Category Archives: Empowerment

How To Become A Millionaire By 30

04 Thursday Apr 2024

Posted by in Empowerment, Général / General

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To become a millionaire by the age of 30 may seem like a lofty goal, but it is not impossible. Get ready to learn valuable insights and practical tips that can put you on the path to building wealth and realizing your dreams and become a millionaire before you hit 30!

Set Clear Financial Goals

Setting clear financial goals is the foundation for becoming a millionaire. Start by identifying what you truly want to accomplish financially. Do you want to retire early? Start your own business? Whatever it may be, write it down and make it specific.

Next, break your goals into actionable steps. Break them down into smaller, more manageable tasks that will help you make progress towards your ultimate goal. Creating a timeline for achieving each milestone is crucial for staying on track. Set deadlines for yourself and hold yourself accountable. It is important to be realistic with your timeline, but make sure to push yourself to achieve the milestones in a timely manner.

Develop a Millionaire Mindset

Believing in your ability to become a millionaire is the first step towards achieving it. It is important to have a positive mindset and believe that you have the potential to create wealth. By embracing a growth mindset, you open yourself up to learning and growth opportunities that will help you along your journey.

Embracing failure and learning from it is another key aspect of developing a millionaire mindset. Failure is not the end, but rather a stepping stone towards success. View failures as valuable learning experiences and opportunities for growth. Learn from your mistakes and adjust your strategies as you go along.

Staying focused and persistent is essential. Becoming a millionaire does not happen overnight, and it requires consistent effort and dedication. There will inevitably be challenges and setbacks along the way, but it is important to stay focused on your goals and persist through any obstacles that come your way.

Educate Yourself

Knowledge is power when it comes to wealth creation. Educate yourself on personal finance and wealth-building principles. Read books on personal finance and wealth creation to gain insights from experts in the field.

Taking courses or attending seminars on investing can also be beneficial. These educational opportunities can provide you with the knowledge and skills needed to make informed investment decisions. Stay updated with current market trends by following financial news and reading reputable publications. Being knowledgeable about the market can help you identify potential investment opportunities and make well-informed decisions.

Finding mentors in your field of interest can be invaluable. Seek out individuals who have achieved the level of success you desire and learn from their experiences. They can offer guidance, advice, and support as you navigate your own financial journey. Surrounding yourself with successful individuals can also influence and inspire you to reach for higher levels of success.

Save and Invest Wisely

Creating a budget and sticking to it is fundamental for managing your finances effectively. A budget helps you track your income and expenses, enabling you to identify areas where you can reduce unnecessary spending and save money. It is important to monitor your budget regularly and adjust as needed to ensure you are on track to meet your savings goals.

Minimizing unnecessary expenses is crucial for maximizing your savings potential. Evaluate your expenses and determine if there are any areas where you can cut back. This could include reducing dining out, entertainment expenses, or luxury purchases. By making small sacrifices now, you can allocate more funds towards savings and investment opportunities.

Saving a portion of your income regularly is essential for building wealth. Make it a priority to save a certain percentage of your income each month. Set up automatic transfers to a savings or investment account to ensure consistency in your savings habits. Over time, your savings will accumulate and compound, helping you reach your financial goals faster.

Diversifying your investments is important for managing risk and maximizing returns. Spread your investments across different asset classes, such as stocks, bonds, real estate, and alternative investments. This diversification helps to mitigate risk by reducing the impact of any single investment performing poorly. Consult with a financial advisor to determine the best investment strategy for your specific goals and risk tolerance.

Taking calculated risks is a key component of wealth creation. It is important to assess the potential risks before making investment decisions, but also be willing to take calculated risks when the potential for reward outweighs the potential for loss. Be cautious and do thorough research before making any investment decisions, but also be willing to step out of your comfort zone.

Start a Side Hustle

A side hustle can be a powerful tool for increasing your income and accelerating your path to becoming a millionaire. Identify your skills and interests and explore different income-generating opportunities that align with them. It could be freelancing, starting a small business, or investing in a rental property.

Creating a business plan is essential for starting a successful side hustle. Outline your goals, target market, competitive landscape, and financial projections. A well-thought-out business plan will guide your decision-making process and provide a roadmap for success.

Allocate time and effort to your side hustle. Treat it as a legitimate business and dedicate consistent time and energy towards its growth and success. It may require sacrifices and hard work in the beginning, but the potential for financial rewards can be significant.

