After several months of financial bad and worldly political change, weeks of questions so heavy it would only be natural to hang our heads yet eighty percent of this nation has started looking up, three nearly to nothing Carolina snow storms and a Memorial Day Weekend trapped inside a soggy chapter of rain, unlike the Coca Cola 600, we can’t suddenly stop, the first official seven days of summer are gassed up, the tires have been changed and it’s time to get back on the fast track of fun again.
Thirty nine days shy of our next pit stop (July 4th), getting the mind in motion is extremely important or we’ll continue to be blogged down with too much commotion. Easily levitated toward drama, the idea of making 2009 the best summer to date sits twelve spots behind winning the $222 million Power Ball Lottery. It doesn’t matter how many times you melt when staring into the eyes of your children there’s a constant anchor connected to your dreams dragging you to the bottom of the success ladder.
What gives? How can we get ahead in a world where the entire human race is fighting for the same right? As long as you aren’t illegally testing nuclear weapons while shooting rockets over Japan…moving forward two spaces seems like an easy task…right?
Anne Marie Sabbath who authored One Minute Manners has a way of identifying the poof before the match is lit. The best way out of a situation is make sure you don’t get in one. Through good judgment you’re given insight.
Two examples: Martial artists constantly take a beating from an unknowing public, “Five months from your 3rd degree black belt test, you must really love to fight.” This isn’t The Karate Kid…from the very beginning over 2000 years ago, the brotherhood of all martial artists has been to never put yourself in a situation that may lead to a person using what they were trained. My first Sensei drove that stake through us by gently saying, “Why would I want to fight…I don’t like the feeling of another persons sweat or blood on me…so I’ve been humbled to believe there’s always a way around something that doesn’t feel right.”
A backyard BBQ at your bosses or friends house, once the music and food concludes, the intoxicated who brags of seeing and reacting much better when lit volunteers to give you a lift. Boss or not…Anne Marie says, “Find another way home.” You aren’t damaging a working relationship by shipping your tail out through priority mail. You’ll gain more respect by calling a cab. If your friendship isn’t on the best of best side of things and you attended the party because it seemed politically correct…Anne Marie polishes off the thought with, “Sir…I knew we’d have a great time tonight so I took the initiative two days ago to have the cab service meet me here at such and such time.”
Wow! Talk about incredible leadership!
Can these same methods of steering clear work in other areas such as hooking up with the right job? What happens when you’ve never met the GM or Office Manager, can one be too informal? Seriously, these are tremendously different times…while running for public office I reached to shake a politicians hand and he quickly shot back the bro-hug. I was shocked! Not that I didn’t think he was cool enough to pull off a proper slamming of the shoulder but it put me in a situation of how incredibly close are we? Did the bro-hug gift me permission to let down my professional guard and speak the street?
Anne Marie says, “Never undress formal.” Cover letters and public meetings should always feature proper manners. Without a doubt, no matter how really cool you’ve heard them to be, address them as Mr. or Mrs. and if they’re government official’s doctors or clergy never steer clear of saying anything but Dr. or their proper title.
If there’s one thing that’ll keep me from becoming a third degree black belt it’ll be my lack of belief toward addressing me as anything other than my first name only. Through separate shapes of study it’s become my purpose to never stand taller than the youngest student. By asking them not to respect my level of study gives the lower belts permission to steer clear of addressing others who demand to be recognized for their well earned efforts.
This method of thinking is very common in the workplace…in presenting a more relaxed atmosphere we have we developed a society that accepts second and third rate rather than quality first?
What about Jr.? If Dale Earnhardt Jr. walked into my radio station studio right now…knowing the world of racing lost his legendary farther a few pages back, do I fully have the professional right to say, “Zup Jr.?”
Stand back…Anne Marie says, “Drop the Jr.” Jr. means your father is still living. Gulp!
Sure it’s minuet but little things add up. Around every corner is a new situation…learning how to best handle it is by not getting in front of it. The man credited for making Karate a household name in Japan is walking with nine of his students late one night…through the beams presented by the faded moon, he sensed trouble as they neared a graveled road…fifteen maybe twenty students from another place of study were impatiently waiting.
The teacher calmly said to those seemingly trapped, “Do nothing, say nothing, reacting to nothing…only I will lead.” As they were trained, the students without question became focused as they walked single file. Once out of the trees and onto the graveled road, the teacher recognized the noisy passerby’s from the other school who demanded a fight.
“Not tonight gentleman…”The teachers reply was delivered, “Our stomachs are full, we are very sleepy…wouldn’t it be a much better victory for you knowing we gave you our all rather than only ten percent? I know of your master and truly believe he is incredible at what he does with your continued lessons. He wouldn’t seem too proud of you tonight if you return to see what we had for dinner has been vomited on your nice clean clothing. Ask him for a different day and I promise you that we as one will learn of newer methods that make each of our arts as great as they are…and not a representation of another person’s weak state.” The noisy students were silenced and allowed the full and extremely tired forest walkers through without energy being wasted.
Verbal Tae Kwon Do…steal his art.
arroecollins@clearchannel.com
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