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

[Henrietta Brewer]

Hi,
You must be my neighbor. I felt like I was there. Could hear your shovel changing patterns and stopping for your back rests. I really heard the snow plow coming back down the road and could see you having your fit. lol You did a great job.
Henrietta
On Feb 3, 2012, at 4:29 PM, Brad Dunsé wrote:

> 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 Iâ•˙m going to have to do some mental exercises to excuse away why I canâ•˙t work out. Gee, I hope that wonâ•˙t be too difficult.╡ Ha. Ha. I had a pivotal moment last winter. Iâ•˙d checked the clock and thought, ╲yeah Iâ•˙ve got time for a quick bowl of oatmeal before heading out this morning.╡ I microed some water, tossed in the fixinâ•˙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 ∑thatâ•˙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, ╲Iâ•˙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 didnâ•˙t. Oh yes I did! I jusst locked the door when I shut it!╡ Writerâ•˙s note: In case you werenâ•˙t paying attention? That would be the pivotal moment right there. Faster than Clint Eastwoodâ•˙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. Letâ•˙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? Iâ•˙d thought I heard the neighbors squinting out their front window saying ╲Wow honey. Get a load of this. Bradâ•˙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, heâ•˙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 couldnâ•˙t tell if the toothy grin was just a sympathetic expression of a canine panting in despair of its ownerâ•˙s predicament, or more like ╲Brad? That hot oatmeal on the counter right over there? Thatâ•˙s mine. Yeeaaah baby!╡ I was thankful for my intuitive fluke of slipping my cover-alls on before going out, and didnâ•˙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 Iâ•˙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 donâ•˙t see it, or play it down with excuse, theyâ•˙ll eventually stop. No one wants to continually smack the encouragement ball to the outfield and drag you to first base. Itâ•˙s your own belief that counts because youâ•˙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, weâ•˙re all learning everyday so youâ•˙re not alone. Simply believe in yourself, your ability to learn what needs learning and do what needs doing. Just go for it and donâ•˙t forget to have fun along the way! Key #2: Get going and actually do something. Isnâ•˙t it funny how once we decide to do something, weâ•˙re always expected to take action on it? Whose idea was that anyway? That doesnâ•˙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 donâ•˙t accidentally step on the business end of it bonking yourself in the forehead with the handle. It means prioritizing your goals, provided youâ•˙ve made them, and account for your time. Youâ•˙re the boss, itâ•˙s up to you to give yourself performance reviews, and your boss can get a bit tough. Focus on your tasks, donâ•˙tâ•˙ procrastinate, youâ•˙ll ╲loose end╡ yourself to a point of overwhelm. Key #3: Balance the view. When youâ•˙ve forgotten the second key on your keychain, donâ•˙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, thereâ•˙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 whatâ•˙s ahead. In case you need a blunt reminder? ∑That would be your immediate future, and yoouâ•˙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>
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> Brad Dunsé
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> "It is not the strongest of the species that survive nor the most intelligent but the one most responsive to change." --Clarence Darrow
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