Accountability – Lost Without It

We are ultimately responsible for our lot in life.  It is our decision.  Every action we take is our decision.  True, consequences, both good or bad, generally occur because of our decisions but Accountability helps us to do the right thing.

I was so dismayed yesterday to read a news article about Ken Lewis, the head of Bank of America, complaining that because of tight government restrictions on employee salaries, much of their best talent is leaving the company.  Lewis and other bank CEOs who accepted government aide, claim that these salary restrictions are going to cost taxpayers more in the end because it is going to take longer for the companies to regain profitability.  This is a shock because Bank of America reported blockbuster earnings just a week ago Bank of America Earnings Report.

Some people will say anything to enhance their financial positions.  Ultimately though, why are some companies in a position to hire away talent from these bad banks?  Why are these bad banks taking taxpayer money to survive despite the fact that they are earning BILLIONS OF DOLLARS????  I’m in no way a socialist.  I am a businessman and believe in the capitalist system, but this greed has got to stop.  Bad banks should not have been allowed to survive in the first place.  That is the crux of the capitalist system.  Survival of the fittest.  If these bad banks truly have troubles, is it not the fault of Ken Lewis and the Bank of America Board of Directors?   How can these people be allowed to sit on other Boards of Directors?  How can Shareholders unanimously vote them in time and time again.

While shareholders at Bank of America were upset that Ken Lewis went ahead with the purchase of Merrill Lynch without giving shareholders the facts, Lewis says that the government more or less put a gun to his head in the matter.  Ken Lewis has done no wrong! 

In my short journey here with sobriety, I have come to learn a lot about accountability.  I am accountable to to world wide web.  There is pure transparency here.  My life has improved significantly in a short period of time.  I have also aided others both emotionally and financially in this period.  Accountability works.

As voters, investors and associates to others, we must stress that accountability is an important key to success in life.  Stop blaming others.  Reject those who blame others.  Until we hold our politicians and corporate executives accountable for their actions, our economy, our culture, is never going to improve.

Focus on the Positive – Week 3

Funny how now, the stresses that occurred on Monday are far away from my consciousness.  Only seeing yesterday’s blog and how the feelings were still lingering remind me of that thought.  Had that event led me to a drink however, I might have still been brooding over it, blaming others for my failure.  Trying to figure out how I can rid myself of negative forces in my life would be a key subject now on my blog.  In the end, it was, is and always will be MY CHOICE to stay sober – or not.

As the month nears an end, I am reviewing my achievements for the month.  For many of us, it has been a very successful month, no?    What are the positives that you achieved?  I’m sure that there are so many things you have done.  So many that you don’t even realize! 

This morning, the government released an economic statistic.  The number was very bad.  Analysts were already expecting a significant decline of minus 4.7%.  When the number was announced to be negative 6.1% drop, the tv commentator gasped, saying that ‘the number was much worse than expected!’  But despite this horrible number, the financial markets did not move as one would expect.  Suddenly, the talking heads had to scour through the numbers trying to find the positives in the report.  Why were the markets not negatively reacting???

Perhaps this particular component of the report wasn’t as bad as it had been last month???  That’s not to say that the number was good, or even acceptable, it just wasn’t as bad as it had been.  Over and over, the analysts continued to disect the many components of the economic report.  Why did not market not react negatively?? 

Without doubt, the markets could have reacted sharply to the economic news.  But it didn’t.  On another day it might have.  On another day, the news could have been wonderful and the markets could have reacted very negatively.  In this case, the analysts would be trying to understand what caused the negative reaction.  Does it mean that the market was right?  What if the results were good but not as good as the markets expected?  Does that mean that the data is bad?  The results are poor?

Tomorrow, when we all do our monthly LIFE REPORT, don’t dwell on the negatives.  Sure there are things that didn’t go right.  Make a list.  These are the things that we are going to improve upon next month.  If everything we did this month were perfect, then unfortunately, we would have no growth opportunities in our life.  Who would want in invest in us?  We would already be on top with no place to go but down.

Celebrate your improvements.  Even if they don’t initially seem like improvements.  Was it worse than last month?  Or was there some gain, like they say on tv, ‘it was down, but not as bad as expected.’  Or ‘the rate of decline has slowed.’  Take a note from those who are trying to put a positive spin on things.  Remember, you are always going to be your own best spokesperson.  Learn how to analyze you gains and always put on positive spin on your life.

