I’ve really been busy the last couple of weeks, what with this and that looming large on my horizon (more on that Monday). So I thought I’d just take a minute to point you to last Friday’s post, Solve the Mystery, in which I posted a photo of a strange sign I found in a hotel not too long ago, and then asked if anyone could interpret it.

I still can’t believe how many folks stopped by and left a guess! As of this writing, there have been 26 guesses so far – some of ‘em quite hilarious – and one correct answer. Yep, that’s right, a big ol’ tip o’ the hat goes to Kevin E. Blake for figuring it out. (I’d pop in a link to Kevin’s website – but he didn’t leave one! Missed an opportunity there, Bubba! Just sayin’)

In case you’re wondering, I won’t keep you in suspense; it means “Ticket Counter”, and he even found the complete listing of international signs. Way to go, Kevin! Now, if you happen to see that particular sign in the future, you’ll know what it means.

But… there’s still a mystery here. If I’d stepped back and photographed the whole area, you’d see what I saw – there’s no ticket counter anywhere within sight of this sign! So I’m not sure it’s all that helpful. But maybe that’s just me, bein’ picky.

_________________________

Is it true that to do something well – you have to like what you’re doing? I’m honestly not sure if that’s necessarily a maxim or not. I mean, I’m pretty good at some things I don’t particularly like to do. And there’s lots of things I, well, stink at that I love to do. But then, that’s the way the cookie crumbles, y’know?

But you gotta agree that having a great deal of enthusiasm for a task, whatever it happens to be, certainly lends a little je ne sais quoi to the endeavor, won’t you? (je ne sais quoi, for those of you who don’t know, is French for “the zest for life”. Or maybe it just means, “pass the French toast.”)

Summer as a Camp Counselor

Quite a few summers ago, I was one of several counselors (meaning, “the adults”) at a children’s camp up in the deep woods of East Texas. Each of us counselors were assigned to a cabin with an assistant counselor (usually an older teen-ager) and about 12-15 boys in the seven- to twelve-year old range. (Yep; you read it right. I was only 27 at the time, but I’m almost positive that’s where I got my first grey hair.)

Anyhoo, for seven weeks straight, a new group of kids would show up every Sunday afternoon, stay a week, and then leave the following Saturday. I’ll tell ya; after seven weeks of this, I was about ready for the funny farm! (Who knows? Maybe this is what pushed me over the edge and into the Middle Zone in the first place?)

Now, if you’ve never had the *ahem* joy of this sort of experience, then all I gotta say is, Bubba, you ain’t lived! Nevertheless, to this day I still fondly reminisce about many of the wonderful – and sometimes zany – things we did. (Or, er, accidentally caused to happen. But let’s not go there; it wasn’t me, honest!)

Not that I didn’t have a blast, mind you; I did. But the thing is, it was my first time as a counselor and I truly didn’t have a clue! Luckily they assigned me an assistant counselor who had lots of experience, so for the first week or two he managed to keep things on an even keel (without looking like he was the one in, y’know, actual control). But I learned pretty quickly, and before too long I really did know what I was doin’. (That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it!)

The Weight of Responsibility

On the other hand, bein’ a counselor wasn’t all fun and games; it had its responsibilities. I mean, we, along with a few other folks, were the sole caretakers – out in the middle of a jungle filled with lions, tigers and bears – for about 250 kids, every week. (Well, OK; it was woods, not jungle, and they were armadillos, squirrels, and blue jays – but you get my meanin’, right?) If you think about it, that was quite the weighty undertaking. Oh, we had plenty of fun, no doubt about that; but there was the serious side to things.

For instance, one thing we always tried to do was find a way to encourage each and every kid. Maybe they were good at archery, or a good trail reader, or even a great swimmer. No matter what it was, we made sure every one of ‘em had an award certificate for something in his or her hot little hand before they left on Saturday. We always found something to praise them for.

Then there were what you might consider the “usual” awards: those who were best at stuff, like riflery (don’t panic; we used BB guns), diving, or even the most sportsmanlike qualities. And Bubba, picking out the best boy AND girl for each one of those categories wasn’t always easy! (Especially when there were about 125 of each, and we had to narrow it down to just one of each.) Sometimes, it was almost impossible.

