SeizingMyDay

The Ten Inventions that Have Made the Biggest Difference in My Life

A recent USA Today feature isolated the "eureka" moments of the past 25 years. I decided to list my own list of top ten inventions that I most value. What would you put on your list? Here's mine:

1. The laptop computer has changed my life. As a professional speaker that travels, these ever smaller powerhouse computers allow me to connect to the Internet and the world, send and receive e-mail, write articles and columns, deliver stimulating programs and crunch the numbers I need. Even though I have to take out for airport screening; it's an innovation I wouldn't want to do without! You can add to that the softwares I value most--Explorer, Outlook, Word, PowerPoint and ACT. I hardly use anything else.

2. Everyone values their cell phone, but I love my Treo 650. It combines a cell phone, calendar, camera, Internet access, email and travel tool that serves me well! I don't want five different things hanging off my belt. Give me one that works. By the way, I use my cell phone to call out. I hate to give out my number to others; who wants to be interrupted 24/7?

3. The microwave is a must invention. Who needs Starbucks when I can heat my water and add a tablespoon of Folgers Instant Coffee? I love putting a bag or meal into a microwave and having something good to eat in minutes. What would we do without it? I wouldn't want to try.

4. I love my digital cameras--still images and DV recorder! I love the digital world. You only keep the pictures worth keeping. You can store them, share them, enhance them, print them...what more could you ask for? We won't have any trouble finding images of our past; the trouble will be sorting through it to find what is worth seeing!

5. My IPOD is a treasure. I have the songs that I want to listen to available when and where I want to enjoy them. With my mini IPOD and my BOSE noise-canceling headset, I can enjoy the gift of music the way I want to experience it. I use it to bring peace, energy and inspiration to my travels.

6. TIVO has changed my life. I can watch what I want to watch on TV when I want to watch it. I can speed through commercials. I can store what I want to keep and view a great play as many times as I want to! I've watched UCLA beat USC in football over and over again. Now that is a great invention!

7. Credit Cards are wonderful. We never carry a balance. We just use them to avoid carrying cash, to ensure quality purchases that can be returned or contested, to keep records of our purchases, and to otherwise make life easier. The new gift cards allow us to take $500 in the form of a credit card with a limit. Now that is an invention worth honoring.

8. My small, battery-powered yard blower is one of my favorite possessions. Why sweep when with this small but mighty blower I can blow leaves and debris away in moments? These blowers are real keepers!

9. My Olympus Digital Voice Recorder WS-200S can record hours of my speaking and fits into my shirt pocket with room to spare. It makes MP-3 files I can listen to anywhere and transfers easily to my computer through a USB 2.0 port.

10. Finally, as a traveling professional with over 3 million miles on American Airlines alone, I love my luggage with wheels! I have an endless supply of wheeled marvels to choose from, and I love them all. Why carry it when you can wheel it?

That's my top ten. What would you change on your list?

(USA Today, May 21, 2007, p. 8B)

I'm Richer than I Thought

This summer, I have had more than my share of humbling experiences listening to successful people talk about their achievements. Somehow starting big companies, becoming rich with fantastic homes, and making a difference for thousands, can be humbling to listen to. It brings doubts--did I settle for small dreams? Do I need to drive myself to do more, earn more, purchase more...to die with the most toys and awards? Even though I have been successful in the eyes of those who know and love me and I have all the possessions I need, it is too easy to compare yourself with someone else who has done more.

And then I realize that I am truly rich! I'm rich in having a job I love doing, a job that makes a difference to others. I'm rich in relationships with a family that has loved me, a wife I love who is my best friend and a son who is being used by God as a pastor. I'm rich in faith with a God who died for me and has promised me eternal life. I'm rich in joy with an optimistic attitude and a great sense of humor that makes life's journey fun. I'm rich in health, friends and memories. I'm rich in ways the world doesn't count on a spreadsheet, and that makes me rich indeed! May I never forget and never cease thanking God for the blessings I have been given over and over again!

The Institute for Management Studies (IMS) Is a Valued Business Partner Worth Honoring

There is something special about long-standing partnerships. Having been in business for over 30 years, one partner that has been a steady supporter has been the Institute for Management Studies, affectionately known as IMS. I'm one of seven faculty that has been selected as a "Distinguished Faculty" over the 32-year history of the organization.

The 28 Chairman, based in top cities in the US and Europe, sign up large corporations in their area as members and then bring in faculty to conduct one-day programs monthly. The member corporations send their managers to these timely programs. In the good years and the tough years, IMS has been there to schedule a steady stream of programs. Doing an average of ten programs a year gives us a steady stream of clients that see me first at IMS.

It's also allowed us to make many wonderful friends, particularly on our trips to Europe where Lorie always joined me. We've seen the world on the wings of IMS. The chairmen and their wives are the added bonus; they have often become good friends we look forward to seeing.

So when IMS asked me to emcee their closing event at their 2006 Chairman's Planning Event in Monterey, CA, I had to say an emphatic YES! I look forward to adding my mix of humor to their evening and giving back to this great organization!  I hope to honor them and roast them--doesn't that sound like great fun. Here's hoping it doesn't result in a torrent of cancellations!