[stylist] 3 Keys To Business Success./Re: new writing prompt

Fri Feb 3 19:00:05 UTC 2012

I really liked the description and interpretation of the tantrum.
Barbara

Poetry is an echo, asking a shadow to dance. -- Carl Sandburg
-----Original Message----- 
From: BradDunsé
Sent: Thursday, February 02, 2012 9:44 PM
To: Writer's Division Mailing List
Subject: [stylist] 3 Keys To Business Success./Re: new writing prompt

This is intended as a casual conversational
newsletter type piece, mixing light-hearted situation with business 
concepts.

3 Keys to jingle on your keychain of business Success

Have you ever had a pivotal moment? One of those
moments like, “Hey, I just signed a 1-year
membership to a health club. Now I’m going to
have to do some mental exercises to excuse away
why I can’t work out. Gee, I hope that won’t be too difficult.” Ha. Ha.

I had a pivotal moment last winter. I’d checked
the clock and thought, “yeah I’ve got time for a
quick bowl of oatmeal before heading out this
morning.” I microed some water, tossed in the
fixin’s, and let it steep on the counter. A kiss
goodbye from my wife as she left warmed the
weather guy's statement of it being the coldest morning that winter.

Poking my head outside, I found the frozen
nostril test read 15 below …that’s subzero for
all you folks not in the Twin Cities-- 
Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN area. “Better go start the truck,” I moped.

Snabbing my truck keys, patting my pup on the
head with an, “I’ll be right back pal,“ then
shutting the door on my way out; an immediate
thought came to mind, something like, “Did I
just? … Oh no I didn’t. Oh yes I did! I just locked the door when I shut 
 it!”

Writer’s note: In case you weren’t paying
attention? That would be the pivotal moment right there.

Faster than Clint Eastwood’s cheroot clenched
pistol draw, I made for a quick jab to the left
front pocket, no keys! In one fluid move … a slam
to the right front chest pocket of my
cover-alls--which would have impressed even Chuck
Norris. Rats! No keys there either… and no cell
phone! My wife had just left, and could have come
back to let me in … that is … if I remembered to slip my cell in my pocket.

To continue my “Dance of External
Disappointment,” if I recall the moves correctly.
Let’s see now, it was… tighten fists, flap lips
in various unrecognizable contorts, blend in a
burst of vocal expression of self-disgust,
followed by a disgraceful delivery of the “heel knock” technique.

For those unfamiliar with that particular skilled
technique, that would be an animated alternate
forward crash of your heels in a childish tantrum.

Rounding out the choreographed diatribe, was a
simultaneous wielding of the arms ,with an ugly
spasm-like twist of the torso. And the big finale
… the irritated rooster strut, otherwise seen as a jerking head of rage.

Can you hear the judges now? “9.9, 9.7, 9.8,”
folks tossing flowers at me while screaming as I
walk away with the Gold Medal in the “Childlike
Behavior by an Adult” competition?

I’d thought I heard the neighbors squinting out
their front window saying “Wow honey. Get a load
of this. Brad’s doing some sort of Moshercise,
Turbo Slam or something out in his driveway. In
the dead of winter no less? Oh I see now, he’s in
insulated cover-alls. Hmmm that must add a level of difficulty to the 
workout”.

So, there I stood in the driveway, the pup
staring at me through the front door glass with a
tongue dangling toothy grin. I couldn’t tell if
the toothy grin was just a sympathetic expression
of a canine panting in despair of its owner’s
predicament, or more like “Brad? That hot oatmeal
on the counter right over there? That’s mine. Yeeaaah baby!”

I was thankful for my intuitive fluke of slipping
my cover-alls on before going out, and didn’t
jump out there in the usual sweat pants and
T-shirt with moccasin type slippers. That would
have made for a new Olympic event called “The
Half-Naked Shivering 40 Meter Dash to the
Neighbors House” which I most certainly would have won.

So how important is remembering your house keys
when heading out for the day? Pretty dang important at 15-degrees below 
zero.

Come to think of it, there are a few important
keys you need to remember heading out to your
business day, every day, or get the big chill.

Key#1: Have a positive attitude and believe you
can do it. How important is it you believe you
can get out there and get the difficult jobs done? Pretty darn important.

One thing I’ve learned, no one will ever believe
in your ability to be successful as much as you
will need. OK yes, there are those around you
that see your potential and offer support, but if
you don’t see it, or play it down with excuse,
they’ll eventually stop. No one wants to
continually smack the encouragement ball to the
outfield and drag you to first base.

It’s your own belief that counts because you’re
the one out in the trenches. And you know? You
really can do it if you just get after it. Just
about everything in this world is a teachable
skill, and despite what it might appear, we’re
all learning everyday so you’re not alone. Simply
believe in yourself, your ability to learn what
needs learning and do what needs doing. Just go
for it and don’t forget to have fun along the way!

Key #2: Get going and actually do something.
Isn’t it funny how once we decide to do
something, we’re always expected to take action
on it? Whose idea was that anyway?

That doesn’t mean endless answering of emails,
rabbit trailing down YouTube lane, checking with
your neighbor if he brought back the rake he
borrowed last fall so you don’t accidentally step
on the business end of it bonking yourself in the forehead with the handle.

It means prioritizing your goals, provided you’ve
made them, and account for your time. You’re the
boss, it’s up to you to give yourself performance
reviews, and your boss can get a bit tough. Focus
on your tasks, don’t’ procrastinate, you’ll
“loose end” yourself to a point of overwhelm.

Key #3: Balance the view. When you’ve forgotten
the second key on your keychain, don’t spend all
your time looking in the rear-view mirror for it
or constantly reminding yourself of all those mistakes you left behind.

Learn from them yes, but hey, there’s a reason
the windshield is larger than the rear view
mirror. Spending valuable time squinting at that
mirror only leads to not paying attention to the
things coming at you through that big clear glassy thing with the wipers on 
it.

Basically, glance at your past to learn from it,
and spend the majority of your time looking at
what’s ahead. In case you need a blunt reminder?
…That would be your immediate future, and you’re
the one behind the wheel driving straight into it whether you like it or 
not.

One final item before I go. Does anyone have a
spare brick and know the rough cost of a window
replacement? I forgot to put on my cover-alls,
you know … the ones the dog has in her teeth
staring out the window at me, with the cellphone
and keys in the front left pocket?

Brad Dunsé

"Courage is being scared to death and saddling up anyway." --John Wayne

http://www.braddunsemusic.com

http://www.facebook.com/braddunse

http://www.twitter.com/braddunse
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