Getting Caught in the Rain

Posted on December 7, 2008 by Avish

This past weekend, I found myself in the midst of an unfortunate “Ding!” which involved getting caught in a monsoon in Philadelphia (if you don’t know what a “Ding!” is, go here: http://www.AvishParashar.com). I got drenched, but I also learned a few things I’d like to share…

(PS This video has nothing to do with the article. It is a song by Revis that happend to be titled “Caught in the Rain.” I like the song, and can’t tell this story without thinking of that song.)

It’s Saturday night, and I am going downtown to meet some friends for dinner and a comedy show. I live about 1.5 miles from Center City Philadelphia (the main “downtown” area”), and when it’s nice out I like to walk down. Though it was the middle of November, it wasn’t too cold, so I decided to walk. This turned out to be a baaaaad decision.

Let’s look at the series of events:

– Right before I leave, a TV news warning pops up with a “severe thunderstorm” warning for a bunch of counties. Philadelphia County was not one of them. Every county that surrounds Philadelphia *was* on the list, but for some reason it didn’t register in my head that if every county around Philly has rain, it might rain in Philly too.

Lesson #1: Sometimes you need to think for yourself and extrapolate a little bit. It’s like people who follow their GPS instructions until they run into a wall. Stupid.

– So I leave my apartment and start walking downtown, no umbrella in hand.

Lesson #2: Planning is important (Hmm, that’s the first half of one of my speech titles. Maybe I should pay better attention to myself)

– The thing about the walk downtown is that the shortest route is straight down the Ben Franklin Parkway, which is a large road with no buildings or bushy trees on it (i.e. no cover). About 5 or so minutes into the walk the first few drops start. “Hmm,” I think to myself, “that’s unfortunate. Maybe I should turn around and grab an umbrella or drive down. Nah, it probably won’t get that bad.” Really. I opted to *not* turn around.

Lesson #3: There is a thin line between optimism and stupidity. Cross it at your own risk.

– Within ten minutes of this momentous decision, the rain transforms into a torrential downpour. I am quickly soaked. I don’t mean I got a little wet, or I was “damp.” My jeans were so wet it was as if I had jumped into a pool of water. For a while it was just my jacket (which was pretty rain-proof – score one for me) and the bottom half of my jeans getting drenched. Then the weather Gods decided it was time to play with little old Avish, because the wind picked up and it started raining sideways! It was as if the rain took a look at my jeans and said, “ooh, we missed a spot, let’s get him.” The sideways rain soaked the top half of my jeans. How wet was I at this point? Let’s just say that my boxers were now also soaked (wet underwear – eew!)

Lesson #4: Sometimes when it Dings! it pours (sorry, had to make the pun)

– I get to my friend’s place downtown and proceed to spend 15 minutes in her bathroom with her hairdryer desperately trying to de-wet-ify my jeans and underwear (I gave up on the socks). It didn’t work so well. At dinner, I found myself more than a bit uncomfortable, which was making it hard for me to really enjoy myself. I did my best, but it was a struggle to stay “up.”

Lesson #5: Being uncomfortable can detract your ability to enjoy yourself or be effective. Stack the deck in your favor: what things are you allowing in your life right now that make you uncomfortable and take away your fun and focus?

– Sidenote: Being soaked makes you need to pee more frequently. I went to the bathroom quite often that night.
Lesson #6: Being soaked makes you need to pee more frequently. I went to the bathroom quite often that night.

– After dinner, we have some time before the comedy show, so we return to my friend’s apartment where I go back into the bathroom with my new best friend, the hair-dryer. Since drying the jeans wasn’t working – denim doesn’t dry easy! – I decided to maximize my ROI and dry the piece of clothing that would have the greatest impact on my comfort: my boxers. This was for two reasons: 1) Cotton dries much better! and 2) the much smaller surface area meant I could dry the boxers completely.

Lesson #7: When Ding! Happens, your immediate actions should focus on the activities that will have the maximum impact in the time you have allotted. A lot of people waste time trying to tackle the entire program rather than addressing one piece they can handle that will help.