I remember this one time the boys’ counselors spent about 20 minutes trying to figure out who should get the “trophy” for Best Trampoline. (Well, it wasn’t a trophy, exactly. More like a picture of a trophy on a certificate. But still.) Amazingly enough, there really hadn’t been an outstandingly good one among the boys that particular week. But we wanted to do something; the kids would notice if we didn’t choose someone. The conversation went something like this:

“What about Frank?” someone would ask.

“Naw, he’s not any good, really; he can barely stay on the thing.”

“All right then, I thought Barry was fair to middlin’,” another said.

“Hey, wasn’t he the kid that tried to catch that butterfly and jumped clean off and accidentally knocked over all the canoes? Jenny screamed bloody murder when one of ‘em landed on her toe! I don’t think we want to reward that.” Reluctant nods of agreement all around.

And so it went.

The Standout

Finally, I had a thought (try not to be too surprised; it happens, y’know). There was one young fellow in my cabin who did kinda stand out. Not that he was all that good on the trampoline, mind you; but there was this one thing about him – I’d never seen anybody have more fun doing it! I’m tellin’ ya; although he was havin’ a lot of fun at camp, he probably laughed the loudest and hardest when he was on the trampoline. His laughter and smile literally lit the place up whenever it was his turn – and what’s more, he somehow set all the other kids watching him to laughing, too!

Now, this kid had been one I’d been a little concerned about. See, he was only 7 years old (pretty much the smallest kid in camp that week), and as a result, he wasn’t too good at, well, anything. He was too small to hold a rifle or pull a bow; he was also too small to run very fast, and he couldn’t swim worth a darn – well, you get the picture, right?

But I’ll tell ya; he sure loved to jump! Not well, mind you; but again, he did it with more gusto and enthusiasm than anybody we’d seen all summer. Heads nodded all around and smiles broke out as we agreed this was just the thing to give him the encouragement we’d all wanted to give.

Yessir; I’ll never forget that kid’s face (although sadly, I’ve forgotten his name) when we called him up front to accept the “Most Enthusiastic Trampoline Jumper” award that Saturday – in front of the entire camp, and most of the parents, too. I bet that kid grinned the entire way home! And best of all, the entire group of campers knew it, too – they all clapped enthusiastically when he got it; it was that obvious he deserved it.

Time to Take Out the Trash

So what does this have to do with you and me, you ask? Well, even today, whenever I think of the smile on that kid’s face as he happily received his award, I can’t help get an answering smile inside. That, more than any other experience, was probably one of the brightest moments of my summer that year. And even now I still remember the valuable lesson he taught me: That whatever I do, I should do it with enthusiasm.

OK, so that’s not always so easy. So what? Attitude, as every Life Coach will tell you, is at least 95% a choice. I mean, we can’t always determine the tasks we have to do each day, can we? Hey, I’ll bet Superman or Spiderman or Wonder Woman still had to take out the garbage and wash the car every now and then, y’know? (Well, in Wonder Woman’s case, it was probably her invisible jet plane.)

But we can still choose how we feel about those things, can’t we?

Besides, after practicing how to be cheerful, even with the mundane things in life, imagine how much joy we’ll experience doing the really fun things? Like that kid jumping with such pure joy on the trampoline, we’ll have a blast doing it – and who knows? Maybe we’ll even inspire others with our enthusiasm too.

I mean, you never know.

_________________________________

Every now and then I run across something that totally stumps me. Like this sign.

I’ve wracked my brain (sound of brain being wracked), but so far have not come up with a meaning for this one.

Anybody got any ideas?

______________________________

You ever feel like you’re in some sort of limbo? You know, that place between where you were and where you’re goin’?

Yeah, I know; I’ve been there too – lots of times. In fact, I’m sorta there now.

As you may or may not know, I’m currently “between jobs” (which sounds so much nicer than, say, “unemployed”). And with the current economic climate, like many of us in this particular boat I’m facing the prospect that my normal choice of career may not recover for some time. Alas and darn.

So that sorta leaves me with a few choices, y’know? I can continue to try and pursue the career path I’m used to the most, or (and here’s where the conundrum comes in) find out if there’s something else I can do that’ll pay the bills –  or better yet – earn a living at.

