The Tipping Point Debate

My good friend Maura Thomas sent this article to me from Fast Company I suspect in part because she knew I would really dig the article because of the Tipping Point discussion and also because she knows I am literally 6 months behind on my periodical reading. At any rate, I read Malcolm Gladwell's book The Tipping Point and have ever since, become fascinated with how products and ideas literally become huge overnight. Something I am still waiting for my book to do by the way.

At any rate, this article by contributing write Clive Thompson delves into the debate by presenting some very interesting points of view from a variety sides on the role influencers, and connectors, have on the whether something takes off. Its an interesting article that is very much worth the time to read.

You can find the article by clicking here.

The article stirs up a number of thoughts and ideas for me. But I am interested in hearing what you think. What do you think it takes to get a product, a service, a concept or an idea adopted by the masses? I invite you to email me or post your comments here. Who knows...the ideas you share may just be what I personally need to hear in order to take my Ripple Concept to the masses!

Ripple On!!!

Engagement Helps Makes Your Company Recession Proof

Baton the hatches and sound the alarm! Every news channel, newspaper or business periodical is predicting an impending recession. Business owners are already scratching their heads as they grapple with whom amongst their staff they will have to let go when the economic vise begins to tighten. Companies are evaluating promotional offers, considering lowering prices and are becoming less focused on customer service.

There's no doubt about it....times are looking pretty bleak. In fact for some, the distant future is looking downright scary. Many companies will be hurt by a downturn in the economy; some as you might suspect won't survive. People will unfortunately lose their jobs as organizations tighten the belt in an effort to survive. Customers will be inevitably affected as both quality and service of some products and services will undoubtedly begin to suffer.

Bleak times for sure. It reminds me of late 1999 when the Dot.Bomb explosion happened. Our economy which had been buoyed somewhat by the dawning of a brick and mortar-less model of doing business through the Internet began to see the same economic fears bubbling to the surface. People were scared. People were worried that we were headed right smack into a recession at that time too.

I remember sitting at a Chamber of Commerce luncheon sometime in late 1999 and listening to other business executives and owners complain about the economy. Their fears were not unfounded, much like the concerns of today, as discussions of how many businesses would not survive the tough economic times ahead. I remember sitting quietly and just listening and taking it all in. A man whom I had known for quite some time said to me, "Aren't you worried Steve. You just started a new venture and you have mouths to feed. Doesn't all of this scare you?"

I will admit I was a bit concerned on the inside; hard not to be when you live in the world of 24 Hour news channels. But my reply to him is the same as it would be today. "No."

The times ahead are survivable for smart executives and business owners. The single reason I was able to grow my company in a time when people were facing decisions much like they are today was I had prepared. I had engaged my customers and prospects and gave compelling and economically sound reasons to buy from me and to continue buying from me. I had created a strong bond with my prospects by understanding how I helped ease some of the economic pressures they might be facing and how my products and solutions could actually help them do more with less. I engaged them and learned from them. I did not sell them. I did not attempt to wow them with desperate discounts. I invested in them so they would feel comfortable investing with me.

These economic times are survivable my friends and I believe your ability to engage your prospects, customers, vendors and your employees is an essential strategy. So how engaged are you with them? Remember when people are thinking about which bills to pay they often factor into who they like and enjoy doing business with the most before deciding who should get paid now and who should wait. Employees who might be susceptible to greener pasture opportunities are less likely to leave the company if they have a strong relationship with their boss or management team. Customers are less likely to abandon ship for a lower discounted offer when they feel valued by the companies they do business with.

So again I ask you, how engaged are you?

There are too many ways to leverage the power of engagement to go into here. If you're interested I would suggest picking up my book to learn more about how I leveraged the power of engagement and connection to not only survive and grow my business but in the end find the path I was truly destined to be on. Click here for information on purchase my book.

Just remember, engagement is a key factor to surviving the troubled waters ahead. You don't have to lose those customers. You don't have to quit selling the products and services you need to sell at the price you need to get. You don't need to worry about losing your key staff to more lucrative and secure offers. You do need to start engaging on every conceivable level and you need to start today!

Good luck. Good Rippling. And for God's sake...turn off those negative news channels and put down those bad news newspapers. Go prove these pundits wrong. You can do it. I believe in you!

Ripple On!!!