– The rest of the night went well. I eventually dried out, had a good time at the comedy show, and hung out for a few drinks afterwards. But I was *very* happy to get home and out of those clothes!

The overall lesson: Ding! Happens. It’s up to you whether you make the best of it or get miserable. The choice is yours.

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Stupidly Simple “Systems”

Posted on November 18, 2008 by Avish

In a previous blog post, I said that “systems are better than discipline.” I noticed this in two ways recently:

1) Yesterday I had to be out all day. Feeling very motivated, I went to the gym first thing and showered there. This clearly is not normal behavior for me, as after I showered and got dressed, I discovered that I had forgotten my belt and shoes! So I walked around the rest of the day in my gym sneakers, constantly yanking up my pants.

If you take your belt for granted, as most do, I encourage you to try a “day without a belt.” It is amazing how weird it is to not have one – especially when you need it!

Now I have a “checklist” of the few items I must have when i go to the gym. Simple, but effective.

2) I have discovered a critical productivity factor for me: If I wake up and my laptop is on my table, I will get to work right away. If however, the laptop is on my coffee table, I will plop onto the couch and surf or even turn the TV on in the morning. That is the only difference: whether I leave the laptop on the coffee table, or move it to my desk. It’s kind of sad in some ways, that my own self-discipline is so low that a difference of about 15 feet can have such a large effect on my productivity…

This isn’t rocket science, but it is amazing how such a simple thing can have such a huge impact on my day.

There are probably many, many simple things, or “systems,” that you can put into place that will have a huge impact on your life. A system for where you put your keys or upcoming bills, a system for what you do first thing in the morning or first thing at work (or when you first walk in the door at the end of the day), etc.

Take the next few days and notice the little things in your life that could benefit from a system of some sort.

And don’t forget your belt!

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The Power of Hypocrisy

Posted on October 23, 2008 by Avish

I have a confession to make: I am a “sports hypocrite.” Keep reading, and you’ll see why you may want to be a hypocrite too…

What’s a “sports hypocrite,” you ask?

It means that long ago I decided that it was ok for me to be overjoyed and excited when my team was winning, but to not get upset or depressed when my team was losing.

To be clear, this is very different from a “fairweather fan.” The fairweather fan only watches and supports the team when things are going great. When the team looks like a championship contender, they creep out of the ether like pirates from “The Fog.” The rest of the time they pay less attention to the team than Quasimodo pays to his chiropracter.

I will follow and support my team whether they are good or bad. On occasion they have been so bad as to be unwatchable, but I still supported the team.

No, when I am talking about sports hypocrisy, I am talking about the ability to take the highs and ignore the lows. But it wasn’t always this way, I used to take sports losses pretty bad…

In basketball, I am a Philadelphia 76ers fan. Years ago, Charles Barkley played for the Sixers, and he happens to be my favorite player of all time. (I will admit that in high school my nickname amongst some friends was “Barkley.” Very sad, but very true…)In 1992 the Sixers were bad, and Barkley was traded to the Phoenix Suns. As a huge Barkley fan, I instantly become a Suns fan (in addition to still supporting the Sixers)

The 1992-93 season was amazing – for the Suns that is. The Sixers stunk like yesterday’s limberger cheese. But for Barkley and the Suns, it was a dream season. They finished the year #1 and Barkley won the league MVP. In the playoffs, the Suns had a great run that included some amazing performances from Charles. I was loving it!

Then the Suns made it to the finals, where they had to play Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. Things didn’t go so well here. The Suns found themselves down 3-2 in a best of 7 series. With less than a minute left in the “must win” game 6, the Suns were up by 2 points. The Suns missed (oh no!), and the Bulls’ John Paxson, a deadly clutch 3-point shooter who for some reason was wide open, hit a three-point shot to have the Bulls go up by one point with four seconds left. The Suns final shot attempt was blocked, time expired, and the Bulls won the championship.

