#Love # Respect

Business is personal.   I know that most folks say that business is business.   What the heck does that mean?  Why are we in business?  Some folks do it for money and others do it because they love it.  Business can only take place if more than one entity conduct some form of trade.  That is interesting isn’t it?   To actually do business, more than one party has to be involved in some way.    It means,  that we are not alone.

Either way, what matters is that you show respect for people that you serve and for those who help you.    Respect can come in many forms and we know that respect can come from a negative place as much as it can from a positive one.   One thing is clear, if you want to be rich with money, there are many ways to do it.   You can do it on your own by becoming an application developer and selling the next big thing through the app store.  You can become a You Tube sensation by downloading “Beats maker 17” and make up lyrics onto awesome beat tracks.  Of course on You Tube you can do all sorts of things to make money.   You can be a Wantreprenuer where you keep making up new businesses and get people to invest in them so that you can live off of the idea of a “ground breaking” opportunity.

Yup.. you can do that.   I think you can be successful without the burden of worrying about the money part.   What it boils down to is that whatever you choose to do in your life, you are a person before you are an asset.   You are a person before you are a CEO and you are a person before you are titled as a manager and boss.   If we lose sight of who we are as people and as citizens, everything turns to shit.   No matter how much money you make it won’t account for the love and friends you met and engaged along the way.  It won’t account for the relationships.  It won’t account for the sacrifice.  It won’t account for the missed opportunities with friends, children, parents and other loved ones.   It won’t account for how you made people feel when you were with them.

The elephant in the room is that at the end of the day when you are reaching out over the hospital bed to say good bye, will there be a hand to hold?  Who you are today as a person matters no matter where you are.  As we prepare for the next year, please consider that you have the ability to change lives.   Please consider that you have the ability to love and accept love.   Please consider that your success is tied to your behavior and how well you are respected.   You can easily lead with a carrot or a stick but the more difficult task is to lead with a clear mind and a heart that compels others to learn and find their own path.

In our world today, we hear so much hateful discourse, we accentuate our differences and hold these up for some accounting. Before I am a Jewish person, before I am a business man, before I am family man, before I am anything else, I am a human being and I believe we must remember who and what we are as we consider our practices in the future.    I wish you a happy and healthy new year and hope you will consider how you will practice being “you” in the days ahead.