Dave Glardon

Dig the Well Today – You May Need a Drink Tomorrow

February 6, 2019February 6, 2019 by Dave Glardon, posted in Uncategorized

Good morning! I hope your day is off to a great start.

This is the time of day that many of us are getting ready to leave for work. Hopefully you only have to do this once each day. There are lots of people who work more than one job, clocking in twice or even three times a day. Sometimes it’s just for some of life’s extras, like maybe a down payment on a car or a vacation. But all too often, we need these extra jobs just to make ends meet.

There could be lots of reasons for that, some a little more self-inflicted than others. But it really doesn’t matter. When bills are piling up and there’s not enough money to make them go away, it’s more than frustrating. It can be downright paralyzing.

Of course, the easy answer (and the one offered up most often) is don’t over-extend yourself. That’s great advice, but it doesn’t do much to make the problem go away right now. Time is usually not part of the equation, because the time to get something started was weeks, or even months, ago. Even if you started a second job today, it could be three weeks before you get paid.

Part of the problem is we tend to miss the signs that things are headed in the wrong direction. We know the bills will need to be paid, but somehow overlook the reality that there just won’t be enough to go around. By the time the problem becomes obvious, it’s too late. Now we’re robbing Peter to pay Paul, and setting ourselves up for months, or even years, of being behind.

It all goes back to a concept I’ve written about in the past – dig the well before you get thirsty. Digging the well takes time, and the first water coming up may not even be fit to drink. But if we see the need and respond before it becomes a problem, it’s usually little more than a bump in the road. You pump the handle, and out comes water. You go to the bank, and the money you need is there.

And this concept stretches way beyond just financial matters. Have you ever seen a job posting for something you’d really love to do, but realize in reading the qualifications you’ve come up a little short? Sure, you could take a class or learn a new skill. But the company doesn’t have time to wait. By the time you could get through a class, the job will be filled.

Or maybe you read about a special cruise with your favorite musician. It’s a once in a lifetime event, and you’d desperately love to go. But over the course of the year, you’ve burned all your personal leave a day or two at a time, maybe with frivolous things or just because you didn’t feel like going to work. Now, even if you had the money, you couldn’t get the time off.

Digging the well means anticipating the unexpected. It means recognizing that events will transpire over the coming year that you can’t begin to plan for. At the start of 2018, I didn’t expect to have brain surgery by the end of the year. But it happened, and let me tell you, having a little money in the bank and a whole bunch of vacation time on the books made a world of difference.

Digging the well also means keeping your mind open to trying something a little out of the ordinary. No matter what you hope to accomplish, there are opportunities out there just waiting to be discovered. But you have to do two things. First, you have to actually be looking. Opportunity doesn’t knock. Bill collectors knock. If you want to find opportunity, you have to do the knocking.

You also have to be ready when opportunities arise. That means being able to recognize an opportunity for what it is, to look beyond potential flaws and what other people think, to find what may be a pot of gold waiting at the end. It means keeping your options open instead of immediately looking for reasons not to even give it a try.

There are many paths to success, some a lot more traditional and predictable than others. But the fact remains, the obvious and predictable path is crowded, and the rewards may not be all that special. If you want something more, you have to do something more. Take those chances, stick your neck out a little. Be willing to embrace the path less traveled.

To have something you’ve never had, you have to do something you’ve never done. And success means spending a few years of your life doing the things most people won’t do so you can spend the rest of your life doing what most people can’t do. You’ve heard this all before. The question is, what will you do about it?

That’s all for now. Have yourself an awesome day!

Use It Or Lose It

February 5, 2019 by Dave Glardon, posted in Uncategorized

As I inch closer and closer to the age of retirement, I find myself focusing more on health and fitness. I guess that’s a normal thing. When we’re younger, it’s not so much of a concern. Bad things only happen to old people (not true) and we’ll always be able to get out and do the things we enjoy most (also not true, unless it involves a lot of sitting).

We talk a lot about dreams and success, but none of that really matters if we’re too frail or out of shape to enjoy it. When I was in the Navy, we made a port visit to Monaco. A group of us went to the Jacques Cousteau museum, at the top of a cliff next to the port. We had to climb several hundred steps to get there. And, believe me, it was worth the climb.

