It started with a simple request. "Mommy, tell me a story about when you were a kid". And in that one moment Jeni had to dig deep into her childhood to find a story with enough action, drama, intrigue and everything else that a five year old needs to stay in the moment and hear you out. Jeni brought up some random happenings from her days at Kennedy Park during the summer months of her youth, but struggled to truly tell a story with her memories. When she brought what had happened while putting Abbie to bed, I too was at a loss as to what sort of story I would be able to tell.
Memories can come back with little cohesion between them, but often times they are little more than just scenes from your youth. What does it take to turn random thoughts and experiences into a true story? If someone came up to you and asked you to tell them a story, what would you come up with? Perhaps your first trip to a baseball game, or that time you went camping and told ghost stories, maybe even your first day at a new school. What thoughts and emotions would you hope to be able to convey? Were you nervous that first day of school, maybe you sat front row at the baseball game and were awed by seeing your heroes up close and in the flesh. Do you have what it takes to draw in those around you with an amazing tale of your daring expeditions as an eight year old?
I for one am a lousy story teller. I can usually manage to start off well enough, building tension and painting a pretty good picture of the scene to my listeners, only to get to the climax to blow it, I let my listener down by second guessing the events as I remember them, or most often leaving out a crucial piece of information, having to back pedal to fill in the newly formed gaps. I guess I need to polish my delivery before I too am confronted by a certain five year old at bedtime wanting to hear a story that is better crafted than those found in her bedtime books. When it comes time for me to deliver, will I have the goods necessary to hold her captivated, or will I fail miserably. Will the story I tell her have to have a deeper meaning behind it, perhaps a moral at the end of it all not unlike one of Aesop's. What sort of things would I tell her about myself unwittingly through a story about my youthful shenanigans. All I know is that whatever I tell her, chances are it will be repeated, verbatim, to those who should probably not hear it.
You may think that I am making more out of this than I should, and if you are then you probably don't have kids. To say that your kids are your greatest audience, while at the same time being your biggest critic would be the understatement of the year. You at that moment have the power to mold them with your words, mold them into something you would like them to be, or turn them away from something which you don't. You have the ability to turn yourself into a superhero before their eyes, or dash their hopes with a misspoken tale of cowardice. As a parent, I hope that I have the ability to captivate my children with even the most mundane of events simply because I am their father. I want to be the one that they brag about during recess to all of their friends because of the one time that I...
So what's your story? And be sure to make it a good one.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Perseverance
"Continuous effort - not strength or intelligence - is the key to unlocking our potential."
-Sir Winston Churchill
I'd like to think I possess a great deal of perseverance, whether or not I actually do may be debatable, but in my mind I'd like to think so. Whether it be at work, or at home or while running or training in martial arts, I tend to stick it out til the end in order to achieve whatever it is I am after. I have also realized through life that success can be measured by how much effort you put in. When I was 25 I started a business named Marketfresh Produce Co., and I worked, and worked, and worked. I loved every minute of it. I was proud. I was successful. In just a few years, I was selling over a million dollars worth of produce a year to some of the best restaurants in Chicago.
I woke up at midnight 6 days a week to start my day, by 2am on was on "The Street" as we called it, or the produce market to others. I hustled both literally and figuratively from one end to the other, several times for 3-4 hours every morning, loving every minute of it. From the smells of the fresh produce being unloaded from around the world, to the stench of diesel fumes that could leave your snot black with soot, I breathed it all in. The language was rough from everyone and the characters ran the gamut from the stereotypical to the downright insane, and somehow I felt right at home. Every conversation was an education in how to use the word fuck most effectively, and I was a pro. In explaining the Street to the uninitiated, I would often reference the Old West, it could be just that wild. While there were no gunfights, there were plenty of guns. The Street after all was situated in the middle of the projects, and its bright lights drew characters like a lamp draws flies. Hookers, hustlers, lumpers the market had it all, including cash. Lots of it.
