Thursday, April 30, 2009

The Flu & You (& your business!)

Lock the doors! Stay away from all other human beings! Wear a mask and incinerated clothing daily and carry a can of Lysol with you at all times!

Actually, there are relatively simple, common sense ways to deal with the newest global catastrophe identified by our vigilant 24/7 news organizations. Before I share those simple protocols, I'd like to clear up some misconceptions about the flu.

  • You can still eat the poor little piggies! The swine flu outbreak should not deter you from your springtime bar-b-que. The flu is not spread by eating pigs; it's named that because before the clever little virus mutated, it was primarily a pig disease.

  • The great mystery: Why are a higher percentage of people dying in Mexico than in the States and other areas? While not a politically correct sentiment and Michael Moore's incontrovertible research, The U.S. does still have the best health care system on earth. We starting tracking and reacting to this outbreak even before the virus became the latest illegal alien to cross the Mexican border. If you pay attention to the protocols specified by the CDC and other medical advisors your chances of getting the flu will be greatly reduced and your chances of full recovery after a few days of suffering will be greatly enhanced.

  • The flu can kill. In fact, flu kills about 30,000 people every year. The Great Spanish Flu Epidemic of 1918 killed about 300,000 people in the States. We had the potential of another serious epidemic in 1976 which led to a controversial inoculation program. At any rate, the media seems to be relying heavily on 1918 data. Remember also in 1918 that medical science had still not found penicillin (I know, not effective against viruses, just making a point!), we still locked up "mentally challenged" people in "sanitariums" and we were just barely out of the stage where the local doctor was likely the local barber simply because he had some useful cutlery!

  • Small children and the elderly are at the greatest risk. That's always true with a viral outbreak. It's smart to take extra precautions for newborn infants, smaller children, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems.

OK…now on to the common sense part of our program. You have a great deal of POWER when it comes to preventing the spread of the flu. Remember in Black Belt Mindset power is "your ability to perform or act effectively." You can learn much more about that by reading Dynamic Components of Personal POWER. The point is you can take effective action to mitigate your chances of infection and to help keep others safe as well.

Your grandmother may have been a medical genius! Here's what she likely told you and these tips are validated by the Center for Disease Control and the Surgeon General!

  • Wash your hands.
  • Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze.
  • Keep your stuff clean.
  • Stay home when you're sick.
  • Keep your hands and fingers out of your eyes, nose and mouth.

We shake hands a lot, particularly people in business. Wash your hands or carry a bottle of disinfectant hand cleaner with you. If you're paranoid about antiseptic hand cleaners destroying your immune system, don't worry about it; that's been de-bunked.

We also stuff ourselves into planes, trains, offices, schools and elevators on a daily basis with people who may not head their grandmother's advice. The CDC does advise wearing a mask in crowded areas where people may have the virus. Of course, you can also get yourself a full "pandemic emergency defense system" including mask, gloves, goggles, disinfectant hand-wipes and full haz-mat overalls. I found a bargain on volume orders of full kits at FLU ARMOUR! (I didn't find an affiliate link, so I'm not making a commission by sending you there!)

All joking aside, this is probably a good idea if you work in a hospital or clinic, but I think we can handle school and the office with just a couple of more common sense steps and a little personal responsibility:

  • STAY HOME WHEN YOU'RE SICK! I know grandma already told us this, but it bears repeating. I'll also add: KEEP YOUR KIDS HOME WHEN THEY'RE SICK…even if it means staying home with them! It's selfish and stupid to take your germs to where they're going to harm other people.

    This especially goes for people who use public transportation. I travel a lot and I don't want to sit on a 5 hour flight next to your selfish coughing and wheezing butt. I guarantee if you sit next to me on the plane you'll be subjected to a continual flow of high-pressure air from every nozzle I can point at you!

  • EMPLOYERS: SUPPORT EMPLOYEE's DECISION TO STAY HOME! OK, some people will take advantage and fake it, but that's way better than having half your business out with the flu at one time. If you've got employees working with the public, what could be worse for your business during this scare than having your employees sneezing and coughing all over customers and prospects?

    If your employees are staying home to nurse sick children, support that decision as well. It's the right thing to do.

One of the best ways to prevent spreading this or any other nasty virus around is to keep your own immune system healthy and fully functioning. Eat properly, exercise regularly and try to reduce stress in your life; simple, not easy! This requires Discipline, the most important Dynamic Component of Personal POWER! If you need some help in that area go to JimBouchard.org and I'll do what I can!

Be vigilant, not paranoid. Just like the Scouts, be prepared! Lay in some supplies in case you or someone in your household needs to hunker down for a few days. If symptoms are severe, get thee to the doctor.

Best thoughts for HEALTH and happiness!

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

DO NOT Let it Get THAT Bad…

A man named David Kellerman was found dead this morning, hanged in his basement.

