This came to me on the net several years on the net. I don't know who the author is, but think it is a very important sentiment.

A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life. Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups - porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to the coffee. When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: "If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups... And then you began eyeing each other's cups. Now consider this: Life is the coffee; the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, and the type of cup we have does not define, nor change the quality of Life we live. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee God has provided us."God brews the coffee, not the cups.......... Enjoy your coffee!

"The happiest people don't have the best of everything.
They just make the best of everything."

Is outsourcing a dirty word!

Today it is called outsourcing and considered a dirty word, but really, it is brokering. Sending specific tasks to professionals outside your organization has several advantages if done properly. This practice shouldn’t impact your current staff; in fact it should strengthen your team.
When I was a printer I often outsourced projects. What it did was buy me the use of equipment that I couldn’t justify owning myself. and trained staff to go with it. Jobs that were beyond our capability were sent to vendors who could do them properly and I didn’t have to be burdened with owning equipment that we rarely used. This also gave us extra staff so we could be more efficient. We didn’t have to be all things to all people, we could do what we did best in house and send the rest to other talented professionals. Our goal was to give our customers the best possible product and they didn’t care how we did it. Brokering made us more profitable, more efficient, and able to deliver a great product.
Brokering differs from outsourcing in that it doesn’t shift your whole production elsewhere, negatively impacting your team members. It allows you to free up manpower so you can get more done in less time, control costs more effectively, enhance accountability and create a positive working environment for everyone. We had a lot of fun, while doing a great job for our customers.

What Would Miss Manners Say?

“ In English pubs, ale is ordered by pints and quarts... So in old England, when customers got unruly, the bartender would yell at them 'Mind your pints and quarts, and settle down. It's where we get the phrase 'mind your P's and Q's”

Did you thank the person who held that door for you today? She/he didn’t have to do that, but they have good manners. Do your good manners show in response. Minding your P’s & Q’s is important to getting along in our fast paced society.
I watched cars this morning jamming themselves into traffic. Their drivers must assume that their journey is more important than the other guy’s. Somehow this is justification for them to create a hazard and put lots of people in jeopardy. I’m sorry to tell them this, but it is just plain RUDE to act like that. Your mission is no more important than the other guy so back off and be calm. I’ve long contended that driver’s licenses should not be issued to “A” personalities.
How long did it take you to send a thank you for a gift, grand gesture, or pleasant encounter? The internet has made us lazy and caused us to get away from hand written notes of appreciation. Other methods will do the job, but nothing is nicer, and more caring than a snail mail card (do you remember those?) Our mothers forced us to reply within 48 hours, but that was another generation. There is no good reason for not returning to those practices-they are very civilized.
We say we live in a supposedly civilized society, but I see too much pushing, shoving, ignoring, disrespecting, and plain rudeness to consider our society truly civilized. It is incumbent on each of use to do our share to bring back life’s little niceties. Sure they take a little more time, but the pleasure the give, and return are worth the effort. Try a smile and a thank you on a stranger and see what I mean.

Over Networked?

I hate (maybe that’s too strong a word) the first Wednesday of every month. That is the day I am in meetings all day. First at 7am for a lead club, then at 11:30 for a networking group, mid afternoon for an office meeting and 6pm for the Cultural Heritage Board. This whirlwind of activity leaves me exhausted. And am I really sure that these meetings are productive. I am making lots of connections, staying on top of what’s happening in the community and serving the public good, but what am I doing for ME?
Do you have hectic meeting days like this? How do you manage your schedule? Have you done an assessment of the value of all your meetings?
Several years ago my calendar became a red flag, I realized that I wasn’t getting my work done and didn’t know why. I searched my calendar for ways to improve my efficiency and discovered that I was spending an inordinate time in meetings. I quit or cancelled almost everything. My Wednesday morning lead club is important so I keep that one, but all the others had to go. What an amazing feeling when I lifted all that weight off my shoulders.
The same survey should be done of all your online networking. Are you spending too much valuable time on Facbook, Twitter, Linkedin and other sites at the expense of efficiency? Are you using these sites to avoid your real priorities? A serious evaluation of your time management may be in order to get you back on the top of your game. What do you think??

Have You Hugged Your Consultant Today?

You can expect to see a lot of new start-up businesses. Many people who have been laid off are starting their own ventures. Some will be successful, but many won't because just because they have a good idea, doesn't mean they have the business acumen for success or aren't willing to uses coaches who are available to help them. I find in my local market that people understand that they need help, but they aren't willing to pay for consulting or coaches.
Most people have no problem hiring doctors, lawyers, or accountants, but they don't want to pay for consultants. Somehow their mindset is if they can't hold the product in their hand it has no value. This couldn't be farther from the truth. Hiring a consultant is like renting a second, more experienced brain for the duration of your project.
The smartest people in the world don't have all the answers, they just know where to get the information. Your Consultant knows where to get the answers you need in their field of expertise. The money you invest with a qualified Consultant is and investment in your success.
That is why I'm expanding my base to the internet. I'm here to help small business' create a strong base for success. My new site just launched this week (http://www.othercreations.com/). Check it out! There is no charge for your initial consultation, why not ask and expert.

The Wonder of TurboTax

Several years ago I discovered (I didn’t really discover it—it was already there) TurboTax. At first I was very skeptical, how could a single disc replace my highly skilled $350.00 CPA? A very anal friend who had tested it and compared it to his usual, very successful previous system had recommended the program. In the end his system was one cent off and the TurboTax was correct. That was enough of a recommendation for me to give it a try.
So on Sunday I slipped the disc into my MAC and pushed the download button. It only took a few minutes to load and start up.
The key to success is to have used Quicken or Quickbooks to keep your records. TurboTax pulls all your information in so you don’t have to make piles of receipts all over the floor. Most of the sorting is already done by Quicken. Then it asks you a few questions, allows you to add more information and you are done. As you work it shows you just what your liability is and reminds you of deductions you might have missed.
TurboTax also saves your information from one year to the next so future tax prep is very easy and you can spot potential red flags that could trigger an audit. It also has lots of links to education and tips to help you make better financial decisions.
Using this system has saved me hundreds (or maybe thousands) of dollars and an incalculable amount of stress. Give it a shot—the return on investment is worth the time.