Respect – Day 14

As the thoughts of mean people still linger in the back of my mind, I am at peace knowing that I did not let the actions of others cause me to take a misguided action.  Normally, I would react to incoming negativism by drinking or doing some other self-destructive act.  Yesterday I didn’t do it.  Instead, I spent time reading articles on positive attitude, self-improvement and so forth.  I chose to try to redirect my attentions to self-growth, positive actions.

In the end, had I taken a drink, could I have said that I did it because of “so and so?”  It was their fault?  Not hardly.  In the end, I am the keeper of my soul.  I make the ultimate decisions in my life.  It is I who must be responsible for me.  Why is it that I attribute the good things in my life to ME but the bad things in my life to OTHERS?  We cannot move forward in our lives until we take total responsibility for ourselves.  It doesn’t matter what others say about us or do to us.  We must build our picture of who we are and steadfastly hold it in our minds.  We must stay focused, not allowing anyone to deter us from our goal.

I have experienced the power of positive attitude and truly believe that we can do anything that we put our mind to.  Some years ago, I decided that I wanted to work in Mexico City.  I married a woman from there and she had a very good job with two young children.  Rather than displacing them and having them move to the US, I decided to go there.  Well, I don’t speak much Spanish and even at that time, I was over 40 – two major disqualifying factors in working in Mexico.  But I was determined to do it.  No one, not even my wife, thought that I would succeed.  In my mind though, I held the desire to get a job in Mexico.  One of the keys to achieving a goal is to totally believe that you can do it.  The one thing that I most remember about that experience was how I handled the negativisms.  There was a shield in front of me.  When the bad comments would be shot at me, they never reached me.  They would bounce off of my shield in front of me.  I knew that if I let even one of these negative comments enter into my mind, it would plant a seed of self-doubt.  I would not allow those words to enter in.  After two years of constant effort, I not only got a job, I got a good job as a vice president of a major bank!

While quitting smoking and drinking and other important personal goals can help inspire, getting the job in Mexico really proved it to me that one can accomplish absolutely anything that we put our mind to.  Anything!

I read a very fine article yesterday.  Can’t remember the author’s name but I will search for it and add a link to the blog.  The title of the article was something like Is Failure the Opposite of Success?  We are so accustomed to immediate gratification but real success takes time.  Real success only comes after lots of failures.  The key illustration in the article was this.  Imagine a one-year old who is trying to walk. He falls down over and over and over again but keeps smiling.  And how do we react?  Do we tell him  “NO, you can’t do it.  Give up!  You will never learn how to walk!”?  Not at all.  We keep encouraging and supporting him and are so thrilled that he is trying over and over again. 

Imagine what a beautiful world this would be if we could all be so supportive to each other.  Keep trying!  Don’t give up.  What is most important though is that when the rest of the world is telling us that we are going to fail, we must believe that we can succeed.  We cannot let this misguided criticisms of others affect our belief that we can do it. 

Yesterday was a very hard day for me but in the end, it was a significant day.  I wrote before that sometimes when I drank, it was as if I were punishing myself.  I was joining in with the crowd.  I was beating myself up.  Well, yesterday I FOUGHT BACK!!!  I treated myself with the respect that I believe I deserve.

Why Are People So Mean?

I found myself walking down the liquor section aisle at the local supermarket moments ago.  Really, I was very tempted.  All morning, I’ve experienced mean people.  People saying negative things about me, bashing me.  It really brings me down so hard.  I would rather have no social relationships than ones with such negative people.

I have been trying to fight off the urge to “pack it in” and get wasted.  Tomorrow marks two weeks, fourteen days.  Does it matter?  I’ve gotten little done today as the negative inputs bring me down.  What difference would it make if I drank?  Who cares anyway? 

I need to get through this period but there is no one to lean on.  No one I can trust for support.  Is it me?  Do I attract mean, evil people?  Do they even realize how mean and evil they are or seem?  How I wish that I were insensitive to words. 

I feel bad that I let this affect my work.  I have been on a roll, working hard each day, accomplishing neat things, learning so much.  This negative input affects me just as bad as drinking.  Often it has been the cause or at least the stimulus to my desire to drink.  On any other day, I would have put quite a bit away already.  Well, I didn’t do it.

