What's important to you?
That's a great question to ask yourself: What is important to you? Is it important that you have time to be with your family? Do you like the idea of having time to coach your son's soccer team? To always be in the audience for your daughter's play? Is it important that you be able to take more than a week or two vacation a year, and go where you want, rather than where you can afford? Is it important to you to really OWN your home, rather than the bank letting you live in it? Is it important to you that your income does not rely on the whim of a manager or board of directors or stock holders who have no clue, or really even any interest in, who you are and what your dreams are?
Francie and I asked ourselves these questions and the answer came back loud and clear: "Yes, we want to be free to live the life of our dreams!" This is how we found the answer...In Francie's words:
Happiness is - making a dent?
Are you ready to abandon pursuit of the dollar for the pursuit of happiness?
Another why
Tue, 03/23/2010 - 02:29 — robertbwDo you remember when you were a teenager, or perhaps early twenty's you had this fire in your belly about some cause or another. You wanted to stop the war, end whale killing, apartheid, segregation, whatever. Change the world. It was your fire, your driving force - you were ready to die (or at least get tear-gassed) for it.
What do we do?
Fri, 02/19/2010 - 00:25 — robertbwFirst let's get rid of the old rubric, "I can't/don't/won't do marketing."
You're in the job market? What are you doing? Posting resumes, talking to HR people, maybe a hiring manager or so, networking with your old workmates? In a word, you're marketing. Yourself.
You've got a job? Lucky you. How to you propose to keep it? Nose down, work hard, hope they notice you? See previous paragraph. Nope. You write reports, publish research, speak up at meetings, in a word, make yourself visible and cast in a good light. Uh, that's called marketing.
I don't even need to discuss self-employed, or leveraged business owners. You know you're marketing!
Do you say TGIF?
Mon, 02/08/2010 - 19:28 — robertbwAn interesting article appeared in the LA Times recently pointing to research that people are happier on weekends. So? Well, it turns out the reason we function better and are happier on weekends is connected to something called "self-determination theory,"
The industrial revolution, social security, insurance and community
Sun, 09/20/2009 - 14:43 — robertbwYesterday, while listening to Manfred and Christine talking about wellness insurance and community, I had a revelation.
The Old Way
Before the industrial revolution most people lived in agrarian extended family communities. This meant everyone had a certain amount of security about their basic living situation and future. As you grew to adulthood you took care of your elders until they passed, and you raised your children to take on the responsibilities of community members. As you pass on into old age you know your community/family will be there to care for you. That is the way the human tribe has worked since um, forever.
The Wrong Way
Happiness is...
Mon, 11/24/2008 - 17:07 — robertbwListening to an interview with Eric Weiner on PBS, somebody said to him:
So what is it with this personal happiness thing? Happiness isn't personal or private. Happiness is 100% relational.
Well that's cool. We're in the relationship business, right? So our business is the key to happiness.
The lines are open...