The street ran on cash. And everyone carried it, myself included. One pocket carried a wad of cash almost as big as your fist, the other carried a knife because at 2am, in the middle of the projects you just never knew. Cash talked, because you could only yell so loud. It got you the freshest produce and it got you the fastest service. Because the faster you could get off the Street , the faster you cold make more money. In that business time was money. If I could get to a restaurant before some other asshole could, I was golden. In a business where the attitude was "what have you done for me lately?", being on time was everything. If I could out hustle all the other schmucks, with a better product, at a better price then I was unstoppable.
Life was good, work was hard, but never did I tire of the day to day hustle. My walk was fast as I moved down the Street , my talk was even faster. They called me The Kid because I was so young, I loved it, every minute of it. The old timers respected me, they saw the fire I had in my eyes. They all watched me grow and succeed, not only in business but as a person. I knew my shit, I had it together at 25 when most other 25 year olds were still acting like kids. I used that to my advantage, my eagerness to grow and learn attracted attention. In a few years I had several offers to merge. Offers from major players in the produce game, offers that had not been extended to anyone else. People saw in me what I knew about myself, if you work hard enough good things come to you.
Hard work doesn't scare me, never has. The harder the job, the bigger the challenge, the bigger the reward. Bring it on, all of it. I rarely ask for help, to me that is a sign of weakness, probably stupidly so, but that is how I work best. I have the mindset that nothing is impossible if you only try hard enough. While I don't always succeed, I do always try. Who wants to fail? Not me. But you never know what is going to happen if you don't at least try. I put everything I have into everything I do. I push harder when I would rather just quit. Knowing that the extra effort will pay dividends, maybe not immediately, but eventually. I may not be the smartest guy out there, and I am sure there is some other Kidout hustling even my hustle, but with a continuous drive forward I can't be stopped. I do what I do for me, for my family, for my friends. I work hard for the things I want, for what I feel I deserve. Maybe someday I can inspire someone to dig their heels in, try something they wouldn't have normally tried, push harder, or just dream bigger dreams.
-Sir Winston Churchill
I'd like to think I possess a great deal of perseverance, whether or not I actually do may be debatable, but in my mind I'd like to think so. Whether it be at work, or at home or while running or training in martial arts, I tend to stick it out til the end in order to achieve whatever it is I am after. I have also realized through life that success can be measured by how much effort you put in. When I was 25 I started a business named Marketfresh Produce Co., and I worked, and worked, and worked. I loved every minute of it. I was proud. I was successful. In just a few years, I was selling over a million dollars worth of produce a year to some of the best restaurants in Chicago.
I woke up at midnight 6 days a week to start my day, by 2am on was on "The Street" as we called it, or the produce market to others. I hustled both literally and figuratively from one end to the other, several times for 3-4 hours every morning, loving every minute of it. From the smells of the fresh produce being unloaded from around the world, to the stench of diesel fumes that could leave your snot black with soot, I breathed it all in. The language was rough from everyone and the characters ran the gamut from the stereotypical to the downright insane, and somehow I felt right at home. Every conversation was an education in how to use the word fuck most effectively, and I was a pro. In explaining the Street to the uninitiated, I would often reference the Old West, it could be just that wild. While there were no gunfights, there were plenty of guns. The Street after all was situated in the middle of the projects, and its bright lights drew characters like a lamp draws flies. Hookers, hustlers, lumpers the market had it all, including cash. Lots of it.
The street ran on cash. And everyone carried it, myself included. One pocket carried a wad of cash almost as big as your fist, the other carried a knife because at 2am, in the middle of the projects you just never knew. Cash talked, because you could only yell so loud. It got you the freshest produce and it got you the fastest service. Because the faster you could get off the Street , the faster you cold make more money. In that business time was money. If I could get to a restaurant before some other asshole could, I was golden. In a business where the attitude was "what have you done for me lately?", being on time was everything. If I could out hustle all the other schmucks, with a better product, at a better price then I was unstoppable.