I guess I have to find strength in my goals and desires.  I have to picture positive things.  I need to see myself accomplishing my goals, not being drunk.  I think that I’ve come too far now and perhaps a few are watching me and cheering for me.  I hope.  It would be so easy to quit.  So easy to erase my previous blogs as if it never happened.  No one really knows who I am.  I haven’t told close friends or family about this journal.  Only you Mr. and Mrs. Cyberspace. 

No, I will continue on.  I real focus on positive things.  Perhaps the best way to shake this feeling is to achieve something.  Don’t let today be a total waste.  Make new progress so at the end of the day I can reflect and think, man what a shitty day.  But despite being in the dumps, I managed to do this and that and other things.  In the end, I was able to overcome events that would normally result in a binge.  I hope this will be what I am thinking in another eight hours.  I hope I will be proud of the fact that I went another day being sober.  Sometimes it’s hard.

What’s It All About? – Day 13

Is this the beginning of the end?  More die in Mexico and the word is that the US will put a travel warning up today about going to Mexico.   More swine flu cases are being discovered, not only here but in other countries.  Mexico City is THE LARGEST metropolitan area in the western hemisphere.  Flights go in and out continually throughout the day to all corners of the world. 

Normally, this would be a great excuse to snuggle up with a bottle of something and watch the news all day.  Hey, the world, as we know it, can come to an abrupt end in a matter of weeks.  Does sobriety really matter?  I remember being with my dad just before he died.  He had diabetes for years and as a result, avoided sweets and no alcohol.  But when he was just hours from his final moments, I thought, was it worth it to not drink?  Not enjoy sweets?  I may have even asked him but he was loaded up with morphine and had tubes down his throat so he couldn’t speak.    Is it worth it?  We all end up at that final moment.  Sometimes our bad habits brought us there and other times, I guess it’s just our time.  Did it matter if we ate too many sweets?

In the end, my dad died of something totally unexpected.  It wasn’t his bad heart or his diabetes that got it, it was apparent hospital neglect that resulted in his intestines rupturing causing sepsis.  In his already bad condition, there was nothing that they could do to fix the problem.  Was it worth it? 

I guess such a question is as deep as the meaning of life itself.  I choose to remain sober to be more productive, to accomplish goals, to achieve.  But to what end is this important?  Other than an enhanced ego, taming the Nay-Sayers, etc.  What is it all about?

I wrote a goal setting speech a few years ago and will try to find it and link it up to this blog.  How do you set goals?  One way that is commonly suggested is “writing your obituary.”  My comments on this section was jestfully, ‘hundreds of thousands lined the streets of New York to pay their final respects to…’  When we are in our final moments, what is it that we think?  Is it that I had a million viewers of my blog?  Is it only in these final moments do we recognize what greatness we achieved?  Or what greatness we could have achieved had we tried? 

And that greatness isn’t necessarily determined by your final net estate, or as the saying used to go decades ago, “he with the most toys wins!”  I think it’s all about how did we contribute to mankind?  How did we inspire others?  How did our works or support help others to take positive actions?

Funny where thoughts go when you can just free-flow on a blog.  I never expected social concerns to enter my thought.  Just happens but it’s something that I am going to carry with me throughout the day, and perhaps the rest of the week and longer.  As I mentioned last week, I invited God to be my business partner.  Perhaps this thought is input from the “team.”

Mexican Flu – What They Are Saying in Mexico

Conspiracy – YES.  But about what?  The feeling amongst those in Mexico City centers on their own domestic problems.  Elections are coming up in a couple of months for Congress, Senate, etc.  The people are not happy with the current state of affairs.  Solving a crisis would go far to help gain credibility for those currently in power – even if they helped create the problem…

If you’ve taken the time to see Zeitgeist-The Movie, you might get some idea of what some in power might be willing to do to maintain control.  “No one knows what to think,” says one of my sources south of the border.

Keep an Open Mind

Humanity, as we know it, can disappear in a blink of an eye, can’t it?  My biggest fear has always been a solar flare that shoots out of our Sun and disintigrates the Earth in an instant.  Or, not too long ago, a meteor came shooting by very close to Earth.  Scientists said that they only had Only Two Days Warning!  Did you even hear about this?  Probably not.