Network and Build Connections

Networking and building connections can open doors to new opportunities and accelerate your path to success. Attend industry events and conferences to meet like-minded individuals and potential mentors or business partners. These events provide valuable opportunities for learning, networking, and gaining insights from industry experts.

Joining professional organizations related to your field of interest can also be beneficial. These organizations often offer networking events, educational resources, and access to a community of professionals who can provide support and guidance.

Building a strong online presence is essential in today’s digital age. Create a professional LinkedIn profile and connect with influential individuals in your field. Share valuable content, contribute to online discussions, and actively engage with others in your industry. This online presence can help you establish credibility, build connections, and open opportunities for growth.

Work Hard and Smart

To become a millionaire, it is important to work hard and smart. Set ambitious goals for your career and constantly seek opportunities for growth and advancement. Be proactive in seeking out new challenges and responsibilities that push you to develop new skills and expand your knowledge.

Continuously improving your skills is crucial in staying competitive in today’s ever-evolving job market. Attend workshops, take online courses, and seek out mentors who can help you enhance your skill set. The more valuable and marketable your skills are, the greater your earning potential.

Staying motivated and disciplined is essential for long-term success. It is important to maintain a strong work ethic and remain focused on your goals, even when faced with obstacles or setbacks. Develop effective time management strategies and prioritize your tasks to ensure you are making progress towards your goals.

Learn to Manage Risks

Managing risks is an integral part of wealth creation. Before making investment decisions, it is important to assess potential risks and understand the potential impact on your financial well-being. Conduct thorough research and consult with financial professionals before investing in any particular asset or market.

Diversifying your investment portfolio is a key risk management strategy. By spreading your investments across different asset classes and sectors, you reduce the risk of one investment negatively impacting your overall portfolio. Diversification helps to ensure that the impact of any individual investment’s poor performance is minimized.

Having an emergency fund is important for managing unexpected financial hardships. Aim to have at least three to six months’ worth of living expenses saved in an easily accessible account. This fund serves as a safety net in case of job loss, medical emergencies, or other unforeseen circumstances.

Obtaining appropriate insurance coverage is crucial for managing various risks. Make sure you have insurance policies in place to protect yourself, your assets, and your loved ones. This includes health insurance, life insurance, disability insurance, and property insurance. Consult with an insurance professional to ensure you have adequate coverage based on your specific needs.

Stay Disciplined and Avoid Debt

Living within your means is essential for achieving financial success. It is important to spend less than you earn and avoid excessive debt. When you spend more than you earn, you create a cycle of financial stress and struggle to reach your wealth creation goals.

Avoid unnecessary debt whenever possible. Only take on debt for essential purchases, such as a home or education, and avoid high-interest debt, such as credit card debt. Pay off high-interest debts as soon as possible to minimize the amount of interest you pay over time.

Use credit wisely and responsibly. Establish a good credit history by making timely payments and keeping your credit utilization ratio low. This will enable you to access favorable interest rates and terms when you need to take on debt for important investments, such as purchasing a home or starting a business.

Conclusion

Becoming a millionaire requires commitment, persistence, and a clear plan of action. By setting clear financial goals, cultivating a millionaire mindset, educating yourself, saving and investing wisely, starting a side hustle, networking, and building connections, working hard and smart, managing risks, staying disciplined, and avoiding unnecessary debt, you can pave your way to financial success. Commit to your goals, stay focused and persistent, learn from successful self-made millionaires, and most importantly, believe in your ability to create wealth.

Michel Ouellette JMD, ll.l., ll.m.

JMD Live Online Subscription link

J. Michael Dennis, ll.l., ll.m.

Business & Corporate Strategist

Systemic Strategic Planning

Quality Assurance, Occupational Health & Safety, Environmental Protection, Regulatory Compliance, Crisis & Reputation Management

Skype: jmdlive

Email: jmdlive@jmichaeldennis.live

Web: https://www.jmichaeldennis.live

Phone: 24/7 Emergency Access

Available to our clients/business partners

How To Become A Millionaire By 30

04 Thursday Apr 2024

Posted by in Empowerment, General, Systemic Strategic Planning

≈ Leave a comment

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To become a millionaire by the age of 30 may seem like a lofty goal, but it is not impossible. Get ready to learn valuable insights and practical tips that can put you on the path to building wealth and realizing your dreams and become a millionaire before you hit 30!

Set Clear Financial Goals

Setting clear financial goals is the foundation for becoming a millionaire. Start by identifying what you truly want to accomplish financially. Do you want to retire early? Start your own business? Whatever it may be, write it down and make it specific.

