Focus on Connecting Until Success

How is your self-esteem? Where do you fall on the definition of the spectrum of pride?

From the Wikipedia:

Aristotle identified pride as …the greatness of soul…

Now the man is thought to be proud who thinks himself worthy of great things, being worthy of them; for he who does so beyond his deserts is a fool, but no virtuous man is foolish or silly. The proud man, then, is the man we have described. For he who is worthy of little and thinks himself worthy of little is temperate, but not proud; for pride implies greatness, as beauty implies a goodsized body, and little people may be neat and well-proportioned but cannot be beautiful. On the other hand, he who thinks himself worthy of great things, being unworthy of them, is vain; though not every one who thinks himself worthy of more than he really is worthy of is vain. The man who thinks himself worthy of less than he is really worthy of is unduly humble, whether his deserts be great or moderate, or his deserts be small but his claims yet smaller. And the man whose deserts are great would seem most unduly humble; for what would he have done if they had been less? The proud man, then, is an extreme in respect of the greatness of his claims, but a man in respect of the rightness of them; for he claims what is accordance with his merits, while the others go to excess or fall short. [5]

He concludes then that

Pride, then, seems to be a sort of crown of the virtues; for it makes them greater, and it is not found without them. Therefore it is hard to be truly proud; for it is impossible without nobility and goodness of character. [6][7]

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Objectivism is among the few modern philosophies and/or religions that list pride as a virtue. According to Ayn Rand, pride is one of the seven main virtues. In The Virtue of Selfishness, Ayn Rand wrote

The virtue of Pride can best be described by the term: “moral ambitiousness.” It means that one must earn the right to hold oneself as one’s own highest value by achieving one’s own moral perfection—which one achieves

by never accepting any code of irrational virtues impossible to practice

and by never failing to practice the virtues one knows to be rational—by never accepting an unearned guilt and never earning any, or, if one has earned it, never leaving it uncorrected—by never resigning oneself passively to any flaws in one’s character—by never placing any concern, wish, fear or mood of the moment above the reality of one’s own self-esteem. And, above all, it means one’s rejection of the role of a sacrificial animal, the rejection of any doctrine that preaches self-immolation as a moral virtue or duty.[9]

Pride is thus seen as a positive, correct life-affirming attitude to have, as it celebrates one’s achievements and promoted selfworth.

It is achieved by consistently practicing productiveness, rationality, independence, honesty, integrity, justice and all of the other virtues, and the end result is one of the three cardinal Objectivist values: self-esteem.

eBay’s best match system lowers seller search rankings if buyers do not consistently give sellers a perfect score of “5″ rating a sellers shipping and handling charges. According to the article below, eBay (the leader) doesn’t use its own system to sell its own products.

“>Actions are worth 1000 words.

How to obtain more control and confidence seems to be a prevalent question I receive. I have previously written blog articles on confidence but I will offer a more personal angle for my readers.

I grew up having fun, playing and relaxing. Playing tennis on every surface (grass, clay, and hard courts) and at practically every facility including the US Open courts in Flushing Meadows was fun and enjoyable.

I recently played a USTA tennis match with players I never met before. My partner, a former college level player who was 6′5″ recently took lessons with Colin Dibley. Colin Dibley was a former professional player who served 148 MPH with a wooden racket! And yes, I have been on the opposite side of the court facing this serve…the beautiful aspect is how graceful and effortlessly Colin hit it. The foundation of his foot pushing into the clay court left a 3 inch gaping hole in the court.

If everyone from a temporary employee to tennis player to executive had the opportunity to face the ultimate challenge in their profession whether its a 148 mph serve, or the wisest competitor capable of putting them out of business overnight, they would share something in common. This experience of a temporary loss of confidence and control will make them better in the future. If you have the wisdom of knowing what the bottom is, your confidence and control can only go up and flourish. Your enhanced understanding of the spectrum including a temporary loss of self-esteem will be less likely to leave you blind sided in the future. Standing in the shoes of your friends and competitors is key to gaining greater feelings of control and confidence. This is another reason why we are better together.

Back to the personal tennis match. We won the match in a close tie-breaker with about 20 people watching us at the end as our result determined the winning outcome of the team. After the match, my partner revealed to me that he felt he could take more risks because of his confidence in my steady and consistent play. Having confidence in your tennis or “online” partners is key. Providing each other with more regular and routine positive feedback helps develop present and future confidence.

The ultimate dynamic game to play regarding confidence and control is the game of chicken.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken_(game). Chicken is the game in which two drivers drive towards each other on a collision course: one must swerve, or both may die in the crash. The issue to recognize is the outcome where neither player yields is the worst possible one for both players.

Greater individual responsibility makes sense and is more beneficial. Winston Churchill was a roaring lion…he marshalled the english language and sent it to battle when there was little else.

