With the uproar about bank and corporate bonuses and lackluster action in Washington, I have heard many gripes about the indecency of corporate honchos and the corruption of our legislators.  I also recently read about Illinois lawmakers trying to skirt around real campaign reform.  One congressman, U.S. Rep Mike Quigley, D-Ill, is forcing the House probe further into the investigation about getting special mortgage deals from big lenders, making both Democrats and Republicans nervous.

Reportedly, the “little people” are getting enraged and I have heard about revolution afoot with some extremists.
People are legitimately upset with the seemingly “same-old, same-old” from our leaders.  Most believe that the reason for the turtle-pace movement on health-care reform and other important issues is lobbyists greasing the regular greedy palms.  I agree that much of this speculation is based on what is so.

What all of this leads me to wonder is why has nothing changed?  There are many plausible responses.  One that I believe is entrenched in our minds is “It’s always been this way and it will never change.”  Of course, it is easier to complain about something than to contemplate putting forth remarkable effort to change a system that has the weight of history and the past ennui of those at the effect of it.  

Do we just want to blow off steam when we moan and groan about this situation?  Do we feel we have met our obligation as citizens to gripe out loud?  Do we feel we gain an iota of justice because we confer with others about the dreadful state of our governments?  A larger question: Do we really care?  Is the extent of our involvement tantamount to our temporary fascination as we pass an automobile accident or hear about some kid in a bad neighborhood murdered? Is it our left-over teenage need to be like our peers - we hear others being upset about the purported corruption and want to belong, want to be liked?  Do we sound-off because we believe the undefined “they” expects us to make our voices heard?

Why since the days of our founding fathers have we felt duped by the powers-that-be and never really join to change the greed and corruption that makes our government and our leaders of huge companies feel the needed pressure to change the so far unchangeable?

I am not sure about the answers to these questions.  However, I suspect that there may be some truth to the possibility that we may not want to rock our own boats.  Government and business leaders are greedy and corrupt; and what about us? Our representatives and leaders are just like us; okay, perhaps a lot richer, but people and citizens of this country nonetheless.

How pristine is our behavior in business and in our lives?  How important is it to us to keep commitments to those we serve – our clients, customers, friends, and neighbors? What if the tables were turned and concerned citizens wanted to investigate our honesty and our practices?  Do we fear that we might be the pot calling the kettle black? If we have the nerve to pursue honesty and justice will we have to be subjected to the same scrutiny?  Aha – a little scary!

To me, a great course of action would be to start with our own conscience and behavior.  What if each of us behaved the way we expect our leaders to behave?  What if we kept ourselves to the standards we want set for our business leaders and government?  If as you read this, you are shouting and protesting because you do live up to your own standards, then I challenge you to move forward and get busy finding others like you, have discussions about what can be done – such as not voting in cheaters and charlatans, which is another blog altogether – and start doing something about it!

The next time you want to blither on about those rotten dogs in Springfield, Washington, Wall-Street or wherever – ask yourself so what?  What are you going to do about it?

Someone quite recently mentioned a trendy topic to me about how hard people are working with seemingly little result. I recall remarking that I, too, have heard much carping about this experience from workers, in general, and especially business owners. Frankly, I must admit I, too, have fallen prey to   more »

Watching a Sunday morning news program, I heard Democratic Senator John Kerry and Republican Senator Orrin Hatch answering a question about what made Ted Kennedy such a superb legislator and senator. Both offered stories about Kennedy’s passion and pragmatism.    more »

Lately, I have noticed that I have been sharing the four main elements that I believe are necessary to be successful in business with Optimal Level prospects and clients, audiences at my speaking events, and associates. So, I decided to write about it in this month’s blog.    more »

For the span of my life, my point of view of the individual’s self-focus began with the 50’s in which the men came home from war, mom stayed home and took care of the family, and the American industry expanded to meet peacetime needs. Americans began buying goods not available during the war, which created corporate expansion and jobs. Growth was everywhere and yet literature began to reflect the conflict of self-satisfaction with 50's Happy Days and cultural self-doubt about conformity and the true worth of American values. As for self view, we were just coming into awareness of individual self-expression.   more »

