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February 20, 2009

I am thankful for a good run.

I went for a run this afternoon. Right at 5 miles. 4.8, I think. Lots of hills. (Yes, Dorothy, there are hills in Iowa. Iowa stands for the land between two rivers. And if you look at topo map for Iowa you'll see as you move from northwest to southeast, where I live, there's an increasing number of rivers and river valleys all pouring into...the mighty Mississip. In this corner of the state, it's easy to see the land between two rivers. You can only drive a few miles before running across a river, and a few sizable creeks that have cut deep swaths in the farm fields...and there's the hills. Usually 1/4 to 1/2 mile in length, 45 degree or worse.)

Running is a great exercise that clears my head, renews and revitalizes me, and a few solutions to challenges find their way to the surface by the time I'm done running.

It's an easy exercise to maintain even if you're traveling. A pair of shoes, some shorts and a shirt and you can get a few miles in almost anywhere at any hotel.  I spent some time traveling overseas in the 90's. And my favorite leisure time activity was to head out the door in a strange city in a different country and ...go for a run. That always took me away from the tourist areas and into the real parts of the city. 

It helps to speak the language. Once I got lost in Lelystad, Netherlands. My marker, that I thought was a street sign was instead a sign denoting 'bike path'. Yes, you're laughing. There are just a few bike paths in the Netherlands. And after nearly 2 hours of running, trying to find my markers, wandering through the downtown, speaking no Dutch...I saw the highway and made it back home.  I told my friends the next weekend at Easter Brunch in Amsterdam...They laughed till they cried. So, did I.

I am thankful for a good run.


Posted on February 20, 2009 at 04:40 PM in Gratitude Project - 2009, Iamthankful4 |

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    a bigger challenge than I predicted. It’s not what to say that challenged me. It’s what NOT to say. I start reading and within 3-4 paragraphs, I’m nodding my head and saying Yes, yes, exactly. Bam. Bam, baby. Yeah, come on. Can I get a witness. Then I want to share verbatim Jackie’s translation of Gaga’s strategy. Here’s why. It’s a strategy with 7 steps that any, ANY, business can execute under its own terms and under its own budget no matter how small or large. Granted, I enjoy reading this strategy as it’s applied to Gaga. And Jackie's a good writer. But, what's really inspiring is understanding how even a car wash could apply this strategy with these 7 steps and find success. You could build a global empire selling gardening mulch if you followed these 7 steps. And you could lower your advertising and marketing budgets, to boot.

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  • Stephen Lynch: Business Execution for RESULTS: A practical guide for leaders of small to mid-sized firms

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    I'm an avid reader, always have been. I've read a lot of business books and I’ve led a small business. I recommend you read Business Execution for Results: A Practical Guide for Leaders of Small to Mid-Sized Firms. It is a very, very good book, among the best, most usable business books I’ve read. As a writer, he does things that make the reading very pleasant, very inspiring, very engaging. Very good. He offers personal stories, anecdotes, little clips. They’re genuine, sincere, well-organized to capture your attention, engage you in the story that illustrates the next lesson. I found myself thinking...I can relate...I am relating....I see, feel, remember this personally. And Stephen’s writing is very crisp, very concise in taking you from these stories to the principle with each chapter...and as important to the steps you’re going to take to generate the results you want to see. No hitch in the reading flow. VERY nice.

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