Today’s post was written by Dion Baker.  He is a writer for The Intangible Wealth and a respected song writer, poet, and visual artist.  And he also shares my love of ants.  – Brad

Today I went to the craft store with my wife to return some items we recently purchased. While she was being helped at the register, I decided to venture off into the store to see what else they had in stock. Not too far from the register, I saw several items on the clearance shelves. I perused through the shelves to see if there was anything of interest; not much. The mix of colorful ribbon and Spiderman bookmarks on sale didn’t quite hold my attention. I continued checking out the products to my right and guess what I found? A small pile of children’s books! As I walked toward the books there was a small book at the top titled, “The Ant and the Grasshopper”. Now, I’m excited…

So I picked up the book and started reading.

Here’s the synopsis of the story. There was the Grasshopper, the Ant, and other insects. It was the summertime and the Grasshopper was always being lazy, idle, and playful with his time. The weather was pleasant and he felt he should enjoy it, so he chose to be lazy and not work. But each time he saw another insect they weren’t being lazy, they were working. When he saw the Ant she was carrying food for the winter. He saw the Bee and he had yellow pollen all over his feet from toiling in flower nectar. He saw the Spider and she was threading her web. The Grasshopper was surprised that they were working while the weather was so beautiful. So he told them, “What are you doing? It’s summertime! Put down the work and have fun!” But they all said, “No, no, Grasshopper. We need to work and gather food for the winter! And you need to be gathering food for the winter too!” But the Grasshopper kept playing and never took heed to their advice.

And then the inevitable happened; winter came.

The snow piled and the wind blew and the Grasshopper was left hungry in the frigid cold. He was so cold and hungry that he asked the Ant for shelter and food. The Ant was appalled at the Grasshopper knowing that he spent his summer days in laziness and didn’t heed their advice to work. So the Ant told him:

“If you play all summer, you’ll go hungry all winter”

Summer represents the times that things are easier and winter represents when things are more difficult. Each of these is only a temporary season that comes and goes during our lives. Summer doesn’t last forever and winter is inevitable. When things are easier for us that is the best moment to prepare for the moments they will not be.  Therefore, the best time to ease our sickness (winter) is by preparing ourselves when we are more healthy (summer); the best time to prepare ourselves for difficult financial times (winter) is by saving money when we do have money (summer). The perfect time to gather what we need is during the time we don’t need it.

The Grasshopper didn’t bother gathering his food during the summer. Consequence: when the winter came, he had nothing to eat and was very cold. Why did he end up like that? He spent his days of vitality – when he had the most time and conditions were most comfortable – to indulge in laziness.  We should learn from him, but we should not be like him. Instead, we need to follow the model of the other insects. How so?

Invest our time in accumulating resources of value.

If we do that, the winters won’t feel as cold and hunger won’t trouble as much or at all. As the summer draws to a close, we are reminded that comfortableness is temporary and difficulties are inevitable. I challenge you to reflect upon your last 90 days and think about yourself in terms of your activity. Have you been the Grasshopper or the Ant?

- by Dion Baker from Intangible Wealth

During a baseball game recently, an aquaintance told me he recently became unemployed. His specialty is building exquisite homes. So it’s not surprising the economy of the housing market destroyed his ability to get new contracts.

I asked what he is up to now and discovered he’s doing handyman work. He also stressed if I needed anything done, to give him a call.

Of course I’d call him. But it occurred to me he wasn’t doing a good job of selling his expertise.

Let me explain. What is your highest level of expertise? And can you explain it to me in a provocative way so that I want to take action and hire you today?

We can get into elevator speeches and closing methods, but what it boils down to is putting pre-thought into your message.

Instead of making someone else brainstorm possible ways they could use our services, we need to do the thinking ahead of time so they don’t have to. And wrap it up into a nice pretty package with a big bow on top.

What if he said “recently, I’ve been rescuing homeowners from $5000+ roofing and siding repairs by applying a specialized gutter and storm drain solution that costs only $350.00″?