Ripple Connection Question Of The Week

Ripple Connection Questions are a unique way to engage people in conversation. Whether with a complete stranger or someone you already know, but want to know better, using Ripple Connection Questions (RCQ) accelerate the dialogue and deepen the connection. The questions are by design, fun to ask and fun to answer, and can take your connection to an entirely new level. Come on, break out of that shell of yours and start Rippling.

So with no further adieu....this week's Ripple Connection Question is:

WHAT IS ONE OF YOUR MOST
FAVORITE CHILDHOOD MEMORIES?

This time of year as the Super Bowl approaches, it would be easy to say football for me. I fancied myself a backyard (or actually front yard) football hero. I had this old Nerf football that I would use and I would, for hours, self-hike the ball to myself and toss it on my parents house and wait for it to come down for a completion. Passes that were thrown on the first story were good for a single completion; I needed two for a first down. Passes that were thrown on the second story would come down much faster and much more unpredictable which made them so much more fun to catch. They of course were good for an automatic first down so I went for them a lot! Hey no guts, no glory right?

I would sit out there for hours and pretend I was leading my beloved Dallas Cowboys down the field for that Super Bowl win. I especially loved this time of year as a snow game added to the flare and excitement of a Steve Harper, Dallas' overlooked and yet undiscovered future franchise quarterback, led win.

I didn't win all of them as to make it fair, I had to play both teams; Dallas and whoever they might be up against that week. And in the battle field of the Harper front yard stadium, there were many tough opponents and very few easy wins. But the wins that I did have will be forever etched in my mind and the memories will forever make me smile.

So what about you? What's your answer to this week's Ripple Connection Question? Use this question with the people who cross you path in life and I guarantee you will open up a plethora of great material from which a deeper more meaningful relationship can be built.

Ripple On!!!

Fever Brings Clarity

I am sick. I hate being sick. I don't often get sick and have managed to not be very sick in quite a long while so I guess I was due.

It all started with Zach coming home last Wednesday with flu like symptoms. Kathy and Josh already had been feeling puny and by Thursday it was clear they all had the same nasty bug. Like a defiant child, I publicly claimed I would not be sick. It worked too...for one full day. So much for intention and manifestation. Germs don't seem to care about those things.

But honestly I don't mind getting sick when it does happen. Don't get me wrong, I hate feeling cruddy. But amidst all of the sneezing, coughing, aching and fever, something usually happens to me. I gain some clarity. I think it may be due to the fever more than anything else but it always happens to me. I think it happens because your body forces you to slow down to a sudden crawl, a pace most of us are not used to. More things, more thoughts, more creativity, more stuff is allowed to process in our minds and hearts and if you pay just enough attention, certain things become more clear.

So today I plan to take it easy and see what comes of it. I have some good books and my journal nearby just in case the fever brings a bouquet of unfiltered and focused thoughts and ideas.

Ripple On!!!

Steve

Even The Bad Can Cause Good

I couldn't help be see the Ripple-esq qualities of this story that a good friend of mine shared with me recently. I hope you enjoy it as well.

Have a great weekend my fellow Ripplers!!!

STORY NUMBER ONE

Many years ago, Al Capone virtually owned Chicago. Capone wasn't famous for anything heroic. He was notorious for enmeshing the windy city in everything from boot-legged booze and prostitution to murder.

Capone had a lawyer nicknamed "Easy Eddie." He was Capone's lawyer for a good reason. Eddie was very good! In fact, Eddie's skill at legal maneuvering kept Big Al out of jail for a long time.

To show his appreciation, Capone paid him very well. Not only was the money big, but also, Eddie got special dividends. For instance, he and his family occupied a fenced-in mansion with live-in help and all of the conveniences of the day. The estate was so large that it filled an entire Chicago City block.

Eddie lived the high life of the chicago mob and gave little consideration to the atrocity that went on around him.

Eddie did have one soft spot, however. He had a son that he loved dearly.

Eddie saw to it that his young son had clothes, cars, and a good education. Nothing was withheld. Price was no object. And, despite his involvement with organized crime, Eddie even tried to teach him right from wrong. Eddie wanted his son to be a better man than he was.

Yet, with all his wealth and influence, there were two things he couldn't give his son; he couldn't pass on a good name or a good example.

One day, Easy Eddie reached a difficult decision. Easy Eddie wanted to rectify wrongs he had done. He decided he would go to the authorities and tell the truth about Al "Scarface" Capone, clean up his tarnished name, and offer his son some semblance of integrity. To do this, he would have to testify against The Mob, and he knew that the cost would be great.

So, he testified.

