BIRTHDAY’D

A  N  O  T  H  E  R      B  I  R  T  H  D  A  Y.        .       .
s  u  r  v  i  v  e  d

I almost always get a standing ovation during one of my presentations when I let the audience know:

“IF I WERE YOUR CEO, I WOULD MAKE IT MANDATORY, NON-NEGOTIABLE FOR EVERY EMPLOYEE TO NOT ONLY HAVE THEIR BIRTHDAY OFF, BUT THE DAY BEFORE AND AFTER; IN FACT, IF YOU WERE CAUGHT WORKING ON YOUR BIRTHDAY OR THE DAY’S BEFORE AND FOLLOWING, YOU WOULD BE FIRED ON THE SPOT; AND BEFORE YOU EVER BECAME AN EMPLOYEE OF MINE, YOU HAVE TO SIGN A DOCUMENT STATING YOU UNDERSTOOD THESE TERMS AND WOULD BE TERMINATED FOR VIOLATING THEM!”

W               H               Y  ?

Because it’s more than a billion dollar loss each year that unscheduled PTO days are costing companies, agencies, and employers.  What a better way to compensate each employee, NOT WITH A RAISE, BONUS, or even additional sick or additional time off, but by actually SHOWING THEM just how important you are to their respective organizations/agencies and to management in particular.  What a lightning strike of PROACTIVITY  in sensing, understanding and ACTING on how everyone should celebrate THEMSELVES.          .          .

A HAPPY, A VALIDATED, A AFFIMRED  EMPLOYEE is a productive employee, right?

Well, it gets raved reviews and loud cheers and even a few job offers for me to become, at least, an interim CEO.          .          .

In that vein,
I did exactly that this past week as I celebrated
M  E

I took a vacation from myself and
visited myself on in one fell swoop; 

and it’s been great;

not only do I even more highly recommend it,
there’ll never be another time that I won’t REPEAT IT.          .          .

And.          .          .
What a FANTASTICAL DAY. Thanks for all of the warm Birthday wishes, thoughts and expressions. I am severely humbled and severely gratified by this magically enchanted life I live because of all of the wonderful people who surround me. Each and everyone of you prove unequivocally how greatly healed I am by RELATIONSHIPS and CONNECTION; these are most powerful mediums and medicines in their own rights. You inspire me to want to be better and to help me spend my days helping serve others, SERVE OTHERS.          .          .

You see, this makes it all

not just another BIRTHDAY.        .          .

everything we do

especially special days

are always more than  j u s t

ANOTHER’S.       .       .

H     o     w.           .           .

How can we assure that anything goes beyond

J  U  S  T        A  N  O  T  H  E  R :

By intentionally making  I T  so;

As I travel towards 64 years on this little blue ball

each day I’ll attempt to be a

P  E  R  S  O  N         O  F         N  O         A  G  E

to protect myself from

JUST      ANOTHER

I’ll notice what I recognize:
(and now invite you to do the same)

TEN THOUSAND FLOWERS IN SPRING, THE MOON IN THE AUTUMN,
A COOL BREEZE IN SUMMER, SNOW IN WINTER,
IF YOUR MIND ISN’T CLOUDED BY UNNECESSARY THINGS,
THIS IS BEST SEASON OF YOUR LIFE
                                               By Wu Men (Hui-k’ai)
Kind of makes wearing the Birthday Sombrero Hat

s          p          e          c          i          a          l