I probably would have hired him on the spot. But since he left it up to my imagination, I’ll just call him when something breaks or I need something painted.

Thinking is hard. Most people don’t want to do it. Especially in these tough times, thinking ahead and selling your expertise is the difference between winning the jobs you want versus getting whatever scraps other people can dream up.

– Brad Isaac

Today I visited a farm with my family.

They had goats, sheep, guineas, chickens, peacocks and turkeys to name a few. It was a relaxing tour. But it also reminded me about a time when things were simpler.

As someone born in Topeka, Kansas the farm is not alien to me. Although I never lived on one, some of my extended family members did. My grandfather’s neighbor grew potatoes and I’d often go help dig them to pass the time. I’d visit my other grandparents where we’d drive out to the farm and return with ‘bushels’ of corn, peaches and snap beans. Regrettably, I still don’t know what a bushel is.

But what is clear about the old way of farming is the work was clear. You shucked corn until every ear clean. You dug potatoes until there are none left to dig. There was time for thought and time for talk. And there were harsh consequences for farmers if they did not do their work.

Today’s work is not so clear – especially if you are working on yourself. Your arms won’t rot off in October because you didn’t harvest push ups today. You probably won’t starve to death in December because you forgot to plant the seeds of your small business in April.

That’s what makes getting ahead these days so persnickety. Consequences for inaction can take years to appear.

The solution is we must all work on our fortune telling skills. It’s not as hard or mystical as it sounds. We can use imagination and logic to see the result of not acting today, tomorrow and the next.

You don’t need a crystal ball to see what happens after 3 years of drinking a bottle of vodka each day. Nor do you need one to see what happens after 3 years of developing a profitable service that helps thousands of people.  Successful fortune telling means seeing the future and altering your behavior accordingly.

Leaders call this having a strong vision.

While dropping my kids off at school this morning, I heard them arguing about musical instruments. For 5 minutes I listened to “you will have to play the recorder in your grade!” followed up by “no I won’t!”

Dumb arguments aren’t confined to kids. I once sat in a 2 hour meeting where two people argued over which shade of green to pick for a sidebar on a webpage.

I think before entering into any argument we need to ask ourselves 3 questions:

1. What do I get if I win?
2. What do I lose if I lose?
3. What is the cost of this argument?

I advised my kids: If the answer to questions one and two are nothing then say “okay” and talk about something else.

Costs can come in the form of wasted time & energy, hurt feelings and loss of respect (to name a few). Some arguments are worth having. Others do not benefit us in the least – and only cost us.

So if we’re going to argue, I’m going to make sure there is a benefit to winning or a loss to losing. Otherwise, you can have this win. I’ll save up for when we have something important to argue about.

Stressful jobs, recession money woes and unrelenting pressure from family and social duties can turn even the most cheerful person into an anxious pessimist with little motivation. But positivity is all in your mind, and once you understand that your mood and your outlook on the life is something you can actually control, you’ll be more ready to tackle any challenges that life hurtles your way. Here are ten little tips that will help you turn negatives into positives, ultimately letting you lead a life with less worry.

1. Speak in the positive. Even if you have to convey a negative thought or emotion, say it in the positive. For example, instead of saying or thinking “I can’t get through this,” say, “I’m lost” or “I need help.” Speaking in the negative just reiterates your negative feelings.
2. Rethink obstacles. Try to view problems as something you can work through, instead of obstacles that prevent you from getting what you want. Just because your first plan of action didn’t work, doesn’t mean there isn’t another way.
3. Avoid ultimatums. The more pressure you put on yourself and other people, the more out of control you’ll feel. Ultimatums also tend to make small issues blow up into problems that cause more trouble than they’re worth.
4. Force yourself to smile or laugh. Release a little positive energy by smiling at someone or telling a joke.
5. Remember the things you’re good at. If your job is killing you, think of all the things you’re actually good at, like fly fishing, listening to others or painting.
6. Reach out to others. You don’t have to see a therapist to reap the benefits of talking about your problems. Friends and family can also give you another perspective on your problem that will help you get through the tough times.
7. Sleep on it. If you just can’t see around an obstacle, put it aside until after you get a good rest.
8. Start more sentences with “I can.” Try to turn as many “I can’ts” into “I cans” each day.
9. Reduce your stress level. Try to reduce your stress level by doing one positive thing each day, by giving yourself a little more free time, going to bed early, or visiting with friends.
10. Figure out how your problems will pan out in the long term. Will this problem still be a major issue in 3 weeks, 6 months, or one year? Gauge your reaction to problems by asking yourself how important and relevant they are to your life.