That name may not resonate unless you've been keeping up with current investigations at the eupho-governmental agency Freddie Mac. Until 5 am this morning or so the now late Mr. Kellerman was serving as acting chairman of Freddie. Tragically, he leaves behind a wife and young daughter. Kellerman was 41 years old.

According to the Baltimore Business Journal:

"Nearly half of Freddie Mac's $50.1 billion net loss in 2008 occurred during Kellermann's first full quarter as acting CFO, or soon after it was taken under the government's control. The company reported a net loss of $23.9 billion for the quarter ended Dec. 31, or $7.37 per diluted share, compared with a fourth-quarter 2007 loss of $2.5 billion, or $3.97 per diluted share."

Freddie Mac has been under investigation by the SEC and the Justice Department in relation to their accounting practices. Kellerman has been an auditor and analyst at Freddie for 16 years prior to becoming CFO. Did he take his life for some reason related to this investigation? Was it the pressure? Was it a combination?

It doesn't matter.

That may sound harsh but the gloves are off. Kellerman is not the first top-tier executive to commit suicide over the past few years. Add the rash of murder/suicides over the past few weeks by people who recently lost jobs or faced other financial hardship and we've got an emergency on our hands.

There will be some who say it's time for reflection. Bullshit; it's time to do something and now.

  1. Before we do anything else we've got to return to traditional values of personal responsibility, perseverance, courage, honor and honesty. We've got to trumpet these values loudly and indoctrinate our culture with these values at all ages.
  2. We've got to start sticking our collective finger in some chests and hold people accountable for their greed, arrogance and audacity when those behaviors cross ethical and legal limits.
  3. We've got to become engaged in one another's lives again. The quiet-guy-next-door who never-bothers-anyone does not suddenly commit murder and suicide. These are the acts of desperate and isolated people. In the typical epilogue to these stories co-workers, neighbors, friends and family start to recognize symptomatic behaviors. It's time to start paying attention before when someone is standing quietly on the edge of the cliff instead of after he's jumped.

It's ignorant to say that anyone other than the guy with the gun or the rope is responsible for any of these deaths. On the other hand, too many of us have grown distant from the people around us. We don't want to interfere. We don't want to rock the boat. We don't want to get anyone angry or upset. We don't want to provoke.

Fear, doubt and complacency are the causes of the failure of our society; and yes, I say we're in a state of failure. To call it anything else is irresponsible. To wallow in this sad state is stupid, lazy and inexcusable. By and large we're a compassionate, ambitious and even disciplined people. It's time for the good silent people to speak up and the good spectators to get in the game. It's time to share the power you have by teaching others how to live with honor, dignity and discipline.

It's time to teach others how to face fears with courage.

Courage is not the absence of fear; the absence of fear is stupidity. It's right and natural to have fear when you're facing a federal investigation, the loss of your job or the foreclosure of your home. It takes courage to face these challenges and do what it takes to get past them. It takes emotional and spiritual resources to see you through the tough times. This support can and often should come from people around you who should be willing to help. Emotional and spiritual support is often more valuable than material support at these times.

It's easy to say you'd never consider taking your own life, much less anyone else's. I'm sure most of these people felt the same way for most of their lives. Most of us at some point will face some adversity that causes to wonder what the point is to the whole mess. Can we continue to live the "full catastrophe?"

If you're feeling desperate, trapped, isolated, angry or hopeless ask for help; now. If you know someone who else who is nearing the edge of the cliff, reach out a hand; now!

The gloves are off; there's no help once you're dead. No matter how bad things may be, as long as you're drawing breath you have a chance to create a new vision of success and happiness, but that chance starts with you. Reach out; people do care and are willing to help! By helping one another we truly share the power that can change our world!

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Jim Bouchard is America's Black Belt POWERVATOR!, speaker, coach & author of Dynamic Components of Personal POWER. Get your personalized copy at JimBouchard.org!



Sunday, April 19, 2009

A Message to Roxana Saberi

For those who may not know: Roxana Saberi is an American journalist who has been imprisoned in Iran. Roxana was fascinated with Iran in part because of her Iranian heritage. She has constantly expressed a deep love for Iran and the Iranian people. She was originally detained for purchasing a bottle of wine. Her 8 year prison sentence is for alleged espionage based on a coerced confession.

Roxana,

You have the support of millions of Americans and many more millions of people around the world. You are in our hearts, on our minds and in our prayers. You are a symbol of what it means to pursue your passion honestly and diligently. You were imprisoned for simply wanting to your job to the best of your ability and to share your deep interest in the Iranian people with the world.

Please take this support to heart and remain strong. Those who imprison you have temporarily taken control; they cannot take the power you have to continue your work. Power is your ability or capacity to act or perform effectively; your story is now reaching millions of people who were previously unaware of your work. Your captors have in fact given you more power!