Now, I’m pretty sure we could have taken a taxi, but we were young and it was a nice day. Besides, the scenery was awesome. And not a one of us was tired when we reached the top. But if I tried that today, I’d never make it past the first 100 steps. And that’s with several rest breaks along the way.

That bothers me, because there are some magnificent attractions in this world that you can only access by climbing stairs. Pyramids don’t have elevators, and I don’t think you can get a helicopter to drop you off at the top. And even if I did make it to the top, I’d probably fall trying to get back down. It’s an attraction I’d have to admire from the ground.

Pick up any travel or leisure magazine, and they’re full of pictures of people zip lining, bungee jumping, or simply hiking up a narrow trail to swim at the base of a waterfall. And never once do you see them sitting on the side of that trail with an inhaler and a bottle of nitroglycerine. These people are having the time of their lives.

Most of us will work for at least forty years before we’re able to retire. All the more reason to set aside some money and do it while we’re still young, but that’s not always an option. Between paying bills, raising a family, and climbing the corporate ladder, life has a way of pushing our plans back. “Next year” we say. “Keep that magazine handy, because someday we’re going to do that!”

Well, magazines are a good way to feed your dreams and, if you’ve been reading these posts any time at all, you know I’m a proponent of dream-building. But if you neglect your health and fitness along the way, all the dreaming in the world won’t fix that. You may still get to your destination and you’ll have fun. But think of all those things you won’t be able to do when you get there.

Make no mistake – as we age, our health and physical abilities will deteriorate. It’s inevitable. But that doesn’t mean we have to passively accept it. And most doctors will tell you that physical activity, even a little, can make a huge difference in not only our level of fitness, but also in our physical and mental health.

I used to bowl on a league, and one night they stopped us mid-game to wish a member of the league a happy birthday. He was 103. More than a hundred years old, and still at it. They handed him a microphone and he told us he’d been bowling his entire life, and that if he hadn’t remained active, he’d have died years ago.

Now, my guess is the ball he was using weighed about half as much as mine, but it’s not about how much you can do – it’s about doing something. Anything to get you out of the house and moving. I see people in the gym who are much older and in much worse shape than I am, struggling to walk a leisurely pace or lift ten pounds. But you know what? They’re trying. They’re doing something.

We all have visions of a better, more relaxing life, and we spend most of our days on this planet working to attain that. And, for most of us, that day will come. We may not retire on a tropical beach or have the means to travel the world. But there’s something to be said for playing with the grandkids or getting through the grocery store without having to stop and take a breather.

So, as you work toward those dreams, make sure you take care of the body that will help you make the most of them. If you’re young and healthy, don’t take that for granted. And if you’re older and less fit, do something about it. Every little bit helps. It’s your life, so make the most of it.

That’s all for now. Have an awesome day!

Game On! What Position Will You Play?

February 4, 2019February 4, 2019 by Dave Glardon, posted in Uncategorized

Well, the Super Bowl is over, and one team is celebrating a lot more than the other. I didn’t watch but, from the score, it appears the stars of both teams were on the defense. It’s not often you see a big game with scoring so low on both sides.

I was never known for my athletic ability and, as a result, I was never much of a sports fan. I played little league baseball and football, which is to say they let me be on the team. I think there was something about that in the rules. My job on both teams was to occupy every square inch of the bench so the star players didn’t end up with splinters in their butt.

And that’s okay. We all get a few splinters every now and then. Besides, there were lots of things I could do much better than the stars of the team. But apparently, my mastery of the multiplication tables and ability to speak in complete sentences wasn’t a big turn-on for the girls back then. And I learned really fast not to compare report cards in the locker room.

Somewhere along the line, though, those things began to take on greater importance. Toward the end of high school, girls did start to gain an appreciation for intelligence. Or maybe it was my motorcycle. I’m still not completely sure. But my clumsiness on the playing field began to matter less over the years. Even the jocks didn’t care. To them, I was just another face in the hallway.

And here’s the thing – never once have I filled out a job application that asked about my batting average or how many times I sacked the quarterback. Seems now, all they care about is my brain. Well, that and my willingness to show up for work every day and actually do something productive.

That’s not to say I’m any better than the guys who chased me around the locker room with mentholatum and wet towels. In fact, I’m pretty sure some of them went on to have successful careers of their own. Hopefully someplace that places a high value on giving the new guy a wedgie. But I’m sure a lot of the people who control my paycheck were stars of the team back in the day.