Life was good, work was hard, but never did I tire of the day to day hustle. My walk was fast as I moved down the Street , my talk was even faster. They called me The Kid because I was so young, I loved it, every minute of it. The old timers respected me, they saw the fire I had in my eyes. They all watched me grow and succeed, not only in business but as a person. I knew my shit, I had it together at 25 when most other 25 year olds were still acting like kids. I used that to my advantage, my eagerness to grow and learn attracted attention. In a few years I had several offers to merge. Offers from major players in the produce game, offers that had not been extended to anyone else. People saw in me what I knew about myself, if you work hard enough good things come to you.
Hard work doesn't scare me, never has. The harder the job, the bigger the challenge, the bigger the reward. Bring it on, all of it. I rarely ask for help, to me that is a sign of weakness, probably stupidly so, but that is how I work best. I have the mindset that nothing is impossible if you only try hard enough. While I don't always succeed, I do always try. Who wants to fail? Not me. But you never know what is going to happen if you don't at least try. I put everything I have into everything I do. I push harder when I would rather just quit. Knowing that the extra effort will pay dividends, maybe not immediately, but eventually. I may not be the smartest guy out there, and I am sure there is some other Kidout hustling even my hustle, but with a continuous drive forward I can't be stopped. I do what I do for me, for my family, for my friends. I work hard for the things I want, for what I feel I deserve. Maybe someday I can inspire someone to dig their heels in, try something they wouldn't have normally tried, push harder, or just dream bigger dreams.
Words of Wisdom
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine as children do. It's not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own lights shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”-Marianne Williamson
Sunday, September 9, 2012
How Will You Be Paying For That Today?
If you were told you were never going to win the game you loved most would you still play? If you thought that you had almost no chance to succeed would you still try?
When the odds are stacked against you, and failure is the most likely outcome, do you rise to the challenge or raise the white flag?
In order to overcome obstacles, either in life or sport it perhaps only takes one thing; discipline. In order to be a better writer, you write, a lot. If you want to get faster you train. Need to lose a few pounds, then you lead a disciplined lifestyle of diet and exercise. When I wanted to learn about discipline I looked to an unlikely source that perhaps was the most obvious all along, Mike Tyson. Admired by most and hated by even more, Mike Tyson at his pinnacle was the epitome of discipline. When asked about discipline Mike says this "
Discipline is doing what you hate to do, but nonetheless doing it like you love it."
The interviwer then asked how do you do that? to which Mike replied: "discipline."
To me truer words have never been spoken. Most of us are goal driven, or even more specifically result driven. But how do you achieve those results? Discipline. Discipline of the mind, discipline of the body and discipline of lifestyle. As for me I like to set goals, usually quite lofty goals, but ones that are still achievable. I have found that if you set the goal to high, that you almost assume failure before you have even begun. Goals must also be tangible, reachable and their terms definite. Don't just say I want to lose weight, say I want to weigh xxx, by such and such a date. Don't just say I want be rich, say I want to have x amount of dollars in the bank by the time I turn 40.
But before a goal or result can ever be realized a certain transaction must take place. A certain 'this for that' type of transaction by which in order to attain result x, you must first give up, sacrifice, put on hold or surrender y . Why? because nothing in life comes easy. If you want to be a better runner, you must train, hours on end, week after week. So how do you pay for that training? You use your free time, time that could be spent doing myriad other things, that frankly might be more enjoyable in the short term, but the training will be more rewarding long term. And what is the currency you pay with? Discipline. The same principles apply to business as well. Whether you work for someone or are self employed, the harder you work, the greater the goals achieved. But again there is a price to pay and the universal currency is discipline.
Discipline to me is not all self flagelation though. Discipline is a balancing act. The ability to balance family life, with work and play while still achieving what you want is perhaps the trickiest of all. I wish I could set a training schedule that never got interrupted. But try telling a 8 year old and a 6 year old that Daddy has to go out for another run, or another ride. Watch their faces turn from excited to disappointed at the realization that yet again they lose while I win. So lately the balancing act has gotten a bit trickier. With the "Summer of Do" in full effect my mantra lately has been quality over quantity. Rather than the 7 or 8 miler I had hoped for, I find myself going out for a 4 miler. A hard and fast 4 miler,but a 4 none the less. Or lately, I find myself at work in the shop til 3 in the morning making up time so that I can get a project out somewhat close to the delivery date.
