21/52: "Wisdom 2.0" by Soren Gordhamer, 4/5 Stars

Book 21/52: "Wisdom 2.0" by Soren Gordhamer, 4/5 Stars
I'm not a self-help reader, largely because I can't stand reading books that tell me what I'm supposed to do... largely because I don't like being told what to do. So, I admit, I skimmed through the first 75 pages of this book, but then enlightenment occurred. I started to listen to what Gordhamer was saying. I turned off the iPod, found a place of serenity and engage in the act of reading. After all, if you're going to read, then read.

"In my experience, two states of mind often get in the way of any creative endeavor. The first is doubt. The other state of mind is unwavering certainty."

Once I'd found that the book had something to tell me, I started changing my behavior. When talking to someone, I talk to them. When reading, I leave my phone on vibrate and in another room. When writing, I turn off my internet connectivity. I like it and I don't get sucked into the distractions of another text or another email from Facebook.

Now, I will take three deep breaths before I move onto my next task... sending this book to three other people.

GOAL: 52 books in 52 weeks!

Book #20 = "Oath Of Gold" by Elizabeth Moon, 5/5 Stars
Book #19 = "The Age Of Engage" by Denise Shiffman, 3/5 Stars
Book #18 = "What I Wish I Knew When I Was 20" by Tina Seelig, 4/5 Stars
Book #17 = "Animal Farm" by George Orwell, 4/5 Stars
Book #16 = "Divided Allegiance" by Elizabeth Moon, 3/5 Stars
Book #15 = "The Curious Incident of the Dog..." by Mark Haddon, 2/5 Stars
Book #14 = "The Sheepfarmer's Daughter" by Elizabeth Moon, 3.5/5 Stars
Book #13 = "Love Is The Killer App" by Tim Sanders, 4/5 Stars
Book #12 = "Fight Club" by Chuck Palahniuk, 4.5/5 Stars
Book #11 = "The Time Traveler's Wife" by Audrey Niffenegger, 5/5 Stars
Book #10 = "The Finder" by Colin Harrison, 3.5/5 Stars
Book #9 = "Veronika Decides To Die" by Paulo Coelho, 1/5 Stars
Book #8 = "By The River Piedra I Sat Down & Wept" by Paulo Coelho, 3/5 Stars
Book #7 = "Stiff" by Mary Roach, 2/5 Stars
Book #6 = "Love in the Time of Cholera" by Gabriel Garcia-Marquez, 1/5 Stars
Book #5 = "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy, 3/5 Stars
Book #4 = "Eleven Minutes" by Paulo Coelho, 2/5 Stars
Book #3 = "The Good Guy" by Dean Koontz, 3/5 Stars
Book #2 = "My Ishmael" by Dan Quinn, 2/5 Stars
Book #1 = "The Zahir" by Paulo Coelho, 3.5/5 Stars

READ MORE!

kitchen fridge - del mar, ca

wall - del mar, ca

Handshake Project: AT&T

I've been trying this thing for awhile now where I try to force people into being on the same plane of authority in situations where they are typically the ones who have to solve my problem. Now when I say problem, it could be anything from a hostess that needs to seat me to a verbally battered airline service rep that's already dealt with fifty stranded travelers. So, I'm using the word "problem" loosely.

The thing is called a handshake.
And you know what... it's disarming!

Yesterday, I noticed that my AT&T bill was incorrect. I'd upgraded part of my service (due to a text-crazy-Jane) in mid-month, which prompted five strange charges that were supposed to be pro-rated to the days of the outgoing and incoming plans. Long story short; they boffed it and owed me $19.

AT&T: When I called, I got the usual fast-paced mumbo-jumbo resulting in, "Can you please verify your account by giving me your ______?"
Me: I responded with, "Yes, I can provide that information, but I'd like to say hello first. My name is Robert Roth, how are you doing today?"
AT&T: "Oh, I'm fine Mr. Roth! How are you?" the service agent replied suddenly caught off-guard.
Me: "I'm great, thank you. The verification you requested is ______."

Shazam.

She listened to my problem, took the time to understand it and within minutes we'd worked out the solution. I verified the credit through my online account and we wished each other a great weekend.

Read about the other Handshake Project experiences.

NO! You Hold The Egg!

You know that Marriage & Family class that many of us took in high school? Yeah, that one where we got paired up as a married couple and had to babysit our brand new baby egg for a week.

Well, life is kinda like that sometimes.

In other words, sometimes when you're working on a puzzle you just can't find the right piece. You start to wonder if you have all the pieces. You think that maybe the puzzle manufacturer sent you a faulty piece that needs some coercion to fit. You look under the table to see if maybe, just maybe, the missing piece found its way off the puzzle surface and into the dusty hiding area near where the wall meets the floor.