Manchester United chief executive David Gill called on Cristiano Ronaldo to show his commitment and loyalty to the club….after his public expression of desire to be traded to another team.

Are sports a reflection of society, or is it the other way around? I always thought society was a reflection of sports. If thats the case, then its no surprise when employees look outside of their organizations for the next best opportunity. Yet, is there anyone in society following the lead of the United Manchester executive? Isn’t Employer-Employee commitment and loyalty an expression of Brotherhood, Liberty, Nobleness, and a Thoroughfare for freedom, the America the Beautiful we have always sought out?

I believe the lack of commitment and loyalty is a reflection why American performance has not been rising as quickly as we expect in recent years. When American executives recommit themselves and their business loyalty to Americans, American employee performance, morale and productivity will rebound.

I fully understand when American business outsources jobs abroad for expertise that is unavailable in America, but when capitalism is taken to the extreme and we do not provide our own citizens with jobs, customer service and values, our educational system, executive decision-making and loyalties themselves must be examined. Executives may be acting in good faith for the shareholders of their company but are they acting in good faith for the entire nation on which the basis of (the nation) and the stock market was devised?

Returning to sports, it is only a rare individual who can bounce from team or team, or business to business and maintain a successful career.

Mickey Mantle-”The Mick” played his entire career in a Yankees uniform, from 1951 to 1968. Lou Gehrig-First baseman Gehrig was a native New Yorker who got to not only play for his hometown team his entire career (1923-1939), but who became one of the greatest players of all-time. Don Mattingly-Another adored Yankees player, first baseman Mattingly played his entire career in New York (1982-1995). Yogi Berra-Lawrence Peter “Yogi” Berra was one of the greatest hitting catchers of all-time, playing his entire career with the Yankees (1946-1963) except for a very brief stint with the Mets in 1965.

A United Kingdom based study found worker commitment and loyalty enhanced both labor productivity and financial performance. If you want to be known as having the greatest people on your team, do not neglect commitment and loyalty. Ask for it, show gratitude and nourish it. The Manchester United team gets this, which helps explain why Manchester United is one of the most popular football clubs in the world with over 330 million supporters worldwide.

Commitment, Loyalty and Action equals Secure Success (C.L.A.S.S.)

There are different ways to channel emotion. In The Blind Side by Michael Lewis (Evolution of a Game), Michael Oher a 300 lb famous football recruit was the biggest and fastest on his team. He had the element of surprise for he and his 50 inch waist was considered too wide to be solid and too big for anyone to imagine his speed.

He was the fastest on the team in the 10 yard dash and could single handedly take over the game. His coach at one point played “GAP” which meant give the ball to the running back and let him follow Michael Oher down the field. And they played GAP on offense the entire game!

In one of the games, a defensive end pissed Michael off by calling him names and threatening him. Michael proceeded to legally block and pick up the 240 lb defensive end on his shoulders and run him down the field for 15 yards, then took a hard left for 25 yards, past the opposing teams player bench, across the 10 yard track and to the fence at the edge of the field. The entire opposing team had jumped on his back. The referees called “excessive blocking” which wasn’t really on the books but they had to call something.

Michael, when asked where he was taking the opposing player, said he was going to put the opposing player back on the bus…it was time for him to go home. Indeed the bus was just beyond the fence!

In my eyes, the moral is to channel emotions >on< the playing fields (football, baseball, soccer, tennis, hockey, track and field). If Michael Oher misdirected this type of action off the playing field, the penalty and impact of his actions would be a lot more severe than a penalty flag. A leader is a role model not a troublemaker. Michael’s lessons on the field helped him learn to lead his team to victories.

Next time you are thinking of channeling negative emotions off the playing field, get off the street and channel them in a positive way on the playing field.

We appreciate feedback when customers let us know they are pleased with items received.

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There are two sides of a coin and two sides to the internet and world. One can be characterized as beautiful and the other can be characterized as ugly.

The beauty of the internet is the connectedness and access to an incredible abundance of information. The ugliness is access to all the information to the side of the world that you would prefer not to see. This is why Helen Keller who was blind and deaf was described as having the purest mind. She overcame obstacles and went after her dreams. In 1915, Helen Keller and George Kessler founded the Helen Keller International (HKI) organization. This organization is devoted to research in vision, health and nutrition. In 1920, she helped to found the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

If you want greater amounts of happiness in your life, surround yourself with the people and community you love, be blind and deaf to distractions and develop the reality you want. You can control this. Be passionate and work with diligent discipline….it is a process.

As the parent of a 2 year old, my dream is a better world for them than the one I experienced. Connectedness, Togetherness, and Happiness. The wealth is inside of them, and its still inside of you!

