Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Employee versus employee....who wins in the war against sickness?

Nearly every nightly newscast for the past six months has been fed the N1H1 virus—there’s so much talk about getting sick our personal inner computers are jacked to the brim leaving nothing to spare in memory banks begging to do something different. A simple walk outside the house has become the latest shape of home delivered terrorism.



“Don’t fear,” Government and medical official exclaim while taking the time to hang up new signs at local hospitals that read: Absolutely no children can visit.



I’m no doctor, scientist or chief discoverer of this most recent scare, to ignore it sorta makes the average Joe look like he or she doesn’t care. Look! Willie the Weezer in cubical number three is back at work with every sign of still being sick...


Who wants what he’s got? Can coworkers march up to Willie’s desk and shout, “Go home? Go Home!”



“Not so,” says business office mind your manners guru Anne Marie Sabath. “Unless you’re the company nurse, the person’s mother or manager you can’t suggest anything to the person not even a mumble about taking more vitamin C.”



Research shows people who come to work while they're sick mentally and physically want to be there less than you want them there. Current conditions of the working business world have forced employees to reach deeper into their soul and pick up whatever steam is available so bosses and leaders who never see them don’t suddenly walk around the corner wondering where Willie the Weezer is.


Every walk of life suffers from being overworked and torn to so many shreds the idea of hauling Captain Kirk to work to beam you back to a solid self is feasibly impossible. The more you pour into the career the weaker our bees become during a time when being tight has nothing to do with situps at the gym.



If being struck down by a bolt of invisible lightning is your worst nightmare Anne Marie invites you to take the dare, pick your wad of papers and pencils up and move to a different location, even out of the building. Leave plenty of notes expressing your whereabouts and be ready to run to them at the drop of a hat because bosses tend to only see those they accuse of doing absolutely nothing.



Speaking of space and lack of it…most leaders failed to notice the most important lesson taught during their journey up company ladders—success doesn’t mean you get the biggest and best office. Native American Chief’s earned their rightful place of respect from their people and other nations not by being the almighty warrior but the best giver—the true term Indian Giver isn’t what the white eye has made it out to be…where you give something away then ask for it back. Beeeep! Wrong! Chief’s were known for their brilliant compassion for all people giving over 99.9% of their everything away to anyone who required it more than they.



Sadly bosses don’t see eye to eye with this way of living so employees are stuffed in corners like boxes in the garage and or 12 by12 inch crawl space under the house—how can Carla the caller and Sal the top sales dog think about getting along when there’s barely enough room to make a call to Paul the client? It’s not Carla’s fault that Sal has incredible hearing and quick writing skills. The moment he catches a lead before Carla can leave, Sal's already landed the deal earning him Employee of the Year for a twelfth time.



Anne Marie shouts, “Get up and leave!”



The best way to create space without having ten thousand ears tuning in is locating the confidence to conduct your business in better places of privacy. Learn to turn your back on those you work with. It may come across as being cold to Buddy number two on the right but Buddy one is your household life and its suffering because number two wants to nab your client.



The proper distance of not being heard without coming across as a jerk is four feet from the nearest set of ears. Ha! There’s goes your idea of quickly running off to the bathroom when the cell phone rings, barely three feet is all in a stall. Besides, doing business in the can leaves you wide open to catch someone’s cough and then we’ll be forced to start this story all over again.



Wait! Willie the Weezer beat you to it. Grrrrrrrrrr breathe...



arroecollins@clearchannel.com

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Nothing more than a writing and reading machine...

Getting caught up in your own spit is an off Broadway performance that creates pictures in other people’s minds that might not have been painted if the artist hadn’t originally set the toys outside their box to be enjoyed. Basically meaning, all things written about daily don’t always include me.


Yesterday is a great example—the subject was dizziness.


I am not dizzy nor am I presently going through dizzy spells. Although I did write about dizziness caused by cars that drive far and Tae Kwon Do spins that resemble a funky chicken…98.3% of the topics selected to put focus on, within, around, under and through like Cupid’s arrow on Valentines Day rarely if ever have anything to do with the presentation of my current role.


Until my mid-30’s the idea of reading books blatantly resembled the worlds largest word dump by way of wasted precious trees and human time—how could someone dedicate what little time we have to live to something that takes so long to poke through? Then one day, thanks to Lynn Payne at Barnes and Nobel the world according to Arroe was introduced to something he could relate with—Native American history and spiritual studies.


Reading doesn’t have to be about murder mysteries, Hollywood fast cars, romance and Tom Clancy. Huck Finn and Hamlet bored me in high school why should the adult child suffer with it? And yet I called myself a writer! If you don’t constantly read what the world is watching how can you be inspired to pen out an idea worth holding?


Because of Lynn’s efforts to showcase her display of American nations and dreams to press forward it became my mental playground to lift from the pages of once whispered tales the stories about survivors of the western plains committed and or addicted to an act of making sure their families made it to the twentieth century. Their roots fed a newly located desire to pull off what I call The Short Circuit, “Input…more input. Need more input.”


The 1985 film was about a lab experiment visiting the relics of a constantly changing U.S.A. and all things the robot came across fed his memory banks with unstoppable amounts of information making him wiser to the purpose behind his journey.

Finally locating printed collections of a writers vision that interest the wandering ambitions of a completely way too deep traveler quickly changed the winds kissing my sails that which take me closer to a horizon worth painting.


Wait…wait…the opening sentence is based on dizziness to which you must feel going through the design of my reading plan. Through the powers of assumption and not Isis or the Burger King King…such spinning stories may not be about me but through everyday reading it’s written about you and how we’re going to pick your tail up and get your muddy buddy feet through this grubby bottom day.


Thank God I don’t live at Biltmore Estate because you’d be bored with the books lining the shelves in the library. My mentor in life Dr. Ronald Mack from Wake Forest University never, never, never stopped reading as well as writing; every page carried value which made each book priceless. Jokingly we laughed out loud several times on the number of editions we had stuffed in corners ready to be read at anytime of the day.


At the present, the radio station studio to which I perform in daily is blessed with not one but eight books worth studying. Not reading...I study paragraphs and sentences like an addict looking for their next rush. Combine that with the six at home with the latest edition of Rollingstone Magazine and the answer to the question would be…fourteen. That’s how many novels based on real adventures I’m currently reading.


Dizziness just happened to be the subject most recently read to which I wasted no time putting it in your head. It’s not that I was dizzy, had become or planned on being…the end result of yesterdays writing was to do nothing more than begin a conversation about something you might keep incredibly secret. If winning is a choice then change cannot begin to win if kept within.


Blogging, poetically dancing and or anything else you might do on the covers belonging to Face Book, Twitter and all things considered copies aren’t my daily journals…these stories and or imprints of a personality rarely if ever have anything truly to do with me. I am nothing more than a reporter completely being free without having to deal with editors trying to sell newspapers and magazines. Even my own published book One Man’s 1,021 Thoughts was edited and edited and edited to the point of no longer being about the pen connected to the heart that fell in love with the touch of a once living tree.



In bold printed words on the first page it says, “This is not an autobiography.” And I still get emails from as far away as India from readers who want to know who, what, where, when and why?


Are you dizzy yet?


Steal my art…breathing begins with writing and reading. When you write, it doesn't have to be about you...make it about them...those who have landed on your page looking for something more than entertainment.


arroecollins@clearchannel.com

Nothing more than a writing and reading machine...

Getting caught up in your own spit is an off Broadway performance that creates pictures in other people’s minds that might not have been painted if the artist hadn’t originally set the toys outside their box to be enjoyed. Basically meaning, all things written about daily don’t always include me.


Yesterday is a great example—the subject was dizziness.


I am not dizzy nor am I presently going through dizzy spells. Although I did write about dizziness caused by cars that drive far and Tae Kwon Do spins that resemble a funky chicken…98.3% of the topics selected to put focus on, within, around, under and through like Cupid’s arrow on Valentines Day rarely if ever have anything to do with the presentation of my current role.


Until my mid-30’s the idea of reading books blatantly resembled the worlds largest word dump by way of wasted precious trees and human time—how could someone dedicate what little time we have to live to something that takes so long to poke through? Then one day, thanks to Lynn Payne at Barnes and Nobel the world according to Arroe was introduced to something he could relate with—Native American history and spiritual studies.


Reading doesn’t have to be about murder mysteries, Hollywood fast cars, romance and Tom Clancy. Huck Finn and Hamlet bored me in high school why should the adult child suffer with it? And yet I called myself a writer! If you don’t constantly read what the world is watching how can you be inspired to pen out an idea worth holding?


Because of Lynn’s efforts to showcase her display of American nations and dreams to press forward it became my mental playground to lift from the pages of once whispered tales the stories about survivors of the western plains committed and or addicted to an act of making sure their families made it to the twentieth century. Their roots fed a newly located desire to pull off what I call The Short Circuit, “Input…more input. Need more input.”


The 1985 film was about a lab experiment visiting the relics of a constantly changing U.S.A. and all things the robot came across fed his memory banks with unstoppable amounts of information making him wiser to the purpose behind his journey.

Finally locating printed collections of a writers vision that interest the wandering ambitions of a completely way too deep traveler quickly changed the winds kissing my sails that which take me closer to a horizon worth painting.