We all have gifts. Some are more visible than others, and some are more valuable in a given situation. An athletic physique can be an asset when you’re sitting on the lifeguard stand or carrying a fire hose up six flights of stairs. But in the boardroom, where it’s covered by an Armani suit, nobody really cares.

For most of us, life exists somewhere in the middle. And, in that world, it takes a mix of skills to get by. There are days when a few extra muscles come in handy, like when it comes time to dump a 40-pound bag of salt into the water softener. Other times, those extra muscles are about as useful as a fork in a bowl of soup.

The key is to make the most of our gifts so that, when a situation arises, we’re able to pull out the right one. Ask any mechanic about their toolbox, and they’ll probably tell you they started with a couple of screwdrivers, and then built from there. One day they needed a set of wrenches. The next day it was a pair of pliers. And, for all of us, the day comes when we just need a bigger hammer.

There are some jobs that only require one tool, or one skill. But the more complex tasks require a mix of abilities. And sometimes, it’s the most delicate tools that we rely on the most. When I had my surgery a couple of months ago, one of the tools used was a bone saw. But I’m pretty sure the surgeon had a whole tray of tools to work with. Hopefully he counted them all when he was done.

We each have our own unique combination of skills and knowledge. That’s what makes us different and able to tackle a given situation with just a little more ability than the person next to us. But tomorrow, we may have to sit by and watch them take the “hero” spot for a day.

Our ability to use those gifts, and to seek out and find people who complement our own talents, can carry us to unlimited heights. We don’t have to be the star of the team. All we have to do is bring our best and make each day as important as the big game. Do that, and you’ll win every time.

That’s all for now. Have an awesome day!

Spread a Little Sunshine!

February 1, 2019February 1, 2019 by Dave Glardon, posted in Uncategorized

Good morning, and happy Friday! I hope your day is starting off well.

My grandson used to tease me about my morning greeting in these posts. “Hi good morning man. I hope your day is starting off well.” Okay, I must say that a lot. But it’s something that comes naturally. At work, I’m known as the Walmart greeter of the 5^th floor because I say good morning to everyone. And I begin every email or text message with “I hope you’re having a nice day.”

I just find it to be a lot more personal than, “Hi – I need some help from you, and I’m hoping you’ll drop everything you were doing at the moment to read this message and answer my question.” It befriends the person you’re speaking with, and friends tend to work well together. Besides, I really DO hope they’re having a nice day. I hope everybody is.

Years ago, we had a woman in the front office who was over-the-top bubbly all the time. I only saw her upset once, and she tried to hide that. And, any time I needed anything from anybody in the front office, I went to see Amy. Even if she had to send me to somebody else, I just walked away feeling better. Have you ever met anyone like that?

And yet, one day as some of us were working on the shop floor, she came by to talk to one of the guys about something. As she left, he looked at the rest of us and said, “I can’t stand somebody who always wants to blow sunshine up my (behind).” Okay, that’s not exactly the word he used, but you get the idea. He was verbally trashing her for trying to make his day better.

I remember thinking, seriously? With all the foul moods and bickering in the shop, how could anybody begrudge a person who went out of her way to spread a little cheer? And trust me, that place needed all the help it could get. Maybe because they hired too many people like my coworker who, although very good at his job, would rather spread negativity than receive happiness.

Every employer knows the value of morale and camaraderie. When you have a group of people who view one another as friends, where smiles and warm greetings are abundant, they not only work well together, but their own individual productivity is better as well. And that can be seen on the bottom line of the Profit & Loss statement.

The problem is, too many employers don’t pay attention to morale until it’s too late. On the job I was describing, most people weren’t happy. We did our job because was somebody was watching through the office window to make sure we did. After a while, verbal and physical altercations became a common occurrence. And productivity was at an all-time low. Go figure.

And it would be easy to put all the blame on the managers who saw employees as lazy people who won’t do anything unless you constantly crack the whip, and who viewed social interaction as a work interruption. But the truth is, we were as much to blame as they were. It was our company as much as it was theirs. And we created the work environment – all they did was supervise.

There will always be days at work when things aren’t going well. I had one of them yesterday. After spending almost two days chasing an issue, I found out it had been solved months ago and all that work was for nothing. It was nobody’s fault, and it could happen again tomorrow. But suffice to say I left work feeling pretty discouraged.