Explain to a 2 year old why their favorite book called “Babyhearts” ordered on Amazon did not arrive. Explain to a 2 year old why when you search for “Elmo” on Youtube, half of the videos involve death or killing. Next time you take an action, imagine your 2 year old watching. Lead by example with their best interests in mind. This makes sense and is beneficial. Through their eyes, the world will become greater. Make your dreams their reality.

The FISA law affects your right to privacy and freedom.

One of the plaintiffs in the suit stated “”The power of this surveillance can essentially shut down the ability of whistleblowers, human-rights activists, dissidents, true-tellers and people with a conscience to rise up and speak against the audacity of those in power,” Hedges said. “With that gone, we take a giant step toward fascism. (the cultural decline)”

The text of the FISA (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act) law can be seen here. The FISA Amendments Act allows broad, untargeted surveillance, including spying on U.S. residents who are talking with people overseas, said Jameel Jaffer, director of the ACLU National Security Project.

The Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution provides for protection when there is a reasonable expectation of privacy, or when there is a reasonable expectation that the communication will not be heard by anyone else. The protection of the Amendment depends upon whether the area was one in which there was reasonable expectation of freedom from governmental intrusion. See Katz v. United States, 389 U.S. 347 (1967).

What type of Leader are you?

Leadership by example is the act of setting the right example, serving as a role model, having actions that speak louder than words, standing up for what you think is the “right” thing, showing the way, holding to the purpose and espousing the positive beliefs.

There are many styles of leaders:

authoritative (expert in the company who is able to clearly identify the goals that will lead the organization to success)
bureaucratic (follows procedures with no room for exploration — historically found in hospitals or banks to ensure quality and security )
charismatic (infuse energy and confidence)
autocratic (makes decision alone)
democratic (listens and studies ideas and makes final decision)
laissez-faire (no continuous feedback or supervision because staff is highly experienced)
people-oriented (supports, trains and develops personnel)
task-oriented (has others concentrate on tasks to achieve goal)
servant oriented (gives team members what they need to be productive)
transaction (power to reward/punish based on performance)
transformation (motivates for effectiveness, always looking for ideas to reach vision)
environment (nurtures the group to affect the emotional and psychological perception of an individual’s place in that group/organisation)

Which leadership style(s) make the most sense for your company? Would one style work better than another in a particular situation? If you are seeking better results, go through the list and make appropriate adjustments. Rather than focusing on what is wrong, focus on ways to make it right.

All Americans are in this together. We are better together.

I attended a Princeton Chamber of Commerce Mid-Summer Marketing Madness Event event on Palmer Square today. This was the 2nd year the event was held and it included a variety of participants. The weather was beautiful and the networking and food was top notch. Princeton has always had fine restaurants and caterers.

One entity that immediately resonated with me was Better Together. They had a pamphlet on social capital, which refers to…” the friendships, acquaintances and working relationships that tie people together. The bonds of social capital make neighborhoods safer, schools better, and people healthier. When individuals are invested in each other and their communities, they are more likely to vote, volunteer, care for one another, and cooperate even when they have differences. Social capital has both individual and collective elements that affect our lives and the well being of our businesses and towns.”

“If you don’t go to somebody’s funeral, they won’t come to yours.” Yogi Berra

If you want to improve the quality of your life, speak with your neighbors more regularly…how well do you trust and know your neighbors, merchants and co-workers? Having strong social capital ensures that all perspectives are heard and reflected in decisions that affect many people. Better Together has a list of 52 things you can do to build social capital. Remember, if social capital in your home area rises, its likely you will be happier, healthier and will live longer.

10 Ways to Improve Social Capital

1. Organize a fitness group with colleagues
2. Mentor a young co-worker
3. Start a lunch gathering/discussion group with co-workers
4. Organize a social gathering to welcome a new neighbor
5. Carpool with a neighbor
6. Pick it up even if you didn’t drop it
7. Hire young people for odd jobs
8. Join groups (arts/sports/religion) that will likely lead to making new friends across
race/ethnicity, social class or other social cleavages
9. Take a walk with your dog in a different neighborhood or park
10. Read bulletin boards and try something new

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Most experts agree that if technology is to succeed, it will have to be used to reinforce face to face ties.

What is the relationship between social capital and happiness?
There has been a growing interest in the study of subjective well-being (happiness). In contrast, if one raises the social capital of a community resident, studies show that it raises both the happiness of that individual and everyone else in the community. Some studies (at least in decisions of what job to take or where to live) reveal that individuals over-estimate the increase in happiness they would get from a higher paycheck or a larger house and underestimate the decrease in happiness they would suffer if their job or new house provides less time or opportunity to socially connect with others. [The BBC has had a report on the Happiness Formula; available here.]

To learn more, read the Better Together report written shortly after 9/11/01 (100 page document)
http://www.bettertogether.org/thereport.htm.