I was not prepared for this. I had so much hope invested in Barkley and the Suns that I was stunned. I was watching the game with a bunch of friends, and I remember sitting there after the game for 15 minutes, not saying a word. I woke up the next morning just wishing and hoping that Paxson’s shot missed. A liggering sadness stayed with me for days.

The following years were no better. Barkley’s teams were always strong contenders, but kept getting eliminated. Evertime they did, I got into a funk for a few days. I thought I was being a “great fan.”

After one such loss, I realized, “hey, you’re not being a great fan, you’re being an idiot!”

Here I was, feeling down and depressed because my team lost. I had no effect on the outcome of the games, and the outcome of the game had no effect on my life. I remember thinking to myself, “why don’t you just stop caring when your team’s lose?”

My response was instant and emotional: “I can’t do that – I won’t be a good fan then!”

Thankfully, I went with logic over emotion. I realized that just because I really wanted my team to win, that didn’t mean I had to get depressed when they lost. Now when I watch sports and my teams win, I get very excited and pumped up. When they lose (and as a Philadelphia sports fan, we have along hhistory of disappointing losses) I just say, “ah well, whatever.”

Hardcore sports fans right now probably think I am crazy. “If you aren’t willing to feel the lows, you don’t deserve the highs!”

Poppycock! I just decided to redefine the “rules” for what makes me happy and sad. Being upset about a sports loss doesn’t serve me in any way, and doesn’t make me more or less of a fan.

This is one of primary things I teach audiences when it comes to dealing with the unexepected: You can’t control what happens to you. Buy you CAN control how you respond to it. You have a choice, just like I do. None of us have to be upset because our teams lose. Or for any other reason.

Lesson #1:

This applies to much more than sports. You can choose your response. So many people get angry or stressed or frustrated and then blame it on others. “It’s not my fault! This person always makes me mad!” or “If you didn’t do that, I wouldn’t be so stressed!” Casting blame is a waste. People who deal with life’s hiccups the best are the one’s who realize that the only thing they can control is their response.

Lesson #2:

Pick the rules that support you. I decided that not getting depressed didn’t make me any less of a fan. What rules can you add or modify to support you? Symmetry and consictency are not mandatory here. You can get ecstactic when you close a sale but shrug off a rejection. Reward your employees when they do something great but don’t fly off the handle when they mess up. Put all your passion and energy into a project but let it roll off your back if it fails or is poorly received.

You’ll be much happier, and your self-esteem will thank you.

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What You Can Learn From My Stupidity

Posted on October 14, 2008 by Avish

I think I’m a pretty smart guy, but once in a while – ok, maybe once in a semi-frequent while – I’ll do something that makes me say, “Avish, you are an idiot.” This is the tale of one such time.

I have trained in karate for about 20 years (“Killer Comedian!” Ha!). In my school, we do a fair number of pushups, and earlier this year I decided that I really wanted to increase my pushup count. I began a workout routine that focused on doing *lots* of pushups.

The pushup numbers went up, but it wasn’t too long before I felt a twinge in my shoulder. Being a certified medical professional (not!) I of course made the assumption that it was just muscle soreness. So I worked through it. It wasn’t long before my pushup count rapidly dropped to about five. With a lot of effort. And a lot of pain.

Turns out I injured my rotator cuff. That was over four months ago, and my shoulder still hurts. Why does my shoulder still hurt? Because, as I said earlier, I’m an idiot. Rather than paying attention, resting, and rehabbing, I kept going.

But all is not lost! You can learn from my idiocy and pain. Here are five things you can learn from my stupidity:

1) “Ignoring” is NOT a Strategy – Workout #1: “hmm, my shoulder is sore. It’s probably nothing.” Workout #2: “wow, those last few pushups kind of hurt. Wonder what that’s all about.” Workout #3: “Hey, this pain isn’t going away. I’ll have to do something about that someday.” Workout #15: “Geez, why does my shoulder *still* hurt? I’ve done nothing to help it, so the pain should clearly be gone.” Workout #45: “Oh God! My Shoulder hurts! Maybe I should look into that.” As much of a pain as it is to take care of problems, ignoring the issue is never a viable solution.