Next, break your goals into actionable steps. Break them down into smaller, more manageable tasks that will help you make progress towards your ultimate goal. Creating a timeline for achieving each milestone is crucial for staying on track. Set deadlines for yourself and hold yourself accountable. It is important to be realistic with your timeline, but make sure to push yourself to achieve the milestones in a timely manner.

Develop a Millionaire Mindset

Believing in your ability to become a millionaire is the first step towards achieving it. It is important to have a positive mindset and believe that you have the potential to create wealth. By embracing a growth mindset, you open yourself up to learning and growth opportunities that will help you along your journey.

Embracing failure and learning from it is another key aspect of developing a millionaire mindset. Failure is not the end, but rather a stepping stone towards success. View failures as valuable learning experiences and opportunities for growth. Learn from your mistakes and adjust your strategies as you go along.

Staying focused and persistent is essential. Becoming a millionaire does not happen overnight, and it requires consistent effort and dedication. There will inevitably be challenges and setbacks along the way, but it is important to stay focused on your goals and persist through any obstacles that come your way.

Educate Yourself

Knowledge is power when it comes to wealth creation. Educate yourself on personal finance and wealth-building principles. Read books on personal finance and wealth creation to gain insights from experts in the field.

Taking courses or attending seminars on investing can also be beneficial. These educational opportunities can provide you with the knowledge and skills needed to make informed investment decisions. Stay updated with current market trends by following financial news and reading reputable publications. Being knowledgeable about the market can help you identify potential investment opportunities and make well-informed decisions.

Finding mentors in your field of interest can be invaluable. Seek out individuals who have achieved the level of success you desire and learn from their experiences. They can offer guidance, advice, and support as you navigate your own financial journey. Surrounding yourself with successful individuals can also influence and inspire you to reach for higher levels of success.

Save and Invest Wisely

Creating a budget and sticking to it is fundamental for managing your finances effectively. A budget helps you track your income and expenses, enabling you to identify areas where you can reduce unnecessary spending and save money. It is important to monitor your budget regularly and adjust as needed to ensure you are on track to meet your savings goals.

Minimizing unnecessary expenses is crucial for maximizing your savings potential. Evaluate your expenses and determine if there are any areas where you can cut back. This could include reducing dining out, entertainment expenses, or luxury purchases. By making small sacrifices now, you can allocate more funds towards savings and investment opportunities.

Saving a portion of your income regularly is essential for building wealth. Make it a priority to save a certain percentage of your income each month. Set up automatic transfers to a savings or investment account to ensure consistency in your savings habits. Over time, your savings will accumulate and compound, helping you reach your financial goals faster.

Diversifying your investments is important for managing risk and maximizing returns. Spread your investments across different asset classes, such as stocks, bonds, real estate, and alternative investments. This diversification helps to mitigate risk by reducing the impact of any single investment performing poorly. Consult with a financial advisor to determine the best investment strategy for your specific goals and risk tolerance.

Taking calculated risks is a key component of wealth creation. It is important to assess the potential risks before making investment decisions, but also be willing to take calculated risks when the potential for reward outweighs the potential for loss. Be cautious and do thorough research before making any investment decisions, but also be willing to step out of your comfort zone.

Start a Side Hustle

A side hustle can be a powerful tool for increasing your income and accelerating your path to becoming a millionaire. Identify your skills and interests and explore different income-generating opportunities that align with them. It could be freelancing, starting a small business, or investing in a rental property.

Creating a business plan is essential for starting a successful side hustle. Outline your goals, target market, competitive landscape, and financial projections. A well-thought-out business plan will guide your decision-making process and provide a roadmap for success.

Allocate time and effort to your side hustle. Treat it as a legitimate business and dedicate consistent time and energy towards its growth and success. It may require sacrifices and hard work in the beginning, but the potential for financial rewards can be significant.

Network and Build Connections

Networking and building connections can open doors to new opportunities and accelerate your path to success. Attend industry events and conferences to meet like-minded individuals and potential mentors or business partners. These events provide valuable opportunities for learning, networking, and gaining insights from industry experts.

Joining professional organizations related to your field of interest can also be beneficial. These organizations often offer networking events, educational resources, and access to a community of professionals who can provide support and guidance.

Building a strong online presence is essential in today’s digital age. Create a professional LinkedIn profile and connect with influential individuals in your field. Share valuable content, contribute to online discussions, and actively engage with others in your industry. This online presence can help you establish credibility, build connections, and open opportunities for growth.