Without discipline I would probably just chuck it all in favor of just hanging with the family, or sleeping in or being contented with the status quo. That is just not my style. If I know I am capable, then I will push myslef. If I have an inkling that something is achievable through hard work and sacrifice, then I push all doubts out of my head and I go for it. Better yet, tell me I can't do something. I may struggle, and I may initially fail, but I will try. I will pay the price that needs to be paid in hard work, in sacrifice, in sweat and sometimes even tears, but I will try my hardest. The outcome may not always be pretty, but the goal will be met.
When the odds are stacked against you, and failure is the most likely outcome, do you rise to the challenge or raise the white flag?
In order to overcome obstacles, either in life or sport it perhaps only takes one thing; discipline. In order to be a better writer, you write, a lot. If you want to get faster you train. Need to lose a few pounds, then you lead a disciplined lifestyle of diet and exercise. When I wanted to learn about discipline I looked to an unlikely source that perhaps was the most obvious all along, Mike Tyson. Admired by most and hated by even more, Mike Tyson at his pinnacle was the epitome of discipline. When asked about discipline Mike says this "
Discipline is doing what you hate to do, but nonetheless doing it like you love it."
The interviwer then asked how do you do that? to which Mike replied: "discipline."
To me truer words have never been spoken. Most of us are goal driven, or even more specifically result driven. But how do you achieve those results? Discipline. Discipline of the mind, discipline of the body and discipline of lifestyle. As for me I like to set goals, usually quite lofty goals, but ones that are still achievable. I have found that if you set the goal to high, that you almost assume failure before you have even begun. Goals must also be tangible, reachable and their terms definite. Don't just say I want to lose weight, say I want to weigh xxx, by such and such a date. Don't just say I want be rich, say I want to have x amount of dollars in the bank by the time I turn 40.
But before a goal or result can ever be realized a certain transaction must take place. A certain 'this for that' type of transaction by which in order to attain result x, you must first give up, sacrifice, put on hold or surrender y . Why? because nothing in life comes easy. If you want to be a better runner, you must train, hours on end, week after week. So how do you pay for that training? You use your free time, time that could be spent doing myriad other things, that frankly might be more enjoyable in the short term, but the training will be more rewarding long term. And what is the currency you pay with? Discipline. The same principles apply to business as well. Whether you work for someone or are self employed, the harder you work, the greater the goals achieved. But again there is a price to pay and the universal currency is discipline.
Discipline to me is not all self flagelation though. Discipline is a balancing act. The ability to balance family life, with work and play while still achieving what you want is perhaps the trickiest of all. I wish I could set a training schedule that never got interrupted. But try telling a 8 year old and a 6 year old that Daddy has to go out for another run, or another ride. Watch their faces turn from excited to disappointed at the realization that yet again they lose while I win. So lately the balancing act has gotten a bit trickier. With the "Summer of Do" in full effect my mantra lately has been quality over quantity. Rather than the 7 or 8 miler I had hoped for, I find myself going out for a 4 miler. A hard and fast 4 miler,but a 4 none the less. Or lately, I find myself at work in the shop til 3 in the morning making up time so that I can get a project out somewhat close to the delivery date.
Without discipline I would probably just chuck it all in favor of just hanging with the family, or sleeping in or being contented with the status quo. That is just not my style. If I know I am capable, then I will push myslef. If I have an inkling that something is achievable through hard work and sacrifice, then I push all doubts out of my head and I go for it. Better yet, tell me I can't do something. I may struggle, and I may initially fail, but I will try. I will pay the price that needs to be paid in hard work, in sacrifice, in sweat and sometimes even tears, but I will try my hardest. The outcome may not always be pretty, but the goal will be met.
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Words of Wisdom
"Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir men's blood and probably will not themselves be realized."
-Daniel Burnham, Architect
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Fortes Fortuna Adiuvat
Fortes Fortuna Adiuvat-Fortune Favors the Bold.
I have never been one to sit back and hope for something great to happen to me, I have never counted on luck to bring me what I want. I make my own luck. I learned early on that if you have to depend on the goodwill of another person in order to fulfill your desires, then you will surely be disappointed.
