The ramblings of a 40 something businessman
All views expressed are my own opinion unless otherwise noted
This is the blog where I can be more candid and personal.
Former President Gerald R. Ford lies in repose in front of the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol before proceeding to the Rotunda for the State Funeral ceremony, Saturday, December 30, 2006. Former President Ford served in the House of Representatives for 24 years. White House photo by David Bohrer
posted by Soky at
2:26 PM
Great Christmas - Preparing for New Year
Tuesday 26 Dec, 2006
I had a wonderful Christmas with my family! Although I spent the week before Christmas at some kind of social event 5 out of seven nights, Christmas Day was just for my wife and sons. It was just the four of us and it was wonderful!! We opened presents, had a big breakfast, fried a turkey and had a family diner and then watched Superman in the living room together. It was quiet, peaceful and wonderful!! Lots of laughs, lots of stories, lots of love.
I came back to the office late last night because I knew I would want to hit the ground running this morning. I read my email, checked my websites and surfed around for a few hours and then started to plan for the new year. As usual, I have big plans for the new year. In fact, I have lots of plans for this final week of 2006.
2007 is set up to be a huge year for me and my "little internet company."
Fact is, my little company is becoming much more than just an internet company. We have already begun the move into manufacturing, travel services, offline marketing and advertising as well as expanding the online services into hosted applications and support. I still cannot divulge all of the details but am very excited about the next 8 weeks; anticipating several major announcements.
2007 is also set up to be a year when I spend more time for myself.
Carrie and I already have three trips planned and one is already booked. I just registered a new domain name that will be used to journal my fitness and strength training as well as kind of blog my health, nutrition and martial arts progress. I have a stack of books that will be read this year, as well as a long list of books I want to purchase too.
Carrie and I have also allowed ourselves to dream a little!!!
We have started to discuss the possibility of looking for a new (and final) location for a new home. It will be here in the town (or county) we have grown to love, but we want to find a nice quiet place to build a home that we can enjoy living in, entertain in, and yes, retire in. I envision a large house with high ceilings, big windows, a "resort style" garden and pool area, on a plot of land that is remote enough that the neighbors are not visible nor are we visible to them.
In business, I plan to build "the team."
2006 has offered some key people that I can trust and rely on as my business(es) continue to grow, yet we are in the awkward adolescent stage in that we are clumsily finding our strengths, and our weaknesses. My core team is good one with people I believe in and feel I can trust. This core team will help me expand the "team" as needs arise as well as the capabilities of the company. The point is, I want a great team of people that I can empower and trust to conduct business on my behalf. My "Primary Aim" is, and has been to build a business that is well organized, well managed and one which allows me the freedom to come and go as I please.
My "Primary Aim" is not wealth, (though that is important); my "Primary Aim" is not status or power, (though that will come if I build it right); my "Primary Aim" is not control, (though innovative process management will offer it); my "Primary Aim" is freedom! My aim is to create a business that empowers her management and employees to conduct business in a manner that reflect my vision without the need for my presence on a daily basis. It is only by building a business like this that I will have the financial resources, time, energy, and freedom to expand my business sure... but also to do the things I want to do like fitness, martial arts, travel, reading or just sit by the pool if that's what I choose for the day.
Many believe that I am a "work-a-holic," they are wrong!
Most of my friends, even my family believe that I enjoy working 16 hour days in a closed up darkened office with the phones turned off and no interruptions. It has been said that actions speak louder than words and fact is, I have spent more time working as described than anything else. I don't do it because that what I want to do, I've done it because that's what needs to be done. Admittedly, had I done things differently in the past, I may not have had to spend so much time working, but that's what life is about! Make mistakes, learn from them and then make corrections that break the cycle and allow growth and change.
I am a "play-a-holic!"
(I thought "Life-a-holic" was too corny.)
I don't live to work! I live to experience life, to enjoy life, to become better, smarter and stronger in as many ways possible. In my 42 years I've worked hard sure, but I've also experienced more than most men my age, accomplished more than some do in a life time, seen more places, loved more people, and had more fun than one should be allowed. From the top of the hill many call "mid-life," I can look down one side of the hill and see many accomplishment, many lessons, locations around the world and lives of hundreds, perhaps thousands of people whom I have touched and who have touched me. I can look down the other side and see many things I want to do; many things I should do; and how I would like to touch and be touched by thousands more lives.
I could write a long list of hopes!
My list of hopes and dreams is long, I mean really really long! Sometimes a long list is good, other times it is overwhelming. I want to love the day, enjoy the moment, appreciate what live has offered me here and now. I want to create freedom as I mentioned earlier. The freedom to have more life experiences, and the freedom to sit back and remember the experiences I've already received. A long list of hopes and dreams is great and frankly there are many spiritual, philosophical, and psychological experts who have written about the motivating benefits of dreams and goals. I feel that my list grows so large at times that it becomes overwhelming and seems impossible to achieve.
Balance is the key!
(As my new Sifu would say)
I've struggled with life balance for years. This is the balance between the time spent working and the time spent living. Perhaps this is why I would be classified as a "work-a-holic." Though I've justified this out of balance condition by explaining that I enjoy working so much that it is my life and it is what I live for... and in many ways it is true, my passion and hobby is creating, working and building, the fact remains that I have spent to much time with the scale tipped on the work side than the life side.
