Most of these newsletters are musings that I get stuck in my head while I am reading or driving. After reviewing them, I realized that most of them are not practical applications of necessary information. The knowledge of how things work has always been a necessary fear blocker for me. Unknown is a difficult space for me to occupy which you can chalk up to control issues or hyper anxiety. I suffer the delusion that my neurotic tendency to know stuff is a positive trait which I am sure my ex-wife would disagree with wholeheartedly. As I told my daughter recently, we lack whimsy. I would prefer to be an artist or a performer but a significant self deprecation is too strong for performance. I prefer to interact in the confines of a conference room eschewing the bright lights and spotlight for cold tables and empty chairs. I want to know that a strategy is working. I need the practical solution. Below is a list of practical admonition or aphorisms that if we incorporate into our daily living might help us navigate our lives:
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Listen first and listen last!
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Sometimes no is enough.
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Negotiations are usually more about you than the other person. So before you negotiate study your intentions, your motivations and your weaknesses. If you don’t, the negotiations will reveal them at the worst time.
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Insurance is the most powerful tool any person can obtain to protect yourself. Good Insurance covers a multitude of sins. If you don’t have a working knowledge of life insurance, car insurance and property insurance get educated.
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If your tendency is to avoid things then those avoided situations pile up and will collapse on top of you. How do you eat an elephant? You got it – one bite at a time.
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We all want to set it and forget it but consistent reviews, revisions, and redirections can be the best strategy for a changing world.
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Hiding in plain sight is a strategy that can be developed with strong legal principles. Clear irrefutable rules when applied can produce a level of freedom and security that complications rarely permit. Keep it to one gear.
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We are not entitled to easy choices but we should expect difficult options.
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If you are in a meeting and you leave more confused than when you started foolery is afoot and you should stop drop and roll out of the fire.
Albert R. Hartley
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