Now, the Blog World is starting to buzz with Conspiracy Theory after a Bloomberg Article reported that it appears that the new flu outbreak coincided with President Obama’s visit to Mexico.  It is suggested that the first flu victim shook hands with Obama just the day before at an event held at Mexico City’s Anthropology Museum.  The victim died the next day.   The world surely has come a long way since the US Government tried to kill Fidel Castro with an exploding cigar. 

Conspiracy theories have always been around in my lifetime.  I still don’t think that the JFK assasination has ever been fully explained, at last to my satisfaction.  In my recent studies of the Federal Reserve System, I read that JFK opposed the Federal Reserve and was trying to eliminate the provisions that established this organization.  If you don’t already know, the Federal Reserve is a private organization owned by a handful of very very rich people who owned the big banks.  Just look at what is happening now with the bailouts, the corporate welfare, etc.  Most of it is orchestrated by the Federal Reserve (the bank owners) providing welfare to the banks.  It’s surely conceivable that a group who has a monopoly interest over the US Dollar would do whatever it took to keep that power

If you haven’t yet seen Zeitgeist-The Movie, I invite you to do so. I don’t mean to propose that the theories presented in this movie are true, but I do feel that the material has been excellently researched and comes to realistic conclusions. There is no limit as to what people in power will do to get, retain and increase power.

We all need to keep an open mind.  We all need to hear the views and opinions of others, even if it is totally different than what we believe.  We have the power, through the internet, to see what the world is thinking and not just what is spoon-fed to us by the major media.  Those who close their minds to other thoughts limit their credibility.  It is only through a good experience and understanding of many sides of an issue can you attain any credibility (at least in my book). 

In the end though, I suppose it doesn’t matter.  In a matter of days, weeks, months; mankind could be wiped off the face of the earth.  There have been three mass extinctions in the past and to think that it can’t happen again is folly.  Imagine, an assasination plot going awry, killing millions!  Nothing would surprise me.  Unfortunately, we would never know.  Never.  We can only trust in a higher power and enjoy our precious moments.

Flu Prevention – Preventive Measures

Imagine scheduling a major sporting event and no one came!   Apparently that is what will happen tomorrow afternoon at two Mexican soccer matches.  Mexican health officials are monitoring airports, subways and other public transportation areas and pulling people who appear to be sick.   Hundreds of people have already died this week in Mexico City despite reports here in the US that only 60 or so have died.  My wife, who is in Mexico City now, says that the news reports in Mexico are much different.

Many in Mexico are angry that the government downplayed the inital outbreak of the flu and only after hundreds have died are beginning to take action.  In the US, there has been little discussion of this issue.  Remember that governments tend to be REACTIVE instead of PROACTIVE.  Health officials are worried that this current flu outbreak could cause a pandemic with the power to kill millions.  The reason is because this new virus appears to be a mix of human, pig and bird viruses.  Humans have no defenses against pig and bird viruses.  With this in mind, take it upon yourself to immediately begin taking precautions to avoid getting the flu.

1.  When possible, avoid being in crowded places such as shopping malls centers of public transportation and so forth.  These measures are now being taken by people in Mexico City, but perhaps it’s already too late.

2.  Wash your hands often using an anti-bacterial soap.  Some experts have recommended that you should wash your hands for 20 seconds to be safe. 

3.  Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.  This is how bad bugs can get into our system.

4.  Consider wearing a mask to cover your nose and mouth.  Consider getting a supply immediately.  If the flu outbreak hits the US, you may not be able to find any.

5.  Cover your mouth when sneezing and/or coughing and remind others to do so.

6.  Take ample quantities of Vitamin C to enhance your immune system.  Vitamin C is the most cost-effective anti-oxidant you you can buy.  It supports the immune system and fights viruses and bacteria.  For the best protection, consider taking at least 2 grams of Vitamin C three times a day.  Your body does not retain it and passes it out of your body through urine.  So taking it throughout the day will ensure that you get maximum benefits.

If you start to feel sick, take precautions so that you don’t spread the virus.  While most people try not to avoid work and go in even when they are sick, now is not to take chances with your life and the lives of your co-workers.  Here are some other tips to help you battle the flu:

1.  Stop eating and just take liquids.  Your body is waging war against an enemy and needs all of the power it can muster up.  The digestion process is an energy-consuming process.  You need to let your body focus on the important work. 