Within the year, Easy Eddie's life ended in a blaze of gunfire on a lonely Chicago Street. But in his eyes, he had given his son the greatest gift he had to offer, at the greatest price he could ever pay. Police removed from his pockets a rosary, a crucifix, a religious medallion, and a poem clipped from a magazine.

The poem read:

"The clock of life is wound but once,

And no man has the power to tell

Just when the hands will stop

At late or early hour.

Now is the only time you own.

Live, love, toil with a will.

Place no faith in time.

For the clock may soon be still.

STORY NUMBER TWO

World War II produced many heroes. One such man was Lieutenant Commander Butch O'Hare. He was a fighter pilot assigned to the aircraft carrier Lexington in the South Pacific.

One day his entire squadron was sent on a mission. After he was airborne, he looked at his fuel gauge and realized that someone had forgotten to top off his fuel tank. He would not have enough fuel to complete his mission and get back to his ship.

His flight leader told him to return to the carrier. Reluctantly, he dropped out of formation and headed back to the fleet. As he was returning to the mother ship he saw something that turned his blood cold: a squadron of Japanese aircraft was speeding its way toward the American fleet.

The American fighters were gone on a sortie, and the fleet was all but defenseless. He couldn't reach his squadron and bring them back in time to save the fleet. Nor could he warn the fleet of the approaching danger.

There was only one thing to do. He must somehow divert them from the fleet. Laying aside all thoughts of personal safety, he dove into the formation of Japanese planes. Wing-mounted 50 caliber's blazed as he charged in, attacking one surprised enemy plane and then another. Butch wove in and out of the now-broken formation and fired at as many planes as possible until all his ammunition was finally spent.

Undaunted, he continued the assault. He dove at the planes, trying to clip a wing or tail in hopes of damaging as many enemy planes as possible and rendering them unfit to fly. Finally, the exasperated Japanese squadron took off in another direction.

Deeply relieved, Butch O'Hare and his tattered fighter limped back to the carrier. Upon arrival, he reported in and related the event surrounding his return. The film from the gun-camera mounted on his plane told the tale. It showed the extent of Butch's daring attempt to protect his fleet.

He had, in fact, destroyed five enemy aircraft.

This took place on February 20, 1942, and for that action Butch became the Navy's first Ace of W.W.II, and the first Naval Aviator to win the Congressional Medal of Honor.

A year later Butch was killed in aerial combat at the age of 29. His home town would not allow the memory of this WW II hero to fade, and today, O'Hare Airport in Chicago is named in tribute to the courage of this great man.

So, the next time you find yourself at O'Hare International, give some thought to visiting Butch's memorial displaying his statue and his Medal of Honor. It's located between Terminals 1 and 2.

SO WHAT DO THESE TWO STORIES HAVE TO DO WITH EACH OTHER?

Butch O'Hare was "Easy Eddie's" son.

Forrest Gump's Mom Had It Right

Forrest Gump said, "My momma always said 'life if like a box of chocolates. You never know what you are gonna get.' "

I think Forrest's mom was most certainly a relater. She understood something about people. She got it. I love the symmetry of that line to what has become my life's passion: teaching anyone and everyone that will listen about the power of connection. When it comes down to it, connecting is nothing but a mystery that courage and a little gumption (no pun intended) will help you discover and solve.

Life, and by association the people in it, is very much like a box of chocolates. True there are all sorts of great pieces to enjoy and consume at your leisure. And of course sometimes you select the piece that looks so yummy and you can't wait to eat it but when you take a bite you discover that beneath that attractive surface lies a filling that isn't going to be to your liking. Oh the disappointment and displeasure when that happens. But sometimes you continue to chew, you refuse to spit it out and you muddle through.

Maybe that piece is something you never want to eat again. But the candy people understand that sometimes you have to give things a second chance and in most boxes of candy you get two pieces of the same kind of candy. Perhaps, just maybe, you go back to that piece and you give it another try....just to make sure you don't like it. Sometimes, as in life, your suspicions are confirmed but perhaps, just maybe, your initial impression turns out to be wrong. That piece of candy isn't nearly as bad as you first thought and in fact, as you consume the second piece, it actually begins to grow on you. Carmel and a kid named Mike was that way for me as a kid.

People are exactly the same. Sometimes you need to take a second bite or rather make a second effort, just to make sure you aren't missing out.

Go forth and find your box of chocolates my fellow Ripplers and don't just look for the pieces (and people) you know. Take a chance. You never know what your gonna get but in the end isn't that what makes life more interesting?

