the profession after 35 years. I just could take the negativity any longer. But I will argue in this and in future posts to this blog as part of this series that there is reason for hope.   

              You see, I am an Optimist, (capitalization intended)  and the organization I now represent along with other century old, similar organizations can be and are relevant in these times.

                The hope can be seen in the daily communications received from the general public through the Optimist International www.optimist.org web portal.  It’s how the public communicates with the organization when it wants more information, or is inquiring about membership or starting a new Optimist group in a community.  I see each one whether it comes from the U.S., Canada, the Caribbean nations or anywhere else in the world.  Every day people are reaching out, searching for something positive to counteract the incessant negativity that seems to be prevalent in society today. They are searching for hope.  

             The forthcoming blog posts over the next couple of weeks are designed to debunk the notion that service organizations are something from the 20^th century that should be put on the shelf and retired.  Optimists, Lions, Kiwanians, Rotarians and many other similar organizations are re-making themselves to not only serve their existing base but also to branch out to new segments of society, new cultures and new endeavors to help address just a portion of what troubles our society today.

               A gentleman from Colorado who was leaving our organization after a couple of decades of membership opined recently, “There is no ethical or practical commitment to be married to any organization, profit or non-profit, for a lifetime. It belongs in bygone era.”    In the words of rock music legend Sting, “I do not subscribe to that point of view,”  

              There  are too many benefits to be gained through association with a service organization whether you are in your 20’s or in your 80’s.  Future posts will make the case for those benefits and bolster the contention there is a hope to be found in associating with a service group and the belief that century old organizations remain very relevant in the 21^st century.

Something Positive with Little Effort

The past few weeks have been difficult ones for the people of northern Alberta in Canada.  The Fort McMurray fire has consumed thousands of acres of forest, forced thousands of people from their homes before burning many to the ground and have thousands more wondering how they are going to move forward with their lives.  There have been innumerable efforts to help those who have found their lives in the path of the fire and this is just one example.

At a hotel in Bloomington, Minnesota this past weekend more than 75 Optimists www.optimist.org came together for a leadership conference.

 

This is the region that includes the province of Alberta.  Southern Wisconsin Optimist Governor Howard Crowfoot and Dakotas, Manitoba and Minnesota Governor Ken Schulz got up and asked everyone to donate to the cause and help Fort McMurray. 

10 minutes later, the passing of the hat raised $700.  The Canadian government is matching such donations meaning 10 minutes generated $1,400 for the Red Cross and relief efforts in Fort McMurray and other areas affected by the fire.

I am certain there have been instances like this one held throughout Canada and in many parts of the United States as well.  It shows the really good side of people in what often has become a really dark world.  And it is all in the name of doing something for the less fortunate.  Maybe if more of us did something like this there would be fewer, “less fortunate,” people. 

Be well.

A Round of Golf and Community ser ice

It started with a phone call.  “Jim, I have a lead on an international club” said Optimist International www.optimist.org  President Dave Bruns.  “I’ll send you an email with the info, he’s from Thailand.” And so would begin a little more than eight-month project to establish an Optimist Club in Bangkok.

Tony ( tony@blackhatgolf.com) is with the Thailand Junior Golf Guardian Association.  The connection was made at The Optimist. It is one of the premier junior golf championships in the United States drawing competitors from countries in Europe, Asia and South America.  Past Champions include Tiger Woods, David Toms, Ernie Els and Notah Begay III.  Tony has accompanied teams from Thailand every summer for the last several years to West Palm Beach, Florida for the competition.  He wanted an Optimist presence in the “Kingdom”.   

International development is a different animal.  It takes time and usually a lot of it to go from getting the contact information to what happened May 6^th in Bangkok when via SKYPE, a new Optimist club was formed. This is especially true when all of the development was done electronically (I hope some day to visit the club) I would wait for email replies and Tony would do the same.  The 12-hour time difference had to be overcome, exchange rates had to be learned and there are always cultural considerations to take into account.  Iowa is not like Bangkok and Bangkok is not like Iowa.   Scheduling was also an issue and it turns out the effort this month was the third attempt to get everything together.  

But the positives in this instance far outweigh the occasional hiccups along the way.  It is and was a truly eye opening and exhilarating experience.  To work with people halfway around the world who share similar values through a desire to help young people is a project more of us should be involved in.  All it takes is some time…and a willingness to develop a positive relationship with someone who you may never meet in person. Those ingredients help make the final product really worthwhile. 

So much so that tackling the next projects waiting in the wings (Morocco, Great Britain, Australia, India, Senegal, Germany and Holland) means there are more exciting times ahead.  You can help the cause too by letting me know of international contacts you have who might entertain the notion of bringing the Optimists to their corner of the world.     jim.boyd@optimist.org

Thumbs Up and Thumbs Down for Airline

There was a road trip last week from Des Moines and I feel compelled to share an experience  with one of the major airlines.  I am certain these remarks will be received favorably, well, almost. 