Just as in Martial Arts, life must be balanced too! It is something that I will always struggle with. I hope to find that place of balance that allows for a full and complete life. My list of hopes needs to be balanced as well! A list that is too long or too extreme is a list that cannot be achieved. Dream too big and one may not even begin to reach for it because it seems impossible, BUT, dream too small and there may be little motivation to reach it as well. I heard someone say once that the difference between dreaming big and dreaming small is the result. If you dream big and reach it, what a wonderful feeling, if you dream too small and reach it, so what?
My point to this balanced list of hopes is that I want to do more than I have, become more than I am, create more than thought possible, but I also want to appreciate the goals I have reached, the things I have experiences and all that I already have. I don't want to spend my time reaching, I want to spend some time resting in the knowledge that I am living the dream here and now.
I have sat for hours writing out wild dreams.
In the morning, I spend a good amount of time dreaming. Sometimes these dreams are so incredibly complex that when I flip through my notebook I can't even remember how it all came together. Some time is spent planning, but a good amount of time is spent exploring the "what if." What if money was no object? What if I built this business? What if I created this software? What if I built this house? It's all well and good and quite entertaining, but most of the time it's just time spent, ink used and another page for the shredder.
Shredded dreams? When my notebook gets full, I page through the entire book tearing out the pages as I read/scan each one. My typical notebook is a wide ruled, 70-100 page spiral bound cheap subject notebook from the Wal-Mart or someplace Carrie found them on sale. I like to go through the book before I discard it because I've discovered some gems through the though processes. I shred the pages for a few reasons, mainly because I write code, passwords, access information or other sensitive information. I also shred it because my dreams are mine and I really don't want people tabbing through my thoughts. Fact be known, I don't dream when I sleep, perhaps this is how my mind accomplishes what it doesn't do at rest.
Looking ahead and glancing back.
As I "dream" for 2007 and consider all of the possibilities created by the time I've invested in 2006, I glance back at the past 12 - 18 months. It's been a little wild, it's been a little scary, it's been a little fun too. It's been a time of many changes as well as many challenges. It's been a time used to create new and strong friendships and has also been a time when some friendships have been utterly destroyed. A time when some who were trusted are no longer and a time when new trusts have been established. It's been a time that has seen many examples of how trust can be tested and either stand the test or fail miserably, not only in my life, but in the lives of those around me.
Looking back is helpful as it can reveal mistakes! I wrote a friend the other day admitting my own mistake in our friendship and asking forgiveness. Looking back can help us learn where we have been the cause of pain or conflict as well as reveal the poor decisions that caused the same.
No pain, no gain.
Life is all about lessons. From the moment we are born we are learning through the process of making mistakes and some of those lessons are painful! In the gym we live by the mantra, "no pain, no gain." Life is no different! As I consider the year ahead I am reminded of the fact that stepping forward while ignoring the past is simply unwise! While it is difficult for me to trust others, I have learned that going through life without the ability to trust is a lonely a desolate existence. While I will never let down my guard fully, I will step forward knowing that I must learn to trust myself, my friends and even new people who cross my path. I will also remember those who have breached that trust are those to be avoided.
Looking back while moving forward can be painful!
Or... No gain from that kind of pain.
Walk into a room you've never been into and look back at the doorway. Now, keep walking without turning your head. Eventually you will trip over something, step on something or at the very least, come to an abrupt and painful stop when you hit the limits known as a wall. Sure, you could blow through the back door yet still, what's the point? All you see is that doorway you came through and possibly those things you missed as you passed by.
You must look forward to move forward!
You must be aware of your surroundings and plan a path through the room that will prevent damage to yourself or others in the room. Moving forward in a crowded room without watching where you're going will not only cause you to miss potential encounters, it will likely cause you to step on a few toes, knock someone over and make people angry. You will miss the chance to create new friendships, establish new trusts, discover that new member of your inner circle... in fact... you would likely cause yourself to be un-trusted through your unwillingness to watch where you're going.
As a flight engineer in the Air Force, we used the term "situational awareness." This is a process of gathering all of the available information and "knowing" what is going on. There are many things to be aware of when flying a jumbo jet. Altitude, airspeed, direction, flight controls, radios, fuel as well as the condition of the crew and the aircraft. All of this information changes constantly, some more than others, but all are variables that must be monitored closely. If you allow other crew members or automated systems to monitor these conditions, you are ill prepared when an emergency arises.
The moment something goes wrong is the wrong moment to start gathering all that information! By remaining aware of the entire "situation" of the aircraft, you are better prepared for something to go wrong. There are times it is a matter of life and death and for that reason we would intentionally train ourselves to be aware of our surrounding as well as hundreds of other things that affected the safe flight of the craft. Imagine trying to fly an aircraft without looking forward. It would be a very short flight. Imaging trying to fly their aircraft without having the knowledge of flight school and hours of training to look back on. Again, it would be a very short flight.
Remembering the past while looking forward is the answer.
