Wednesday, August 19, 2009

The secret of "The Secret" and of Life

Or should I say I have "realized" the secret. Please bear with me for a moment...

At this point, I believe most people are familiar with the books, movie, and discussion surrounding "The Secret". If anyone has not, the movie site is here: http://www.thesecret.tv - the book can be found on Amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/Secret-Extended-Rhonda-Byrne/dp/B000K8LV1O - and discussions abound. However, there is a secret to "The Secret"!

My life so far, has been much like most I suspect, full of struggles (of one kind or another). I feel fortunate that I believe that there have been more happy time than unhappy - or at least thankfully, that is what I remember most. I remember some of my very young days where, if we didn't have anything to play with, we made something. Often, we made up what we made. One of these things was something that we would now consider very dangerous... we, as 5 year olds, sharpened popsicle sticks and ran after each other threatening to stab each other - we called it "hunk of bologna", or should I say baloney. I remember how, when we were driving to visit relatives, people in other cars used to try to count heads and my 9 siblings and I would hold up ten fingers. I remember going to family reunions wearing a name tag that said "Paul - son of Donna & Paul" because the gathering was so large.

More recently, I remember meeting my stepdaughter for the first time, she was 9 then and a real princess. I remember her asking me to "please ask my mom to marry you." I remember her as the flower girl at the wedding. I clearly remember the first time she called me "Dad".Soon, I will be going to her wedding, walking her down the isle with her mother.

I remember the honeymoon - that seemed to go on for at least ten years before starting to settle down into a "more normal" married life. I remember that, no matter how much of a struggle the day was, I always went to bed peaceful and content with my wife by my side.

By now, I think you too have realized the secret, and meaning of life. It is a four letter word... LOVE... but not just any love; the deep, passionate, lay down my life for another kind of love.

No matter how hard life is, the search for and nurturing of this deep love is the secret of life. I hope everyone finds it and remembers. I was feeling sad when I went to bed last night because something I wanted to happen seemed to have hit a dead-end. I woke up this morning with this realization and the sadness vanished.

Monday, May 11, 2009

Thinking of not exhibiting at trade shows?

According to Sarah Needleman, that might not be a smart place to cut in this economy.

Exhibitions Game

Trade shows can be worth the sometimes-high expense. If, that is, you’re smart about them.

MAY 11, 2009

By SARAH E. NEEDLEMAN

For small-business owners trying to navigate the economic downturn, spending money on trade and consumer shows might seem like a luxury better reserved for more prosperous times.

Not so, say many experts, who believe that exhibiting at—or at the very least attending—these events is one of the smartest things that a small-business owner can do, regardless of the state of the economy. Not only do exhibitions provide critical exposure to potential buyers, they also are essential for learning about unfamiliar markets, building personal relationships and getting an up-close look at the competition.

Read the whole story here:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204475004574127150841322822.html