The itinerary was from Des Moines to Denver to Spokane for a week’s worth of work for Optimist International www.optimist.orgwww.optimist.org.  The flight to Denver was uneventful on United Airlines, www.ual.com one that I have made several times on an Airbus 319.  Turns out the same plane was used on the second leg and I actually wound up in the same seat.  It’s what happened at the end of the flight that is of note.

I gathered my belongings, deplaned, got my luggage and was picked up by the shuttle  to my destination in Coeur d’ Alene.  It was then I realized, my tablet and keyboard were still in the front seat pocket of seat 10B. Panic raced through my mind for two reasons. There was a lot of important stuff on the tablet and I felt I would never see I again.  The other thought was how was I going to tell my wife back home that I was absent minded enough to be dumb enough to leave something like that on an airplane.  (I just told her, since I know she reads my blog) J

I called United, made a lost and file claim and hoped.  (Said a prayer too) I would have to wait two days before I could expect to hear anything. Turns out the tablet was found in the seat pocket of United Economy Plus by a gate agent.  I had it back in less than three days and obviously it still works fine since this was written on it.  Kudos go out to the folks from United for the system in place to find  lost or in this case, left behind items.  It’s a top notch system.

Now, remember almost?  I flew economy home and not economy plus for a reason and that’s the price. I believe the airline is getting a little greedy when it comes to pricing for the sake of an additional six inches of leg room.  When considering Economy Plus on the way home I was astounded that seats for a two hour and 14 minute flight were between $79 and $89.  (Exit row seating even higher)  Is the cost of nearly $15 per extra inch of legroom really worth it. (the exit rows were empty until people moved into them, at no cost just before takeoff.)

It’s the opinion of this frequent flier that United would probably glean more revenue if pricing for those extra inches was a little bit more reasonable. An extra 90 bucks for legroom is a bit much.

Did I mention Thailand……next time on the blog.

Adapting to Changes Little by Little

It’s been a while.  A little more than a month, if memory serves,  since there was the major and abrupt change in life.  A 35 year career in radio came to  an end and a new adventure began with Optimist International. www.optimist.org

Some observations.

There is no doubt anymore that we are creatures of habit and most comfortable in a routine. It took almost three weeks to develop a new method of operation  after discarding the old one which had morphed  into a mundane existence. This was complicated by working at home.  I had become a “bunny slipper” employee who was able to roll out of bed, make a cup of cinnamon orange tea, turn on a computer and be at the office. It can be fairly easy to slack off and I had actually worried some about having a lot less structure in my work day as opposed to a life which had been dictated by the second hand of a clock for so long,

Lessons Learned.  It’s actually easy to develop the new routine if you focus on it for a week.  Make notes of when you open email,  tackle a project, get up to go to the bathroom, and in my case, walk the dog. (Maggie looks forward to 11:30 every morning)  You should be able to find a comfort zone for completing these and other tasks on a daily basis and before the week is over the new method of operation has come into focus. 

People exposure is another issue.  Working at home means its just me and the dog.  I counselor friend of mine told me once you have to purposely get out and see people or you’ll go batty, not to mention lose your interaction skills.  A simple, short errand or two during the day has taken care of this issue.  If they take longer than the traditional lunch hour so be it.  Working from home doesn’t even come close to clock punching and since there’s no commute it easy to work late if the need arises.  Besides at Optimist International, www.optimist.org  conference calls in the evening and weekend meetings with some of the 90 thousand volunteers who make up the organization are the norm. 

Change is normal.  It happens every day.  The last month of so has shown, though, that fear can be the biggest stumbling block to working through change.  I contend we all can cast fear aside and, in a sometimes methodical fashion, easily overcome it.  It also helps to know, through faith, that someone else has your back.

It is good to be back on the blog.   Be well. 

Time to Move On

35 years is a long time.  Nearly 40 years is even longer.   That’s the length of time I’ve dedicated in my life to a career in radio and all but four of those 40 have been as a broadcast journalist. 

But there is always a possibility for change, a new adventure and a new challenge and so a couple of weeks ago I decided to retire from radio.  My last day at WHO in Des Moines is February 12, 2016.

I am not retiring from the workforce,just radio.  I have accepted a position as the Director for Strategic Growth for Optimist International.  www.optimist.org .  When I begin those duties later this month, I will be charged with developing strategies for increasing the membership of the organization.  This will take me all over the country in an effort to stimulate development in areas where the Optimist presence is lacking.  It will also allow me to continue a passion developed more than a decade ago when I caught the “new club” bug after completing my first project in Waukee, Iowa. I am remaining in Urbandale as far as the place for an office is concerned.

The departure from radio is coming at the right time.  Times have changed.  It’s rare these days to find someone running a news operation who learned the trade by running a daily news beat, produced stories on a manual typewriter and edited audio content using a razor blade and tape.  The industry evolved with the onset of computer technology, social media and cross media partnerships that were never imagined 35 years ago.