Wait…wait…the opening sentence is based on dizziness to which you must feel going through the design of my reading plan. Through the powers of assumption and not Isis or the Burger King King…such spinning stories may not be about me but through everyday reading it’s written about you and how we’re going to pick your tail up and get your muddy buddy feet through this grubby bottom day.


Thank God I don’t live at Biltmore Estate because you’d be bored with the books lining the shelves in the library. My mentor in life Dr. Ronald Mack from Wake Forest University never, never, never stopped reading as well as writing; every page carried value which made each book priceless. Jokingly we laughed out loud several times on the number of editions we had stuffed in corners ready to be read at anytime of the day.


At the present, the radio station studio to which I perform in daily is blessed with not one but eight books worth studying. Not reading...I study paragraphs and sentences like addict looking for their next rush. Combine that with the six at home with the latest edition of Rollingstone Magazine and the answer to the question would be…fourteen. That’s how many novels based on real adventures I’m currently reading.


Dizziness just happened to be the subject most recently read to which I wasted no time putting it in your head. It’s not that I was dizzy, had become or planned on being…the end result of yesterdays writing was to do nothing more than begin a conversation about something you might keep incredibly secret. If winning is a choice then change cannot begin to win if kept within.


Blogging, poetically dancing and or anything else you might do on the covers belonging to Face Book, Twitter and all things considered copies aren’t my daily journals…these stories and or imprints of a personality rarely if ever have anything truly to do with me. I am nothing more than a reporter completely being free without having to deal with editors trying to sell newspapers and magazines. Even my own published book One Man’s 1,021 Thoughts was edited and edited and edited to the point of no longer being about the pen connected to the heart that fell in love with the touch of a once living tree.



In bold printed words on the first page it says, “This is not an autobiography.” And I still get emails from as far away as India from readers who want to know who, what, where, when and why?


Are you dizzy yet?


Steal my art…breathing begins with writing and reading. When you write, it doesn't have to be about you...make it about them...those who have landed on your page looking for something more than entertainment.


arroecollins@clearchannel.com

Monday, September 28, 2009

The buzz that won't buzz off...

When talking about the world spinning, how many times in middle school science did the class clown interrupt the teacher with, “If gravity is based on the giant blue marble spiraling…why don’t more people get dizzy?”



According to Dr. Brian Blakley, the professor and chairman of the department of otolaryngology at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, dizziness is what we do nearly everyday. A mild case of the dizzies is nothing to worry about—



I get dizzy at the sound of friends saying, “Let’s go out for dinner, Arroe you’re in the back.” Even worse is thrusting the body into spin falls in Tae Kwon Do which is nothing more than pretending like you’re standing on a diving board and you flip your entire being over and land crushingly hard on your left or ride side. Getting up too fast sends the eyeballs into cartoon mode. Anything will make me dizzy and until July 21st I learned to never pay attention to it. Guess what? I was wrong!



Blakley authored the book Feeling Dizzy: Understanding and Treating Dizziness, Vertigo and Other Balance Disorders. From page one until the end, Blakley blatantly blabs out, “If your dizziness is associated with double vision, incontinence, arm and leg weakness a severe headache and or difficulty with speaking and swallowing, a Presidential Health Care Plan shouldn’t be waited for…get medical attention ASAP.



Feeling faint is a type of dizziness called postural hypotension; it’s a brief period of reduced blood pressure that occurs when you make a quick move up, down, to the side or around the other side. Blakley points out that several medications can cause faintness. Oh look…little Arroe is raising his hand while mumbling, “Me! Me!” He can’t take Tylenol without buzzing like an alarm clock and yet…coffee and power drinks do nothing to boost the energy.



One reason why the dizzy radio jock can’t seem to walk and chew gum without busting out in a case of whoa someone stop the world has nothing to do with the amount of keggers I participated with during the younger years when hoisting the arm over your head to hold onto the bed slowed things down a bit…with as loud as I play my studio earphones I’ve manmade my way into an inner ear disorder…my Chinese Crested Sami can hit a high pitch while barking and send me straight to the floor in a world of unstoppable spins.



Why the wife hasn’t sold me on Ebay or at a neighborhood garage sale is beyond me, “I know you want two bucks for that Barbie horse will you take this guy off my hands for pay? Let’s barter!”



Dr. Blakley tells the tale of the infamous inner ear and brain disorder by using fancy rich people names like paroxysmal positional vertigo—sleeping on the sofa or bed in a bad position such as lying on your hip than quickly flopping to your back or while driving the car when you suddenly shift your body because your right butt cheek went to sleep. Getting whapped on the head at any stage in life can lead to BPPV.



Ataxia is a loss of coordination that usually takes place when brain cells reach for the horizon and stay there. People with vitamin deficiencies and or spend their weekends drinking heavily are affected by Ataxia. It’s irreversible.



How many people do you know that’ve leaped onto what seems to be the hot new waxing fad…dump the junk in the ear trunk and wait, wait, pop! All that yuck in the ear canal has been flushed. Ear infections aren’t just for kids. Fluid in the ear is serious business and will cause dizziness.



But Dr. Blakley…what if I hear roars or ringing in my right ear? It’s making me dizzy to think about it! Menieres disease is also caused by fluid building up hitting most adults between thirty and fifty recurring over and over during bouts that usually last an hour or more. Some cases are mild while others land you in front of daytime television not worth DVRing. Basically meaning you've benched yourself from a day at the office.



I can’t be the only one who takes dizziness and sets it aside like a bowling trophy. Why has it become an item of less importance? Because pinpointing the cause of dizziness is like playing sink or swim—according to Dr. Blakley very few in his profession take your spins seriously and or have extremely little experience in locating the makings of the two little something’s that get your body going in a circular motion. It would be easier to locate a needle in a haystack than to find reason behind your bouts of oh my God here I go again.



Don’t take dizziness lightly! Bottle job blondes might actually be dizzy.



The American Academy of Otolaryngology can lead you to someone who’ll stop your world and listen. 703-836-4444 or www.entnet.org.



I’ve learned to deal with dizziness by always verbally asking to sit in the front seat of a friend’s car, when studying Tae Kwon Do I verbally mention to the instructor of the situation. If getting up in the morning is a free ticket to the State Fair Ferris Wheel I verbally make sure someone nearby understands that I’ve become dizzy and may require their assistance.



Outside of me constantly having a reason to talk, talk, talk…is there anything you can do to rehabilitate your senses and or locate a shred of peace? Blakley invites you to crank up the speed of your brains adaptation process by enhancing neural connections in the inner ear.



The horizontal head rotation is completely legal and won’t upset your boss if you do it at work. Sit down, face forward and turn your head to the right, then left very slowly later increasing the speed but only do it for 20 seconds. Then do it again starting on the left side.



The vertical head rotation involves the same movements but this time you’re going to move your right ear to your left knee and left ear to your right knee. It’s kind of like doing situps while sitting up. Three sessions per session, three sessions per day.



Once again, don’t take dizziness lightly. Let your family doctor know what you’re up to.



Getting back to living…steal my art.



arroecollins@clearchannel.com

Thursday, September 24, 2009

No! The check engine light is on again!

“Oh I can’t believe I ate the whole thing!”



How many times a week do you put the pressure on yourself for going way too far with food and deserts? Everything’s going good until that over the limit bite that forces your tummy into a mode of ka-biggie-boom.



The late Dr. Henry Janowitz, former head of gastroenterology at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine loved to talk about indigestion—from acid to belching, nausea, bloating and all other things connected to even larger situations.



The leading cause of gastrointestinal distress is heartburn—usually caused by caffeine and cigarettes, fatty foods, alcohol, ulcers, diabetes and viral infections. If left untreated, Dr. Henry writes in his book Good Food for Bad Stomachs that inflammation of the esophagus can become chronic marked by hoarseness, pain, difficult swallowing, nausea and frequent sleepless nights.



What’s the first thing we do? Slam over the counter pills into our system believing all things that look and smell like a duck must be a duck. No such luck!



The incredible pains I was having in my throat on July 21st was quickly diagnosed as acid reflux—it wasn’t the doctor who led the forces forward to seek other means of reason, I jokingly told the medical official present that I’d sleep better if an EKG could be performed. Indigestion is one of the first hardcore signs of someone having heart problems. Mine just happened to be in the throat. My neighbor Roger assumed he had too much Chinese food. The next morning the ambulance was picking his body up from home.



Indigestion is the body’s way of saying, “Um…controller of all things incredible, you who loves to look in the mirror to make sure the hair is perfect and your armpits don’t smell ripe…yeah, it’s me, the ticker…something isn’t right.”



Dr. Henry says there are four things we can do to help calm the indigestion caused by the way we eat, work and react to stress:



1. Eat three square meals a day—never skip breakfast or lunch. You can’t make it up at the end of the day.

2. Don’t lie down after you’ve had something to eat. Late night snacks are a weapon of mass destruction. If you’re like me and require sleep after eating, then prop up the pillows and keep that head above the acid intensified body waters.

3. Avoid the “C” word. Constipation. Abdominal pressure makes reflux dance. Toss in the fiber, drink plenty of liquids, shy away from tight belts and do your body a favor and exercise.

4. Avoid greasy or highly seasoned foods—anything with chili powder is going to stuff you up.



Dr. Henry is very serious when he warns, “If digestion becomes an everyday situation, don’t whip out the video games and get lost in a different thought…seek medical help.”



