I was sitting here thinking about what to write and the first thing that came to mind was my love hate relationship with chipotle. However, common sense and fear of obscenity charges overrode that inclination.
Instead I decided to dissect this article. While I agree with the premise that being optimistic is something that you can willfully control, it's writing like this that tends to set me off. The author acts like these four secrets are so easy that just by reading the article, you will automatically be a happier person. So let's break down the problems with each of these steps.
Secret 1: Express Gratitude-On the surface this seems like a pretty sound theory. But let's just say that you've just blown a tire, smashed into a guard rail, and your coffee spilled all over your cell phone and the report you absolutely must turn in this morning. Am I really going to stop and take the time to say, thank you negligent person that allowed debris to fall from your vehicle. Now I get the opportunity to use my spare tire. Wouldn't want it to sit in the trunk too long without being used. Plus I get to talk with the perpetually friendly people at my insurance company. And who wouldn't be thankful for the chance to show up to work late and flex your creativity muscles when your boss doesn't quite believe your story?
Secret 2: Volunteer-Ahh yes, when everything in my life is going as absolutely horrible as possible, I want to surround myself with people who are in much worse situations than I. Who doesn't want a side of guilt and shame to go along with all the other crap that's going wrong?
Secret 3: Notice the Good-Ummm...not to sound flippant (well, maybe just a little), but isn't that pretty much what defines an optimist? If you're able to notice the good in every situation, wouldn't it be much easier to expect positive outcomes to every day situations? It's extremely hard for me to notice the good when I have to worry about how I'm going to get both of my grandpa's tractors out of the swamp without breaking anything.
Secret 4: Change Negative Self-Talking-Are you kidding me? Honestly, if this is a problem for you, you most likely won't have the confidence to believe that you can fix yourself. This is like saying that if you have trouble spending money then you should stop spending money. Well thanks for the tip skippy.
Yes, I know that anybody can change their outlook on life, but to write an article that makes it sound like a minor maintenance issue instead of a major engine overhaul is misleading at best.
Related Links
I don't have any related links. I just urge everyone to find a way to volunteer. Whether it's with senior citizens, inner city youth, or in a third world country, the love you show by volunteering will reap a harvest many times what you sow.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
One of "Those" Days
Well just like the title suggests, it was one of those days. One of the days that Murphy's Law was written for. It seemed like it was starting out to be a pretty decent day. Nice weather, the sun was shining.
I went early this morning and borrowed my grandpa's tractor. He only lives a mile away so it's pretty handy. My intention was to drive through the woods behind our house to load up a bunch of wood that I had cut up so I could bring it up and split it.
Things were going pretty well. I had made my way into the woods and had some stuff cut up and moved out of the way. So I'm driving the tractor through the woods and the front tires go over a small hump and I immediately sink nearly to the front axle. Try to back up and the tires just spin. I immediately stop, shut the tractor off, and head up to the house. I knew that if I kept trying I'd just make things worse.
Not too bad, I think to myself. The ground didn't seem that bad and grandpa has a bigger tractor. My dad goes to get the bigger tractor and drives out to the woods. He backs up and we get the chains hooked up. He starts to pull and the smaller one starts to move. But then it gets hung up on a log buried in the muck. The big tractor starts to spin its tires.
I need to interject here. My dad has a tendency to compound situations which would be considered less than optimal. It's a lack of patience. Something I struggle with as well.
As soon as the tires started spinning, not wanting to lose momentum, he opens up the throttle. This causes the tires to spin even more. In a matter of seconds, the larger tractor is sunk to its rear axle in the muck.
I'll forego the next few hours as the language is not appropriate. Not on my part, mind you. I'm much too controlled for those types of outbursts. Stop laughing.
Anyway, my dad goes to another farmer he knows and he brings over a bigger tractor to try to help. Notice I said try. It didn't work. Tractor wasn't big enough. But at least we didn't get it stuck.
He goes to another farmer and they bring an even bigger four wheel drive tractor. We break two chains. But we don't get this one stuck either so I guess that's a plus.
Finally we call a wrecker. Apparently all it takes to remove a tractor from the swamp is a hundred feet of steel cable, a massive winch, a block and tackle, and $150 dollars to pay the driver.
At least we didn't break anything on the tractors. Of course, all my wood is still out in the forest. Tomorrow should be fun.
Related Links
This is the type I got stuck.
And the one my dad got stuck.
Things could always be worse.
I went early this morning and borrowed my grandpa's tractor. He only lives a mile away so it's pretty handy. My intention was to drive through the woods behind our house to load up a bunch of wood that I had cut up so I could bring it up and split it.