I am restless in my desire to succeed, to gain a sort of fame or notoriety, on whatever scale I so desire, and I almost always succeed. How? Because I am never satisfied with the status quo. Why should I be? If I am not moving forward, then I might as well be moving backward. For certain, things don't always go as planned, or sometimes they downright fail, but at least I try. The thought of letting something die, without trying to bring it to fruition disgusts me.
I have met many blowhards in my life, plenty of people with grand plans and visions, but most of them were all talk. Sure, most people can talk a good game, but can they actually see it through? When it is time to put up or shut up, I mostly hear silence. I promised myself a long time ago that I wouldn't be that guy. And for the most part I have fulfilled that promise to myself. And now, more than ever, I vow to never be that guy.
I am a man chasing a dream, and what is a man if he doesn't have a dream? He is nothing, he is already beaten. But no matter how many times I may come up short, I will not be beaten. The fire inside me to succeed will never be doused, the flames never snuffed out. My desire to better myself on a daily basis far outweighs any fears I may have about failure. You cannot truly appreciate success until you have failed. In fact, if all you ever did was succeed without failure, would you even realize your success? I doubt it.
Failure to me is often just a part of the journey towards success. To me, there is no better feeling than to accomplish not only something that others thought unlikely, but something I may have even doubted as well. To fail is to learn, or is failure the greatest teacher? Either way, you can learn a lot about a man in the face of failure. Does he throw his hands up and admit defeat? Or does he step back, reassess, and try again. I would like to think that I most often am the latter. Failure doesn't scare me, in fact, failure just reassures me that I am still trying.
Will I eventually find the success that I so desperately seek? I have absolutely no doubts when I ask myself that question, yes.Why? Because my personal history tells me so. Everything I set my mind to is realized.
Period. End of story.
Now ask yourself, what fortunes await you? Or are you willing to let them slip away without even trying? I couldn't live with myself if I didn't at least try. Could you?
I have never been one to sit back and hope for something great to happen to me, I have never counted on luck to bring me what I want. I make my own luck. I learned early on that if you have to depend on the goodwill of another person in order to fulfill your desires, then you will surely be disappointed.
I am restless in my desire to succeed, to gain a sort of fame or notoriety, on whatever scale I so desire, and I almost always succeed. How? Because I am never satisfied with the status quo. Why should I be? If I am not moving forward, then I might as well be moving backward. For certain, things don't always go as planned, or sometimes they downright fail, but at least I try. The thought of letting something die, without trying to bring it to fruition disgusts me.
I have met many blowhards in my life, plenty of people with grand plans and visions, but most of them were all talk. Sure, most people can talk a good game, but can they actually see it through? When it is time to put up or shut up, I mostly hear silence. I promised myself a long time ago that I wouldn't be that guy. And for the most part I have fulfilled that promise to myself. And now, more than ever, I vow to never be that guy.
I am a man chasing a dream, and what is a man if he doesn't have a dream? He is nothing, he is already beaten. But no matter how many times I may come up short, I will not be beaten. The fire inside me to succeed will never be doused, the flames never snuffed out. My desire to better myself on a daily basis far outweighs any fears I may have about failure. You cannot truly appreciate success until you have failed. In fact, if all you ever did was succeed without failure, would you even realize your success? I doubt it.
Failure to me is often just a part of the journey towards success. To me, there is no better feeling than to accomplish not only something that others thought unlikely, but something I may have even doubted as well. To fail is to learn, or is failure the greatest teacher? Either way, you can learn a lot about a man in the face of failure. Does he throw his hands up and admit defeat? Or does he step back, reassess, and try again. I would like to think that I most often am the latter. Failure doesn't scare me, in fact, failure just reassures me that I am still trying.
Will I eventually find the success that I so desperately seek? I have absolutely no doubts when I ask myself that question, yes.Why? Because my personal history tells me so. Everything I set my mind to is realized.
Period. End of story.
Now ask yourself, what fortunes await you? Or are you willing to let them slip away without even trying? I couldn't live with myself if I didn't at least try. Could you?
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