More often than not, the puzzle piece is there... you just can't see it. Instead of getting frustrated and letting the puzzle ruin your day, it's best to go do something else. Your mind will process the puzzle while you're not actively engaged with it.

Sometimes the best, and only, course of action is to do what you can to avoid breaking the egg.

The solution is there if you just leave it alone and stop trying to solve it.

Read more bigBADbobisms.

17-20: 52 Books In 52 Weeks...

Book 17/52: "Animal Farm" by George Orwell, 4/5 Stars
Orwell is just a trip... say no more other than "classic."




Book 18/52: "What I Wish I Knew When I Was 20" by Tina Seelig, 4/5 Stars
My expectation going into this book was that I was going to get a witty jaunt through life’s simple rules, much like I’d gotten from Fulgham many times over in my reading history. As it turns out, I got something very different. Though I was disappointed that I didn’t get to skip don the path of enlightenment, Seelig provides a very logical pair of goggles with which she’s asking you to use to look at your life.

“Boundless opportunities result from extracting yourself from your comfort zone, being willing to fail, having a healthy disregard for the impossible, and seizing every opportunity to be fabulous. The most interesting things in life happen when you get off the predictable path, when you challenge assumptions, and when you give yourself permission to see the world as opportunity rich and full of possibility.”

I stumbled upon this book at an interesting time, for I’d recently struggled to find my new place in life (I literally stumbled upon it while trying to maneuver around a rocking boat). It wasn’t until I dropped a few f-bombs and decided to pursue some personal, not professional, opportunities that the professional ones started to knock on my door. When I was younger, I had a great post where I was able to travel to a few universities, as a fellow student, and speak about whatever I wanted to speak about—my topic was always about finding a profession that satisfies your soul and your pocketbook; one will follow the other if you stay true to yourself and are willing to take the risk. I fell off that track for a little while, but I feel like I’m reaching up to get back on it.

Book 19/52: "The Age Of Engage" by Denise Shiffman, 3/5 Stars
I’m following Sanders’ tenets about finding success from your passion by having an unquenchable thirst for knowledge (and reading every book in your industry that you can find), building my network and sharing both my knowledge and my network with compassion. My local Barnes & Noble is very happy with my recent visits.

“The Age Of Engage” is one of those books where I have to realize that I will find at least one thing in it that I didn’t know before or one recommended book to read from the examples that the author gives. Why? Because I’m so connected to the world of new marketing already that I know this stuff. The benefit to reading a book where I know the content, more often than not, is that while the front of my mind is reading the back of my mind is going to town on how to apply the concepts in my realm.

Brands are still learning that they are transparent whether they like it or not and slowly coming to the realization that they can be proactive or reactive in their relationship with customers. So, start trustworthy conversations with your customers that are transparent, open, collaborative and engaging.

Book 20/52: "Oath Of Gold" by Elizabeth Moon, 5/5 Stars
Book three of the trilogy, "Oath Of Gold." From the discovery of the sword as an heirloom, I couldn't stop reading and loved the end of it. Taking the time to understand more than they way you were brought up--diversity-- and accepting it is key to understanding the rest of the world and finding your way in it. From beginning to end, 4 years? That's astounding growth for someone over that short amount of time.

GOAL: 52 books in 52 weeks!

Book #16 = "Divided Allegiance" by Elizabeth Moon, 3/5 Stars
Book #15 = "The Curious Incident of the Dog..." by Mark Haddon, 2/5 Stars
Book #14 = "The Sheepfarmer's Daughter" by Elizabeth Moon, 3.5/5 Stars
Book #13 = "Love Is The Killer App" by Tim Sanders, 4/5 Stars
Book #12 = "Fight Club" by Chuck Palahniuk, 4.5/5 Stars
Book #11 = "The Time Traveler's Wife" by Audrey Niffenegger, 5/5 Stars
Book #10 = "The Finder" by Colin Harrison, 3.5/5 Stars
Book #9 = "Veronika Decides To Die" by Paulo Coelho, 1/5 Stars
Book #8 = "By The River Piedra I Sat Down & Wept" by Paulo Coelho, 3/5 Stars
Book #7 = "Stiff" by Mary Roach, 2/5 Stars
Book #6 = "Love in the Time of Cholera" by Gabriel Garcia-Marquez, 1/5 Stars
Book #5 = "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy, 3/5 Stars
Book #4 = "Eleven Minutes" by Paulo Coelho, 2/5 Stars
Book #3 = "The Good Guy" by Dean Koontz, 3/5 Stars
Book #2 = "My Ishmael" by Dan Quinn, 2/5 Stars
Book #1 = "The Zahir" by Paulo Coelho, 3.5/5 Stars

READ MORE!

Offshore & Indisposed

I've been away, but will get caught up soon.