Random Quote:






Thoughts

Time Machines Do Exist

Do you journal?

Not in opinion/blogging sense, but the ‘Dear diary, this is how my day went down’ sense?

It’s the closest thing we will probably see to a time machine in our lifetimes, if ever (and today we even got good news on the real possibility of flying cars).

Pick up a journal from a few years back and see exactly who you used to be from an interesting perspective, who you are right now.

Pick up an old diary from a relative and learn just what life was like way back when. You know, from the stories they were trying to tell you while they were still around but you were too young or full of yourself to pay attention? It’s all in the pages, and possibly with less embellishment. Or maybe even more.

Steal This Idea: Padding Your Client List

I say follow one basic rule: put EVERYONE you are doing work for on a list of clients, but you may or may not want to claim this as your ‘list of clients.’ Sound confusing or possibly unethical? It isn’t on both counts. Read the rest of this entry »

And Then 2013 Had 334 Days…

…but 28 more of those days have come and gone. Read the rest of this entry »

Rule Number 1 Is You’ve Got To Believe

To properly play the game of life, you should first know the rules. But there is only one rule necessary to help get you started. Rule Number 1 is you've got to believe. Read the rest of this entry »

The Biggest Party Of The Year

Everyone wants to get an invite to the biggest party of the year. Few people want the responsibility of organizing for that party. Fewer people want to show up early to set up for that party. Even fewer people want to stick around until the party is over to clean up after the party. Read the rest of this entry »

This Is What I Do

The essence of my job is to convey information. Read the rest of this entry »

Connecting The Dots (Revision 2.0)

The secret to good writing is a lot of editing and rewriting. In that spirit, I am going through old blog posts and writings in hopes to collect a few old ideas to freshen up for a new writing project, and rewriting all the way. This is a revision/rewrite of one of the first posts from this blog, dated January 25, 2010. Read the rest of this entry »

How Badly Would You Want To Defeat The ‘Younger’ You?

A Lebron James/NBA Finals inspired post for the day, plus my official 2012 NBA Finals prediction. Read the rest of this entry »

Something To Think About When What You’re Doing Is Not Working…

If it Doesn't Sell ...
Like this graphic? Get more creativity and content marketing tips from Copyblogger.

What My Five Day Old Daughter Knows & The Five Things She Has Taught Me So Far

Johanna Jasmine Payne was born on April 27th of this year at 7:58AM. So far, what wisdom has she gleaned in her five full days of life? Well:

- If she cries, someone will pick her up. Depending on what time of the day it is and who that someone of the moment is that happen to pick her up, she will either be fed, have her diaper changed, or get her hair brushed. Or some combination of the three.

- She can’t quite get her full hand in her mouth.

- She can get one finger in her nose.

I’m not sure just how monumental this knowledge is to Johanna, but if I were only five-days-old (and self-aware), I’d be pretty impressed with my accomplishments so far. Unfortunately, having self-awareness and 37 years and some months and days over Baby Johanna, I don’t have the luxury to pat myself on the back for mastering what little of the universe that can be reached lying on my back in a bassinet.

But in the five days she’s been in this world, I have learned at least a dozen priceless lessons. Here are just a five of the big ones:

- Miracles happen every day. Johanna’s arrival into the world was a blessing, and a real life example of the third time being the charm. And we aren’t completely in the clear yet, with the little girl working to clear a case of jaundice, which may be common, but the fact that it’s my baby dealing with it worries me personally. Other than that, seeing that little girl with a full head of hair and all ten fingers and ten toes wiggling (as she is mostly screaming) reminds me that I do believe in magic, miracles and the power of prayer.

- Sometimes conflicting thoughts are the only explanation. The sound of a screaming baby is both the most grating and most beautiful sound there is. Because of this it is very important to…

- Be open to suggestions. Johanna is a screaming baby, but my wife was against giving her a pacifier. The pediatricians didn’t put a pacifier in Johanna’s mouth because of her in her mother’s wishes, but gave us one just in case we decided to change our minds about the issue. I took the hint and quickly put the pacifier in the baby’s mouth before her mother could object.

- Time truly is precious. While I was itching for a chance to do some real work during recovery (and I had plenty of work that I could have gotten into), I would be lying if I didn’t say that I have enjoyed the time spent with just my wife and my new baby and I. Seeing that my stepson who was 8-years-old when his mother and I married is a few weeks from turning 17, I already know that time flies whether you are having fun or not. Might as well have fun with it.

- I can sleep wearing my wedding ring. We spent five days in the hospital due to my wife’s healing and Johanna’s working through the little illness. I have documented in the past about my love/hate relationship with wearing my wedding ring, but it only came off my hand once during the five day ordeal when I finally got to take a shower on day three. I have not told this to my wife who almost never takes off her wedding ring, and didn’t want to take it off to deliver the baby.