But what about people who do eat right, get enough sleep and exercise three to four times a week—you know, they live what is looked upon as being a healthy life and style? According to Henry, you could be the victim of what he calls the Brain-Gut Connection.



Your thinker is hooked up to the stomach which is linked to the esophagus and small bowel—through rapid transit not purchase by taxpayers, a system of nerves have created a pathway based on continuous communications. This is why work related stress or emotional love related events hoist the SOS signal into full play during your day.



Emotional disturbances change your brains chemical activity sending signals to your gastrointestinal tract. While some can handle ample amounts of stress your GI tract has come under full attack creating indigestion. Oh I know! Let’s take more over the counter pills! Gas be gone!



Incredible damage on that invisible self you barely know is currently being born. I’ve always wanted to interview my body parts. What would your stomach, connected to your brain say to you right now? If this body was a radio station it sure wouldn’t be a test of the Emergency Broadcast System—it would be an all out run and take cover.



If your car battery was spitting acid you’d haul its bumper to the mechanic…your entire being is no different. If I had popped another pill for acid on July 21st you wouldn’t be here today reading my next word……..booger.



Steal my art and get your engine fixed!



arroecollins@clearchannel.com

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Playing politically correct with poltical players in a political world is bad business...

Maybe it’s just me but being on the receiving end as well as hand delivered, “You’re the man! You rock! You’re the best!” is so 2000 and late…boom boom pow, let’s dump it.



Meeting of the minds yesterday with a top dog major company owner who’s moved through the ranks of business from the wash boy up, he says to me, “We’ve become too lenient on the elements that separate good and bad work, spending way too much time coaching the underdog while the best talent walks into a future with nothing in their hands but raw luck…after awhile they learn the squeaky wheel doesn’t get the most attention, the lazy people do. The state of this nation is unsheltered havoc because owners and department head managers are weighed down by the Corporate American acceptance of poor work ethics.”



Good morning America!



The dudes not far off track…author Dr. Gary Ranker who fathered the book Political Dilemmas at Work paints the landscape of a modern society addicted to emphasizing the upside while getting fuzzy with the opposite. He says business leaders are naturally cautious about telling employees the uncomfortable truth because the business culture often does little to encourage it to change.



The pressure of bad news is constantly visible—pushing it into the faces of the worker bees allows no one the opportunity to sink belief into the prospect of hope. I spent thirteen years with a broadcast company whose captain at the helm held evil quarterly meetings buttered up with unforgettable free BBQ and chips. The bad news of barely making enough money to vacuum the carpet was always delivered first; the old George Washington chopped down the cherry tree approach, ohhhh which was quickly erased with the announcement of more sweet tea and a chocolate chip cookie in the back of the room.



From this direction looking back, as bad as it hurt to hear of the recession years before it’s full impact, it gave the employees ample space to rewrite the chapters of their career books, to prepare for unexpected rough waters ahead.



The way we act and react to bad news is observed carefully and noted by those who make up our circle. How you accept the appearance of something not so tasteful determines how your future will be set. According to Dr. Ranker, “It’s perfectly natural to act angry, frustrated and emotional during the arrival of bad news…but instantly you’ll become less helpful to end result if you elect to react in a physical way and or manner.”



The privilege of being a senior exec means you wear Prada. A fair share of distance has been created between the wash boy and door connected to that hot looking wooden desk with a fancy rich person phone ringing like you live in Hollywood. What quickly disappears from most ambitions at this level of play in the game is an information network that’s physically tapped into the opinions of every team involved in bringing success to the company ladder.



If you think there’s stress at your place in the business spend the next five minutes playing a game I call, “If I was the boss.” Can you imagine what their world looks like not week by week but hourly and by the second? I’d rather pick a fight with my little sister than have to deal with hurricane winds that pick up their desk and give it a few thousand spins.



What we need people…is a little bit of non-you rock communication. The Appalachian and Smokey Mountains were once looked upon as being some of this nations tallest rocks—compared to the Rocky Mountains out west…they are mole hills…wanna know why? A rock is worn down by winds of forever change. Nobody needs you to rock during a time in history when its time to roll.



The official rules:



1. Employees and business leaders need updates on problems without being

delivered a warm fuzzy.

2. Ask questions about areas where you are confident—there are issues

everywhere.

3. Scolding and blaming pushes the truth underground.

4. Acknowledge the courage of your coworkers and employees. Reality is found in every project and dealing with it with truth and not fuzz makes you a bigger and better foundation of success.

5. Be tough on failure while being compassionate toward every employee.



Kanye West was correct when shouting, “Beyonce’s video is one of the best of all time.” The mistake was made in the place to which he played—what you’re not hearing are the stories connected to the truth as to how Taylor Swift is handling it…every radio station and television show interview must go through a censorship process, no one is to talk about it. Those denied the right to ask open questions are whispering, “The birth of a diva.”



Wait! There’s free BBQ and chips in the back of the room! Did I hear someone say fresh baked oven fresh Chocolate Chip cookies? Does anyone have fuzz to put over this truth? Send it now!



arroecollins@clearchannel.com

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Face the facts like a true champion in the making....

A student, high school age, just inches from being awarded a second degree level in his black belt studies approaches me after class last evening…our endeavors on separate paths, the only connection, a Master who’s learned to see several rather than single on a horizon worth painting.



“I’m lost sir,” he openly displayed his confident questioning; “I thought you were finished and being in Tae Kwon Do would bring more damage.”



This is my fault.



I’ve made it clear to the many to which I study with that playing battle stations hard isn’t part of the plan on the stages we currently stand. Getting shoved face first into a sweaty mat or taken down by an arm bar that would break an average person’s wrist could physically invite situations medical officials aren’t in the department of wanting to handle…so they’ve asked me to be nothing more than one step above an observer.



Like any sport, football, basketball, soccer, Guitar Hero and Rock Band, anytime a team is met by a force one quarter its determination, the end result is by far the feeding grounds of purpose, a reason to leave behind, a decision to walk faster and farther ahead, a fear of one day having to see yourself wearing the same shoes by way of not knowing how to handle the gifted minds consistently willing to improve.



Native American’s knew of the walk—the strong will always survive, which is why the elders would free themselves of family connections to wander the nearby hills and streams until the sunrise could no longer be seen. Reaching this point didn’t come without question, Guides and Keepers wade through waters of challenge daily believing each hour is a new mountain to hike, every second nothing more than a wall to which we can penetrate. By the time the elder made it his reason to cut free from the band of a single nation every territory of discovery had been exhausted including the dreams he vowed to never stop recreating. Rather than become focused on the avenues of accomplishment the steps taken were always toward newer shapes of ideas that would enhance the entire being of family instead of the single mindedness of a spirits having flown.



Mr. Pearlman had every right to question my being at the martial arts school, his personal journey to succeed at levels people his age walk away from daily without life’s challenges, it makes him in a leader in battle not yet thought of—therefore it became my decision to not step away but educate how winning is a choice. He need not hear of the wars I’ve set on fire in doctors offices ordering them to free my passion to be a martial artist. He didn’t require a lecture on what positive reactions I elected to share after hearing an emergency room doctor calmly say, “I don’t know the final outcome of tonight but sir you need to know…”



Mr. Pearlman’s path was responsible for holding an answer, “Why are you here when doctors have said no?”



I thought, “Addiction.” The word that came out was, “Passion.”



Author and spiritualist Eckhart Tolle describes addiction as a long standing compulsive behavior pattern that lives inside you as a quasi-entity or sub-personality. It’s an energy field that periodically takes you over completely, stealing your mind by way of becoming a voice in your head.



I believe there is no human on this planet that doesn’t suffer from an addiction. Mine happens to be the art of creative flow which involves the mind, body and spirit tearing up a martial arts floor and or a 18x22 blizzard white canvas. Then one day something much larger than me stepped into the circle which these eyes couldn’t see—I could’ve turned my back and run but elected instead to take it on.



Quitting is an addiction.



What’s the best way to stop quitting? Generate the courage to locate awareness. What do you see, feel, hear and taste in the moments before you decide that you aren’t going to pull off the original state of mind? Document the behavior…so that the next time you’re introduced to its presentation, you’ll be gifted with just enough energy to step off the path, suck in three incredibly large lungs of air and begin the steps toward better living.



Breathing plays such an important part of our decision making—sadly the everyday average Joe Smith and his sister Carla have no clue as to what your body is really demanding. Compulsive urges are based on _____________. Fill in the blank while studying how your heart as it begins to race which forces your lungs to bring in more air. Gaining control of the breath maker puts you on a path of recovery.



Eckhart Tolle invites you to put your addiction on a playing field of awareness practice. The more you become aware the addictive patterns begin to fade and eventually disappear.



I didn’t say I’ve got an addiction to martial arts, I have passion. Without it, my mind becomes flooded with awareness. Learning how to catch a thought before it becomes reality is an avenue worth studying. It’s never wrong to ask, “Who is talking here?” If it’s the voice that demands that you have chocolate ice cream at 11:00 before bed, speak to it by way of inviting its wishes to share the unforgettable flavor at 8 pm so that the rest of you can have a fighting chance to digest it before laying half a sleep in a bed you hate.



So how did martial arts turn a suddenly bad situation in the emergency room into something extremely positive?