Where in your life might you be trying to ignore some nagging annoyances? Be careful, they may come back to bite you, hard.

2) Systems are Better than Self-Discipline – Once I realized that my shoulder had a legitimate problem and not just muscle soreness, I decided to continue training in karate, but to “take it easy” on stuff that uses the shoulder. I learned two things: 1) You use your shoulder for EVERYTHING! I think I felt shoulder pain when going for a jog! And 2) Taking it easy is easier said than done.

When training, I tend to get caught up in the moment and train hard. Before I know it, I feel a lancing pain in my arm as I shoot my hand out without thinking. Stupid!

This is where systems come into play. Rather than saying, “I’ll take it easy,” and then count on myself to remember in the moment, I need to set up systems to force me to not use the shoulder. Completely sitting out of potentially damaging activities, physically putting my hand behind my back to prevent me from being tempted, or even tying my arm down with a rope would force me to not use the arm. The point of systems are to take the guesswork and mistakes brought upon by impulse out of the equation.

This is a lesson from improv: In the moment, you react as you are conditioned to, not as you “want” to. If you want to react differently than you currently automatically do, systems can help.

What systems can you set up to reduce your “in the moment” errors?

3) Take a Long View – I totally resisted taking a break to rehab because I didn’t want to go a month without training. Well, here I am about four months later, and I haven’t had a good workout since. In the moment, it feels like pushing through is a good way to keep going. Once you take a long view however (in my speeches I call this focusing on the outcome), you realize that taking a month now will serve you much better in the long run than half-assing it.

What situations in your life are you perhaps taking a short view where you would be better served taking a long view?

4) Little Things Turn Into Big Things – It’s all about momentum. A small shoulder annoyance in April becomes, when left unattended, a major problem in September. On the flip side, rehab involves doing exercises with 1-3 pound weights. It really feels like you are doing nothing, but those little light weight exercises lead to big rehab gains.

This is the popular Japanese business principle of Kaizen. Constant small improvements that lead to massive results over time.

What little positive things can you do to build momentum? Or what little things you can stop doing?

5) Those Who Do Not Study History are Doomed – Here’s the kicker: This is not my first rotator cuff injury! I had a similar problem six years ago. Did I learn? No, of course not (see original premise regarding “stupidity”). The instant I felt the pain I should have said, “hey Avish, you’ve been here before. You should stop and rehab for a bit before this gets serious.” Instead I said, “Oh, I’m sure THIS time it’s different, and nothing serious, and I can keep going.”

To quote Christopher Walken from a classic Saturday Night Live sketch: “You throw champagne on my face once, shame on you. You throw champagne on my face twice, shame on me!”

Yes, shame on me. The fastest path to success is to take action and try, and when you fail to get up *learn from the mistakes*, and try again. The fastest way to a life of frustration and disappointment is to keep trying over and over without ever learning or adjusting.

Is there anything in your life where you keep trying the same thing over and over, without ever learning the important lesson history is teaching you?

Stupidity comes in many forms. Once in a while it shows up as something huge. Usually, our stupidity is the result of little dings along the way. Please learn from my (bad) example and don’t let stupidity get to you!

Posted in Business Advice, Ding!, Motivation & Success | Leave a comment

Week Long Speaking Seminar

Posted on October 4, 2008 by Avish

Want to learn to be an amazing speaker in one week? Then check out the info on http://www.TheSpeakingSchool.com

It will be an immersive one week experience where we will be using improv comedy to train a small number of people to be great speakers in one week!