Still, I can’t imagine having done anything else.  There is still a small thrill every time the newscast introduction music plays and I punch a button so that people all over the state of Iowa can hear my voice not to mention nearly two thirds of the country at night.  But the combination of all of the changes in the industry and the opportunity presented by Optimist International indicated the time for a change had arrived.  Some people have already called me lucky because I am leaving something I have loved doing for three plus decades and am going to something I have been passionate about as a volunteer...but now with a pay check to boot.

The blog will continue with posts about improving ourselves and the successes and occasional setbacks at the new gig.  But first a short break as my wife Judy and I spend a little time this month where there are palm trees. It’s a good place to be when its February in Iowa. J

Be Well.

$ 1.6 billion (give or take a few million)

There is something to be said about what is happening today.  For certain, you will be unable to turn on the radio or television, or check your favorite on line news site , without being told about the Powerball.  The jackpot for Wednesday night should be about $1.6 billion dollars since it has increased by $100 million every day since the initial figure of $1.3 billion was set last weekend.

There will be countless stories about what people would do with that kind of money, how it would change their lives and what steps should be taken if late Wednesday night or early Thursday morning you discover that you are holding a winning ticket.

CNBC put together “10 steps to take” after you win the Powerball.  It has some whimsical suggestions and some serious ones.   If advice is what you need to have then maybe this New York Times article will be helpful. 

What would I do with $1.6 billion?  I would get into the practice of being philanthropic. The winnings would be more than I would ever need and I am certain it is more than anyone really needs.  But there are so many aspects of society where the need is great and after some careful consideration, there would be many areas would benefit because of the good fortune and pure luck that came my way.

So have fun buying your tickets.  There will be all kinds of time to play if you are holding the winning, or one of the winning tickets.  But the gift you will be receiving will be much greater than anything money can buy if you share the gift with those who would need it the most

Getting Better at the Productivity Game

There are times when someone else says what you have been thinking or trying to practice.  And it seems many of those times what is being said is a real simple approach to a dilemma.

The topic of time management has been broached before here. There are some things that we need and should do to make life a little easier, whether at home or the office and to make it more productive at the home or the office.   Making lists, setting priorities and limiting distractions all seem like good suggestions for attaining the aforementioned goals but they are easier said than done. 

This is the week we tend to return to what some people call normal.  Most of us  are back in the office, the work we put off because of the holidays is still there and must be dealt with and we all know that more is on the way.  Our regular schedules away from the office also  kick back into high gear after a one or two week hiatus and sooner than we would want, we will find ourselves with that feeling of being overwhelmed or at the very least the belief that there are not enough hours in the day.

This http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/248866 was one of those additional “click through” results after getting a weekly email I had signed up for from Entrepreneur.  But it seems appropriate as we start the New Year to at least pass it along.  My guess is you may already be doing some of these.  If you are, you have a leg up on others.  But the seven suggestions and their simple nature may be worth at least trying, just like we are trying to “exercise more and lose weight” in the New Year.

Numbers two and three are my weak points.  I am looking forward to doing more of number seven in 2016

Be well.

Hope from Turning the Calendar.

All of us will be inundated in the days to come with year end lists of the best of 2015 as the clock ticks towards midnight January 1.  The top ten of this, that and the other thing will be dominant items in the media, online, and in coffee house conversations.  They will be immediately followed by prognosticators who will provide their best guess about what will happen in this particular area or that one in 2016.

This writer will not do that and especially not for that critical subject of whether the Cubs will win the World Series.

It seems to me a lot of people have interest in predictions because so many of us worry or fear the unknown.  It is natural.  But unless it is addressed it can also be crippling.  Worry robs us of our strength and focus.  Fear can stop us dead in our tracks. 

But they don't have to.   When I work with teens once a week who are having a tough go of it, I sometimes say I am about to pull out the "J" card...so they know what direction I am heading.  Now you know as well.

I have worried most of my life about how this might pan out or that will work out.  And I have learned all of that worry is for naught. Because in the end, 999 times out of 1,000, everything worked out just fine.  The potential confrontation at the office never materialized, a project turned out great, my financial situation met my needs and sometimes above and beyond them.  It has lead me to believe what Jesus said, "So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries.  Today's troubles are enough for today." (Matt.  6:24 NLT). And earlier in the passage, "That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life...whether you have enough food or drink or enough clothes to wear. Isn't life more than just food and your body more than clothing. (v. 25)

Despite the circumstances in a particular situation, just remember the bases are already covered.  I have found knowing that makes life a lot more tolerable and enjoyable.   And I don't worry about the prognosticators.

Have a great Christmas and may abundant blessings come your way in the coming year.

One other thing.  Cubs win, Cubs win!

 (Unless of course my Pirates are in the playoffs and then it's "Raise the Jolly Roger!")