I Live Where You Vacation. These are the five printed words printed on a wooden sign in my back porch reminding me how fortunate I am to be living in South Florida… especially in the months of January, February, and most of March.

What this factoid has to do with today’s message will soon become apparent.

What you don’t want to do is to look back on your life while uttering the empty phrase, “If only I….”

What you “should have” done, and what you “could have” accomplished while arriving on today’s page of the calendar is yesterday’s news. Whatever opportunity you clearly missed is long gone. Yesterday is a memory, tomorrow a distant dream. Today is your reality. What are you planning to do today to make a difference? Make your answer count, so tomorrow when you look back at today, you can be proud of what you accomplished.

I have been known to suggest that when somebody crosses your mind for no apparent reason, it would be in your (and their) best interest to contact them… sooner rather than later.

The mysticism in this advice escapes me, but I hold firm in my belief the effectiveness behind this practice. This past week, I was the recipient of such a contact when an agent from the west coast sent me an email with an article of supposed interest attached. In this case, the agent thought I might want to discuss the topic at one of my future workshops or podcasts. I opened. I read. I agreed. And here it is.

I tell a lie. Not everybody calls me Grumpish. Just those close enough to know that this affectionate nickname came from my nephew’s a three-year-old daughter. I asked Mila’s mother what her small fry just said when looking me square in the eye. “I think she just called you Grumpish.” And I remain “Grumpish” five years later and hopefully for many years to come.

One of my all-time Christmas gifts was a t-shirt with the word “Grumpish” scrolled across the chest. And here comes today’s message.

Although there may not be any “do-overs” or mulligans in business these days, there is certainly time and rationale for “pressing on.”

Allow me to explain.

I recently sent out a blast email promoting my new series of “More-On” books.  What better way to start promoting you, or your business, than by telling people you are alive and ready for action.

Twelve years ago, I wrote an article that caught the attention of more than a few readers. I thought it might serve another purpose today. Here goes:

The scene was Annapolis, Maryland, the home of the United States Naval Academy. Annapolis is one pretty town—especially on a bright, clear Saturday morning in late May. Weather-wise, my wife and I hit a home run as we sauntered in and out of the cute little shops along the main drag.

Just when you think you have all the letter shortcut meanings down pat, up pop a few new ones. You already know what TGIF infers. LOL in text refers to something that triggers your funny bone. ASAP is another way of implying that sooner is better than later. One of my recent favorites was CAVU. You aircraft pilots out there might recognize this as a sign of good news. (Ceiling and visibility unlimited.) Then there is the ever-popular FOMO* and, for you travel professionals, let’s not forget TWA and KLM. *FOMO = Fear of missing out.

According to me, February can be a funny month. Not “ha-ha” funny, but perhaps a better inference might be peculiar, or interesting, or often-times even mildly depressing.

Based on my 73 Februarys to date, I can say this will some degree of accuracy. I gently approach this infamous month from two angles.

Let me set the stage for today’s message. Imagine it is a warm sunny day in southern Florida and you are about to play your first round of golf while on vacation. You left the cold January winds from up north yesterday, and you have been looking forward to this day for months. Got it? Here we go.

It is prudent advice to learn to accept reality for what it is. And the reality is nothing short of the truth. And the truth is that we are all playing on an imperfect game board. Once you feel like you have figured out how to play the game of life, ZINGO—somebody changes the rules.

Those of you who have come to know me, realize that I am a bona fide bookstore junkie. On my way to somewhere recently, I was once again sucked into an airport
bookstore (they build them for people like me) and I exited the facility 20 bucks lighter.

I was soon the proud owner of The Daily Drucker, a 360 article composite of business-related thoughts penned by the famous Peter Drucker himself. | flipped to January 25, page 27 to the article titled Reinvent Yourself.

As I look down the barrel of another twelve months promising all sorts of ups and downs, highs and lows, ins and outs, unknowns, smiles, tears and opportunities to position myself one way or the other, I find myself smiling at the challenge.

