Tag: great country

“Think outside the box” and yet we go to work and school in one


“Think outside the box” and yet we go to work and school in one 

The term “thinking outside the box” stands for doing and thinking in unconventional ways. Step out of bounds and away from the beaten path. Away from routine and what is expected of you. Words like normally, usually, typically, or similar ones like it should not be used – “try something new and radical”.

And yet our routine looks so much different. Our schools and workplaces are placed in rectangular shoe boxes, with little to no natural lighting and even less high quality air. Slapped together to maximize the builder’s and architect’s profitability. Enabled by having harnessed energy to a point where we believe we control nature by being able to climate control our working and schooling habitats.

Rule of thumb here is a simple one: Nice 90 degree corners are good and so is routine and standardization. Where does that leave creativity and quality of life though? Over 70% of working folks would love nothing more than a new job or career because their working conditions and overall career management are below par.

At school this is even worse. Some school settings are outright industrial in where they are located and how the buildings are constructed. They seem to be designed to merely serve the purpose of providing future workers for companies that will then provide a very similar working environment as the newbies were used to from school: the box type building.

What is the antidote? Well, even though it may sound clichéd, but it sounds like our business and school leaderships need to be the first ones who need to think outside the box. Creating a lively and inspiring work and school environment does not take much as long as everyone involved starts from establishing a suitable vision and mission around this goal. Then the tough work starts. Thinking concepts like this through will take time. With great preparation the final product will take a lot less hard work.

One such building (watch the background story here and here is the green building explained) is the one at Aerzen USA. The intense grass roots efforts of a few folks turned into a movement that keeps catching on.

Now think about our children and how they deserve a similar inspiring environment. If we want them to be able to think and act outside the box, let’s help getting them out of the truly boxy type schools of today. Here are two examples (Avon Grove and Kimberton) how some schools have already begun making changes for the better.

Ultimately the choice is always yours and this is neither my time nor place convincing you of anything. But think about if you and your contributions are only a mere SAT score, or some other number. If so, a shoebox building will do. If not, then please help for us all to start acting outside the box – and yes this pun is intended.

Ralf

Please go vote even for the primary election – Lessons learned from an immigrant


Please go vote even for the primary election – Lessons learned from an immigrant Ralf a

Just because we have local, state and federal representatives does not mean that you should sit back and just watch what your delegates are doing. What we have here in the United States of America is something worth protecting, extending and emulating.

I am an immigrant from Europe, Germany to be exact, and have traveled and lived in a few different places. I am thankful to Germany who I am. My upbringing, education, apprenticeship, parents, grandparents, sister, and friends shaped me who I am. Who I can be, I owe to America. Just think of it; the only barrier in your way is yourself. Where else can you find so many people and organizations that are willing to help you make a living here? The sky is truly the limit.

I do not take this lightly. I was so grateful for the tolerance, help, inspiration, and most of all the opportunities that this country and its people have afforded me that I became dual citizen. A few years ago I earned my citizenship and thus am allowed to vote.

Why is it so important? You need not look far for reasons, but I have listed a few refreshers that may help you get out of the office or off the couch and vote.

  1. Apathy is the beginning of the end. I get it. You feel powerless and sometimes it feels overpowering how many choices there are of people and positions to vote for. Does it matter anyway? Most folks that are even moderately unhappy will not go vote. Only people who either vote out of principle, or have really strong feeling seem to go vote.

That is terrible and as a German it is a personal pet-peeve of mine. In high school our teachers pounded it into us that a set of terrible circumstances helped get Hitler into power. One of the most disturbing was the indifference and self-centeredness of Germans toward tolerance and peace.

I am not an alarmist, but think back to how many local elections you made an effort to do some research and go vote later? You have helped make it possible for radical ideas to pass you right by because there may just not be enough votes to go around to be against such things and people.

  1. The power of one. Yes, I have heard this before how your one vote cannot possibly make that much of a difference. Perhaps that is so at the micro level, but this scales up really easily. A few more think this way and then more and more do not go just because their one vote does not matter. And now you have a storm brewing because the one vote turned into the majority who did not go. Start with yourself and make a difference.
  2. Influencing matters. Delegates make important decisions, but you get to decide what is important.
  3. Greed and power corrupt. Are you not sick of how many elected officials end up in legal trouble or at least in the news about their questionable conduct? Are you happy with that? Our founders risked life and everything they had for us and many, many people died for us in wars trying to protect what we enjoy today. When you see folks that are just too weasely than please get up and make a difference by casting your vote to get them out of their positions.
  4. When you do not like what you see get involved. There so many issues today that are in desperate need of great people to ponder and make decisions on. How do you feel about some of them? Are you happy with where they are now? What are you waiting for?
  5. A staple of democracy. Just think of how thinks can go awfully wrong and you do not have to look far. Over a decade ago I visited Venezuela and I cannot recognize it today anymore just because one man managed to manipulate his way through democracy turning it into what it is today. It encompasses more and more elements of a dictatorship. Why? People did not participate in democracy when they had a chance.