Leaning forward on an elbow bent nearly 180 degrees, the young at heart chin rests in the palm of a hand given to me at birth while the depths of the places this mind loves to travel quickly stops to locate a presentation of simple, easily understood words to no longer keep...

Simple? Easily understood? That's never been me...



Steal my art…



arroecollins@clearchannel.com

Monday, September 21, 2009

You got sneeze in my Chinese food!

Fall time in Caroline! The Panther’s are playing, the leaves are changing and television’s starting to look good again. This early in the game nobody’s talking Christmas, the New Year or next season’s vacation. Just like March and April…late September and October are perfectly ripe for human time—sixty if not thirty five seconds to do nothing but run around and play play and play.


Oh, oh! Did you hear that? I swear it was the Theme to Jaws! There it is again! But I see no fin! Where is Jimmy Buffet when you need him? We need fins to the left and fins to the right! Wow! That Jaws song is getting louder! Is something lurking off our shores of reality?


There it is! It’s the common cold!


While newspapers and broadcast television news channels sink their ratings success into the threat of a vicious out of control earlier than normal flu season, the constant flow of humans on the go does more damage than waiting for your child to bring home a gentle bite from a bug they picked up from class.


Dr. David A.J. Tyrrell, the former director of the Common Cold Unit in England is like the hurricane crew in Florida hunting down the waves that cause destruction. It doesn’t matter how many zinc lozenges you stuff between your cheek and gum to spreading garlic all over your clothes…there’s no real way to forecast the arrival of the common cold.


Dr. Tyrrell does know it begins in the hottest boogie house on earth…and we aren’t talking KC and the Sunshine Band and Kool and the Gang…making the common cold extremely difficult to control are the hundreds of viruses that are extremely addicted to the warmth of your nose. According to the Tyrrell, man hasn’t been able to locate a single source of medicine that’s strong enough to battle everything moving toward us.


People who smoke are the major league players when it comes to carriers.


Tobacco dries out the mucus membranes lining the nose and mouth which impairs their ability to stand up and fight like a champion. Next in line to force you to spend valuable time at the Doc in the Box are moderate drinkers—a glass of red wine a day may keep the heart pumping but baby it’s nothing more than an open door policy for the common cold to walk right in without forking out hard to find bucks for rent.


The true common cold war doesn’t really begin when Johnny in cubical ten is hacking away like a rooster on speed…scientists and highly overpaid medical officials can’t make up their mind on where the junk in the nose trunk begins—is it when Wally at the grocery store honked his hooter in the midst of a great conversation with you or when Brenda assumed she was being clean and courteous when she gently blew into a tissue but forgot to wash her hands before shaking yours? Truth is…everything, everyday is the best time to play, “I think I’m coming down with something.”


Once attacked by the sniffle bug, the world keeps running—while doctors try to convince you to stay home, the general rule and reaction is, “No way! Too much work today!” So off to our little jobs we bounce with tiny droplets of diseases wiggling free from our pockets, thinking Vitamin C is protecting me. Blah blah blah. Medical studies have proven that to be nothing more than a childhood fantasy.


Dr. Tyrrell also warns, “Flu shots don’t guarantee peace from the common cold.”


The true meaning of flu shot love is to bask in an array of trust and companionship by way of staying totally away from certain types of influenza. It has nothing to do with Harry the nose pickers prompt way of flickin the sticky things away from society.


Come on Doc…don’t stop! Give us the beef on relief! Wait! There’s that Theme to Jaws again! What gives?


Stress! Job stress, family stress, the car not working properly stress to your socks not matching…the infection rate of common cold givers and takers shoots through the roof when exposed to someone whose personal life is a total mess. If you’re freaking, your body is leaking. It’s sending out a loud signal to all passerby common cold bugs, “Yo! You! Get over here and give me a cough! I’m more flavorful than hotdogs and chocolate ice cream combined with peanut butter and jelly in the morning.”


Crud! Now you’ve got it! You’re the next contestant on the Cold is Right! Your mission is to calm it down or give it to Old Bugger Bobby McIntosh whose been dying to take some time off.


How are we going to rid the system of this attack? Don’t attempt to pull off an Arroe—his doctors been around the world in less than eighty days 100% free at least twenty times or three hundred and three. I used to love playing the ten day game. No man or woman in white can see me until I’m still sneezing ten days deep. Can you say bronchitis nearly twenty five times with a shot of pneumonia and more? This time of year is Christmas to family doctors; they plan their entire budget on the world’s decision to stop washing its hands. Like them or not…always see the Doc!


Drinking liquids will keep mucus membranes happy as can be, tea and honey is a sweet love song for your throat, inhaling warm air will keep the nose hairs growing but what about all those incredibly expensive over the counter drugs people like turning into meth? Like them or not…always see the Doc!


Don’t pull an Arroe! Between the period of July 18 thru 21, 2009 I “self” prescribed what I assumed was the arrival of strep throat. Because I had battled bronchitis so many times, I assumed the body had nothing more than a mid-summer cold. I juiced up on every over the counter remedy known to man leading me straight to inhalers that I pumped and pumped more than the Black Eyed Peas create music. When something didn’t work, back to the drug store I went. The passion was to rid the body of what I assumed was something caused from shaking too many raw unclean hands.


Nothing seemed to work! Upon my arrival at the Urgent Care the doctor quickly took my temp, then rubbed cotton inside my throat, “Dude, you ain’t got what you said you’ve got…no drugs from me!”


“Holy cow! Something’s not right! My throat is on fire!”


I was having a heart attack. The body had to figure out a plan to get this act off its stage, I played a game I almost lost…God bless the Doc in the Box!


Moral of the story—you aren’t a doctor; you probably will never become a doctor. Running to a drug store doesn’t make you a professional nor are you Latoya Jackson whose been accused of being able to predict the future. If you can’t stop when your body is telling you to drop, you’ve got to see the Doc in the Box…or your family physician. Our company provides gallons and gallons of handy wipes and jelly to make your hands clean again…if that’s not your case then prevent yourself from becoming a carrier and clean up your act as often as you can.


You wouldn’t hurt my feelings one bit if suddenly you reached to clean up…but I’m still a kid inside, I’d ask to breathe in your palm one more time just to see if common cold bugs truly come with ten thousand eyes. Nice!


arroecollins@clearchannel.com

Friday, September 18, 2009

Weekend fun? Can we buy that in a can?

Its 8 am, the well shopped strip mall grocery store is almost silent, the invisible rotation of tiny overworked wheels spin a handful of unprotected customers down long drawn out shapes of accepted product placement, some colors more vibrant than others but nowhere near as irritating as the music being shoved through tiny ceiling speakers resembling that of a high school football game and not a place where you’re about to dump one hundred bucks or more.



Then it happens…without warning, not clue for Blue to sniff out, a sneeze from lane three followed by a lightly salt flavored moan—sickness on the block where you strut your morning stuff, forcing your eyes to stare at the clock…how long will it take to infect your system? How far will you fall? Will it start with a light headache, a sniffle, watery eyes or stomach ache? Why today? You’ve done all you can to keep it away!



I often wonder who’s shoving these diseases up our nose without a rubber hose. Could the world of medicine be so strong they’re capable of creating Medical Terrorism? Antibiotics versus Pro-biotics mixed imperfectly with over the counter mechanisms fine tuned by mathematicians and scientists claiming to have cured nothing because they’re in the business of helping you locate relief.



I once sat with a Native American Medicine man whose wisdom seems more real than the tiny print on the back of a box, “My Grandfather was chosen from a large group of young men to serve as a student of medicine. There were no colleges or off the beaten path alley driveways that painted the horizon for more peaceful ways to live—a child was selected because of his inner energy by one of the many Medicine Men of our constantly growing nation. No matter how much he might have dreamed of becoming a warrior in the hills that protect us from men of war and bad weather, it was his destiny to one day be trained to offer nothing more than peace to someone injured and or struck down by sickness. Medicine men know of the proper plants to help deliver a place of rest not to cure. We practice medicine just like those in hospitals and doctors offices. While they’ve settled on the idea of we can cure, that’s never been our form of communication…we generate the space required to let your body rest so that it can heal itself.”



But who’s got that kind of time? Doctor, Doctor give me the news…what should the average hardworking, completely dedicated, no where near being paid the right amount of money for their efforts person go without having to break the bank during a time when banks want to lend you money but you end up selling your soul to a generation you’ll never know? (Note: Kanye West was signed to interrupt my rant but backed out at the last minute.)



Guess who was the first to knock on my door? Harold H Bloomfield MD, a leading psychological educator and author of the book The Power of 5, “No more excuses! If you spend five minutes a day doing these twelve things you’ll boost your health and finally become happy.”



The freaks at the head shop aren’t too far off—inhale an energizing scent. Research shows lemon and peppermint scents will boost you higher than a Red Bull. Lemon and peppermint tea allow your senses to vibrate creating a fully stocked lake of energy. Other incredible scents include pine, jasmine, lavender and orange.



Sip on ice water—it keep your cells hydrated and helps you burn calories. When you drink or eat something cold it raises your metabolism to keep your body temp from falling. This is why I keep my radio station control room as close to fifty degrees as possible. I perform much better when it’s freezing. Every morning should be kicked off with a 16 ounce glass of ice water every two hours.