I will probably write more examples of situational awareness, but my point is that as I reflect on the past 12 - 18 months, I realize there are many lessons both good and bad, that I can draw from. Lessons that prepare me for the months to come. Lessons from which I can draw as I make my decisions and reach for my dreams. Forgetting the lessons would cause me to make the same mistakes or trust the wrong people, learning from the past helps me keep from burning my hand again, remembering the good and bad lessons is what life is all about.
I am looking forward
As I step into the crowded room of life and business, I am looking forward aware of what's to come. Prepared to make adjustments to my path as needed so as to not hurt others in the room. I am aware of the many things in the room that will affect my journey through it. I remember those people who are harder to get around as well as those who will help me should I fall. I enter this new room eager to make a difference and with a plan that should make my path easier. I noticed the doorway and remember its location should I need to retreat, but I don't focus on it too much so I can continue to move forward.
Room number 2007 is going to be a great one and I cannot wait to enter it.
posted by Soky at
11:06 AM
The next three weeks are going to be quite pivotal in my business and personal life. With a number of things being finished up and a number of other things coming to a close, the next 3 and 12 weeks of my life are going to be transforming. I may post more details as they come to pass.
I wrote about this earlier in the year and my business situation prevented me from following through. I have a deep desire to get back into fitness and nutrition. I've started Kung Fu training and even some aerobics, but I have not followed through with the entire program. I am making a commitment to myself to follow through and DO!
If you would like to follow along, I will be blogging my experience from my personal website. I will post a link when it is ready. I WILL journal my measurements, photographs, exercise routine, supplements and even diet for at least the next 12 weeks. I will follow the "Body for Life" program but with some modification for "survival (combat) strength", Kung Fu, Tai Chi, Boxing and yoga. I WILL post daily reports, weekly summaries and continued development.
The new website will be open to the public but will also include private areas for more "intimate" photographs, stories and discussions. (Sorry folks, still too many psycho weirdoes hanging around.) It is the culmination of years of work to integrate blogs, calendars, news letters, personal profiles, web pages, image galleries into an easy content management system. Many of the tools were built for client websites, but I will use the special ones for myself.
I have ordered several Japanese Bonsai seeds and I will start the germination process this week. I will list the species of trees on the page. I need to buy a few more that will round out the collect. The point of the bonsai trees is patience, persistence and dedication. It takes at least 7 years to take a tress from seed to mature bonsai, and it will take 7 years for me to reach the levels of Kung Fu, Tai Chi and other professional, personal and even spirituality that I wish for.
I must start from the seed all over again. A clean start, a fresh start but with an attitude of do or die. I have resolved that it's past the time to try and time for the do. It's not about becoming, it about being, and it's not about the trying, it's about doing.
Anyway... words are cheap, actions are what prove a mans metal. So sit back, relax and watch this soft metal be formed into hard, lean, strong, and powerful human elemental steel. That Dow Chemical commercial is inspiring, "the human element." I really want to expound upon that concept greatly, just not sure how.
posted by Soky at
3:23 PM
Spotlight: A date which will live in infamy... President Franklin D. Roosevelt used these words to describe Sunday, December 7, 1941, the date on which Japan bombed the US naval base at Pearl Harbor, on the southern coast of Hawaii. More than 2,300 people were killed (including 68 civilians) and 1,100 wounded in the surprise attack. The US Congress declared war on Japan the next day, officially entering World War II.
Quote: "Take a good look at Pearl Harbor. Maybe it's something you'll want to remember."
posted by Soky at
11:25 AM
Need Recommendations
My 10 year old wants to learn all there is to know about building websites. While this is comforting it also is daunting. I think I would prefer to work with him going thru something vs. this is the way to do it because this is what Dad thinks, kind of thing. Are there any sites that you can recommend that we could explore together, that is kid based, that can be used to build a base of knowledge?
The very first place I thought of is "How Stuff Works." http://computer.howstuffworks.com/web-page.htm That would be a good place to start. Also... tutorials on free sites are real handy as well. (I am reluctant to post a link but ... oh well.) www.freewebs.com or Yahoo or other places targeting younger or more novice users. This also looks promising http://www.webmonkey.com/kids/ I learned a great deal from WebMonkeys when I was coming up through the ranks.
Your son is 10 years old... that's tough because you want it to be interesting. Do you get free webspace with your ISP? Sometimes they have good tutorials and you can create an account and cut him loose. A quick Google revealed this site http://build-website.com/guide/introduction.html it looks okay.
When I was introduced to building websites, I was an aircraft mechanic so I was as green as you get. The Air Force started at the very basics notepad and HTML... it is best to start there but it is likely a 10 year old will loose interest.
Good luck ... maybe you should start your own website, "How I taught my 10 year old how to be a webmaster" .com
I've thought about this since I posted it and there are a number of things to consider when exploring being a web designer or webmaster. From valid markup all the way to graphics compression, there are so many things to consider. In the context of getting a 10 year old started, it should be easy and fun but with some fundamentals thrown in for good measure.
posted by Soky at
2:13 PM
My name is David Francis and I will be your host. This blog is a place for me to write what's important to me away from other business or responsibilities.
Thank you for visiting