Sure, you can create a grandiose plan on how you want the year to unfold, but to that end I say, “Good Luck.”

I recently heard myself say it again. “I can’t motivate anybody. You have to find something that motivates yourself.”

For nearly 45 years, I have been promoted as “Motivational Speaker.” The fact is, nothing could be further from the truth. What I am, and what I always was, was a speaker who got paid to share many of life’s experiences in an effort to “stimulate” others to action.

It became glaringly obvious to me over the years that most people are still not practicing the simple art of marketing with any consistency. Because there was (is) so much print on the subject, people were not introduced to the finer (simple) points of marketing in a fashion that was taken seriously. My focused observation confirms that people either do not know enough to be concerned about marketing, or they think they have already heard all there is to hear on the subject. This happens to be a popular error.

“Talk is cheap.” No truer words have ever been spoken.

Most people have a tendency to tell people what they think they want to hear, regardless of what they are planning to do later.

If you want to distance yourself from the rank-and-file, this is one of the easiest ways to do it. Do what you say you are going to do. If you are not going to do it, don’t say it. If you say it, do it.

If you have been paying attention these past couple of years, you already know that not everybody you meet is a trusting, honest, and well-meaning soul. In fact, there are a number of people who feel it is their role in life to take advantage of others. They are good at fooling you. They actually enjoy being deceitful, and their only concern is “what’s in it for me?” Be cautious of who you trust. Don’t let your guard down too quickly.

I know you are good. I know you are smart. I know you have accomplished a lot. But I also know you can get better. I know you have a lot more to learn. I know you must get better.

Being receptive to constructive “coaching” is a sign of an intelligent person, regardless of age and/or experience. It is important to understand the difference between “criticism” and “coaching.” They are not the same. Criticism has no apparent benefit. It is a verbal attempt at headlining one’s shortcomings, usually for the enjoyment of the person doing the criticizing.

I like it here. Now. Today.

Although I haven’t seen it (yet), I am sure heaven is everything it is cracked up to be. In fact, I hope to find out firsthand someday. Just not now or hopefully not in the near future.

What I am suggesting, and I say this with all sincerity and respect, is that perhaps you are now in a place worth being in. It is only human to seek more at the expense of taking what we already have for granted. Maybe, just maybe, your current existence isn’t quite as bad as it sometimes seems. What I do know is what I get to see, experience, and enjoy on a daily basis. And from my viewpoint, after “bopping” around my section of the world for a number of years, this place called America still isn’t too shabby.

There is not a day gone by that I do not stop to think how lucky I am to have “stumbled” into a career that has allowed me to stay at five-star hotels, get paid to visit over 19 countries, meet many hundreds of nice people, take numerous cruises on both sea and river, and do it all by verbally sharing my experiences along the way.

Of course, there were more than a few downsides along the way. I remember one night in particular, sitting in my hotel room in Kansas City thinking to myself, “It is 7pm on a Tuesday and I am about to take the elevator down to the ballroom to talk to a room full of strangers. I’d rather be home with my wife. What am I doing here?”

I wasn’t sure if I wanted to broach this topic, because my thoughts are bound to rub more than a few of you the wrong way. After all, we are living in the year 2022 and stress has become a staple for most people who have blown out more than twelve candles.

This is a topic, however, I feel is worth addressing. We all agree that stress does not flatter us, nor is it something we should be particularly proud of. Stress is the result of outside forces building to a point where we slowly start losing control of our mental and bodily functions.

What is the definition of a good business decision? What is the definition of a bad business decision? I recently found myself thinking about these two questions and decided to put my thoughts down on paper.

A business decision often surfaces as a result of actions taken that stem from input—input from an outside source. In other words, something beyond your immediate control enters the picture, and you are faced with several viable options. Selecting the appropriate response often defines a stressful decision. What to do? Should you do anything at all? What if you make a judgment error? Time is running out. Pull the trigger. Make a decision.