When You are in a funk... H.A.L.T

Anger is a secondary emotion. You have to kill the root.

On a regular basis I have a client or a friend, kids, or myself that have a day you could put in the funk category. A day when you are not firing on all cylinders so to speak.

Have you ever had a day like that? We all do? The occasional emotional setback. No big deal, right?

Depends, I guess on the day. If you spend your day in a funk instead of landing that new client it could have long term effects. I tell every client I have, if you are going to be an entrepreneur you have to embrace the fact that you don't get the luxury of a crappy attitude, self pitty, or even a funk for very long if at all.

So, how do we avoid the funk? How do we keep the funky day from becoming a funky week, month, year, or your life? I can't cover it all in a little blog post but I will give you this. In almost every situation when you find yourself in a funk it's because 1 of 4 things; you allowed yourself to become too:

H.ungry

A.ngry

L.onely or

T.ired

Next time you feel yourself slipping into the funk, stop (halt) and ask yourself; "Am I too hungry, angry, lonely, or tired?" The answer is yes 98 % of the time. So, stop and fix it, or take regular daily checks to keep the funk at bay.

It turns out my Mom new how to keep the funky days at bay with sleep, the right diet, good friends, and emotional health. And that alone can be a great New Year's resolution.

Happy New Year and Cheers to the good life.

Live a great story in 2010!

Jon Bohm

PR, Tiger Woods, and you...

“There are 2 primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist or to accept the responsibility for changing them.”- DENIS WAITLEY

Did Tiger mess up? Yes. I think we would all agree, especially his wife, "yeah, he messed up."

But, that is not really the question we have to wrestle with the question we have to wrestle with is "Now what?" What do we do as sponsors, what do we do as the public with an icon, forerunner, and elite hero like Tiger when they mess up?

We know better than to crucify someone for messing up, we know we don't ever want to be the one to be casting any stones, because we know that we all mess up to one degree or another. We know that forgiveness is stronger than bitterness and we know that to love someone's strengths and despise them for their mistakes isn't love at all. And we love our heroes, don't we?

So, how do we handle this? How does Tiger handle it? How do we avoid it? And how should we think about it?

As for "how does Tiger handle it?" The experts and press have beat this one to death. We all know, he needs to step out front and own the fact that he is a hero and continue to act like a hero by taking responsibility for it. But, that isn't our call, is it? This whole things is actually none of my business. All we can really think about is how are we going to deal with it? How should the sponsors deal with it?

I have found, I deal with it in a very simple way. I hope and pray he finds the right help to get healthy and live a great life with or without golf. I hope he finds the people and the tools to reach deep and get healthy emotionally so he can enjoy this one chance at life we all get. And money isn't the answer, we all know that. Happiness come from within, and clearly Tiger needs to reach within.

So, that leaves really only one question left to deal with. What do the sponsors do? What do you do? To support or not support those products? or Tiger in front of the kiddos?

As for me, as a consumer, I don't buy products because of who sponsors them. So, I won't NOT buy them based on who sponsors them either.

As for the sponsors, what a tough decision! They have one of the greatest athletes to ever live partnering with them to promote their livelihood. Incredible. But, I don't see how they can still use him as a sponsor, it's down right ironic how difficult it will be given the nature of Tiger's bad decisions. Woods’ sponsors include Gillette, Gatorade, Accenture, Nike and AT&T. So here is why I don't think they can keep him. Wood's apparently had multiple sexual affairs with a wide range of women over a large portion of the country or maybe event the world and listen to the tag lines of each of his sponsors:

• Gillette "The Best a man can get."
• Gatorade "Is it in you?"
• Accenture "High performance. Delivered."
• Nike "Just do it."
• AT&T "More bars in more places."

It's unbelievable isn't it? Almost hilarious, and I'm probably missing a few good ones. When you build a brand, your company will rise and fall on how much positive attention the consumer is willing to give to you. So, of course attracting attention is half the battle and the other half is keeping it positive. If it's not positive, then you can't keep something in your brand.