2.  Consider increasing your dosage of Vitamin C.  If you have concerns about taking more than the government’s minimum daily requirements, contact your physician or other health care professional.  These comments are my personal opinion and are not meant to be medical advice. 

3.  Get rest.  Take a day off from work.  Try to get good sleep.  When you are in a deep sleep, your body produces immune-enhancing compounds that can help you recover more quickly.  Stay home.  Don’t take the chance of infecting others.

Don’t trust your health and your life to governments that have proven to be reactive instead of proactive.  The blame game won’t work well when you are sick.  It’s up to you to take responsibility for your life and take adequate precautions against the flu outbreak.

Flu Outbreak Kills 168 This Week in Mexico

GENEVA (AFP) – Hundreds of human cases of swine flu have been reported in Mexico and the United States in recent weeks, including 57 suspected deaths around Mexico City, the World Health Organisation said Friday.

Wife just called from Mexico and said all the schools are closed. I also heard of a flu outbreak in California.

Sometimes, goal setting and positive attitude just doesn’t mean too much.

Want More – Get More – Day 10

Sobriety is still the keyword in my mind but the temptations aren’t there.  Of course, I am avoiding situations that could put me in such a position.  There are heavy tests ahead I’m sure.  Yesterday as I was driving home, I passed a Mexican restuarant, the windows glimmered with red and green neon beer displays.  Ummm, an ice cold Carta Blanca or Dos Equis?  That was my first thought.  I can see that there are months and months to go before I am conditioned as a non-drinker.

Next week I will be traveling for business.  That is always a temptation to drink.  I know I will encounter a good bottle of wine here and there but I’ll just have to say no.

What I am most pleased about so far is the increase in my productivity.  I have never been the model of efficiency and still, I tend to be a little disorganized.  But each day, I am setting my productivity goals and manage to acheive them.  Even if I am working until 11 pm, it’s getting done.  I want to do more, push myself harder, learn more and more. 

I sense that we are in a changing world. A big changing world.  In two years, I don’t think that we will recognize our world.  At least in the business sense.  When I lost my last job, I really threw my hands up in disgust.  The lack of decent management and vision on the part of the companies that I’ve worked at show me that to pursue this profession, at least in the way that I have over the past 20 years, is senseless.   I must have the big vision and see what the world and my industry is going to look like two years, even five years from now.  How can I be in a position to shape the world the way I want?  How can my vision prevail against the behemoth banks that get the full support and unlimited funds of the US Government?

Yet, I know that I can change the industry.  I wrote a little about Jack Bogle the other day.  While he revolutionized the mutual fund industry in his lifetime, still, we are decades away from understanding and fully implementing his vision.  So I must understand that planting the seed, establishing the idea and beginning the implementation is the most important piece of the puzzle.  My vision may not come to frutation in my time but I need to commit myself to my vision.

I look at my new world, the internet.  I’ll be 55 in two months so I am light years behind.  I recently heard a story about how the two-year old child of my sister’s friend, found his way to the computer, somehow got on the internet, found his way to ToysRUs, found the toy he wanted and ordered it!  Mom and dad had shopped there on line before so the credit card info was already in the system.  But can you imagine? 

So for me, my training must be intense, just to understand this new world.  I really like Ezine.  I am taking liberal opportunity to see how people are operating in the web world.  In addition to doing my own writings, I have subscribed to about 50 topics and receive e mails with new writings each day and read, read, read.

Some of the free offerings are informative and lead me off into new directions, I learn new things every day.  Yet there is so much.  But understanding this new world is essential if I am to establish the new world of financial planning on the internet.

I attended church last week and the priest’s sermon got me thinking.  He said that he was visiting another parish and outside, there was a billboard with the saying “God is Crazy About You.”  The priest said that no matter what you do, no matter how hard you try to avoid God, He is not going to turn away from you.  Ever!  He’s crazy about you and will never give up trying to win your love. 

Well, I’ve been told all my life that God loves us.  You know, it’s just a matter of fact.  I think that with the universe so huge and so many with real problems, unlike myself, that God would have little time to be concerned with me, or anyone on this planet.  However, this homily made me think, well, if this is true, that God is really crazy about me, then I would like to invite Him to be my business partner!  Imagine having infinite knowledge and power on your team?  How can I fail?

So I did it.  I invited God to be my business partner.  With God as my partner, I can’t see how I can possibly fail.  Can you?