Things were going pretty well. I had made my way into the woods and had some stuff cut up and moved out of the way. So I'm driving the tractor through the woods and the front tires go over a small hump and I immediately sink nearly to the front axle. Try to back up and the tires just spin. I immediately stop, shut the tractor off, and head up to the house. I knew that if I kept trying I'd just make things worse.
Not too bad, I think to myself. The ground didn't seem that bad and grandpa has a bigger tractor. My dad goes to get the bigger tractor and drives out to the woods. He backs up and we get the chains hooked up. He starts to pull and the smaller one starts to move. But then it gets hung up on a log buried in the muck. The big tractor starts to spin its tires.
I need to interject here. My dad has a tendency to compound situations which would be considered less than optimal. It's a lack of patience. Something I struggle with as well.
As soon as the tires started spinning, not wanting to lose momentum, he opens up the throttle. This causes the tires to spin even more. In a matter of seconds, the larger tractor is sunk to its rear axle in the muck.
I'll forego the next few hours as the language is not appropriate. Not on my part, mind you. I'm much too controlled for those types of outbursts. Stop laughing.
Anyway, my dad goes to another farmer he knows and he brings over a bigger tractor to try to help. Notice I said try. It didn't work. Tractor wasn't big enough. But at least we didn't get it stuck.
He goes to another farmer and they bring an even bigger four wheel drive tractor. We break two chains. But we don't get this one stuck either so I guess that's a plus.
Finally we call a wrecker. Apparently all it takes to remove a tractor from the swamp is a hundred feet of steel cable, a massive winch, a block and tackle, and $150 dollars to pay the driver.
At least we didn't break anything on the tractors. Of course, all my wood is still out in the forest. Tomorrow should be fun.
Related Links
This is the type I got stuck.
And the one my dad got stuck.
Things could always be worse.
Monday, October 10, 2011
How to Find Different Titles for Your Blog Posts (Don't let the title fool you. This is about football.)
It's a bittersweet day. I'm bringing an end to the "How To" titles for my posts. I decided that I'm much more creative than that and can come up with witty, attention grabbing titles.
Now that that's out of the way. How about them Lions? I'll admit it. I've been a Lions fan since I can remember. My first memories of watching the guys in Honolulu Blue consisted of Barry Sanders making defenders look foolish, Rodney Pete making himself look foolish, and Eddie Murray being their leading scorer. (He was a kicker for those of you who don't remember.)
I suffered through the era of Cocaine Wayne, Bobby Ross, and a wave of other coaches whose potential was dashed upon the rocks of the Detroit LieDowns.
I watched numerous top draft picks amount to nothing. The few talented players Detroit was able to acquire were tossed into the meat grinder of sub mediocrity. Their careers were cut short by injury or indifference when they had the opportunity to get out of Detroit. After all, how many of them would have highlights of their career to point to when trying to negotiate a contract elsewhere?
I remember the last time the Lions made the playoffs only to lose the first game of their postseason. I remember the last time the Lions won a playoff game. That was all the way back in 1991. Twenty years ago.
I remember the sadness when guys I grew up watching every Sunday began to leave the game. Benny Blades, Chris Spielman, Pat Swilling, Mel Gray, Robert Porcher, Luther Ellis, Herman Moore, and the great Barry Sanders.
When Barry walked away from the game, I'm sure I wasn't the only one that felt a tremendous sense of despair. What were we going to do without one of the greatest players the game has ever seen? Turns out, we'd continue to be Lions fans. Suffering the same disappointment year after year.
And just when we thought it couldn't get worse, along came Matt Millen. Never has someone run a franchise so completely into the ground. Millen managed to accomplish the most difficult feat in professional football. So difficult, that no other team had EVER done it. He manufactured a team that was able to lose all SIXTEEN regular season games. As that travesty wore on, I recall having a perverse satisfaction as they drew closer and closer to the unattainable "perfect" season. Seriously, how many others would still claim to be a fan of an 0-16 team? I know I wasn't alone, but our ranks were pitifully small.
That's all changed now though. The Lion's have their first 4-0 start since before I was born. Suh, Johnson, and Stafford jerseys are everywhere. Where were you, my fairweather friends, when Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Tampa Bay could look forward to the inevitable win that came with a game against Detroit? Where were you when for three straight seasons the first draft pick was a wide receiver? Where were you when Joey "Princess" Harrington was our quarterback? You were rooting on the Patriots, or the Colts, or the Saints. How dare you, now that things are good, come back and act like you're one of us? You haven't the right to call yourself a fan. You turned tail and ran when the going got hard.