To fully utilize this power you have to stay strong!

It was reported in the TimesOnline-UK that you are considering a hunger strike. Reza, please reconsider this action! Harming yourself in any way will do nothing to deter your captors. If they have the audacity to imprison an American citizen during these challenging times they are obviously firm in their resolve to use you to further their agenda at whatever personal expense to you.

I personally implore you to stay focused on your return home to the people who love you. Your father is doing everything in his power to affect your return and many will be joining his efforts. Draw on the strength of resolve your father and others are employing to bring you back home.

Keep yourself healthy. Feed your body on whatever resources your captors provide and nourish your mind and spirit on the thoughts and prayers of all of us who are following your story.

You are obviously a powerful and driven young woman. You're already extremely successful in the challenging and highly competitive field of journalism. You chose to report from a country which has historically seen foreign journalists as a threat. You knew that going to Iran was much more dangerous than reporting from the safety of the States; still you felt a calling to go and report first-hand.

Draw on the deepest reserves of your physical, emotional and spiritual power not only to survive, but to return to us as a dynamic force for understanding the complex dynamics of the Middle East. You are, in fact, continuing the incredible vocation you have chosen. You've got to stay strong and healthy so you can return home and share your experience with the world.

Your captors have restricted your physical freedom for the moment. It's up to you to preserve your liberty. You have the power to stay strong and return home. I personally look forward to hearing your reports on this ordeal and with many others; will follow your story to your safe return and beyond.

Best thoughts always!

Jim Bouchard


It is my hope that somehow, Roxana will receive these words of encouragement. I hope at the very least she'll find out that many people are following her story, respect her courage and will be keeping her in our thoughts and prayers.

Please help spread this message by adding your thoughts and forwarding these sentiments to your networks. Together we can create a critical mass that will somehow reach Roxana and her family so they will know they have our support.

Saturday, April 4, 2009

We’re the April Fools


We're fools! Through greed, complacency and comfort we created a huge mess. Now there are experts, pundits, philosophers and bandits telling us that the American Dream is over.


BULLSHIT! (You probably knew I was going to say that!)


Who the hell do they think they're talking to? These guys are ignoring the most powerful and effective group in America. In fact, despite flapping lip-service to the contrary they don't even know we exist!


The American Dream is alive and well and its booming beating heart is in the chest of the American Entrepreneur: YOU! Do you run a corner convenience store? Do you own a gas station, a hair salon or repair shop? Are you fixing the lawnmowers that Big Box sells but can't service? Are you a plumber, a small-town doctor, lawyer or dentist? Are you landscaping, building, paving or painting? Do you teach karate, Pilates, yoga or aerobics?


Uncle Sam doesn't just want YOU, he needs YOU!


American small business did not create this mess. We may have helped it along because we did sometimes borrow more than we should have, even if it was to keep our businesses going. We did invest in stocks that looked really great without spending too much time learning about the executives running the companies in our mutual funds. Some of us may have bought houses a little too big; after all the economy was strong, Freddie and Fannie were in great shape, right? We did have a few too many credit cards at times and maybe should have waited a little longer for that boat or summer home.


So what? We're still alive and kickin'! We don't get bailouts; we pick up a bucket and start bailing! We downsize, go without pay, lean our operation, cut expenses, cancel vacations, sell property and work extra hours.


The American Dream cannot be taken from us. We can surrender it, but it cannot be taken against our will. Will you allow your Dream to be taken from you? I won't; and most of the entrepreneurs I know won't either.


Rats always run from a sinking ship. Let them run. Our ship may be taking on water, but the American Entrepreneur is the guy in the bilge patching the holes. We're the damage control team. We'll get the pumps going again and when we bring this ship back to safe harbor we're going to be the people who enjoy the greatest rewards.


We'll know we can survive and prosper on our own terms. The confidence that you can face any adversity and succeed is the most valuable asset you can ever acquire. Confidence is not a line-item on your balance sheet, but you don't have a balance sheet without it.


The entrepreneur is truly a free human being. It doesn't matter if you're an employer, an employee, mom & pop or solopreneur; when you accept full responsibility for your own success and happiness you are an entrepreneur and you're free.


Fools made this mess and other fools let them. These fools confused power with control. Power is your ability to act effectively. That can never be taken from you; it can only be surrendered. Don't surrender! Work together, find partners for Coopertition ™, re-dedicate yourself to constant improvement in creativity, efficiency and productivity. Look for opportunity in this disaster.


We may have foolishly let the fools take control for a while; they will never take our Power!




Jim Bouchard is America's Black Belt Powervator; speaker, coach & author of Dynamic Components of Personal POWER! Jim will be appearing at several major events open to entrepreneurs in New England in April & May, click here for details!