It happens to all of us. Somebody gets upset because of something you did, and someone else is peeved because of something you didn’t do. Or maybe you just didn’t do it to their satisfaction. We’ll start a project, only to have it yanked out from under us. Equipment breaks, supplies run out, a customer vents their frustration with somebody else on you, whatever. We all have bad days.

And the truth is, there’s often very little we can do to keep these things from happening. But it’s how we react to those situations that makes or breaks the day. Even more importantly, our reaction can make or break the day for the person working alongside us. And that’s what drives morale. It all comes back to the people who have the most to lose (or gain) from it.

It all begins with a smile. It may not make all the bad stuff go away, but it changes the way we let it affect us. It puts us in control. And it rubs off on everyone around us. There are few things in this world more powerful than a team working toward the same goal. And when that goal is happiness, just think of all the great things we can accomplish.

That’s all for now. Have an awesome day!

Do Your Body Right

January 31, 2019 by Dave Glardon, posted in Uncategorized

Anyone who knows me knows I’m not the image of fitness. I see a lot of other people my age and younger who aren’t nearly as healthy as I am, but when it comes to body weight and the ability to move it around freely, I’ve got some work to do. I guess that can be said for a lot of us.

And something I’ve noticed over the years – every time I talk to my doctor about any of a variety of issues, the response always included “diet and exercise.” Blood sugar is getting a little high? Diet and exercise. Need to take off a few pounds? Diet and exercise. Blood pressure needs to come down? Diet and exercise. I’m starting to think there’s a conspiracy.

And if you read the label on any of the multitude of weight loss products, where they brag about how the pounds and inches will just melt away, there’s always an asterisk next to that comment. Scroll down to the bottom of the label, that line you can’t read without a magnifying glass. It says, “When combined with proper diet and exercise.” Well, duh!

I like working out in a gym, weightlifting and flexibility training. I even like yoga. My problem was always a matter of convenience. My gym has several locations in the area, but they’re all several miles from the house. And, you know, my horse doesn’t like traveling long distances, especially in the cold. That’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it.

But a few weeks ago, the YMCA opened a new location a half-mile from the house. Worse yet, it’s right on the way to work. And it’s open ALL DAY. I’m starting to think I’ve run out of viable excuses. So, a couple of days ago, I took the plunge and got us signed up. My wife and I both. As luck would have it, it’s right on the way to every store she visits. Now we both have to go.

I had my first workout the day we signed up. Whatever your goal, or your taste in exercise, they’ve got you covered. Well, everything you can do in public, anyway. And as I looked around at all the equipment and facilities, it occurred to me that there’s no way I’ll ever get it all done. So, you have to pick and choose. You have to find something that will help accomplish your goal.

And, I think that’s one of the most important parts of any exercise program. You have to start with a goal. What are you trying to accomplish? If it’s just weight loss, they’ve got a routine for that. If you want to strengthen and tone as you go, there are exercises for that. And if you just want to be able to grunt and throw around really heavy weights, well … there’s a gym down the street.

For most of us, knowing how to accomplish those goals is a challenge. If you just go into a gym and watch what everybody else is doing, you’re not working on your goals – you’re working on theirs. Exercise programs need to be tailored to your specific condition and your specific needs. Walking is good for everybody. But a treadmill is just a little too much impact for my lower back. At least now.

You could work with a trainer, even just long enough to figure out how to use certain machines correctly. But, be careful because trainers are like those leftovers in the back of your refrigerator … some are a lot better than others. There are lots of books you could read, or you can just surf the internet and get the information for free.

And, believe me, the internet is loaded with info. I was looking for specific exercises to help reduce the size of my … you know, mammaries. I think that’s the technical term. And you know how Google reads what you’ve typed so far and suggests some options? Well, when I typed in “Getting ride of mo …” the first thing that popped up was “Getting rid of moobs?” Seriously? Do they have a camera or something? Like nobody out there is trying to get rid of mosquitoes? Thanks!

The point is, do a little research. Talk to people, read, surf the internet, whatever it takes. Because the same machine one person uses to slim down will help another to bulk up. And it’s critical to do the exercises correctly. Form comes first, then you can work on being macho.