Check it out: http://www.TheSpeakingSchool.com

Posted in Improv Comedy, Talk Gooder | Leave a comment

Better Presentation Skills – Learn from J.J. Abrams

Posted on September 19, 2008 by Avish

In March, 2007, J.J. Abrams, creator of Lost, Alias, and Fringe and director of Mission Impossible III, Cloverfield, and the upcoming Star Trek movie, spoke at the annual Technology, Entertainment, and Design (TED) conference. It was a great speech, and any speaker can learn a lot from watching J.J. speak.

Watch the video:

Here are some things you can take away from this to help you be a much better speaker:

His Authenticity – The primary thing I think every speaker can learn from watching this speech is just how natural J.J. looks. He is clearly being himself. A speech coach might criticize the way he moves around the stage. A Toastmaster would erupt at the number of times he says, “umm.” And J.J. certainly lacks the “stage polish” that many professional speakers bring to their performance. And you know what? That makes him so much more watchable. This is the best example of the most important principle of being a great speaker: “be 100% yourself on the stage and people will love watching you.”

His Use of Humor – J.J. is not a humorist. His primary goal is not to try to make people laugh, but he manages to bring a lot of humor to the presentation. What’s great about this speech is that the humor is just so natural. It never feels like he is trying to tell a joke. He’s just being himself and letting his natural humor come out. It really feels like he is having a conversation and those are funny things he would say anyway.

His Awesome Use of Props – After the level of authenticity in the speech, I think the most impressive thing is J.J.’s use of props. From the disassembled box, to the mystery box (brilliant!), to the Apple computer he was using for his A/V, it was all awesome. All speakers should study this as an example of how to use props. Each one was so appropriate to his message, tied into his speech, and drew the audience’s attention without seeming forced. The props were part of the story, so it made sense for him to have them.

His Simple Use of Characters – Early on, J.J. tells the story of trying to get his grandfather to buy him a camera. He does two great things in that story: 1) He acts it out, which means he actually acts like himself at 10 on the phone. Then he throws in a brief impression of his grandmother, complete with accent. Again, not forced, but it works very well, and gets a laugh. The lesson here is that you don’t need to turn your stories into full blown mini-plays. A little bit of acting out and a quick voice or characterization can be enough.

His Stories & Theme – Did you see how his stories tied in to his theme and vice versa? He told some great, but very simple stories. You don’t need a life changing event to tell a great story. You just have to tell stories you care about, that matter to you, and tell them well. And at the end of each story, he was able to simply make his point. That’s the way to structure a speech: story, point; story, point; etc.

You can also learn something from his message about stories as mysteries. People love mysteries, so add an element of mystery to your stories.

His Great use of Video – Maybe he had an advantage because he could show clips from Lost, Jaws, and Mission Impossible III. And maybe I’m biased because Jaws is my favorite movie. But still, here were visual aids that reinforced his point and were gripping to watch. Once again, think about how natural they were as a part of the program. He was talking about stories, so it made sense for him to use classic stories as examples. He could have described them, but it added impact by showing the clips.

Do you use Powerpoint or video? Do your visuals flow as seamlessly in and out of your presentation, and are they as visually interesting to watch?

There’s probably a lot more you can learn by watching this speech. I have already watched it a bunch of time. Overall, the main thing is that nothing is contrived. Whatever he does just seems to flow naturally. And that is the best thing any speaker can do to be a great presenter.

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Is there a Hole in Your Wall…?

Posted on September 11, 2008 by Avish

The Fox station is a conundrum. On the one hand, they put on some of the best programming on television; 24 and House come to mind. On the other hand, Fox somehow manages to put on the absolute worst, bottom of the barrel programming (this is the station that introduced, “Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire” to the world)

Tonight, Fox tosses another hat into the “let’s abandon all dignity” ring with their new show, “Hole in the Wall.” If you haven’t seen or heard of this show, here’s the entire summary: “contestants stand on one end of a platform as a wall with shapes cut of it moves towards them. They must get through the hole. If they do, they get points. If not, they get dumped into water.”

That’s it. That’s the entire summary.

