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

Brad Dunsé lists at braddunsemusic.com
Fri Feb 3 21:29:55 UTC 2012 

Thanks Barbara. I did take some animated liberty 
there, but I wasn't too happy that morning :).

Brad


On 2/3/2012  01:00 PM Barbara Hammel said...
>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 follks 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 jusst 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-allls--which would have 
>impressed even Chuck Norris. Rats! No keys there 
>either
 and no cell phone! My wife had jusst 
>left, and could have come back to let me in 
 
>that iss 
 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
 tiighten 
>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 strutt, 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 yoou’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 staringg 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 
>_______________________________________________ 
>Writers Division web site: 
>http://www.nfb-writers-division.net 
><http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/> stylist 
>mailing list stylist at nfbnet.org 
>http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org 
>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get 
>your account info for stylist: 
>http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/poetlori8%40msn.com 
>_______________________________________________ 
>Writers Division web site: 
>http://www.nfb-writers-division.net 
><http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/> stylist 
>mailing list stylist at nfbnet.org 
>http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org 
>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get 
>your account info for stylist: 
>http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/lists%40braddunsemusic.com 
></x-flowed>


Brad Dunsé

"It is not the strongest of the species that 
survive nor the most intelligent but the one most 
responsive to change." --Clarence Darrow

http://www.braddunsemusic.com

http://www.facebook.com/braddunse

http://www.twitter.com/braddunse

More information about the Stylist mailing list