We all need to exercise. And, with very few exceptions, we all need to exercise a lot more than we do now. Start with a goal – know what you’re trying to accomplish, and why. Then take a little time to find out the best (and safest) ways to accomplish that goal. Start easy and build up. It’s not a race. And don’t try to keep up with the person next to you. Just keep up with yourself.

That’s all for now. Have an awesome day!

Believe, and You Can Achieve

January 30, 2019 by Dave Glardon, posted in Uncategorized

Have you ever had something you wanted, something pretty much out of reach, and then that day comes when you believe it’s possible? Maybe it was a job you wanted that you never dared apply for. You’d read the qualifications, and it just seemed a bit unrealistic. But then that day comes when you take a leap of faith. You ace the interview and get the job. Or you get a step closer and they ask you to apply again next year.

Several times in my life, I was able to advance my career by taking that leap of faith. My mom always used to say, “If you say no to yourself, they don’t have to.” And I found that a lot of those job descriptions were a wish list – something dreamed up by a manager and polished up by a Human Resources recruiter with no real idea of what the job entails.

It’s like that with a lot of things in life. You see something you want, and you begin compiling your own list of qualifications. Halfway through, you decide there’s no way you’re even remotely qualified for this, so you give up and move on to something else. Or, worse yet, you just stay right where you are.

But if you took a little time to meet somebody who has already reached your goal and asked them a few simple questions, you may find some of those qualifications (roadblocks) you put in your way are really just speed bumps. And in some cases, they’re just lines on the road. After a while, you begin to realize maybe you can do this.

Why? Because you’ve done something remotely similar before, and that came out well. Maybe you made a few mistakes along the way, and maybe you failed completely. But you learned from that experience and know what you’d do differently this time. Success may not be guaranteed, but it’s a lot more likely than you thought.

Napoleon Hill said whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve. Well, the “conceive” part is easy. You see something you want or come up with a brilliant idea for something you want to accomplish. The more you think about it and begin to visualize success, it becomes a dream. Let that dream become a burning desire, and you’re on your way.

But, that’s not enough. The second part of that equation is to believe. It’s not enough to want financial success, or even to visualize yourself enjoying the rewards. You have to believe you can actually achieve that goal. You have to see yourself going through all the steps required to get there. And you have to know that, regardless of any setbacks, you will succeed.

That can be tough if you don’t have any successes to look back upon. But you do. We all do. An infant sees you holding their bottle and begins to believe they can do it. Then they see you pick up toys, and that doesn’t look so hard. One day they realize they have the ability to move a few inches across the floor, so they crawl. And, based on all those successes, they decide maybe they can walk.

It’s all part of what I call the habit of success. When you’ve learned to play Chopsticks on the piano, it’s easier to believe you can learn the next song. After a while, you’re playing with both hands, and not even looking at the keys. Then, one day, you hear somebody playing the works of Beethoven and decide that’s your next goal. Why? Because you can.

The habit of success is all about building on those seemingly small wins. After a while, taking that next step or reaching for new heights is no big deal, because if you’ve learned one thing in life, it’s that you can succeed. You’ve proven it time after time. And that, my friends, is the basis of belief. Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.

Believing in yourself is as simple as reflecting on all those wins in the past, both big and small. And it means understanding that, what may have seemed like a failure at the time was simply a learning experience that’s made you that much stronger today. Focus on that, and you’ll begin to realize there’s nothing you can’t accomplish.

That’s all for now. Have an awesome day!

Dream Big … Then Dream Bigger

January 29, 2019January 29, 2019 by Dave Glardon, posted in Uncategorized

Those of you who read my posts regularly know we’d planned to go to an RV show this past weekend. It was a safe outing, because I’m not in any position to buy an RV at the moment. But the day is coming, and we’re beginning to look around to see what’s out there.

A friend asked why we’re shopping if we’re not ready to buy. I told him it’s only called shopping if you can afford to buy something. When your bank account is a little shy, that’s called dream-building. But I think it’s an important part of setting goals, because unless you have a reason to accomplish those goals, why bother? Having a tangible reward at the end makes it worthwhile.

As we walked through row after row of everything from small trailers to luxury motor coaches, my wife asked why I was checking out the travel trailers when we’re after something with a driver’s seat. And the reason is simple – in looking through some of those other models, you may find one or two features that you never knew about and, now that you’ve seen it, you can’t live without it.

