Who Kills Your Food?

OK, maybe that is a little harsh, but many times the more elemental a statement is the more effective it will be. Unless you are a strict vegan, your every day diet probably involves a very inhumane, heartless process of raising animals in squalor, and then herding them to the dispatch facility.

Hunting is a way to get closer to the animals we respect, while giving them a more than fair chance to live their entire life in the natural environment they were meant to inhabit. I am NOT suggesting that everyone should become a hunter. We outstripped the lands ability to support that long ago.

What I am trying to get across is that maybe hunting isn't that barbaric thing everyone would have you believe it to be. In its truest and purest form, it is meant to be reverent and respectful. Grateful for the direct involvement in a pursuit that brings one closer to the actual symbiosis God has in mind for us. A life is given so that another can continue, and the relationship between hunter and prey goes on.

Homecoming by Dansby Swanson

"God always has a plan. It’s our job to figure out that plan. And that’s the beauty of life."

http://www.theplayerstribune.com/dansby-swanson-atlanta-braves-trade/

TREY GOWDY: PIN DROP SPEECH

Do This Daily...

This blog is one of my favorite daily rituals. Please follow the link below to see their take on how, and why, you should focus on GRATITUDE every day. It is a self creating practice that depends on your purposeful diligence.

http://www.marcandangel.com/2016/06/22/one-daily-gratitude-ritual-that-will-change-the-way-you-think/

Do This Daily...

This blog is one of my favorite daily rituals. Please follow the link below to see their take on how, and why, you should focus on GRATITUDE every day. It is a self creating practice that depends on your purposeful diligence.

http://www.marcandangel.com/2016/06/22/one-daily-gratitude-ritual-that-will-change-the-way-you-think/

Tiny Hooks Lead to Big Fish

Tiny Hooks = Big Fish

My wife has a friend at work that was talking the other day about a lake near his mothers house. He said she told him there were a lot of fish there and he should go by and check it out sometime. The problem was, he didn't have any equipment to go fishing. When I heard the story I realized it was on opportunity to share one of my real passions in life. I have been fishing, and thus collecting fishing gear all of my life. Some of my earliest memories were of sitting on the bank of a pond with my Grandfather. All we had were two bamboo poles, a couple of small hooks and a cup of worms we dug out of the flower garden behind his house. Even so, we caught enough fish to feed the entire family in only a few hours. In fact, we pulled in fish at a rate of about one per every two minutes or so. I am convinced the feeling of accomplishment in being successful, and pride from actually providing food for our meal that night, was a lesson that continues to be reinforced in me even to this day.

While sorting through my tackle looking for pieces I could share with my wife's friend, I decide to start him out small, like I was. I am sure there are some big fish in the lake he was talking about, but those can wait for another day. I found two rods with small close faced reels that are very simple to operate. If I had cane poles I may have even suggested them, but alas I have fallen prey to the technology of the day. In looking through some other gear I began to realize the importance of this "Learn to walk before you run" fishing philosophy. Like life, fishing is best learned in small pieces and from the ground up. If you can have some success in learning how to catch small fish, those same principles can be applied to and improved upon when it becomes time to seek the bigger fish.

Too many people these days assume that success is somehow owed to them and they want immediate large results. Professional fishermen roar around the lakes in $100,000 boats using electronics that cost as much as some peoples daily driven cars. They have ten specialized rods on the boat, with highly tuned open faced reels that take thousands of casts to perfect. Each rod and reel rig may approach $500 and the tackle in their multiple soft sided bags are equal to the worth of another small family car. Their goal for each day on the lake is to catch five large fish, have them weighed, and hopefully stack up against the competition. Then release the fish back into the lake. How many of our daily pursuits begin to look like this by comparison? How often do you invest large sums of money to engage in high stress competitive events (school, work, etc.) only to end up walking away with nothing after it is all over with?

I am not trying to say we shouldn't participate in the world around us. I am just saying that I bet if you asked those professional fishermen what their favorite memories of fishing were, they would probably talk about fishing on the bank with their granddad, or teaching their kids how to bait a hook and then watching the delight shine on their smiling faces as they enjoyed the "little things" in life. Every day we have the opportunity to learn something new in life. I just want to encourage you to slow down, start small, and appreciate the beginnings of what may someday be your passion. Don't go casting around with impossibly large lures expecting that trophy to jump on your hook with very little effort. Even if it did, the reward would not be appreciated and would soon give way to the reality of life. Every small action leads to a small reward. Small rewards accumulate into successful life habits, and those habits bring lasting fulfillment from a job well planned, acted upon and confidently accomplished. This happens when you build your life through appreciating the small gifts we are given every day.

Do Fishermen Always Catch Fish?

So you have planned a fishing trip to one of the finest trout streams in the country. You have purchased the appropriate licenses, clothing, fishing gear and high tech breathable waders. You have read all of the books about your quarry. You have spoken with others who have fished these waters. You have even hired the finest area guide to give you the highest opportunity for success. Now, as you step into the rippling waters of the trout fishing promised land, would you throw away all of your preparation and follow the advice you read about from a very successful off-shore tuna fisherman? After all, the fish he catches weigh upwards of 1000 lbs. and everyone wants to "catch the big one". Heck this guy is so good he has his own TV show about catching tuna. I mean, a tuna is a fish and a brook trout is a fish... so what would be wrong with using squid as bait here in this beautiful mountain stream? Just because no one else ever has? You are a progressive thinker, and you understand that just because it hasn't been done doesn't always mean it can't be done. This will be your crowning glory as the first mover on using 12 inch live squid in the trout stream. In no time you will catch that trophy Bluefin Tuna, hiding in the deep hole over there, that everyone else has overlooked.

While this may seem ridiculous to anyone who has even a basic knowledge of fishing, it is the same basic principle we see in leaders who know they need to move their company into e-commerce. They read and research everything they can get their hands on. They speak with their peers, in industry and out. They research and find consultants to help them with the integration. Then, for some reason, they begin to give direction that really seems to be out of context with their needs. Whether it comes from an inherent need to be the decision maker, or a displaced belief that the article they just read in Harvard Business Review has more relevance, no one knows.What is obvious to almost everyone except the new leader is that the entire project hangs on this new point of contention.

A.   Don't be this leader.

B.   If you see this happening to your organization, don't keep your mouth shut.

C.   If the contention is great, reach out for and share other opinions.

D.   To use another sports analogy... Don't fumble on the one yard line.

Business, like fishing requires great preparation. Many times it will also require specialized tools. Although decision making may seem a solitary effort, you owe it to others to make sure you have a thorough understanding of the goal ahead. 

In closing, see if you can find the business corollary for the following fishing habits.

1.   Know what you are fishing for.

2.   Bring the right equipment.

3.   Use the right bait.

4.   The right size hook makes a difference.

5.   Ask others what they have been successful with.

6.   Just getting a bite is not success. 

7.   You still need to set the hook and land the fish.

8.   If all else fails, hire a professional guide (and do what they say).