Fox “previewed” this show Sunday night, and I am sad to say I watched it. (Cut me some slack! I was tired, feeling lazy, and had been seeing promos for it all day while watching the Eagles cruch the Rams – woo-hoo, Go Eagles! 2009 Superbowl champs!)

There is no subtle nuance to this show. There are no intrictate story lines or strategies. Just people jumping through holes.

The best – or worst, depending on your perspective – part of this show is the catchphrase. Right before the wall starts moving, the announcer says in a deep ominous voice, “It’s time to face the hole.” There’s a certain amount of trauma that goes along with hearing the phrase “it’s time to face the hole” 10 times in 30 minutes…

This show is based on a Japanese game show. You know, the Japanese have given the U.S. many amazing things. Technology, cars, karate, sushi, and Ken Watanabe to name a few. Game shows are not one of them. No, game shows ar *not* one of them…

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If you like the Muppets…

Posted on August 13, 2008 by Avish

…especially Beaker:

Then you need to listen to this MP3

All Opera should be done this way…

Posted in Just Funny | Leave a comment

Productivity – 7 Signs You Are Having an “Unproductive” Week

Posted on July 27, 2008 by Avish

Have you ever had a week where you looked back and said to yourself, “Did I get *anything* done this week?”

I did. Last week. I’m not proud of it, but it happened. Rather than complain about it, I decided to channel that non-productivity into a valuable lesson for all of us.

Here then are seven signs that you are having an “unproductive” week:

1 – You Start “Transcribing” Your Daily “To-Do” Lists

You know how it goes. You sit down today with yesterday’s to-do list and start filling in all the stuff you didn’t get done yesterday. Then you realize that you got nothing done yesterday and that you would have been better off just making a copy of yesterday’s list and trying again. Repeat ad infinitum…

2 – Some Area of Your House Gets *Really* Clean and Organized

Ah, how we fool ourselves into feeling productive when we are just procrastinating. Instead of working we decide that now would be a great time to really clean the bathroom, top to bottom. Take a look – if some part of your house is much cleaner on Friday than it was on Monday, you may have a problem.

*Note for the non-self employed worker: The desk jockey’s variation on this is that either your desk and files get *really* organized, or you email inbox suddenly goes from a jumbled mess of 3000 emails to a neatly organized system of with an empty inbox and a ton of properly setup folders.

3 – Wikipedia Dominates Your Browser’s History Cache

I love Wikipedia, but it may be the greatest time wasting tool on the internet. I can spend an entire afternoon bouncing from article to article, none of which have anything to do with me being productive. Do I really need to lookup who Bret Hart defeated to win his first WWE heavyweight championship? Does anyone?? No, but with Wikipedia you someone find yourself in that bad, bad, place. (By the way, for those of you playing at home, it was Ric Flair.)

4 – You Complain Because This Afternoon’s Law & Order Episode is the Same One They Showed Last Night

Law and Order is on some channel, somewhere, all the time. TNT somehow shows 27 episodes a day. Sometimes though, the 2:00PM afternoon episode is the same one they showed the night before at 8:00PM. I shouldn’t know that. No one who works from home and wants to be successful should know that. Even worse, no one should be upset that they can’t watch a one hour Law and order episode at 2:00PM because they already saw it last night. That’s the sign of a bad week…

5 – Most of Your Day is Spent Planning for Your Evening

You know the drill. You want to see some friends in the evening, so you spend all day looking up movie times, making dinner reservations, calling and emailing friends, and thinking about how much fun you will have. When your major accomplishment for the day is, “I planned a get together for my friends,” that day by default falls into the category, “unproductive.”

6 – You Set a New High Score…In Anything

Solitaire, Minesweeper, Bejeweled, Guitar Hero, whatever. If you set a new score in any game this week, the entire week is a a write off. End of story. No discussion.

And the big one:

7 – Your Bank Account Is Smaller Than it Was at the Beginning of the Week

This one is mainly for the self-employed, and its a painful one. When your income is dependent solely on your ability to generate business, then you know that if you did not deposit any money this week that you did not have a productive week. A few more weeks like this and you won;t have to worry about unproductive weeks – you’ll have to worry about long lines at the unemployment office!