Isn’t that the way it goes? In a previous life, I was a car salesman. One of the first lessons I learned was to find out about my customer’s budget before I showed them something fully loaded because, once they’ve seen that, they’ll never be satisfied with anything less. And that’s okay, if their budget can stretch like a bungee cord. But more often than not, it just didn’t work out.

But when you’re dream-building, you shouldn’t constrain yourself to a specific budget. Sure, reality tells you where to draw the line, but if you’re not stretching things a little, you’re not trying hard enough. The purpose of dream-building is to let your imagination roam, and then once that dream is crystal clear and you commit to it, your brain will figure out how to make it happen.

Still, as we walked through the show, I was reminded of the time my youngest daughter was sifting through a toy catalog before Christmas, pen in hand. My dad laughed and said, “You must not know what you want if you need a catalog to make your list.” She shrugged and replied, “I’m not making a list – I’m crossing off everything I don’t want.” Now, that’s what I call dream-building!

Whether your dream is a new car, a tropical vacation, or a bigger home, you have to get out there and see what’s available. Some of that you can do from the comfort of your own home. Turn on the TV and check out some of the travel shows. Pick up a magazine. Go to the library and check out some books. There are all kinds of ways to feed your imagination.

And that’s important, because it’s our imagination that allows us to visualize something beyond our current reality. It’s what led the Wright brothers to invent the airplane. It’s what allowed a team of physicists to put a man on the moon. And it’s what allows ordinary people just like us to step beyond the constraints of life as we know it, and into the great beyond.

Most people don’t dream of an ordinary life. We all want something a little out of the ordinary. And that’s the way it should be, because it’s the desire for something better that drives us to be better. Whether that means practicing a musical instrument, learning a new skill, building (or rebuilding) a relationship, or starting a business, it’s that desire that gives us a reason to try.

It would be nice if we had the ability to just go out and achieve every one of our dreams tomorrow. To have enough talent, the right physique, the perfect skills, or enough money in the bank, would mean we could have just about anything we want. It would also mean we’d have nothing left to work toward. And that, my friends, would be a pretty sad existence.

Don’t just dream a little, dream big! Feed your imagination and let it soar. Envision something greater than you ever thought possible. If you start high, you can always come down a little. But if your dream begins with what you can do today, you can never expect anything more. So, aim high. You’re worth it.

That’s all for now. Have an awesome day!

Who’s Got Your Ear?

January 28, 2019 by Dave Glardon, posted in Uncategorized

My wife and I celebrated our anniversary over the weekend – 39 years of building a life and raising a family together. I’d love to say it’s all been awesome, but there’s a reason we focus on the end result instead of all the twists and turns along the way. And in our case, the end result has been more than worth everything it took to get here.

Except we haven’t reached the end yet. I like to think we’re just over halfway there. Because every day will bring new challenges and new accomplishments. Some of those days will be better than others, and some will be downright heartbreaking. But without those challenges, the successes would hardly be worth celebrating. They’d just be another day.

Marriage is like a lot of things in life. It begins with a dream, something we want enough to work for it. We dress up a bit, break out our best manners, show a little extra affection, and laugh at jokes that really aren’t that funny. We overlook flaws. We give up some of our free time. And we do it all without hesitation, because that’s how we find out if this is something we really want.

Then, there comes a point where we commit. We’re no longer just going out and having a good time – now we’re building a relationship, seeing just how far it will go. The good times get better, but we occasionally have to work through some disagreements. Things that would have sent us packing in the early days, but now we’re in too deep to just give up.

Finally, we’re ready to make the ultimate commitment. Till death do us part. That’s when all those friends who were so happy to hang out with the two of you are full of advice, and it’s not always positive. They think they’re doing you a favor. Your eyes are obviously so clouded with fairy dust, you can no longer think for yourself. Been there?

Marriage is one of a few things in life well-intended family and friends will try to talk you out of. Tell people you’re about to quit your job and move to another state, and you’ll get some feedback. Tell them you’re starting a business, and they’ll give you all the reasons it’ll never work. Tell them you’re thinking about joining the clergy and they may do a full-blown intervention.

And make no mistake – these people truly think they have your best interests at heart. They’ve been there. Or they have a friend who’s been there. Or they read a book by somebody whose cousin has a friend whose neighbor has been there. And, in every case, it ended in disaster. Otherwise, they’d just sit there quietly and pat you on the back.