Needless to say, it would be nice if I could do something I really enjoyed – like, for instance, write for a living. But it’s a pretty rare bird that can just up and make a living at it; generally that sort of thing takes time to build. Not that I can’t pursue it, mind you, but it’s not the only thing I’ve got my eye on right now. Suffice it to say I’ve got several different irons in the fire right now.

But it does bring up today’s question for ya:

If you were suddenly laid off from the job you know best, and the prospect of finding another job in that field were pretty dim – what would you think about doing instead? What could you do?

_______________________________

You ever get the feeling someone, somewhere, is just waitin’ for an opportunity to make you look like an idiot?

Yep; been there, my friends. The worst part about it is, I find I’m often subconsciously working in cahoots with that mysterious stranger; handing ‘em all the ammunition they need. You ever felt like that? Naah; not you.

Anyhoo, today’s thought is just that: a thought about what happens when something completely unexpected happens.

Take, f’rinstance, this scene from The Lake House I saw on TV. I mean, I’m almost positive Sandra Bullock didn’t expect anyone to paste their obtrusive advertising message across her, um, nether regions like this. And just to make it even more ironic, it happened to be this particular message!

So what do you do when, right there in front of the whole world, the unexpected happens to you?

________________________________

Wow, what a great topic, y’all! I mean after all, I can hardly go a few hours without encountering a limit of one kind or another. Why, just the other day I had to forgo that third basket of chips at our favorite restaurant. I mean hey, I am on a diet, y’know…

Anyhoo – All I’m sayin’ is, I think a big ol’ Yeehaw! is in order for the participants in this month’s groupwrite project: What I Learned From Limits! In fact, we had 22 entries this time, including two guest posts from Kay Plantes and Chris Garrett (sound of crowd cheering enthusiastically).

So take a look at the list below, in which all the entries are listed in the order in which I found ‘em. Do yourself a favor and drop by each writers’ site and start a conversation, why don’cha? You’ll be glad you did!

• What I Learned From Limits, by Lillie Ammann at A Writer’s Words, an Editor’s Eye
• 2 Word Limit, by Joanna Young at Confident Writing
• The Old Man and the Mountain, by Steve Woodruff at Steve’s Leaves
• What I learned from limits in Genealogy, by Tina Didreckson at Windows Live
• Twitter and Writing Within Limits, by Brad Shorr at Word Sell, Inc.
• What I Learned From Limits, by Meryl at Meryl.net
• Non-Competes, Health Insurance, and Other Ugly Limits to Innovation, by Fred Schlegel at Frog Blog
• Limits? What Limits? By Geoffrey Philp at Geoffrey Philp’s Blogspot
• What I Learned From the 24 Hour a Day Limit, by Chris Garrett at Middle Zone Musings (guest post)
• What I Learned From the Limits of Allergies, by Monique Attinger at BeAllergyWise.com
• What I Learned From Limits, by Sally Ferguson at Sally’s Words
• The Power of Vision, by Kay Plantes at Middle Zone Musings (guest post)
• What I Learned From Self-Imposed Limits, by Avil Beckford at The Invisible Mentor

And of course, here’s a few more from yours truly:

• 5 Things I Learned From Driving Around in Circles, by Robert Hruzek at Middle Zone Musings
• Impenetrable, by Robert Hruzek at Middle Zone Musings
• The Day I Went Flying, by Robert Hruzek at Middle Zone Musings
• Paths and Boundaries, by Robert Hruzek at Middle Zone Musings
• Limitations and Opportunities: What I Learned From a Ferry Ride, by Robert Hruzek at Middle Zone Musings
• The Day I Decided to, er, Get Help, by Robert Hruzek at Middle Zone Musings
• Overcoming Barriers, Part 1, by Robert Hruzek at Middle Zone Musings
• Overcoming Barriers, Part 2, by Robert Hruzek at Middle Zone Musings
• Language Barrier, by Robert Hruzek at Middle Zone Musings

I’d like to thank all those who participated this month, and hope you enjoy some of the wild, weird, and sometimes even whacky stuff that goes on here at the Zone. Don’t forget to drop by next month for another exciting episode of As The World Turns What I Learned From…!

