BE THANKFUL FOR WHAT YOU HAVE

I received an email late in tax season about a baseball player at my son's high school. During one of the games, he was accidently hit in the eye with a baseball.  There is a good chance that he will need eye surgery that will end his baseball season and possibly his baseball career. When I see things like that, I always take a minute and think about how fortunate I am for the life that has been given and how I need to stop thinking about the petty things in life.

We all live really spectacular lives. We are truly blessed living in the United States and enjoying the freedom and benefits of this country and what it offers to each of us. When you combine that with our health, wealth, and happiness, we all have a pretty good thing going for us. We should all appreciate the gifts we receive in life.

With that, one of the best things you can do is to show kindness to other people. When you see someone who is struggling, reach out to them and give them a helping hand. If they are lost, give them direction so they can find their way. Help a mother carry her baby stroller up the stairs. Thank a teacher for being a teacher. I think you get the picture.

There are many ways to payback your good fortune if you think about it. You just need to develop the habit of looking for someone you can help each day.

HOW I FEEL ABOUT APRIL 15TH.

April 15th has always been a big day for me. Its a big day in the hearts of CPA's as the tax filing season is coming to an end and we can get back to a normal life and spend time again with our families.

But April 15th is also the anniversary of when Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier and played his first game (4/15/1947) in major league baseball as a Brooklyn Dodger. Back in those days, we had two leagues. The major leagues and the negro leagues. The leagues were segregated both in players and in fans.  There were many talented ball players in the negro leagues that could compete in the major leagues. As major league baseball entered the 1947 year, the Brooklyn Dodgers with Branch Rickey decided it was time to integrate an African American into baseball. They chose Jackie Robinson to play for their team.

I always think about how he felt on that day.  The Brooklyn Dodgers played the Boston Braves in front of a crowd of a little over 26,000 people of which 14,000 were African American. He heard racial slurs not only from the stands and the opposing dugout but from some of his teammates as well. Some of them even went to Leo Durocher and said they would not play with a n*****.  The Dodger manager took a stand and told the players that you don't play you don't get paid and will be traded.

The Dodgers won 5-3 with Robinson playing first base. For the remainder of the year, he took all the abuse one person can handle (his contract said he could not retaliate for two years). His courage for that first year is remembered today in baseball. They now require all major league teams to retire his number (42) and many of the African American teams publicly give praise to Jack's courage and fortitude to stick with it and allow them and other African American players to play major league baseball.

After baseball, Jackie participated in many civil rights movements right up until his death in 1972 at age 53. I am glad that we remember Jackie Robinson for his heroic efforts and his work in opening the doors for other African Americans to prosper. Thats what April 15th means to me.

LIVING OUTSIDE THE BOX

A friend of mine quit her job last week. She quit her job without another one waiting for her. She quit because her job was getting in the way of her passion. She decided to live outside the box. I was intrigued by her decision. Leaving a perfectly good job takes guts. She wants to focus on the things that she wants to do on an everyday basis. She decided to change her life and live her passion now.

Living outside the box is tough to do. We all enjoy the creature comforts of a safe environment. A good job, a nice home, a good relationship, and other things all keep us content, for a time. We wait for a time when we are allowed to work on and feel our passion. Many people wait a long time for this to happen. If you decide to live outside the box, you need to do three things.

The first thing you need to do is to FOCUS and have a clear vision of what you want to do. You need to create a clear vision statement of the things you want to do with your life. The statement has to describe exactly of where you currently stand and where you want to go.

The second thing you need to do is to get the BEST. I mean the best tools, the best map, the best coach or mentor, and the best model of someone who is the most successful in what you want to do. Modeling an already successful person will help you develop the path you need to be successful. Try and meet with them. You will be surprised how helpful they might be with you. They want to pay it forward.

The third thing is to resolve your INNER CONFLICTS. Eighty percent of success is your psychology and the rest is mechanics. Your inner self always tells you the things to create doubt. You made a bad decision, you cannot make your goal, or the goal is too high (or too hard). To resolve your conflicts, you need to align your life to what is most important to you and what you value. Remove as many obstacles as you can. When everything is in alignment, you will take action. If you don't live outside the box, you might miss out on something that could change your life.

THE GREATEST PLEASURE IN LIFE

When someone makes a decision to achieve an extraordinary goal, they are working on becoming a different person. An extraordinary goal increases confidence, develop a competence, and boost their level of motivation. Its an exciting time when you focus your attention towards something you really want. Its a great day when you decide to change your life!

The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do. They say it in a variety of ways. Sometimes the messages are subtle by offering distractions. Some good and some not so good. They also just come out and say you cannot do it. This is a very tough conversation because the message many times comes from someone you love and trust.