I know my words will fall on mostly deaf ears. Nobody will admit to being one of the many on the bandwagon. They all say, "Not me, I was here the whole time." Well I say you're a liar. If that's true, where is your Andre Ware, Ty Detmer, or Aveion Cason jersey? That's what I thought...That's what I thought.
And don't even get me started on Jeff Backus.
Related Links
The BEST running back ever. I don't care what you think.
What a year it was.
This guy has a slightly different opinion.
Now that that's out of the way. How about them Lions? I'll admit it. I've been a Lions fan since I can remember. My first memories of watching the guys in Honolulu Blue consisted of Barry Sanders making defenders look foolish, Rodney Pete making himself look foolish, and Eddie Murray being their leading scorer. (He was a kicker for those of you who don't remember.)
I suffered through the era of Cocaine Wayne, Bobby Ross, and a wave of other coaches whose potential was dashed upon the rocks of the Detroit LieDowns.
I watched numerous top draft picks amount to nothing. The few talented players Detroit was able to acquire were tossed into the meat grinder of sub mediocrity. Their careers were cut short by injury or indifference when they had the opportunity to get out of Detroit. After all, how many of them would have highlights of their career to point to when trying to negotiate a contract elsewhere?
I remember the last time the Lions made the playoffs only to lose the first game of their postseason. I remember the last time the Lions won a playoff game. That was all the way back in 1991. Twenty years ago.
I remember the sadness when guys I grew up watching every Sunday began to leave the game. Benny Blades, Chris Spielman, Pat Swilling, Mel Gray, Robert Porcher, Luther Ellis, Herman Moore, and the great Barry Sanders.
When Barry walked away from the game, I'm sure I wasn't the only one that felt a tremendous sense of despair. What were we going to do without one of the greatest players the game has ever seen? Turns out, we'd continue to be Lions fans. Suffering the same disappointment year after year.
And just when we thought it couldn't get worse, along came Matt Millen. Never has someone run a franchise so completely into the ground. Millen managed to accomplish the most difficult feat in professional football. So difficult, that no other team had EVER done it. He manufactured a team that was able to lose all SIXTEEN regular season games. As that travesty wore on, I recall having a perverse satisfaction as they drew closer and closer to the unattainable "perfect" season. Seriously, how many others would still claim to be a fan of an 0-16 team? I know I wasn't alone, but our ranks were pitifully small.
That's all changed now though. The Lion's have their first 4-0 start since before I was born. Suh, Johnson, and Stafford jerseys are everywhere. Where were you, my fairweather friends, when Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Tampa Bay could look forward to the inevitable win that came with a game against Detroit? Where were you when for three straight seasons the first draft pick was a wide receiver? Where were you when Joey "Princess" Harrington was our quarterback? You were rooting on the Patriots, or the Colts, or the Saints. How dare you, now that things are good, come back and act like you're one of us? You haven't the right to call yourself a fan. You turned tail and ran when the going got hard.
I know my words will fall on mostly deaf ears. Nobody will admit to being one of the many on the bandwagon. They all say, "Not me, I was here the whole time." Well I say you're a liar. If that's true, where is your Andre Ware, Ty Detmer, or Aveion Cason jersey? That's what I thought...That's what I thought.
And don't even get me started on Jeff Backus.
Related Links
The BEST running back ever. I don't care what you think.
What a year it was.
This guy has a slightly different opinion.
Friday, October 7, 2011
How to Do Customer Service the Right Way
Alright, so I've had my current cell phone since last December. It's a droid2 and I'm pretty happy with it. The only problem is that it gets too hot at times and that causes the adhesive which holds the keypad on to break down. I've had three phones in the ten months I've had my plan.
So I took my phone in yesterday to get it warrantied out. As soon as I walked in the door I was greeted by one of the representatives. Even though they were both with customers, they took the time to tell me they would be with my shortly. Too few companies bother to train their people that it is a big deal to the customer just to be acknowledged. I told them not to worry as I had plenty of time.
So I wander around the store looking at the different phones, waiting my turn. Even though she wasn't yet finished with her current customer, one of the reps asked me if I just had a simple question they could answer. I told her no, it was a warranty issue. Again, just letting the customer know you haven't forgotten about them and want to help them as soon as possible goes a long way.
Finally it's my turn. The rep that helped me turned out to be the district manager who was just in the store for the day. She asked me my problem and pulled up my account information and what not. She told me that because she isn't in the stores very often, she's not really familiar with how the warranty process works. She politely asked me if I would be willing to wait just a few more minutes until the other rep was free. I said that was fine and she could go ahead and help the next person waiting.