Practice one breath meditation—sit in a comfy chair, straighten your back while relaxing your shoulders and take in one slowly sucked in giant breath of air. One incredible relaxing trick is to place your fingertips on your ears, grit your teeth and take in a long extended breath of air, hold it for five seconds then release all the energy used in keeping those teeth tight. Repeat it three times and bosses will never penetrate your great mood.



Rid the home life of noise. I know you love the tube and can’t get enough of our radio station but you’ve got to give your mind body and soul some space. Allow the wind to become part of your plans.



Bask in bright light—rather than escaping to sneak a chocolate bar into your system, turn those hips to the sun and take a bath in it. In today’s working world very few of us get to physically see the natural born light maker…without it, you’re inviting all things negative to become part of your next decision made.



Abdominal exercises are brilliant for your core. In Tae Kwon Do our dan-jang is where we find our chi energy. By making sure it’s protected and strong, you’ll always have a place to run when you’ve come under sudden fire. You don’t need to get on the floor to do sit ups, while in your chair put your hands on your hips and slowly lean forward.



Cross train your mind—mental exercises give your senses something new to put focus on rather than saying, “Oh bother, I hate my job, dog won’t quit barking, blah blah blah.” Word puzzles are an excellent way to play. Or be a freak like Arroe and create games while you’re driving or sitting in the office riding the waves of the web. Challenge that thinker to become a little stinker.



Cooking veggies, herbs and spices ignite the night. Garlic and onion boost the immune system. Basil, cumin and turmeric prevent cancer of the bladder and prostate, black pepper, jalapenos and hot red peppers with mustard boost your metabolism while helping to burn fat. Cinnamon keeps your blood sugar levels steady.



While reading a magazine, newspaper or cool articles on the web always be aware of your posture. Leaning teaches your body to be lazy. Bring those words up to your face so you don’t get struck down with a headache.



Trigger therapy is a free way to release stress…locate the point of pain and lightly squeeze it with moderate pressure for ten seconds.



As stupid as it sounds keep those windows open. Human’s stink and carry with them disease. Keep those ceiling fans on and don’t be afraid to burn out the motor in fan located in the bathroom. The air must forever be locked in motion mode...keep it moving.



And finally from the Medicine Men and women from the Caribbean…take up lyming. The art of doing nothing—it gives your brain a break. Call it a daily mental vacation—use that imagination to do nothing more than be wherever you want anytime you want. Ohhhhh baby!


12 things to practice or now would be a grat time to get used to whipping out your insurance card...if you've got one, if not, Urgent Care still accepts checks and cash and are usually open til 8pm then it's the ER without George Clooney and or the staff of Scrubs.



Help stop the sickness! Steal their art!



arroecollins@clearchannel.com

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Procrastination begins with I can't right now...

David Letterman has a nightly Top Ten list, your mother tried to teach you to carry a shopping list, kids are given Back to School lists and the TV Guide Channel is nothing but a list of things you don’t want to watch.



Facebook builds for you a complete list of your friends and relatives, restaurants put passion into creating a list of their food but never in alphabetical order, multitasking is an invisible list while that honey-do list the man in your life promises to get to just sits there wiggling its tongue at you.



Whatever happened to a simple projects list?



It’s quick, dirty and reveals to that side of you that doesn’t like to participate with the importance of the things and ideas required in the line of accomplishment. A simple projects list includes the expectations of work, personal endeavors at home and or really fun things you do outside the walls of normal that keep your mind body and soul feeling like a kid. Whatever it takes to feed the colors in your eyes staring back in the mirror that simple line, “You complete me.”



Mentally or physically we all carry a list—only to realize every Sunday night at ten we without a doubt forgot to pull one off to enjoy it or flat out get it done.



Now you know the rest of my story. The biggest and best dream I own isn’t to fly to Seattle to climb Mount Rainier or zoom off to a writing seminar to locate words people understand…I can’t find the steam to pick up a bowling ball and finally join the pro tour in Vegas or jump into a pair of Wal-Mart purchased Carolina Panthers Underoos and replace Jakey D on the team. If I could do anything, it would be to jack the right side of my house up three thousand feet and dump everything inside into a giant trash can leaving me with nothing but a future to shape.



Seriously! How many items do you have stacked up on your simple projects list that refuse to act like feathers leaving you in giant bouts of pouts which do nothing but weigh you down? Too many projects lead to ineffectiveness.



Lou Babauta authored the book The Power of Less, in it he tells you how to pick three things on your simple projects list…it can be anything and it doesn’t have to be played out in any particular order. Everything else goes on a second list that he swiped from the leagues of baseball the On Deck List. They’re not the well rounded kid planted on the face of the wooden bench; you’ll get to them but not right now.



Rule number one: Don’t move any On Deck project from that list into the category of starting players. They can only become part of the World Series when you complete one or all three of the events requiring attention on the simple projects list.



I’ll give you a good example: From July 21st to last Tuesday the single most important thing I wanted to do was get back to Tae Kwon Do. For it to materialize a lifestyle of jogging, running, eating better and taking overpriced drugs was required—if I missed any day, I would pay the price. By remaining loyal to my simple projects list not only did I ace the nuclear stress test by exceeding the limits of most HA patients but I returned to the sport not even two months after the sudden without notice stop on a very busy and congested highway called life. The doctor had me convinced I’d barely last fifteen minutes in class…sometimes you have to look away and say you have no idea—the extra blood shooting through this system gave these lungs Steve Austin Six Million Dollar Man strength. But it couldn’t have happened without being honest and dedicated to a simple projects list.



Once a goal is met on the simple projects list you are to immediately select another from the On Deck list. Achieving goals are what humans are constructed to do—even if it’s to master the new Beatles Rock Band video game.



The number one reason why goals are quickly tripped, tossed to the hard ground and thrown out of commission is because of two bullies on the block nicknamed Wait and See.



We spend too much valuable time waiting to see if an attempt is worth investing more energy in rather than leaping on the giant bull and riding it for eight seconds. Your system is no different than a vender stacking goodies inside the candy machine—it looks its best when all those fresh pieces of chocolate are begging for your bucks. When it begins to look empty so are your feelings, then suddenly the vendor calls up and says, “Not coming to your place for another month.”



That’s how you feel on the inside each time you set aside a simple project.



Stop waiting for life to change! In time you’ll be begging for it to stop inviting newer things. Move your player piece ahead three steps on the Candyland board and make way for the happier you because goals are being met.



Once within the system of reaching approachable accomplishments always keep in mind, no goal should be larger than one months time. Take my new book for instance: The first step is to get the idea out of my system, no grammar check, spell check or opinions from family and friends; get it on the face of a computer first. Step two: once the beginning middle and end are put into play with all other things that make it great, set it aside for two weeks and become the reader not the writer. As the reader you’ll be able to identify areas or Arroe-isms that make you shake your head side to side like Scooby Doo trying to solve a mystery. One read through, then hand it off to the editor. You’re no longer part of the project, move on to the cover design and or ways you will market yourself.



You can’t be everything at one time. One month then poof…it’s something new or you look for ways to break up the project by way of making it a success story. If you spend too much time fixing and re-fixing you’ve given birth to a perfectionist who is never happy. They get tired and move on to something new without ever completing a dream.



Simple project lists work…put it into play while figuring out newer ways to steal my art.



arroecollins@clearchannel.com

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Calm down cowboy....

The Federal Reserve can announce all they want about how the Great Recession of 09 has finally walked off the stage but that’s not going to keep business leaders and key keepers from pushing people out the front door. It’s third quarter! For the journey toward the center of the earth to be a complete success for stockholders and other invisible investors, the bottom line must shine like a diamond out of the rough.



The common man and woman aren’t free from reason to fear.



So what happens if you’re casually walking down the company hallway and by chance you hear of inevitable changes coming to your workplace? Is it proper to inform coworkers or do the methods that which make up professionalism paint the plastic face on the body you present to the rest of the world?



I went to the expert Anne Marie Sabbath whose been bombarded with this unfriendly field of dried flowers and sugarcane since the planet went broke this time last year. The best way to handle a situation you happened to come across is to whip out a Zoro mask and keep walking straight and forward.



See no evil—hear no evil. Become the professional by practicing incredible work ethics...that means absolutely without a doubt there won’t be any talk or discussion about the game plan of the team that’s soon to come under heavy artillery.



According to Anne Marie, while you owe loyalty to your friends, the assumed secret conversation was not directed at you. For that reason, mum is the word or it’ll be you dumped on the overcrowded unemployment street.



Speaking of that extremely cold and horribly lonely place of discomfort—nobody is set free to live life without carrying with them an opinion and a voice to share it. Thanks to underpaid adventures blessed with multitasks larger than Mount Mitchell, the avenues of keeping it cool are being challenged hourly. What happens when the snap in the air isn’t a branch from a nearby forest? What’s the best way to react when the tempers been set on fire and the rest of your body parts have elected to act completely inappropriately?



Anne Marie isn’t shy to fist your knuckles while calling you friend—quickly extend your apology to anyone and everyone who might have fallen witness to such an offensive display. While this moment of darkness has introduced your light to a new level of did you hear…the way you handled the moments after they unwrap themselves from the cocoon will be best remembered. Regaining composure and acknowledging your performance of the day lets the situation swim in a pool of conditions now under control.



