In today’s society marriage appears to be a non-binding contract.  According to divorcerate.org The divorce rate in America for first marriage, vs second or third marriage 50% percent of first marriages, 67% of second and 74% of third marriages end in divorce, according to Jennifer Baker of the Forest Institute of Professional Psychology in Springfield, Missouri.  Since only half of the people that marry stay married and it gets progressively  worse on the second and third try it has caused me to contemplate why people keep doing it.  For me once is enough.  I found the perfect person for me and I never intend to let her go.

There is no doubt in my mind as to why I have stayed married to my Sweet Heart Julie for over thirty years now.  The reason is simple she has figured out a way to make me love her more each day. This is not a recent revelation or some new phenomenon.  I have been smitten with her since I first met her and pursued her with reckless abandon until she agreed to marry me.    Sorry I don’t have some magic formula that she uses to make me love her more and more to share with you.  There is no one thing that she does to make me love her more each day.  I guess it is just the fact that I know she loves me more than anyone else possibly could.  It is the fact that I know for a certainty that she is my biggest supporter.

I think a better question would be why she has put up with me for all of these years.  Honestly I couldn’t answer that question. Maybe she will reply to this post and let you know.  For now I can only speak for myself.  So here is my best guess.  It is that she knows that I love her more and more each day.  If you are reading this, you may be wondering how I know that she knows how much I love her?  The answer to that one is easy, “I tell her.”  I do that  just in case my actions don’t reflect my true feelings.

So what is the amazing milestone.

Those of you that know me well might be thinking that it is the fact that Julie has stuck with me for over thirty years.  If that is what you are thinking you would be wrong!  I have to pay homage to those that have set the example for Julie and I.  Both my parents and Julie’s parents are celebrating Fifty years of marriage this year and are looking forward to many more.  I want to congratulate both sets of parents Dick and Lynn Putnam and Dick and Myrna Pickett.  Thank you for setting such a great example for us.

The decisions that I make shape my life. Too many times I find myself saying if only I would have done this or wouldn’t have done that my life would be so much better. The New Year offers an opportunity for a fresh start. That is if you can put last year behind you. One of my friends Saen Higgins posted what I consider a profound statement on his FaceBook page last week. I would like to share it with you. “The New Year is coming and everyone is talking about what they are going to do for the New Year. I feel a better list is what I’m I not going to do this year”. I agree with Saen’s statement. A great way to approach the New Year is to analyze last year. Make a list of what worked well for you and what didn’t work well for you and make sure you don’t repeat the things that didn’t work for you.

Benjamin Franklin offered a methodology for making sound decisions in a letter to his friend Joseph Priestly. Franklin referred to the methodology as “moral or prudential algebra. Here is a copy of his letter from the book “The Benjamin Franklin Sampler”.
To Joseph Priestley
London, Sept.19, 1772

Dear Sir,
In the Affair of so much Importance to you, wherein you ask my Advice, I cannot for want of sufficient Premises, advise you what to determine, but if you please I will tell you how. When these difficult Cases occur, they are difficult chiefly because while we have them under Consideration all the Reasons pro and con are not present to the Mind at the same time; but sometimes one Set present themselves, and at other times another, the first being out of Sight. Hence the various Purposes or Inclinations that alternately prevail, and the Uncertainty that perplexes us. To get over this, my Way is, to divide half a Sheet of Paper by a Line into two Columns, writing over the one Pro, and over the other Con. Then during three or four Days Consideration I put down under the different Heads short Hints of the different Motives that at different Times occur to me for or against the Measure. When I have thus got them all together in one View, I endeavor to estimate their respective Weights; and where I find two, one on each side, that seem equal, I strike them both out: If I find a Reason pro equal to some two Reasons con, I strike out the three. If I judge some two Reasons con equal to some three Reasons pro, I strike out the five; and thus proceeding I find at length where the Balance lies; and if after a Day or two of farther Consideration nothing new that is of Importance occurs on either side, I come to a Determination accordingly. And tho’ the Weight of Reasons cannot be taken with the Precision of Algebraic Quantities, yet when each is thus considered separately and comparatively, and the whole lies before me, I think I can judge better, and am less likely to make a rash Step; and in fact I have found great Advantage from this kind of Equation, in what may be called Moral or Prudential Algebra. Wishing sincerely that you may determine for the best, I am ever, my dear Friend,

Yours most affectionately

Ben Franklin’s advice to his friend still makes a great deal of sense over two hundred years after the fact. I have used his methodology numerous times when faced with decisions both in the business world and in every day life.