Remember the scenes in old cowboy movies when a gang of townspeople, gathered at the door of the sheriff’s office, gets all riled up, and then, one of them shouts out “Hang him!”? Then someone else gives brief thought to this idea and face red, arms flailing right and left joins in ranting, “Yeah, hang him!” This brings the unruly crowd to the breaking point, handguns and rifles go bobbing up and down, and you just know if this crowd isn’t brought to reason very soon, someone is going to get hurt.   more »

There have been rumblings both in networking chit-chat, on the internet, and in major newspapers and magazines: We have a male-dominated recession. According to Business Week, “From last November through last April, American women aged 20 and up gained nearly 300,000 jobs, according to the household survey of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. At the same time, American men lost nearly 700,000 jobs.”   more »

Lately I have found myself revisiting the concept of correction – or balance - quite a bit. This contemplation about these concepts began about the same time with two different stimuli. The first time was in the fall of 2008 when the whole economic crises began to emerge and the big “R”, that being the real, admitted, spoken aloud recession, grand financial losses and the all too familiar mess was splattered all over the internet, our newspapers, and talk shows. Pundits pondered and some attributed this economic slide to excesses by lenders, brokers, Wall Street aficionados, corporate fat cats, and regular every day folk.   more »

Recently I read an advisory that was given to me by a financial advisor. Among 10 key reminders he had for investors was a reminder that in essence in difficult financial times the world does not come to an end. He said that, “even in the worse of down times” life essentially goes on and people go about their business quite normally.   more »

First Sarah Palin: My dentist came toward my chair the other day with an apprehensive look on this face and said, “So, Sarah Palin.?” My family, friends, and associates know how passionate I am about women’s issues and rights and that I am always promoting their progress and welfare. Therefore, whether Republican or Democrat, I find that they anxiously await hearing my stance on Sarah Palin, Vice Presidential candidate.   more »

That’s how I see so many wonderful, bright, warm, savvy, lovely business women, owners or career women. So many of these women seem to be crying out – a silent scream – for help because they are more than stressed out by time challenges. Well, money challenges too, but that’s another blog.    more »

That’s actually not far from the mark… Have you ever been late to an appointment because you misplaced your car keys? Have you ever been spouting off in erudite splendor at a social or work function and totally trip on your tongue because you simply cannot call up the word you want? Have you taken the proverbial trip from one room to another and then forgotten why you went into that next room? Have you promised yourself you would remember his/her name and repeated it five times to make sure you can recall it when you want and then the very next time you see him/her, you’re stuck and the name stubbornly will not materialize in your brain?   more »

A friend and Optimal Level member sent me something really, really funny yesterday. I hope I am not ruining the fun for others as I disclose this clever hoax. I received an email with the subject line asking “Is this true?” The email said that people were talking about me on an outline community. Then it said to go to a news channel link to read about it.   more »

At our recent Optimal Level meeting in Schaumburg, one of our members made a comment to me while we were discussing another member’s issue. Noting my increased animation and most likely a raise in voice level, she said something like, “Boy, that’s really your hot button.” I thought about what she said for a brief moment, and realized she was right.   more »

Are you gainfully employed or running a business and feel as if and in fact, most often, behave as if you never, ever have time for anything else? Do you long to clean out a drawer, to sit and gaze at nothing or read a good book, to be able to stop figuring out your next step, or to have a personal assistant, cook, driver, or private problem-solver? In other words, are you exhausted, worn out, feel overwhelmed and scared to stop for a moment because everything or lots of things would fall apart?   more »

It seems each month something’s got me on my high horse. This month it is the aggravating habit of so many business women (and maybe men but I don’t talk with them as much about their businesses or careers) to contemplate their navels. Okay, that’s my expression for over-think, over-analyze, and over-prepare. As if they had nothing better to do than waste time staring at their navels.   more »

Eighty-eight years ago some women were imprisoned, went on a hunger strike, were force-fed, and practically gave up their lives as they had previously known them – to help earn the right for women to vote. Now, for the first time in history a woman is running for the President of the United States of America!   more »

Before having typed one word, I realize that I remind myself of the crotchety and ornery Andy Rooney from the Sixty Minutes TV show. He rambles on each week about something that annoys him no matter how minor the subject. What’s bugging me certainly lacks   more »

“When dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but creatures of emotion” — Dale Carnegie: When I was watching the Oprah Winfrey show one day recently, Mitch Albom, author of For One More Day was her guest. She was producing the TV movie from this book. It is about a loser-type guy    more »