Kanye West is a brilliant example of oops something doesn’t feel right. Within seconds after the trip, stumble and fall, the Hip Hop artist apologized on Twitter which opened the door for him to be publicly reprimanded on the all new Jay Leno Show on NBC. You couldn’t help but feel his personal pain from the stunt when Leno calmly asked, “I knew you mother, how do you think she would’ve reacted to this?”



Say what you will about Mr. West while keeping in mind we’ve all been in his shoes along this path leading straight to the unpainted horizon. Seriously, lets be honest…how many times have you mumbled rotten words during someone’s acceptance speech without feeling an ounce of guilt after it slipped out of the dark side of your soul? This is why I DVR everything! Why waste a good mood on something you can fast forward through?



Sadly reality doesn’t come with that button or we’d all be running for President of the United States…only the perfect people make it office. Then once inside the oval curves of decision making you become every reason why the snake is round and crawls on the ground and the car won’t start, the food isn’t frozen when you pull it from the freezer and it’s got to be the Presidents fault that KISS isn’t in the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame. The closest fans have gotten is Prince who once recorded a song called Kiss. So we settle...



The moral of today’s story isn’t to paint your face with a masquerade mask of mystery—being false to the world is nothing more than a white lie. Be real while thinking twice about the product being delivered. If change lurks in the corners to which you call the workplace take it as a signal for you to showcase the game called, “If I ran this company.” Being at the top of the company ladder is risk waiting for its maker. How would you best protect the roots of a tree now leaning?



As for tempers and fits? There are way too many reasons why we suddenly shoot off like a Fourth of July holiday—when hit hard by the action and reaction of someone who doesn’t fit in the pieces offered on your puzzle…slowly breathe in enough air to fill your stomach, poof that belly out like a blow fish and then slowly release it. Repeat the procedure several times if required.



Never forget the golden rule of martial arts…a black belt isn’t out to dent your tail…we walk in peace. Breaking boards and bricks is Hollywood.



Steal my art…



arroecollins@clearchannel.com

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Creating time to think is laziness...

I don’t know about your parents but those playing the part of my mother and father were extremely strict in the way of utilizing each and every effort or having such a gift and or talent would be lost forever. They constantly drilled their warnings into us, “If you don’t use it, you’re going to lose it?”



How true can this be?



It’s the new millennium! We live in the land of opportunity where it’s completely impossible to put focus on a single object longer than 3.2 seconds. To frighten kids and coworkers into believing they’re about to lose the single most important object that makes them unique and great is totally outrageous.



And then I bumped into Chapel Hill’s Dr. Martin Groder who coauthored the book Business Games; How to Recognize the Players and Deal with Them, “The longer you neglect your talents and special skills the harder it is to restore them and its less likely you’ll be able to bring them back to a level of accepted excellence.”



No wonder Kanye West interrupted Taylor Swift at the Video Music Awards! Since announcing to the world that he’s replacing Michael Jackson as the New King of Pop the ego alone can’t drive the message home—every move the singer/songwriter is making seems to be an attempt to do nothing more than keep his name in the headlines. If you aren’t pop lock and dropping the tunes into Ipods and cd players it’s time to pull of a classic Lindsey Lohan and nab whatever you can.
Madonna is the master of re-invention...having no fear of whatever headlines are written. Just spell her name correctly.




If you're creative…you must use it. If you build incredibly cool, fully air conditioned with bright orange shag carpeting dog houses for a hobby…use it or lose it. From truck drivers who can soar across our nations long and lost highways without having to pop pills or swig down cases of power drinks to engine builders who dream of manning a racing team for NASCAR…use it or lose it. Nurses who went to school to nurse and not file reports…use it or lose it. A student chef who doesn’t try out new ideas on guests at home is going to lose if they don’t use it.



Why is this possible? Blame it solely on the decline of strength and stamina—slowing down invites your body to release what sports people love calling “The Zone.” Training your body to slow down naturally prepares your system to no longer expect giant bolts of lightning to come streaking down from the sky. Everything you do is nothing more than a response from complex interactions of nerve cells in the brain.



When you practice microscopic filaments are connected to another—when you disconnect, it’s like letting the battery go dry in your cell phone, laptop or child’s favorite toy. Welcome to the world of Brain Drain.



The very second you stop challenging yourself and expanding your skills a very important section of the thinker (the brain) shifts into humdrum mode. Reactivating that monster will resemble a southerner who relocated to Montana where they’re being forced to brave their first 42 below zero morning—if you didn’t plug in the head bolt heater on the car…you aren’t going far. Listen to Duran Duran’s The Reflex…that I, I, I, I they sing is nothing more than an untrained newly born Montanan trying to make it to work someday, any day…please give me spring!



I pulled off an uneducated stunt recently that’s set me back years—since 1997 being art filled and expressive has flowed from my brushes and acrylics like a Midwestern spring flood, then one day I convinced the hard headed self to stop…for no reason than to test the waters of distance makes the heart grow fonder. Nope…desire to paint sits way over yonder.



People do this everyday! For just a few moments you rest, gotta take a break, man it would feel incredible to step away and breathe only to learn when you get back…the fires that once torched your bottom no longer exist. That’s why it became my mandatory mission to convince the heart doctor to put me on a path of getting back to living. I upset them deeply in one on one meeting’s because it was extremely important that I return to Tae Kwon Do. I know this mind, body and soul and there’s too much cool stuff to do in the world like mastering The Beatles Rock Band Video game. If you aren’t using it…you’re losing it.



Small efforts win everyday! During our busy chapters we can barely find enough time to use the restroom—how can anyone expect you to become better at something you love. There’s no written or commanded universal rule when it comes to practicing. If having a better shaped body is your fantasy, take a five minute walk. Sketchers have a new shoe available that works your muscles better than an overpriced monthly gym.



Accept you’re your role as a student. What’s the one thing all black belts in martial arts have in common? They never stop thinking like a white belt—every day you enter the school you allow yourself to learn something new.



Don’t match your performance with memories. Stop comparing your results to last nights dream. Once you’ve attained an inch of success, teach it. The best students in the world are teachers. Having the opportunity to share the concept you’ve grown with does something your boss can never figure out…it sharpens your people skills, making you a trusted leader.



If you don’t use it…you lose it. That’s why I write everyday. What are you doing with the rest of your life?



Steal my art…



arroecollins@clearchannel.com

Monday, September 14, 2009

Be your own booger buddy...

Stop wasting your time waiting for the Corporate American shift…it’s well underway.



New reports show thirty percent of today’s workforce hails from the halls of independent contractors, self driven leaders doing it from former bedrooms, old warehouses and garages. A life of freedom is being felt; the daily quake is rocking the Richter scale built to protect the three walls of the pyramid building process of big business.



Its current life support doesn’t feel fear, not until average Joe and Cousin Sally find comfort in the idea of living life without benefits—paid vacations, sick leave, dental plans and approachable co-pays at the doctor’s office. According to business insiders tracking the fields of everyday change, the only reason why there isn’t more solo American projects penetrating the extremely sluggish economy is due to the high cost of insurance.



Dangerous are the games new company owners are playing by electing not to participate with protection. Take a good look…the only thing not getting older are the Jonas Brothers and Taylor Swift. So what gives? When does this become a win win situation for all parties involved?



Business psychologist Andrea Kay believes its time to start leading your career development with your nose. She doesn’t mean up your nose like the 80’s but to constantly sniff out your own possibilities of growth. Take it completely out of the hands of those governing the ship.



Nearly seventy percent of those recently surveyed believe companies offer nothing in the way of opportunities and today’s bosses refuse to discuss career development. While some say this is a trend, Michael Jalbert who fronts the MRIN Network doesn’t water down the sport when he says, “It’s the employee’s responsibility to move ahead not the department head. Bosses are not in the business to give you the time of day.”



Your career development belongs in the hands of the person wanting you to succeed.



The signals you send might showcase independence in the mirror to which you attempt to look through but to a boss such a display is reason for them to begin searching for newer people to support their efforts of success.



The 2007 Writers Strike that plagued Hollywood and Broadway wasn’t about making more money—those who put the words in between the lips of each and every actor and actress wanted nothing more than R. E. S. P. E. C. T. By suddenly shutting themselves off it became clear to the pyramid owners that a profit building monster doesn’t just happen—it requires a team of players that stretch all the way down to the bathroom cleanup crew.



Constantly the news media spoke of writers wanting their share of the dollars made on websites, reruns and soon to be featured thirty minute sitcoms and presentations on You Tube, I-pods and phones and the soon to be the Zune with its HD Radio. That’s about 80% true. The imaginations belonging to the most invisible people on earth—the writers only wanted to be credited for their efforts. To be seen as well as heard.



When Keith Hawthorne exclaims, “I’m the man! I’m the man! I’m the truck, truck, truck man…” he never publicly gives credit to the writer…me, the same person who developed his Hyundai approach, “What day is it? Everyday is a great day to buy a Hyundai.” That doesn’t mean he’s a bad guy…he’s the opposite! Keith’s approach to selling cars via the radio is highly respected because he takes care of every department involved in making his process work.



Does this mean Keith is responsible for furthering my voiceover and writing career? I would never think of placing such a burden on his already busy life and style.



It’s no different than your daily adventure within the gray shades of the cubical world—picking up and growing shouldn’t be left in the heart the people you’re currently dancing with. Through job description you’re paid to have the ball hiked to you then work your way through a large group of tacklers with extremely high hopes of tossing it to a co-worker who happened to make it down the field. If your passes are intercepted and or you can’t seem to stop fumbling the ball…the unwritten common law is simple…you’re sitting on the bench.