Eben Pagan makes a great point in a recent video series posted on his blog. He states, “When it comes to small decisions wait at least a day before you act, when it comes to major decisions wait a month before you act.” Eben was speaking in regards to financial decisions. I believe his advice can be applied to other areas of our lives as well. The ages old adage I am going to sleep on it isn’t such a bad idea.

Zig Ziglar warns use about succumbing to paralysis by analysis. Often we don’t s have the luxury of time when it comes to making a decision whether it is big or small. In that case we must rely on our past experiences and knowledge to make the best choice possible. If you are a Christian as I am you might ask your self what would Jesus do? If your belief system is secular in nature you might want to ask your self what would your mentor do. All though this may seem simplistic I have found it to be very beneficial in my own decision making process.

Ultimately our life is improved or worsened by the decisions that we make. Life is really a series of choices that we are faced with on daily basis. Take a step back and look at the big picture before you make a decision. I promise it will add to the quality to your life.

Finally it’s coming to an end.  It sure seems to me that 2010 has presented more than it’s fair share of challenges to my loved ones and me.  Before I get into that I do want to publicly state and acknowledge that I have been blessed this year just as I have in years past.  I’m just not enjoying the same abundance in life that I once was.

So what has changed?  Me, for starters, I used to be willing to hop on a plane and be away from my family for weeks at a time in exchange for a large check. From 1995 thru 2008 I traveled on at least one hundred flights per year.  I was the quintessential road warrior.  I’m not sure I would be willing to do that now.  Don’t misunderstand me I would love to have the huge paydays back.  Just not at the expense of time away from home.  For those that know me, that may seem odd.  I only have one child and at twenty -eight he is on the way to making his own mark on the world.  My wife and best friend Julie has accompanied me many times on the road and we even have events that we do together.  The difference is that I have become a homebody.

For the past eighteen months I have been semi retired just working enough to make sure the bills are paid.  2011 will be the first year in over a decade that I have not had premium status with the airlines.  No more complementary first class upgrades for me.  At first I was bothered by that until it dawned on me that I don’t want to fly anywhere.  I am happy being a homebody.

My focus for 2011 will be on creating the type of income I used to make on the road while sitting by the hearth at home.  I am currently working on some very promising marketing projects with my mentors at Association of Optimum Achievement.  I find the work very tenuous yet rewarding at the same time.  I consider it the opportunity of my lifetime to work with people that I consider mentors.  They are indeed at the top of their fields and everyday is a new learning experience for me.  Most importantly I feel that I am contributing equally to their benefit as well. Ultimately my goal is to become a financially independent homebody.  Through the achievement of my goals many others will reach theirs as well.  It is very motivating to work on projects that will benefit all of the stakeholders.

I am looking forward with gusto to another challenging year.  I will keep you posted on my progress towards becoming a professional homebody.

What do you stand for?  Carrying on with the current theme of this blog it seems like an appropriate question.  I spent December 16^th & 17th with a group of my associates discussing what our company stands for.  I continued thru the weekend December 18^th & 19^th making the same determination on a personal basis.  Whether you are making the determination on company basis or a personal basis it comes down to determining your core values.

Your core values are the values that make up your being. Core values should be upheld without compromise both as a company and an individual. Well-known business author Steven R Covey wrote a book titled “7 Habits of Highly Effective People”.  In Seven Habits of Highly Effective People there are several exercises that can help you determine and develop your core values.

Are you going through life in a state of discontent?  Your state of discontent may be a result of a lifestyle that is not congruent with your core values.  The solution to the problem is to determine your set of core values and to align your actions with them.  If you are living a life that is in accordance to your core values you will instinctively feel better about yourself and those around you.  This is much easier said than done. It will require a truthful examination of your self and making some life changes. The old adage the truth can hurt may become apparent as you examine your life.  The good news is that the truth will also set you free to go forward on a new path.

So far my favorite book on the list is “Firms of Endearment” How World-Class Companies PROFIT from Passion and Purpose by Raj Sisodia, Jag Sheth, and David Wolfe.  In this book you will learn the acronym SPICE. To learn about SPICE visit the Firms of Endearment website at Firms of Endearment.  I hope you find it as enlightening as I did.  Happy Reading, here is the list.

