Monday, October 27, 2008

Simple Choices

Article and text NOT by Joe the Plumber

(I did this only for the Google rankings. A marketing lesson already.)

My teenage son just got an earful (perhaps two) about having good judgment. “We’re just a product of our choices,” I said, trying not to call attention to any of mine.

He’s driving now, which causes me to squirm even as I write the line. We gave him a Driving Contract, which is required for modern day “with-it” parents. He signed it with slightly less enthusiasm than putting a Bic lighter to his own flesh. Somewhere in there, the topic turned to friends, influences, news.

I’m as sick of the economic non-news as you are. (Part of the reason its called “NEWS” is something in it should “NEW”.) I’ll go so far as to say the following, which could cause a flurry of hate-mail being sent my way.

I’m not crying about the Economic news, especially if....
  1. We start looking at what’s more important in life than money. How can it be bad to return focus on family, simplicity, and doing without meaningless clutter? Gosh, we might read a book instead of forking over $50 to go to the movies. Which one could “enrich” you in two ways?
  2. We remember that if we weren’t selling our stocks or homes when they were “up”, why in the world would we become anxious in contemplation of doing so when they’re down?
  3. We recognize that the “value” of our gains was merely “potential” value, only becoming realistic if sold. Big difference between “potentially” and “realistically”. Potentially your service van can compete in the Indy 500. Realistically, you’d be better off on foot.
  4. Embrace the “C” word. I’ve yet to see homeowners go without heat, or plumbing, or electricity. Be very thankful you’re in your field of work, and that commodity is not a four-letter word. And more importantly....
  5. Just be thankful, period. You’ve got health, or the hope of improvement, plus family, friends, and faith in better days ahead. Even what Americans call “poverty” materially dwarfs 70% of the rest of the world. We need to show less attitude, more gratitude.
  6. All this stuff is God’s anyway. We’re just renting it. (Some of us a little behind on the payments perhaps.) Regardless of your faith or belief, there’s a pretty decent chance you believe someone other than man made the earth, its resources, its glory. Further, I’ll imagine you’ve yet to figure out a way to take it with you when you’re gone. Want what you have.

If THIS is what the economic turmoil brings us, bring it on. It’s here anyway; neither you nor I caused it; we can only control how we respond.

A choice, as I see it.

By this time, my teenage son had passed out, bored into a slobbering heap. I hope some of it got through, and those are my hopes for you too. Now go share some good news. There’s plenty enough to go around.

Thoughts and considerations –
  1. Do you have ONE PERSON you’d like to thank? I bet more than one. Why not ‘pay out’ with some thanks to somebody who could use it? Pretty darn easy, too. Click here to get started.
  2. Do you have a whole BUNCH of people you’d like to thank at one time? Like, um, maybe YOUR CUSTOMERS? Take a look at Holiday Cards ANYWHERE YOU WANT. Ours are here.…
  3. Would you like to triple your market penetration for pennies? Let us send you the Radius Marketing report, click here.

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