If you wanted advice on advancing to the upper management of your company, would you ask someone who’s been steadily climbing the corporate ladder, or the office gossip who gets their jollies watching somebody else take a fall? Would you listen to the person who’s doing what you hope to do, or the one who can only offer a laundry list of reasons you shouldn’t?

When I wanted to learn to drive, I went to somebody who not only knew how, but could actually do it without causing an accident. When I wanted advice on relationships, I talked to my mom. When I wanted to learn how to be a comedian, I talked to touring headliners. And, here’s the thing – those people are all willing to offer their advice as well. But sometimes you have to ask.

Successful people are just as eager to share their insight as those who tried and failed, or who never tried in the first place. They may not be as loud, and they may not be as insistent. They don’t have to be. They’re too busy working on their own goals to waste time on somebody who isn’t willing to listen and learn. But if follow their advice, they can save you a lot of heartache.

A lot of people tried to talk me out of getting married. Okay, in all honesty, a lot more tried to talk my wife out of it. I’m glad we didn’t listen to them. I’d like to think my daughters and grandchildren feel the same. It hasn’t all been pretty. But even the Mona Lisa started with a smear of dark paint.

No matter what it is you hope to accomplish, learn from those who have done it instead of those who haven’t. Nobody who’s ever succeeded at anything worthwhile will try to convince you it’s not worth the effort. They know the challenges you’ll face, and they know how to help you through them. But most of all, they know the reward is worth the effort. And deep down inside, so do you.

That’s it for now. Have an awesome day!

Your ‘Wagon’ is Right Where You Parked It

January 25, 2019 by Dave Glardon, posted in Uncategorized

Good morning, and happy Friday! I hope your day is starting off just right.

When I saw my surgeon a couple of weeks ago, he told me I can start exercising again. By that, I think he meant something other than lifting food to my mouth. I’ve always done pretty well with that. He told me to ease back into it, which is no problem at all. I’ve learned over the years that exercise isn’t something you just jump right into. Unless you like pain.

I went a couple of times, and already my lower back is making me pay for it. I didn’t do anything intense, but apparently what I did do was a little too much. You see, extra weight and back problems never play nicely together. You have to lose the weight to make your back feel better, but exercise kills your back. It’s the proverbial Catch-22.

So, I’ve resigned myself to the fact that, at least initially, I have to do exercises where my back is fully supported. And I’m pretty sure my recliner isn’t part of the solution. That means I have to find a way to sit comfortably while I make myself sweat. Maybe a chaise lounge chair on a sunny beach? It could work!

As luck would have it, they just built a brand-new YMCA a half-mile from home, so I went in the other night for a tour. It’s pretty impressive. Two gymnasiums, two pools (one for warm-water therapy), an overhead walking track, and a huge workout room with every type of exercise apparatus known to man. Some of them are even motorized. Now, that’s my kind of exercise!

But what struck me the most was how many people were there. The place was packed. There wasn’t a treadmill to be found, and I know those basketball teams had a lot more than five players on the court. My tour guide told me it’s like that in the early evening. She also said it’s a new facility, so everyone wants to be there. For now.

Finally, I asked her if she thinks a lot of that is what we call the “resolution crowd.” You know, people who make a New Year’s resolution to lose weight, and then hit the gym every day through January and the first week or two of February. After that, you never see most of them again. Kinda like the crowd in church on Easter Sunday. She replied, “Oh, yeah!”

Granted, nobody wants to go to the gym when it’s so packed you can’t move. But, on the other hand, I’d really like to think the majority of those people will stick with it. I used to go into the gym the first week of January, see all the new faces, and say a prayer that they’d keep coming. Maybe all that praying is why they stopped. Guess I should have kept it to myself.

And the important thing is, they made the effort. I have to believe people who start working toward a goal and fall off the wagon are at least able to remember why they started it in the first place, then dust themselves off and climb back on. I say that because I’m one of them. I’m great at starting projects. It’s just the follow-through that gives me trouble.

Still, with very few exceptions, we can always start again. We can get back to the gym or get back to that healthy diet. We can finish painting the basement or clean out the garage. We can write that book, build that business, or climb that mountain. Whatever it was we started and stopped (or never quite started in the first place), we can go back and finish it.