So, in the balance of standing on the rock solid foundation of a great product and the thin ice of public opinion, where is your brand? You have a brand whether you know it or not. Personally you have one. When I google your name, what do I find? Your business definitely has one. So, how strong is your brand? Or better yet, how much positive attention does your brand get? How much negative attention needs to be dealt with? It may not seem like a big deal, but it is. It's the unspoken piece to the puzzle every company needs to pay attention to. It is directly connected to your success personally and professionally.

Do you dress? Speak? Act? Walk? Type? Live? as the person you are becoming? As the person or company want to be? Does the world see the real you? Does it see your company in the right light? Is it a pretty picture, or could it use some polishing. Sometimes a little polish goes a long way.

Give us a call if it's time to get some positive attention or do some polishing.

Live the dreams you have imagined! No nightmares allowed:)

Jon Bohm

Giving During the Holidays - Some Ideas

"There is just something about the way we are as humans, we will never find deep satisfaction focused on ourselves, it's not until we plant the flag of focus outside ourselves that we can find true fulfillment." Me

A trusted person who has demonstrated the ability to give and focus on others gave me some ideas for serving others and finding fulfillment during the Holidays, please comment and add your ideas to the list!

Some possibilities:

1. Deliver meals on wheels so the person who normally does that volunteer work will have more time with their loved ones

2. Invite someone who will be alone to participate in your family's holiday celebrations

3. Take time to go visit a friend who has become homebound due to age-related or health challenges

4. Consider giving time or a gift in the name of your children or grandchildren who may already have their needs well supplied.

5. Consider giving a Shelter Box in the name of your family - then share with them the news of where your family was able to make a real difference when the box is finally placed

6. Call those family members who are separated by miles - especially those in the older generations who have already lost some of their siblings and many of their dear friends

7. Share a few fond memories of "how it used to be" with your children and grandchildren - too often this history is lost and the bridge between generations is damaged

8. When you prepare those family favorite dishes, make copies of the recipe to have available for those who enjoy it.

9. Give everyone you meet a warm, friendly smile!

10. Take time to follow your spiritual traditions and be true to the moral compass your faith brings to you.

11. Find a way (phone programs, gift boxes, letters, etc.) to send to our troops all around the globe who are separated from loved ones during the Holidays.

12. My personal favorite. Start a new program that feeds those who need it, food, clothing, and gifts.

I would love to hear your ideas as well. Merry Christmas!

Enjoy Life!

Jon Bohm

Are you living a STORY?

Are You Living a Story worth telling?

I am in the middle of a great book by Donald Miller "A Million Miles in a Thousand Years."

Great book, and it's all about "story." What makes a great story? What makes a story worth watching, reading, or even living?

It got me thinking about my life..... am I living a story? Would anyone watch it as a movie? Would anyone read it? Does anyone care? Or, would I have to add a bunch of things to my boring life to make it a real "story?"

I have concluded, I am living a story. I don't know that anyone would watch it, but it is an epic story. What about you?

Are you living a story?

Every great story meets the following criteria:

• It has a character that wants something so bad that they are willing to overcome any obstacle, run through any wall, and conquer any mountain to get it. Without that, you don't have a story. You are the character in your story, are you on an adventure towards something you want? What is it? Are you willing to overcome the obstacles to realize your dreams?

• Every story starts with a look into the character's life and mind. The story shows you that the character is a "good" person, a person making in a difference in some way. Why? Because, nobody cares if the character wins in the end if we don't know they are a "good" person, making a difference. Are you making a significant difference? Does the world see an impact because of you in some big or small way? Do people want you to win in the end? Do people rally around you and your cause? Or, are you standing idly by?

• In every story the character doesn't really and truly make changes towards the life they want until something makes them move. Someone loses a job, loses a spouse, loses an opportunity, loses a life, a friend, or focus and they are finally forced or driven to change. Are you saying you want to do, see, get, or be someone someday? What is it? Why don't you have it yet? Are you waiting for an event to make you move? What has to happen in your life before you are willing to go after the life you want? What can you do to make it happen now?

Just some thoughts. So, are you living a story?

Let me tell you; I want you to win in the end. I want you to make a move now. I want you to want something so bad you begin to really, really live a story.

The pages are blank moving forward, it's time to start writing your own epic. If you need help putting pen to paper and make your move, just give me a shout. After all, you only get one time around on this life? Don't stand idly by.

Live YOUR STORY-

Jon Bohm