Business Building Books

Recent Books Read

1. Peak – How Great Companies Get Their Mojo from Maslow by Chip Conley

1. Firms of Endearment – How World-Class Companies PROFIT from Passion and Purpose by Raj Sisodia, Jag Sheth, and David Wolfe.

Books Currently Reading

1. Nuts!  Southwest Airlines’ Crazy Recipe for Business and Personal Success by Kevin Freiberg and Jackie Freiberg.

1. Conscious Business – How to Build Value Through Values by Fred Kofman

1. Good Business – Leadership, Flow, and the Making of Meaning by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.

1. The Essential Drucker – by Peter Drucker.

On My Desk to Read

1. Delivering Happiness – A Path to Profits, Passion and Purpose by Tony Hsieh of Zappos.com

1. The Motivation to Work by Fredrick Herzberg, Bernard Mausner, and Barbara Block Snyderman.

1. Strategic Management – A Stakeholder Approach by R. Edward Freeman.

1. Be the Solution – How Entrepreneurs and Conscious Capitalists Can Solve All the Worlds Problems by Michael Strong.

1. Hidden Value – How Great Companies Achieve Extraordinary Results with Ordinary People by Charles O’Reilly III and Jeffrey Pfeffer.

1. Maslow on Management by Abraham Maslow.

1. Maverick – The Story Behind the World’s Most Unusual Workplace by Ricardo Semler.

1. Corporate Culture and Performance by John Kotter and James Heskett.

1. The Service Profit Chain – How Leading Companies Link Profit and Growth to Loyalty, Satisfaction and Value by Lames Heskett, W. Earl Sasser, Jr., and Leonard Schlesinger.

1. Built to Last – Successful Habits of Visionary Companies by Jim Collins and Jerry Porras.

Tony Martinez has devoted his career to helping others grow into their potential.  Over the past fifteen years he has been teaching his students how to achieve their goals, dreams and desires by precise design.  Success doesn’t have to be left to chance.

According to Tony you can design the life you want and achieve it by following a precise strategy of goal setting.  Tony’s program teaches you to break your goals down into easy to accomplish tasks.  Rather than setting your focus on the larger goal you focus on the smaller tasks. Focusing on and accomplishing the small tasks means you won’t get bogged down by what appears to be an overwhelming goal. Each accomplished task leads you to the ultimate fulfillment of your goal.

Tony believes that no one should attempt to achieve large goals on his or her own.  It is much better to build a support team that will work with you to accomplish your goals.  The old adage be careful who you choose as friends definitely applies here.  If you truly plan to accomplish your goals it is imperative that you surround yourself with like-minded people.  We all know that some people in our lives tend to hold us back.  In most cases they don’t do so out of malice.  I believe in many cases they do so from a position of fear.  They don’t want to be left behind. Yet they are unwilling to change in order to keep up.  When it comes to reaching your goals you simply cannot afford to let such individuals drag you down.  Some good advice is to only share your aspirations with those that will support you in reaching them.  For example telling your co-workers that you are seeking a promotion is usually not a good idea.  Sharing your desire to receive a promotion with your superiors and your family is a good idea.  They are the people that aren’t threatened by your success. Surround yourself with the people that have accomplished what you plan to accomplish.

No one person has all of the answers to life’s challenges.  Tony is just one person amongst numerous men and women that have devoted their lives’ to helping others reach their potential.  I think it is wise to seek these people out and to study their work.  Success leaves clues but you have to be receptive to the clues in order to benefit from them.  In order to reach your fullest potential you must never stop looking for it.  Each goal that you achieve is just a milestone in the journey of life.  The journey to self-improvement is indeed a never-ending journey so enjoy the trip.

If you would like to learn more about Tony’s program visit his website.

http://www.tonymartinezspeaks.com

Welcome to Rich Putnam’s Blog

I have been in business for over 25 years.  For the past fifteen years I have specialized in the field of marketing and promotion with an emphasis on e-business and investment strategies.  I have achieved success in numerous venues by applying my experience, expertise and education.  Once I choose an opportunity I pursue it with reckless abandon.  It is from this prospective that I maintain an open mind in regards to opportunity.

This blog is dedicated to helping individuals that are new to the world of Internet marketing and promotion as well as those who to seek to continually improve their personal performance.  This blog will provide the following:

• Education for individuals that are new to Web marketing and promotion
  
• Marketing and promotional product reviews
  
• Marketing, promotion and personal growth book reviews
• Review of personal growth programs
• Interviews of movers and shakers in the marketing, promotion and personal growth arena

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