As long as we’re breathing, we’re never completely out of the game. Granted, there are things I can’t do at this age and physical condition that I wish I could do. But I can improve my physical condition to make some of them a little more possible. I may never run a marathon, but maybe someday I can walk one. Sometimes we have to tweak our goals, but we should never just let them die.

Exercise is like a lot of other things in life. When you haven’t been doing it for a long time, you need to ease back into it and find your sweet spot. Too much too fast can cause some serious problems. And, like exercise, you can ease your way back into anything else you’ve started and let slide. The goal is still there, and the path to success hasn’t really changed. You just need to get back on track.

You never truly fail until you stop trying. And, as I’ve always said, better late than never. If there’s something you want, no matter how many times you’ve tried before, keep on trying. You’ll get there.

That’s all for now. Have an awesome day!

Feed Your Dreams to Help Them Grow

January 24, 2019 by Dave Glardon, posted in Uncategorized

Good morning! I hope your day is off to a great start.

We were talking yesterday about dreams and how, for too many of us, the ability to dream seems to fade as we grow older. I’m not sure if that’s because we’ve been kicked down a few times too many, or because we just don’t have much that excites us anymore. Either way, it’s something I hope never to experience. There’s just too much in life I still haven’t accomplished.

I’m the kind of person who can usually describe my dreams in pretty vivid detail. Not the kind I have while I’m asleep … those are usually gone by the time I get my first look at the clock. But in terms of goals and plans for the future, I have no problem with that. Those visions are crystal clear.

Still, we all need to feed our dreams from time to time. It’s not enough to see a motorhome drive down the road and say, “Someday!” I’m a proponent of putting up pictures where you’re sure to see them a few times a day, but pictures lack depth. Sometimes, you need to experience the real thing.

Well, as luck would have it, there’s an RV show in town this weekend and we’re headed over there for a little dream-building this Saturday. I doubt we’ll find the exact floorplan and options we want right there on the showroom floor, but that’s okay because the bank says I still have to wait a little longer before I get my own set of keys. But you know what? They’ll still let you look!

Now, I’ll admit a motorhome is a pretty lofty dream, at least for some people. That won’t stop me from owning one, but it’s a little more involved than buying a refrigerator or a new car. And I know there are people who wouldn’t even consider going to a show or a dealership until they have the money to close the deal. But that can take a long time. Dream-building makes it happen sooner.

A friend often tells the story of giving a presentation in Mexico to an audience that didn’t speak a word of English. As he was telling them to put a picture of their dream on the refrigerator, a woman in the back started jumping up and down and yelling in excitement. He asked the interpreter what she was saying, and he said, “She has a dream! She wants a refrigerator!”

There’s a certain humor in that, but also a certain level of humility. A refrigerator is usually no big deal, because very few of us have ever lived without one. Like too many other things, we generally take them for granted. As long as they’re working and keeping the food cold, we seldom give them a second thought. But for some people, that IS the dream.

The perceived extravagance of our dreams varies by our ability to attain them. Thirty years ago, I worked for a company that built world-class motor yachts. These boats were the very definition of opulence. The first boat I worked on, the captain was opening two boxes of double-stemmed Waterford crystal. The glassware in those two boxes cost $15,000. No special reason – just because.

Now, for people who can afford luxury like that, my dream of owning a motorhome is pretty frugal, especially since I’d have to drive it myself. And to the person living in a mansion, a mobile home isn’t all that impressive. But I remember a time when owning a double-wide was a dream that took us from one dealer to another, three years before we were actually able to buy one.

It’s all a matter of perspective. One man’s junk is another man’s treasure. But you can bet the person who’s completely happy with their current circumstances won’t be doing much of anything to make things better. It all has to start with a vision, a dream of something that’s worthy of a little effort.

When we keep our dreams in focus, our brain starts working with a sense of purpose. Instead of accepting those dreams as a passing vision, it tries to make them materialize. And nothing feeds that energy better than putting yourself in the middle of your dream, right there in the driver’s seat. The deeper you immerse yourself into that version of reality, the more likely you are to achieve it.

Our brains think in pictures, and that’s why it’s so important to have pictures of dreams where we’ll see them several times a day. But sometimes, we need to step beyond the two-dimensional world and truly experience the sights, sounds, and smells associated with our dreams. That’s when they become real.

So, feed those dreams. They may seem far off at the moment, but you’re getting closer every day.

That’s all for now. Have an awesome day!