This post was contributed by Tara Miller, who writes about the online psychology degrees. She welcomes your feedback at TaraMillerr00 at yahoo.com

One interesting tool I found way back in the early 1990’s was Roger Von Oech’s Creative Whack Pack.  The Whack Pack is a deck of cards based on his popular creativity building books A Whack on the Side of the Head and A Kick in the seat of the Pants.

I happily own a copy of each of these as well. But one problem always plagued me. I never felt like I understood the Whack Pack. They are fun cards to read and all, but I was missing something because I never felt like I was getting answers. Just more questions.

A picture of me “whacking”

Then along comes the iPhone and subsequently The Whack Pack for iPhone . This awesome version has with it a ‘workshop’ mode that guides you through the process.

To do a workshop, you enter a problem you are having. Simple enough. Then you are dealt 4 cards that will predict your future and you live happily ever after (just kidding ). The 4 cards actually are designed to give you a “whack” in each of their focused areas. By their very nature, whacks are designed to stretch your imagination in new ways so you can see your problem from new and different perspectives.

It may sound a little silly – and it is at times. But we all need a little sillyness now and again to keep creativity flowing.

I presented a problem I was having last nonth to the CWP. And overall, after 20 minutes or so of working on my problem I felt much clearer, relaxed, and optimistic.

Below is a recent workshop I did – complete with typos for your convenience.

Your Issue:

Deciding what my highest priority goal should be

Card 28 – Imagine Others

http://creativethink.com/je3

Creative people I respect:

• Edison - he would say, work night and day with stuff you like doing. Your goal will appear.
• David Gilmore – practice and get drunk now and again. You’ll figure it out
• Da Vinci – take chances – explore new worlds.

Card 11 – Use Your Senses

http://creativethink.com/p1b

I look at the idea of honing in on 1 goal today as a dark, pressure filled event. Sort of like since I take on stuff SO ambitious, I can’t help but fail – at least in some respects.

Not focusing let’s me relieve some pressure since I can always move on to something else.

Maybe I can think of a goal that is both fun and low pressure that involves enjoyment of other senses. Like maybe my one and only goal for June is to make extaordinary food for lunches and dinners.

Or maybe a goal to spend 1 hour a day doing nothing. Just sitting at the park taking in the sounds of people and children playing.

Card 12 – Listen to Your Dreams

http://creativethink.com/4sz

What is dreamlike in my current situation? The images of future pressure, failure, disappointment and thoughts of letting me and others down is just an illusion. Rationally, I know it’s fear, emotionally it is confusing. Just like when you wake from a dream you know there isn’t a creature under the bed. But you are still afraid.

Card 23 – Rearrange

http://creativethink.com/0jn

How can I rearrage my issue?

1. Decide for ALL of June I will have no goal or direction

2. Every time I feel pressure to perform, I stop and review #1

3. I start focusing on the objects I want, not the actions. Do I want a boat? A Mac? What?

Have you tried whacking?

I know many of you have either read Von Oech’s books or use the Whack pack, why not post your opinions below.   Maybe you have some tips for getting more from the books or software.