Thanks Ms. Gump!

Ripple On!!!

Fear

Fear....
Fear is the enemy.
Fear is crippling.
Fear is blinding.

Fear....
Fear is holding you hostage.
Fear is keeping you down.
Fear won't let you win the race.

Fear....
Fear will strip your soul.
Fear will leave you shallow and cold.
Fear will be your master.

Why such vivid imagery of fear you might ask? Because fear keeps you, me and everyone else from achieving, having and doing the things we are destined to do. Fear is the great equalizer to great ideas, great accomplishments and a world of possibilities. Fear is where great things, great people go to die.

In visiting with so many of you these past few weeks, hearing hopes, dreams and aspirations for the new year ahead, the underlying theme in almost every conversation is...fear. "I am scared I won't have the courage to try for that promotion." "I am scared to put my idea on the table for fear of being laughed at." "I fear what might happen if I decide to leave this relationship and go it alone."

Whatever fear you may be facing know that it is a temporary road block to that which you are destined to do, to have, to achieve and to be.

Fear is what we are left with when we no longer have faith. Faith in ourselves. Faith in our abilities. Faith in what is possible.

Have faith my Ripple friend I believe in you. You too should believe in yourself.

Have faith in yourself and believe in your heart you are here to do what you are here to do. Do this and fear will find no crevice, foothold or ledge with which to plant itself and grow.

Go Forth and Believe In Yourself.....and see what Ripples come from it!

Ripple On!!!

A Quote To Ponder

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands in times of challenge and controversy."

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Powerful words from a powerful man.

And for the Ripplers out there that I know that are struggling with various issues....a good reminder to stay the course. The decisions you are making, though difficult at the time, will undoubtedly prove to be the right ones.

Ripple On!!!

Steve

Friday Funny

It has been a long hard week. I figured if your week has been anything like mine, you could use a smile to get your Friday off to the right start. I found this video on YouTube while surfing the other night and just thought it was hilarious; especially the recap over coffee conversation between Superman and Batman. Classic!

Enjoy!



Have a wonderful weekend and remember to laugh and smile. You never know what Ripples those two simple actions might cause for you!

Ripple On!!!

Steve

Mid-January Self-Check

So you ended last year thinking about all that you had accomplished and all that you want to achieve in the new year. You sat down and wrote out your list of goals, resolutions or commitments to yourself and at the end had this satisfying smile on your face of all that you were going to achieve in the coming year.

So you started off this month with a bang doing all the things you needed to do to stay on track and take the new year by the tail right? Yup...no doubt, this is going to be your year. 2008 is the year that everything is going to change for you right?

But now a few weeks have gone by. The routine of going back to work and having to stay for a full week (damn I miss the holidays) has started to sink in. Those lofty aspirations of hitting the gym several times a week and getting up at the ass crack of dawn to go running now suddenly seems less exciting and romantic. It looked so much better on paper didn't it? Those important contacts you were going to make now seem a little more intimidating. Those great events that you just knew you had to go to, to make the best connections, now all seem to fall on days that something more appealing (like a new episode of ER or a hot bath) or important (beer with the buddies) is happening.

Welcome to mid-January.

This is where the men are separated from the boys. The women are separated from the girls. The weak from the strong. The fun and exciting from the simply boring. The destiny makers from the destiny takers.

You get the picture right?

Where are you? Where do you stack up compared to all the lofty goals, dreams and aspirations you held for yourself a mere 17 days ago? Are you still approaching the new year like it's gonna be your best one yet or are you settling in to another year of mediocrity?

Where are you? Why aren't you doing more? Why have you given up already?

It's time for a self-check.

The good news.....it's only day 17. There are 339 more to go.

Don't waste them.

Ripple On!!!

Randon Acts of Kindness

So for years and years I have been trying to get Kathy, my wife, to go to Starbucks. She wouldn't do it...mainly because she doesn't care for coffee and I think out of protest for what I "spend on a cup of coffee!" (have to hear her say it to get the full effect). Then one day she discovered they sell iced tea and that was all she wrote. If coffee is my legalized drug of choice then iced tea is hers. Now months after discovering this little factoid she goes to Starbucks more than I do...which for those of you who know me..is a lot!

Anyway the other day I was at the office and my phone rang. It was Kathy. I could tell she was excited about something. She proceeded to tell me about how she just encountered something amazing while sitting at the drive-thru of Starbucks. Apparently she was down to her last two dollars but really needed that iced tea so she steered her car into the line at Starbucks. As she scrounged for some change to insure she had enough she pulled up to the window and the Barista handed her her iced tea and said the car in front of her had paid for hers. I would have paid for the next fifty cars to have been there to see her face!

