The Daily RICHual

Milton Berle once said, "You can lead a man to Congress, but you can't make him think." Thirty years ago, I used to teach American Government to 9th graders. I can't imagine having to do it in the last two decade given the complete disregard politicians from BOTH sides of the aisle have for us, the people, and for the Constitution and Bill of Rights.

In a salesperson's finest hour, we are self-aware enough to understand that if I don't take care of my people first, nothing else falls into place. So, how do you do it? How do you put them first and exercise patience, empathy? How do you keep from going crazy?

I'm on a trip not too long ago and if I had a dollar for every time I've been asked "How can I help you?" I could have paid much less for the trip. From the airline check-in desk to the taxi driver to the hotel and on down the line, it seems fashionable to ask me, the consumer, how I can be helped (note to politicians: you might ask me every once in a while too). And while the asking of the question is extremely important, the next step is pivotal: listen to the answer (politicians: you too!).

Maybe my senses cry out for solitude more after a trip to Las Vegas. Maybe I notice it when I'm in the silence of my home office. Maybe it's following me around and your experience is different. To what am I referring? Music.

The Campaign for Learning in the U.K. recently compiled research on an age-old topic: learning. Basically, the article was focused on sharing some statistics in order to get people to see the UP-side of learning. Some of the information they shared was:

In his customer service book, Selling the Invisible, Harry Beckwith offers a three stepapproach to marketing your product or service. Step One is where you are trying to get what Beckwith calls, "a basic, acceptably reliable product" Early there may be no competition, so how you do what you do may not be that important. Take the Department of Motor Vehicle in almost any state.

No competition = lousy service.

While technology and especially smartphones have changed some of the ways we do business and the equipment we utilize for doing business, it has not really changed the people with whom we do business.

Is it easier for me to connect with the multitudes of people I've never really met? Yes. Is it easier for me to connect with the universe via Al Gore's wonderful invention? Yes. And here's the biggie .... can I reach out to people with lightening fast speed and efficiency? YES, Yes, and hell yes!!!!

Monday we talked about hacks, shortcuts. SO, here you go: two Hacks to the secret of life.

As I ponder my existence and periodically search for meaning in this wild and crazy world, I seek guidance from the philosophical Masters of the universe. Two such Masters are Curly, the hardened cowboy in the movie City Slickers and James Taylor.

When faced with a difficult task, rely on what you know. Draw strength from your basics.

It's the ninth inning in the movie For Love of the Game, when Billy Chapel (aka, Kevin Costner) discovers that he has nothing left and his quest for the perfect game may be over. He lets out a deep breath, closes his eyes and says, "Okay, three more. Like I've done a million times."

Today I saw the 100 ways to hack your life for the better. Hack my life?

Okay so definition of hack: cut with rough or heavy blows. Nah, what I think they meant was shortcut.

Oh yeah, we have to have the shortcut. How do I get from here to there without the time, work, or effort.

Can’t I binge all 100 episodes on Netflix instead of actually watching it?

When it’s all about the outcome, it becomes all about the hack.

Sorry, some hacks, maybe, but I’m kind of a process guy.