Please do not take your opportunity to make a difference lightly. To me it is inconsequential whom you vote for; there are way too many ads and calls out there already anyway. Go vote and if you cannot do that because you are not registered, make this election the reason to do so.

Ralf

 

EAGLE – Five letters describing life long success


An evening well spent with Ron “Jaws” Jaworski, 1980 Philly Eagle QB and MVP IMG_5226-A

Photo credit: Richard Curth, Troop 117 with Mr Jaworski

Ron held a keynote speech during a benefit event on behalf of the local Boy Scout chapter. Our troop was invited to be the Honor Guard and my son preceded “Jaws” by holding a little keynote speech as a Scout representative.

I was really impressed what Ron had to say about being an Eagle – he carefully made a pun saying that he was never an Eagle Scout, but he ended up being an Eagle with the Philadelphia Eagles eventually leading up to winning the Super Bowl. He is now a very successful football analyst and also entrepreneur. A third connection to the word Eagle existed for him in form of his then coach Dick Vermeil. Mr Vermeil was the coach and since Ron’s dad had passed away way too early in life, his coach ended up being much of a father figure. He appears to have used the EAGLE acronym trying to teach the team an important lesson. It has changed Ron’s life forever.

Coach Vermeil impressed upon his team members that they all shared a huge responsibility being an Eagle player. He offered the following explanation what it meant to be an Eagle. Ron then encouraged the audience to ponder how excellently this acronym also fit for being a Boy Scout:

  • E – Enthusiastic: Show that you genuinely care about what you do and who you are. Help inspire others and yourself to aspire living to your full potential.
  • A – Aggressive: An Eagle should be aggressively pursuing his goals. This is true for advancing, pursuing merit badges, etc.
  • G – Gentleman: At the end of the day always remember to be a gentleman in everything you do. People are watching and paying attention to you. Your values, beliefs, code of honor, and your actions play a huge role in your life. You never know whom you may influence for whom you have become. Make it count!
  • L – Leadership: The whole point of being a Scout is about learning how to lead yourself and others.
  • E – Endurance: Endurance is needed in order to sustain yourself in challenging times and situations. Very little in life is easy – most is difficult.

It was a fascinating and humbling night to listen to the two keynote speakers and both got standing ovations for their contributions to the event. Take away is that success is not something we are born with. It is not DNA that prescribes how successful in life you will be. Success can be learned from following principles much like coach Vermeil’s EAGLE one. All you need to do is start executing upon such principles.

Ralf

Would you stop to help a drug addict up from the ground – at the side of the street?


Would you stop to help a drug addict up from the ground – at the side of the street? pablo-3

Photo by Pablo from Buffer

This morning on the way to a business meeting from our hotel, I was walking along a busy main street in downtown Orlando. Not 20 yards in front of the five of us an older gentleman with a walking stick started to stumble backwards, tripped, and fell backwards into the side of the street. How he did not crack his head open I will never figure out and how he mostly missed the huge puddles in the gutter had been an equally impressive feat. A co-worker and I tried helping him up when he proceeded to violently swinging his cane around. That is when I noticed his blank stare and his violent convulsions. He was clearly not right. I called 911 whilst trying to calm down the disoriented person.

The first 911 operator connected me with the fire department and that operator asked me so many questions that even my other business friends started to suspect that they really thought that it was not necessary to come out to see and meet with us. Just then we noticed another passed out individual right behind us, and another quickly fading person 40 yards up the walkway. What in the world had happened here? People were dropping like flies!

After what felt like 15 minutes, which was really closer to 6 minutes, a huge fire truck stopped by and three fire fighters proceeded to disembark. They calmly approached our gutter victim and then pulled him up by his arms. “K2. It’s a relatively new designer drug and they are all passing out because of it. We know them.” Aha, that really cleared up a lot. With the situation back in control of the fire fighters we hurried to get to our meeting as this excursion had made us late.

Good grief, this drug use issue is totally out of control! I just read one of the cover stories in a recent NY Times article that highlighted this sad upward trend. The graphs took my breath away. Would you have stopped to help these folks? How else can we help? It is a saddening situation that usually ends up making me feel helpless.

That is also where I stopped my brain’s senseless 360 degree circular thinking pattern. For starters we have to and we can help out immediately. Call 911 and get the person some immediate help. Long term may not be what I can personally help out with individually, but one thing that I can do is to look closer to home to family and friends. I can make sure that I provide a nurturing and supporting environment for the people whom I am close with. I did not say enabling, because that would be the wrong thing to do.

I can make sure that those key folks know that I love and care about them. I can get them to speak with a third party if they feel like that would more easily confide into someone else but me. My love, attention, and a smile do not cost me anything and yet those are the things that may one day prevent that a stranger has to stop in the middle of the street trying to help someone near and dear to YOU. What do you think?

Ralf