She was certain that she didn't know the person. They left no indication with the Starbucks worker that they knew Kathy either. They simply did a random act of kindness and boy did it make her day. Kathy immediately called my dad who, if you read my BLOG regularly, has experience his own random acts of kindness (search Breakfast Fairy on the BLOG search tool) and I am sure they both went to town on the Ripple Effect of what had just happened.

A simple act of kindness like buying someone's coffee (or iced tea), breakfast or whatever can have the biggest impact on another person. My question to you is how many Ripples are you willing to create anonymously just for the sake of making this world a better place?

That many huh?

Ripple On!!!


Steve

P.S. Here's a neat article on the Starbucks Pay it Backwards concept.

ALL IN

She stood at the door to the conference room. The biggest presentation of her career was about to begin. She thought to herself, I can't do it. They will see right through me. But she knew in her heart of hearts that simply wasn't the case. She was made for this moment and she was going to take what belonged to her. She deserved to be here and both the team and their client would see that too.

It was now or never and there was no looking back. She was going to give the presentation of her life and leave nothing in the tank. She was going ALL IN and in the end would be a better person, personally and professionally, for it.

She opened the door and over the threshold into destiny.

Could this be you? Do you have something big coming up? Perhaps an opportunity to take advantage of a defining moment in your life or career.

Are you ready for it? Are you 100% prepared to give it your all and take it?

Just like the guys you see on television that play those big poker tournaments, you too will eventually reach a point where the only play is to push all the chips towards the center of the table and go ALL IN.

Really Look

I found this video on Youtube and it so reminded me of my dad. I always remember as a kid dad bringing home optical illusions and mind puzzels in an effort, no doubt, to get me to engage my brain; something I certainly needed to do more of as a kid. At the time I didn't appreciate what he was doing but today, every time I see an optical illusion it makes me think of him.

You are right Dad, sometimes you just have to really look. What you find, what you discover and what is possible will eventually come into focus.

Great Ripple Reminder Pop!

Can You Smile?

Do you realize a smile is the most powerful tool you have in your arsenal of connection? It announces before you even open your mouth that you are approachable, friendly and someone someone needs to know. It's one of the greatest Rippler makers of all time. Guaranteed!

When I give me customer service training I encourage my students to practice smiling every morning to prepare themselves to be more friendly towards their customers that day. In fact, I encourage people to utilize the same mirror that they use to brush their teeth, hair or put on makeup, to practice their smile before they leave the house. Yes, I said practice!

Give it a try tomorrow morning. Think to yourself....that Ripple guy told me to try this so let me give it a go. THEN SMILE at yourself. Tell me if that doesn't lift your mood. Tell me if it doesn't make you laugh..just a little...to yourself while you do it. Tell me if it doesn't make you think just a little bit about what positive effect you could have on those who may cross you path in the day ahead.

Smiling is one of the greatest things you can do for yourself and for others. Start practicing pulling it out and using it at least three times a day and I will assure you that many a Ripple will follow.

Here's a little piece I wrote about Smiling Costs Me Nothing if your interested
Click here to read it.

Remember to Smile and Ripple On!!!

Steve

You Need A Map

Man: I know where I am going.
Woman: You should stop and get directions.
Man: I don't need directions I know where I am going.
Woman: Then why have we passed that gas station three times?
Man: Just wanted to get my bearings. Hmm, yes, this is the street. I got it now.
Woman: No you don't. Admit it we are lost. Why don't you look at the map.
Man: We are most certainly not lost. You may be lost but I know exactly where I am.
Woman: It's just too bad you don't know where you are going.
Man: (actually he doesn't say anything because the truth hurts)
Woman: Are you sure you don't want to take a look at the map?
Man: Give me the damn map already!

Although this might be a humorous look at a couple of people trying to get somewhere they need to be, how similar is this conversation to the one you are having right now with your spouse, significant other, or even yourself? Except the conversation isn't about where you need to drive to but where you need to drive your life? Ah ha....you didn't think I knew about that did you? Well of course I do and now you are busted!

Of course your conversations with those in your life or even with yourself may use slightly different dialogue the impetus is the same. You think you know where you want to go in life and you may even have some vague understanding of how to get there but something is holding you back. Maybe it's the experience. Maybe it's the understanding of what it takes. Maybe it's your unwillingness to recognize when you need to stop and ask for directions (aka help). Or how to use your own map!