If you really want to acheive something extraordinary, you need to manage your mindset. Surround yourself with people and things that keep you focused. A friend should support you and help you stay on track. Stay away from those who offer distractions or provide negative feedback. This is important! If they cannot see this, then it might be time to find a new friend. Manage your workspace and your home settings too so that you are reminded of your goal and your commitment.

The best advice I can give you to achieve your goal is to stay focused. This would mean eliminating all obstacles and distractions. Try associating with more positive people, who add to your life and stay away from those who bring you down. Feed you mind with good news and positive information that will keep your spirits up and on track. Also, control the language you use, especially the way in which you describe yourself. You will find it easier to succeed. Good luck. I know you can do it.

HAVE YOU HAD THE TALK YET?

It goes without saying that the people I have known all my life are my parents. As I write this, I am a 52 year old with two parents who are both in their seventies. My mom recently had a bout with cancer and it made me start to think that my mom will someday not be with us. Dad's time will come too. Its an inevitable situation that we all have to deal with at some point in life.

A good friend shared with me a book summary called "The Parent Care Conversation." by Dan Taylor. The book summary covers six strategies for dealing with the emotional and financial challenges of aging parents. This often difficult topic offers a choice of you either being proactive and work with your parents or be reactive when the times comes to deal with their care and passing.

The first step is always the toughest. The parents need to share with you their feelings and wishes about their care and passing. This conversation will hopefully reveal your parents vision of their care and passing, their financial needs and wants, and their wishes for the property and possessions they have at the time of their death. The talk should also include what professional care they might want or need at any point in the process.

Dan Taylor outlines his CARE system which stands for challenges, alternatives, resources, and experience. Its a process of listening and asking the right questions so you can understand and articulate their wishes. From there, you can explore the alternatives and resources available to you to hopefully provide the experience our parents would like to have.

I highly recommend you read this book. Its a great way in getting you to start the talk with your parents. Being proactive is a far better approach than being reactive when emotions are running high. Hopefully, with open communication you will be the needed advocate for your parents when they need it the most.

PROBLEMS GIVE MEANING TO LIFE

I like having problems. They occur all the time. They occur at work, at home, and in life in general. Most people don't like problems. They would gladly do anything to get away from them. This climate gives opportunity to the leader who is willing and able to either tackle others problems or train them to solve them.  Your problem solving skills will always be needed, because people always have them.

The two things you need to be a great problem solver is the right attitude and the right action plan. The best attributes you can have when solving problems is a positive attitude and enthusiasm.  Positive thinking does not always change the circumstances but it always change the person.  The best thing you can do for someone is to change their perspective on addressing their problems.

The best course of solving a problem is to first identify the problem. Many times, we look at the cause of the problem and not the problem itself.  Make sure you prioritize your problems. They should stand in single file so you face them one at a time.  Next you should define the problem. Ask the right questions, talk to the right people, and get the hard facts. Select the right people to help you in the problem solving process. It never hurts to have someone with the expertise to help you solve your problem.  Finally, collect as many solutions as you can. You can then prioritize them to select the best solution for implementation.  

Problems are good problems to have. Problems keep the creative tension in life you need to be successful. Eliminate problems and life would reduce all possibilities and powers to zero.

Colin Powell said it best. He said " The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you  stopped leading them. They have either lost confidence that you can help them or concluded that you do not care. Either case is a failure of leadership."

PERSPECTIVE: THE GLASS IS REALLY HALF FULL

Life is full of little interruptions. We complain about many things like traffic, slow computers, peoples habits, not enough time, and other  trivial things that get in the way of our rich life.

My mom has cancer. She has been at UCSD Medical Center off and on for the past three months. Because of her illness, she has had difficulty breathing and talking. My mom is getting better and is close to her old self. I think she now appreciates some of the simple things in life like being able to talk to people. I also got a chance to meet some other people who have much different take on life. They too miss the simple things in life and want to go back and have the life they once had.

During my mom's stay, I was having lunch in the hospital cafeteria and a woman in a wheel chair asked if she could sit with me. When she sat down she said a prayer thanking god for what he had given her. I asked her to tell me her story. She told me that she was a former drug dealer and just spent the last three years in prison. She is homeless. She was at the hospital because she needed hip replacement surgery. The doctor told her that she needed to be healthier to survive the surgery. She worries when it rains outside.

She went on to tell me that she had made a big mistake early in life with drugs. It cost her three years of her life and her health. She said she is working hard each day to get back where she needs to be to get her life back. I was impressed with her optimism. I wish her luck. 

I left the hospital thinking how great of a life we lead and how fortunate we all are. I ask all of you to take a minute and reflect on your wonderful life and be thankful for the gifts you receive.