So the other rep gets freed up and begins to assist me. She looks at the phone to see the problem and calls the warranty division. She tells them the problem and they say they will ship me a new device. Now, I know I'm not eligible for an upgrade for a while so I ask her, because this is the third time with the same problem in ten months, if I can get a comparable phone. She asks the warranty division and they offer me a droid3 at no upgrade charge and they tell me they are overnighting it for no charge as well. Hey, that's fine with me. The rep gives me the order number and reminds me of the procedure for returning the defective phone.
I ask if there is an email address so I can leave a comment about customer service. Honestly, this was one of the best experiences in customer service that I've ever had. And that's not just with cell phones, that's any industry.
So if you work in customer service, you could take a lesson from this story. The customer may not always be right, but you need to do your best to make sure you find an equitable solution so they leave happy.
Related Links
These are the folks I'm talking about
Some people don't deal well with poor customer service
My new toy
So I took my phone in yesterday to get it warrantied out. As soon as I walked in the door I was greeted by one of the representatives. Even though they were both with customers, they took the time to tell me they would be with my shortly. Too few companies bother to train their people that it is a big deal to the customer just to be acknowledged. I told them not to worry as I had plenty of time.
So I wander around the store looking at the different phones, waiting my turn. Even though she wasn't yet finished with her current customer, one of the reps asked me if I just had a simple question they could answer. I told her no, it was a warranty issue. Again, just letting the customer know you haven't forgotten about them and want to help them as soon as possible goes a long way.
Finally it's my turn. The rep that helped me turned out to be the district manager who was just in the store for the day. She asked me my problem and pulled up my account information and what not. She told me that because she isn't in the stores very often, she's not really familiar with how the warranty process works. She politely asked me if I would be willing to wait just a few more minutes until the other rep was free. I said that was fine and she could go ahead and help the next person waiting.
So the other rep gets freed up and begins to assist me. She looks at the phone to see the problem and calls the warranty division. She tells them the problem and they say they will ship me a new device. Now, I know I'm not eligible for an upgrade for a while so I ask her, because this is the third time with the same problem in ten months, if I can get a comparable phone. She asks the warranty division and they offer me a droid3 at no upgrade charge and they tell me they are overnighting it for no charge as well. Hey, that's fine with me. The rep gives me the order number and reminds me of the procedure for returning the defective phone.
I ask if there is an email address so I can leave a comment about customer service. Honestly, this was one of the best experiences in customer service that I've ever had. And that's not just with cell phones, that's any industry.
So if you work in customer service, you could take a lesson from this story. The customer may not always be right, but you need to do your best to make sure you find an equitable solution so they leave happy.
Related Links
These are the folks I'm talking about
Some people don't deal well with poor customer service
My new toy
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
How to Look Like a Complete Moron
Well last night I managed to accomplish the title of this post. I planned on going hunting yesterday afternoon. Took my shower and started to get ready. As I'm putting on my clothes, I realize my gloves and face mask are missing. Dangit, they're still in my car, which my dad borrowed. Guess I'll just go out without them. I should be ok. Oh that's right, I need my wallet. Wait...where's my wallet? Look all over the house for it. Can't find it. Did I throw it in the washer on accident? I stop the washer mid cycle and pull out all the clothes. Nope. Not there. Well, I guess I'll just have to wait.
So I wait. Dad gets back with my car and I go to get my stuff. Gloves, check. Face mask, check. Wallet...uh oh. Not in my car. DANGIT!!!! Look all over the house again. Still can't find it. Go to check my car again. For some reason I pat my backside and lo and behold, there's my wallet. I never put it in the back pocket of my overalls. Well, apparently not never.
I can go hunting now at least. So I go hunting.
I'll tell ya what, there should be a cut off date for mosquitoes. There's absolutely no reason for those tiny little vampires to be flying around this late in the year. So I do my best to sit still. Very difficult to do while being incessantly impaled. Needless to say, I didn't see any deer. Oh well.
Related Links
This is what I felt like last night
Could have used this yesterday
I should probably invest in one of these
So I wait. Dad gets back with my car and I go to get my stuff. Gloves, check. Face mask, check. Wallet...uh oh. Not in my car. DANGIT!!!! Look all over the house again. Still can't find it. Go to check my car again. For some reason I pat my backside and lo and behold, there's my wallet. I never put it in the back pocket of my overalls. Well, apparently not never.
I can go hunting now at least. So I go hunting.
I'll tell ya what, there should be a cut off date for mosquitoes. There's absolutely no reason for those tiny little vampires to be flying around this late in the year. So I do my best to sit still. Very difficult to do while being incessantly impaled. Needless to say, I didn't see any deer. Oh well.
Related Links
This is what I felt like last night
Could have used this yesterday
I should probably invest in one of these
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