Pay attention – if you catch yourself doing any of these, it’s not too late! You can course correct yourself and get back on track to have a productive week. Otherwise, give me call and we’ll hang out and watch a “Law and Order” episode together.

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Time Keeps on Slipping, Slipping, Slipping…

Posted on July 22, 2008 by Avish

Time is a cruel master. Like the Terminator, it will keep coming, it can be reasoned with or bargained with, and it absolutely will not stop!

A couple of weeks ago was the 4th of July, and I had a very nice time. Let me repeat that. I had a “nice” time. I saw friends, hung out, and ate a lot.

Then I started thinking about 4th of July weekend’s from years past. Like *way* past. Like 13 years past. It’s amazing how much things have changed. The holiday weekend used to be about partying all day long with friends. Now it’s about having a sensibly good time and “chatting.”

Here are a few of the differences from 13 years ago (Young Avish) and this year (Current Avish)

YOUNG AVISH: Hanging with friends involved lots of raucous jokes, usually involving insulting each other,
CURRENT AVISH: Hanging with friends involved commenting on how cute the 2 year old is and how “baby-proofed” the house is.

YOUNG AVISH: Horsing around meant fun punching and wrestling with buddies.
CURRENT AVISH: Horsing around meant tickling my buddy’s daughter (the aforementioned 2 year old).
While he was holding her.
And we were sitting together on the couch.
That was kind of weird…

YOUNG AVISH: Drinking meant *drinking*. Passing out before the fireworks was a bonus.
CURRENT AVISH: Drinking meant stopping after 2 or 3 “lite” beers because I need to watch my calories. Pesky slowing down metabolism…

YOUNG AVISH: Cooking involved throwing a few burgers on the grill. Cheese was a bonus, and ketchup constituted the entire spectrum of condiments.
CURRENT AVISH: Cooking involved my friend creating an epicurean feast: Homemade pulled pork sandwiches, homemade baked beans (cooked for 24 hours), homemade coleslaw (who does that??), homemade shrimp, and homemade beer can chicken. You seeing a “homemade” theme here?

By the way, beer can chicken is a disturbing think to look at, but quite tasty when cooked right – and it was!

YOUNG AVISH: Party until 2 AM on Friday, sleep in, then party until 3 AM on Satuardy. Whoo-hoo!
CURRENT AVISH: July 3rd – in bed by 11PM.
July 4th – up at 7AM, in bed by midnight.
July 5th – up at 8AM, in bed by 10:30PM

You parents may be shaking your heads at me thinking, “sleeping in until 8AM! That’s luxurious!” Keep in mind, I have no kids and am a single guy in my own condo in Philly. I shouldn’t know that a “Sunday, 8AM” exists.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining. I don’t want to come across as the main character in Bruce Springstein’s “Glory Days,” sitting around the bar lamenting the loss of the glory of the good old days. (is it wrong that I used both the words “glory,” and “days,” to explain the meaning of the song “Glory Days?” Oh well…)

Time moves on and things change. Sometimes I get nostalgic for those Glory Days, but for the most part, I try to focus on what’s good about today and how I can make it even better.

The Lesson:
In my programs on being flexible and dealing with change, two key principles I teach are to stay in the moment and to say “yes, and.” People who struggle with the Glory Days tend to live in the past and not the moment, and say lots of “yes, buts” to all the things that are different now. This is no way to live, and no way to get the most out of life.

How about you? Are you looking back a bit too much on the Glory Days, or are you making the most of the changes in your life?

Like most people, I had a sheer amount of idiocy in my younger days. I do however, remember saying one smart thing soon after college while reminiscing with some friends: “I never want to look back and say, ‘those were the best days of my life,’ because I always want NOW to be the best days of my life.” There’s some food for thought.

Then I did another shot.

🙂

Posted in Ding!, Motivation & Success | 1 Comment