Whatever it is, it's important to understand that we should all be packing a map. Not a map to show us how to get from New Mexico to Texas but a map that outlines the major destinations we want to take in life and how we plan to get there. You wouldn't think about leaving your home today with a desire to drive to a major city (pick one) that is clear across the country without using a map would you? Why would you want to go through the next year, five years or next thirty without a clear understanding of where you are going and how to get there.

Without a map we are simply a passenger of life. With our own map we can be the conquerer of it.

Here's a great exercise that might be a great way to get your map started. Go to an office supply store and ask for big paper. You can get rolls of paper or use some sheets from a flip chart. Buy some colorful markers and some fine pointed pens. Spread it out over a conference table or pick a nice big space on your living room floor. Give yourself at least an hour, preferably several, to just imagine, think, contemplate, create, dream and just play.

Start by asking yourself as many questions as you can think of. For example, what age do I want to live to? Write that in the upper corner of one of the sheets of paper. Write your current age at the absolute opposite end or corner of the paper.

Ask....

What do I want to see myself trying? Do I want to skydive? Do I want to ride horses in Italy?

What kind of careers do I want to try? Maybe I want to go back to school and get my law degree.

What kind of trips will I go on? What far away lands do I want to explore?

What hobbies do I want to take up? Will I be a budding woodworker in fifteen years?

Will I be driving an RV or speeding down the freeway in a brand new Corvette? Put it on there.

Write, draw, play. Put anything and everything you can think of on the paper. Draw pictures, create life-like mile markers, create recognizable landmarks...draw, write, doodle, scribble...Have fun with this map as it is yours.

Once you have your destinations mapped out then its time to become your own Google Maps Direction function. You need to, in detail, write down on a separate piece of paper, your destinations and the very precise steps you need to take to get there. If you don't know, put that down too. Guaranteed someone you know or heck, someone you meet because of this BLOG or our Ripple community surely can help!

Try this exercise and have some fun with it. It will be amazingly insightful and a great way to start planning this journey we call your life.

Ripple On (with map in hand!),

Steve

Ripple Connection Question Of The Week

Ripple Connection Questions are a unique way to engage people in conversation. Whether with a complete stranger or someone you already know, but want to know better, using Ripple Connection Questions (RCQ) accelerate the dialogue and deepen the connection. The questions are by design, fun to ask and fun to answer, and can take your connection to an entirely new level. Come on, break out of that shell of yours and start Rippling.

How about we collectively make 2008 the year of connection? What do you say?

Seriously, why not use this brand spanking new year as our launch pad to make deeper more meaningful connections with the people who cross our path or already in our life somehow? The connections we make, and make better, will absolutely springboard you into something amazing for 2008 I promise. Why not use the Ripple Connection Questions to help you get started?

So with that in mind, this week's Ripple Connection Question Of The Week is:

WHAT EXCITES YOU MOST ABOUT
THE UPCOMING YEAR?

For me this is an easy one to answer....

It's all the possibilities that 2008 holds for me. I want to do more trainings, more workshops, give more talks and speeches, write my second (and maybe a third) book. But most of all...the one thing that excites me most about 2008 is all the new and incredibly helpful people I plan to bring into my life through the power of connection. Yes, its the stories I will hear, the faces I will see, the experiences I will have by not fearing to take a chance and connect with someone new. After all, I do believe that someone or something will have brought them into my path for a reason. It's the discovery part of why that makes it most exciting for me.

So what about you? What is your answer?

Are You Ready With Arms Wide Open?

2008 is finally here!

As many of us return to the normal routine of work, school and regular (unabbreviated holiday) every day life, it will be so tempting to let this day become no different than any of the days you had in 2007. And if today is going to be like all of the other days you had last year, it becomes easier and easier to let tomorrow, and the day after and the day after that become the same.

Is that what you really want?

Is that what is going to make 2008 your best year ever?

I think you know the answer to that....but just in case you don't....NO IT IS NOT.

In order for 2008 to be the best year of your life you need to be ready to take on each new day with an increased sense of purpose. Don't remain a passenger in this bullet train of life. No, be the conductor.

I love the opening lines of this song by one of my favorite bands Creed. Take a listen. Seems your life is about to change also. Are you ready to embrace it with arms wide open?

Happy New Year

Just want to say to each of you...

Happy New Year and may 2008
be your best year ever!!!

Ripple On!!!

Steve