If you like this post, please consider voting for it on del.icio.us or stumbleupon… you’d be helping your fellow whacker! lol

Seems every time there is a recession, I hear some knucklehead pronouncing that rich people will come to the common mans’ rescue. On the bus the other night I heard a guy loudly pronouncing how Warren Buffet and friends will take heart and donate $2.5 million to every household.

These donations would end the recession and everyone would live happily ever after. Isn’t that sweet?

What insanity.

Back in 1998 I had a similar conversation with a coworker who believed Bill Gates would write a check for $50,000 to every American family. After all, Bill Gates could do that. So he would. Like a chain letter gone bad, this co-worker was counting on it.

I know it can sometimes be fun to dream about windfalls like this. But smart people should never count on them.

When dreaming about your future, most of the dreams should revolve around what YOU will do, not other people. Because you can’t control or predict what others will do. You might not even be able to control what you will do. But at least you have more experience with you.

Face the facts of our circumstance (good or bad) and take action to get what we want. If it’s more money, make the trades in your skills for the money. Your rich uncle Larry may leave all his money to his pet squirrel. And Bill Gates may decide to never write that check – I know I’m still waiting on mine.

“I never teach my pupils; I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn.” – Albert Einstein

Do you ever feel like you need a kick in the seat-of-the-pants?  A push in the right direction?  Perhaps you need a boost in morale or need some attitude adjustment.  Try giving yourself a self-development day.

Benefits of a self-development day

1. You almost program yourself for optimism

2. You feel better, refreshed and ready to seize the rest of the week

3. Side-advantage: You knock out some minor tasks you’ve been procrastinating

4. You’ll be more organized for the days and weeks to come.

The way I’ve done this in the past is I’ve picked one or two self-development/motivational audio programs that I would listen to nonstop for a whole day.  I put on some headphones and do some long-delayed cleaning and filing.  At the end of a day like this, I am feeling much more positive, more organized and a lot more energized about how I am going to deal the rest of the week.

So why does this work so well?

The simple reason is constant exposure.  If you have ever attended an all-day program sponsored by Zig Ziglar, Brian Tracy or similar speaker, you probably felt pretty good about yourself and your future after the day was complete.  Constant exposure to new motivational ideas prevent the little negative thoughts (gremlins) from taking hold so easily.  For lack of a better word, it’s healthy brainwashing.

Best of all, this method is simple to do.  Just pick a day, and choose a few self-development audio programs.  Prepare some repetitive or routine work and get to listening.  Don’t stop until the end of the day!

Here are 8 tips:

1. Pick audio programs where you feel you’ll learn something or reinforce behaviors you want to preserve.

2. Make sure the day you choose is one where you can either be alone or where you can listen without people interrupting.

3. Choose titles that can get you moving in new and better directions.

4. Mentally approach your self-development day listening time with a sense that you will learn something.

5. Set aside a full day, where you can do stuff like clear your desk, your office closet, dust, file…choose simple tasks such as organizing so you can focus on the audio messages.

6. Also, keep the computer and radio OFF.  This is self-development day, not surf day.

7. It’s also not audio-book day, so don’t choose novels.

8. If you find yourself bored with the message, keep the tapes or CDs rolling.  If your mind drifts, let it drift.  Just keep it rolling.  It’s likely the next chapter will snag you.  If not, you are still getting something.

Some ideas for what to do while you listen can include filing and tossing out old papers.  Remove all the books from your bookcase, dust them and put them back.  Clean and arrange your desk drawers.  If you typically take a break, this time take a break and go for a walk.

A self-development day is an Investment in you.

This is pure YOU time, this is for your health and mental well-being.  You will surely get many ideas during this day and will probably feel a great sense of motivation and drive when the day is over.

Need some suggestions?

Here are some titles I’ve enjoyed over the years:

• The Psychology of Winning

• Lead the Field

• The Psychology of Achievement

• Your Secret Wealth

• The Art of Exceptional Living

• Conversation Power

Updated: Originally published May 8, 2006