So how does one expect to get better if having an avenue of open communication is more outdated than mood rings and Leif Garrett? Yearly reviews are extremely over researched and the answers shared are what I call butter-cupping. They take you down; to build you right back up. Constructive criticism is a legal license to talk about anything while hopefully being politically correct. And that's where you have to really listen and not hap heartedly.



Your goal is to hear to the message and pick up on hidden agendas they want to put into play. Locate your strength, discover if you really are slacking a tight bit and build a new bridge to an area that you’ve sheltered out of fear of being hurt. Why give a company your 100% if all they’re going to do is hand it off to Mike the Mediator whose just trying to keep his job too?



I’ll never forget the year a radio station GM described me as being melancholy. I must have looked that word up three hundred times, whatever it took to better see as well as understand what shape of poetry he was using when painting a picture of one of the most anal people you’ll ever meet in radio. Finally after three long weeks of dealing with it…I signed the review and under my name I wrote, “Anything but melancholy.”



Lesson learned here: Don’t wait for your boss to approach you about your job performance. If you’re seeking personal growth, you make the move on how to improve.



If your department head calls you melancholy, don’t ever wait three weeks then think you’re protesting in silence. Now you’ve showcased a reason for them to think you’re disgruntled.



Always put your comments on paper…not an email or text. Agree or disagree, always leave a paper trail.



On your time, not your company’s hours…locate newer ways to improve and develop your skills as a professional. Community Colleges are absolutely the best place to find new paths to chase. There’s a new horizon waiting for you everyday.



Experience is no longer job security…learning how to fly over valley’s protects the life you love and all the dots connected.



Steal my art…



arroecollins@clearchannel.com

Friday, September 11, 2009

Fueling the fires...

Someone wins $243 million dollars in the Power Ball Lottery—is it good luck or being in the right place at the right time? A near collision on a backstreet or major freeway—good luck or a wake up call? The family dentist gently explains your child’s smile will improve his or her confidence—good guy or someone out to make a quick buck?



What is the secret of winning during this ever-changing game of life?



Dr. Joyce Brothers doesn’t believe in good or bad luck—fortune or misfortune arrive through hard work and preparation which enables your mind, body and soul to take advantage of life’s big opportunities as they are presented to you.



If you draw a chalk line around the presence of your current moment—where you are today will be remarkably different tomorrow. Be it up, back, to the side or light years farther from your childhood goals the roads and paths used to attain the ability to be seen were governed solely by your efforts and or lack thereof.



Dr. Joyce feels you should clarify your aspirations.



What do you really want out of this short term journey? Before any dream is given fuel to become a reality, you’re required to identify them. It’s a horrible situation to be in because most of us find such discoveries as being too broad so we tend to waddle and wade our way through ponds of oh that was nice without putting focus on what it is we really want to do.



A great exercise: Without thought—write down three things that come to your head. Look at it several times before putting in a box or envelope. Repeat the process three times a week over the next six weeks…the end result will be a pattern.



I knew as a child radio would become my life and style. Jokingly I’ve always said Eric Clapton picked up a guitar to create thoughts I can deliver over the five second intro of a song. He creates cd’s and mp3’s and I create headaches for program directors who’ve never been able to figure out why I can’t say. “Here’s another fourteen in a row without talk.”



Once inside the ranks of whatever it is we do a truer picture was unveiled allowing me to believe more in the sport of gibby gab. Sadly, the mall store architect, long haired rock star, professional bowler, author of four hundred books, school teacher and artist spotted in galleries in California were forced to sit in the seats located in the balcony.



Through exploration, the exercise Dr. Joyce speaks of has allowed the middle aged adult shell to still be a fun loving kid inside.



Master the art of power reading: Almost every goal we set involves the improvement of self—through careful study and planning, we learn from the Anthony Robbins and John C Maxwell’s of the world. The problem with this design is very few people have the desire to complete the circle. Absorbing written material is a big pain!



Stepping into a book store with me is a horrible nightmare…if those pages aren’t calling out my name that means I’ve got to make a concerted effort to face the author’s thoughts. This involves opening the book, skimming the chapters then quickly turning the book over to read how others have reacted to his or her presentation. Why don’t publishers print the bad comments? I really want to do that with my new book “Conversation” because it forces the reader to stop judging it by its cover.



If it sells that’s good luck…if not oh oh…more bad luck.



Not if you invest in developing what Dr. Joyce calls the Halo Effect—it has nothing to do with goodness or godliness but rather feeds the effects you have on others. Your life and how it’s handled is nothing more than a fingerprint left at a crime scene. The impressions you create generate what could come across as good, bad or whatever that person is thinking the moment you meet.



Building a firm halo effect requires the ability to appear knowledgeable—before meeting new people do what we do in radio…show prep. You aren’t a know-it-all but rather someone who is informed and well read.



Be on time—life isn’t California…fashionably late doesn’t make you look cool—you’re late!



Get the person’s name right. My name is Arroe as in arrow not Earl, Harold, Errol, Kevin or Mickey. When you land your plane on the proper runway, use their name during the conversation—but wait! Don’t talk too much! Don’t interrupt! Silence is power especially when you’re attentive.



And hold off playing the flattery card. If it doesn’t spin from the webs we keep in the heart you’re words are falling short of adding purpose to your delivery. Nothing turns me off more than hearing, “You’re the man! You’re the best! You’ve got talent!” The flattery game will get you no where unless you learn to recognize real areas of interest. Appreciate the aspects of other people’s personalities by being confident in yourself to recognize what it is you truly see.



Ryan Seacrest isn’t the biggest and best in radio and television nor is he the luckiest man in the broadcast industry. What we fail to remember is how he got to the circle to which he currently stands. His vision of reaching Los Angeles can still be heard in the halls of a radio station in Atlanta, GA. He remained focused and loyal to the edges of the horizons he wanted to paint. By taking a chance on a new show out of England called American Idol he’s grown through its popularity allowing his gift of performance to be showcased in almost every corner of the world.



Fortune or misfortune arrives through hard work and preparation which enables your mind, body and soul to take advantage of life’s big opportunities as they are presented to you.



Just one of the secrets of winning during this ever-changing game of life.



Steal my art…



arroecollins@clearchannel.com

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Somebody invented the Waffle cone...

Nothing fascinates me more than an entrepreneur—a single thought and or action that evolves from the secret ingredients of a dream landing on the streets of reality. It’s been written countless time that those who see it, believe in it and turn it into a winning season are blessed with a business sixth sense.



Is that true or can we all play to stay in the game?



New ideas come with jagged edges—suddenly feeling like you need a change is a great start but physically putting the fuel in your shoes is a completely different story because 98.9% of us have no clue how to design a workable ethic system capable of generating the revenue required to sustain a life and style.



Simplify the word entrepreneur: Who and what makes up the man or woman whose cup is half full rather than half empty? Modern day chance seekers and takers are everyday average people who’ve been shaped by the evils of Corporate America then tossed out like day old bread. You can erase a name off the company directory but you can’t eliminate that man or woman’s business day to day experiences.



Gaining access to a winning idea begins with self loyalty—being true to yourself invites the tips of your imagination to begin a journey that reaches into the community to locate every “T” that needs to be crossed and each “I” requiring a dot above it.



By watching we learn, through education we follow—with the right amount of desire, you lead.



One of the biggest mistakes people make on the vision quest to become the best is based solely on the energy placed on speaking only to those in the profession you’re trying to become part of. A cinnamon roll chef talking to another cinnamon roll chef generates unrest. You spend more time complaining about the downside of the sweet smelling business rather than locating incredible adventures in the imagination of a passerby.



I personally can’t stand talking about radio to students fresh from the pages of their educational outlets—you aren’t going to learn anything from me that wasn't taught to you in class. An interns studies need to be on the street trying to figure out what makes a radio listener tick.



Another mistake average Jimmy from down the street makes while fine tuning the forks leading to a newer company ladder to climb is holding onto the idea that presenting his craft for the world to sink their fingers into sounds fun. There’s too much to discover to actually label it a Wow Wow Wow adventure. You can’t place fun before the real stuff that matters.



More entrepreneurs will come from this most recent national financial crisis than any other time in American history. The best of the best are running free in the streets of everyday life and all of those lessons taught behind closed doors at Big People Are Us is going to march them into their proper places in history bringing to life a better product because the smaller business elected to put their employees first.



My brother Danny spent his fresh out of high school years working at a printing press in Montana—no stone went unturned, he learned everything while keeping a firm grip on the winning attitude of never saying, “That’s not part of my job description.” When asked, he performed. When not asked he still performed. When word was delivered the higher ego driven maniacs controlling the company were laying people off, my brothers everyday experiences gifted him with enough confidence to create his own printing company which later bought out the people who hired him fresh out of school.



That side of America still exists…



In the process of recreating it the seasoned professionals have gone silent which leaves many wanderers without proper education. Sure we could attend a technical college but what do they know…except the art of standing in front of a class room full of I want it now’s. I love my daughter to pieces; a Linguistics major from UCLA, the art of language is a beautiful thing to know until you attempt to speak the streets of a real America.