And of course, a big ol’ tip o’ the hat to ya!

_____________________

And now for something a little different, y’all.

Kay Plantes asked me if I would be willing to post the following article because she felt it was “a story that needed telling”. I have to admit, it’s a pretty good account of how the power of vision can make all the difference to the tale of success. And, in an amazing display of serendipity, it also happens to fit neatly into our What I Learned From Limits groupwrite project this month! Way to go, Kay!

_________________________________

Seeking: College-town of 20,000+ college students, with 10,000+ year-round residents, active nightlife and eclectic cultural tastes to locate a unique pizza restaurant

Ian Gurfield, an Amherst University college student, created this vision statement during an academic semester in Italy. Following a post-graduation cross-country trip through America’s college towns, he chose Madison, opening Frances Street Ian’s in the heart of UW’s nightlife.

Ten years later Gurfield owns multiple Madison businesses, his vision far more sophisticated, evolving due to his curiosity, willingness to experiment and tenacity. Admirably, he’s held “not knowing” until the right answers emerged.

Gurfield opened a second Ian’s on State Street to retain an ambitious business partner and capture traffic at Madison’s Capitol Square.  He discovered the challenges of multiple businesses and that a winning location is necessary but not sufficient.  By expanding the space to offer eat-in dining, Gurfield found success.  A restaurant on Chicago’s Clark Street also joined the mix.

Ian’s also grew synergistically using new products.  A local, organic frozen yogurt recently joined salads and brownies on the menus.  A staging kitchen will soon open on Willy Street, relieving stores of ingredient preparation. To speed financial payback, the kitchen will run a retail bakery modeled after Portland, Maine’s Standard Bakery.

Through all this, Gurfield struggled with Ian’s longer-term vision. Growth for the sake of growth wasn’t important, but retaining talent is, and that requires growth.  Furthermore, according to Gurfield, “Franchising wouldn’t work as we’d lose the local-owner-as-manager climate critical to creating Ian’s unique taste and experience.”

Ian’s recently completed 2020 Vision is a best-practice example of visioning for a number of reasons. The vision:

• Is specific and unique—not the generic statements so many leaders settle for.  For example, by 2020 Ian’s will have created 16 businesses, with at least 10 retail pizza restaurants, and in at least two geographic areas. A central entity, Ian’s Soul Central, will establish best practices across sites and offer marketing, financial and management services. An internal investment bank (open to employee investment) will fund expansion.
• Is inspiring—capturing what matters most (such as sustainability and good jobs) to the people who will transform reality into vision.
• Is strategic—setting a direction, not merely elusive goals. Gurfield’s vision work solved how Ian’s will grow while still retaining the individual identity and entrepreneurship vital to any one location’s success. Ian’s will be a federation of independently owned companies (at least two per city) that share knowledge and central services to help entrepreneurs overcome an otherwise lonely, challenging journey. Ian’s Soul Central will also convene a board of managing partners, each overseeing a city’s individual operator-owner companies, like State Street Ian’s Pizza that Lexy Frautschy now fully owns.
• Stretches from today. Ian’s hiring and training practices will be recognized nationally, for example.
• Yet, is rooted in the company’s DNA. Ian’s will always focus on exceptional ingredients, expertly prepared – “A business with pizzazz, not pizza” – and a rewarding environment for team players, all Gurfield core values.
• Clarifies what’s in and out. After completing the vision work, Gurfield learned that an associate’s father had unused organic farmland. Immediately he saw a fit, given Ian’s commitment to sustainable business practices and starting new businesses. Yet another federation member is born.

What does your vision statement say about your organization? If it reflects a “check the box, did that” activity, start again.  Defining your vision is at the heart of thinking and leading strategically.

Kay Plantes helps business leaders make better strategy decisions, faster. Her 20-year old firm, Plantes Company, LLC works with leaders to redefine their organization’s business model to secure higher profits and growth. The MIT-trained economist writes a weekly blog on business model innovation, http://www.plantescompany.com/blog and is author of Beyond Price: Differentiate Your Business in Ways that Really Matter (Greenleaf Bookgroup, 2009) http://www.beyondpricebook.com

_____________________________________