Whip out the book and pen and let’s start studying. The first rule to follow on your journey of formulating a success story is stop treating people like an encyclopedia. Before sucking the life out of a business professional add energy to your own gift of conversation by brushing up on the product you want to deliver. Look intelligent; come across as being focused and fruitful of new ideas. A great book to read is The Dictionary of Occupational Titles or visit bls.com.



Successful entrepreneurs have a sixth sense. That’s like saying a great martial arts Master must be from Korea or Japan. Anyone can fight but do they know what to do with their left hand when trapped by a much wiser competitor? How many seconds are we gifted with when the hold is tightly wrapped around our throat?



Utilizing the experiences of all people involved from the customer to the clients delivering the products that will lead to your cinnamon rolls being created, each path presented must become part of your process of study. You can’t suddenly call yourself a professional basketball player because you happen to get in six or seven games at the YMCA. I’ve been in radio for 30 years and still can’t land a full time daily radio show but if we sit down and talk about designing a successful radio commercial campaign that’s where we both have a win win situation…



If you’re out don’t count yourself out. Get back in the game…even if it means you become the teacher. In America...winning is the choice!



arroecollins@clearchannel.com

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

No! Here they come! Run!

Whoa! You did it! Some how some way through the miracles of higher than radio antenna powers, you made it to one of my favorite places to write…um…are you sure you’ve got the time to talk? I mean seriously, nothing kills me more than being accused of being the dude who crosses your busy path and can’t locate the guts to shut up.



We’ve all bumped into that person, “Blah, blah, dink, doink, dook, blah, blah.”



What just happened here? Being the kind, loving courteous person you are toward coworkers, family members and friends, that well sought after destination you put into play nearly an hour ago has instantly been sent back to “Go” without collecting $200.



What is the most professional, sensible, non egomaniac way to say, “Go away?”



Business guru and always nice to you expert Anne Marie Sabbath constantly gets wrapped up in other peoples junk talk without evolving into word dump blessed with so much trash your day is forced to hire a bulldozing crew.



Acknowledge what the person said then politely share, “I’ll be in my office from 3 to 5:30…let me set aside thirty minutes for you. I’ll get back to you inside an hour and see if we can firm up a time to meet.”



No jerks, no perks, no evil witches fingers pointed through you…an incredibly brilliant display of respect due 100% to creating a time block that says, “It’s going to be all about you.”



What happens if the original meeting isn’t at work? These days most conversations occur on cell phones—right in the middle of a deep thought or a stroll through memory lane slightly slow dancing with your favorite song on the radio your world comes crashing down at the sound of that single most hated ring tone. Same rules apply, set aside some time.



Oh oh…the voice on the phone doesn’t match the name that popped up on the tiny cell phone screen. Your comment was rough, out of tune and directed squarely in the eyes of you know who…the boss and it’s the boss using their phone. Now what are you going to do?



Anne Marie’s been in this situation and offers a calming, “Excuse me.”



Rule number one of cell phone and e-mail use…never, never assume to whom you are speaking to is what appears in the ID. Treat everyone you communicate with like a brand new client, no matter how much their voice grinds your last nerve…make everyone feel welcome inside your world.



Especially when you slip away from your normal places of being seen for a few hours—it’s time to update your return e-mails and cell phone messages with words like, “I’ve currently stepped away and will return shortly.” That allows a potential client or current business partner to feel confident that you aren’t a lazy bum who will one day find the importance of that call and eventually get around to getting back to them.



One of the tests I put radio interns through involves the cell phone—don’t write me a letter discussing how much you want to make the communications business your life and style, locate the people who know my personal cell number and make a vocal contact. If you don’t showcase hunger in the shape of a burning need to want to live this path…you lack the biggest tool in the box…desire.



Nathan Richie is either a man before his time or a grand slam homerun—his total focus is Social Networking and the power behind it. Physically branding yourself into the core of this new wave of communications opens doors but remember, how you act, react and ignore can and will determine the whereabouts of your future. Not knowing where your twitters and Facebook updates land can either soften the path or build firmer foundations lifting your ladder of success to heights an e-mailed resume and or conversation will never gain access to.



Digital conversations are no different than irritating hallway block shots at your busy day—when passerby’s want to steal your time and you’ve got none to give away…quickly get control and play the face to face game. Panera Bread is a brilliant off the beaten path safe place to generate talk that leads to better business deals. Fancy coffee joints aren’t interested in anyone but fast paced individuals who’ve unlinked themselves from a destination…they’re on the go to go and go and go…hence the small uncomfortable round tables. It pretty much says, “We love you now get out.”



Since the introduction of the World Wide Web we’ve become the Communications Generation with every rhyme, reason and purpose to want to talk and talk and expect others to be fully prepared to listen. If you’re in the market to win then dive into a spoon full of Anne Marie’s advise…create blocks of time to give the time stealer ample space to gab, gibby gab, blah, blah, gossip, gossip, talk shop, gotta go don’t care if I ruined your day.”



Face time is still the best way to say, “It’s my life too.”



arroecollins@clearchannel.com

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Take the boogers out of your nose

Spend fifteen minutes with me in a recording studio or Tae Kwon Do class and you’ll become witness to some seriously bizarre patterns of breathing—long stomach filling depths of wind sucked into a system that acts as if it’s starving for attention. Then, without hesitation a more natural way to breathe utilizes the presentation of each lungs offering.



No human on earth is taught how to breathe at birth. It’s in…then out…in and in and in and out.



Vocalists, musicians, public speakers, preachers, some runners, mountain bikers and long winded brothers and sisters learn before writing how the body acts and reacts when receiving what it rightfully and thoroughly deserves…oxygen.



When you elect to protect during times when having more air is a better way to travel and you decide not to offer, the end result is pressure. If the system you keep isn’t properly nourished with air at the amount its asking for…it’s not funny when the head starts spinning or your thought process becomes twenty five yawns followed by a desire to Red Bull it after that incredibly tasty chocolate candy bar.



Breathing with your lungs gives you about five gallons of gas in a thirty gallon tank. You can push your engines about a half mile then stop, stomp your feet, walk slowly back to the car only to get locked up in a sixty minute self conversation about how life and all things connected to it really stink.



Discovering the art of inner breathing creates space. Inside those available gaps you’re given a quiet place to think. By breathing properly gone will be the repetitiveness, uninspired decisions and lack of spark required to ignite your ambitious engine.



I first came in contact with inner breathing through my Karate Sensei Julio whose vicious former professional fighter brawl until you puke winning spirit took his students beyond the limits of I quit into a world of how did I do this? He shoved our unmotivated tails into spin and step classes, made us run in snow storms up flights of stairs followed by martial arts forms, pushups, sit ups and squats. Then we’d study our breathing habits, learning on the spot to fill the stomach not the lungs with the necessary ingredients to continue moving forward.



They say Buddha was a rounded man not because of the foods he ate but rather the inner lining of his shell was properly protected by the muscles that helped him breathe into deeper realms of spirituality.



Being aware of your breathing takes attention away from thinking which then creates space. Author Eckhart Tolle, Thich Nhat Hahn and massive amounts of other walkers allow ink to thread itself within the pages of a once living tree explaining a purpose and or reason why gaining control of your breathing will enhance your availability. Taking note of how your chest and abdomen expand when pulling air into your system allows your body to speak to you. By opening your body to a long form of breathing you’re gifting the entire self with energy without having to sip on coffee or fork out $3.99 for a giant Monster.



Breathing happens by itself but if you pay close attention to what you do naturally, only the edge of your upper torso is affected and you’re expecting that little bleep on the map to fulfill your brains wishes and commands.



Breathing properly requires no stress or strain…to get there become aware.



I remember sitting in the hospital attached to that manmade machine driving the nurses crazy because until my most recent sickness I didn’t realize how much control I physically had over my breathing. I’d stop and they’d come running into my room. Smiling at their hardworking desires to keep life locked on positive pitches, their reaction to my connection to what is and isn’t breathing taught me to think deeper about giving what this mind body and spirit seemed to be missing…more air.



Why do we breathe badly? Breathing has no form. Without awareness there can be no act or encouragement to change habits that quite honestly are invisible.



In Tae Kwon Do, I can stand three to five feet from the opponents desire to take me out and know exactly how to handle his aggression just by watching his breathing pattern. Upper lungs means he’s exhausted—if there’s movement in the stomach, the goal is to either penetrate his abdomen with a quick front kicks no higher than his stomach or round house the upper thigh or just below the rib cage…if those measures fall short, then its time to play a better foot game to get them tired, so that an inside out kick to the side or back of the head can score me what could be the winning two points.



How do you think straight under pressure? Breathe…



When you are conscious of your breathing you are absolutely without a doubt present. Being aware of how you take in and release air gifts your mind with amble space to layout a winning game plan. It allows you to be in control of your present moment. Welcome to the arrival of space consciousness.



The number one reason why people elect not to breathe with their stomach is every reason why Western Culture continues to sag at the shoulders and knees. When you breathe properly you develop a tiny Buddha belly. Tell that to the freaks that spend thousands of dollars a year on chemicals to look skinny and or pumped up…share the conversation with the other group that pours every cent they have into a big name gym that requires more cha-ching to teach you right.



Martial arts is no different…it’s a business and knowledge pays the rent. I’m the werido who will sell out the secret to the magic trick knowing your journey is about to become worth living.



Steal my art…



arroecollins@clearchannel.com