Work Hard and Smart

To become a millionaire, it is important to work hard and smart. Set ambitious goals for your career and constantly seek opportunities for growth and advancement. Be proactive in seeking out new challenges and responsibilities that push you to develop new skills and expand your knowledge.

Continuously improving your skills is crucial in staying competitive in today’s ever-evolving job market. Attend workshops, take online courses, and seek out mentors who can help you enhance your skill set. The more valuable and marketable your skills are, the greater your earning potential.

Staying motivated and disciplined is essential for long-term success. It is important to maintain a strong work ethic and remain focused on your goals, even when faced with obstacles or setbacks. Develop effective time management strategies and prioritize your tasks to ensure you are making progress towards your goals.

Learn to Manage Risks

Managing risks is an integral part of wealth creation. Before making investment decisions, it is important to assess potential risks and understand the potential impact on your financial well-being. Conduct thorough research and consult with financial professionals before investing in any particular asset or market.

Diversifying your investment portfolio is a key risk management strategy. By spreading your investments across different asset classes and sectors, you reduce the risk of one investment negatively impacting your overall portfolio. Diversification helps to ensure that the impact of any individual investment’s poor performance is minimized.

Having an emergency fund is important for managing unexpected financial hardships. Aim to have at least three to six months’ worth of living expenses saved in an easily accessible account. This fund serves as a safety net in case of job loss, medical emergencies, or other unforeseen circumstances.

Obtaining appropriate insurance coverage is crucial for managing various risks. Make sure you have insurance policies in place to protect yourself, your assets, and your loved ones. This includes health insurance, life insurance, disability insurance, and property insurance. Consult with an insurance professional to ensure you have adequate coverage based on your specific needs.

Stay Disciplined and Avoid Debt

Living within your means is essential for achieving financial success. It is important to spend less than you earn and avoid excessive debt. When you spend more than you earn, you create a cycle of financial stress and struggle to reach your wealth creation goals.

Avoid unnecessary debt whenever possible. Only take on debt for essential purchases, such as a home or education, and avoid high-interest debt, such as credit card debt. Pay off high-interest debts as soon as possible to minimize the amount of interest you pay over time.

Use credit wisely and responsibly. Establish a good credit history by making timely payments and keeping your credit utilization ratio low. This will enable you to access favorable interest rates and terms when you need to take on debt for important investments, such as purchasing a home or starting a business.

Conclusion

Becoming a millionaire requires commitment, persistence, and a clear plan of action. By setting clear financial goals, cultivating a millionaire mindset, educating yourself, saving and investing wisely, starting a side hustle, networking, and building connections, working hard and smart, managing risks, staying disciplined, and avoiding unnecessary debt, you can pave your way to financial success. Commit to your goals, stay focused and persistent, learn from successful self-made millionaires, and most importantly, believe in your ability to create wealth.

Michel Ouellette JMD, ll.l., ll.m.

JMD Live Online Subscription link

J. Michael Dennis, ll.l., ll.m.

Business & Corporate Strategist

Systemic Strategic Planning

Quality Assurance, Occupational Health & Safety, Environmental Protection, Regulatory Compliance, Crisis & Reputation Management

Skype: jmdlive

Email: jmdlive@jmichaeldennis.live

Web: https://www.jmichaeldennis.live

Phone: 24/7 Emergency Access

Available to our clients/business partners

NEVER PUT TOO MUCH TRUST IN FRIENDS, LEARN HOW TO USE ENEMIES

30 Tuesday Jan 2024

Posted by in Empowerment

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Be wary of friends, they will betray you more quickly than your enemies, for they are easily aroused to envy. They also become spoiled and tyrannical. But hire a former enemy and he will be more loyal than a friend, because he has more to prove.  In fact, you have more to fear from friends than from enemies. If you have no enemies, find a way to make them.

WORK WITH YOUR ENEMIES

It is natural to want to employ your friends when you find yourself in times of need. The world is a harsh place, and your friends soften the harshness. Besides, you know them. Why depend on a stranger when you have a friend at hand?

The problem is that you often do not know your friends as well as you imagine. Friends often agree on things in order to avoid an argument. They cover up their unpleasant qualities so as to not offend each other. They laugh extra hard at each other’s jokes. Since honesty rarely strengthens friendship, you may never know how a friend truly feels. Friends will say that they love your poetry, adore your music, envy your taste in clothe, maybe they mean it, often they do not.

When you decide to hire a friend, you gradually discover the qualities he or she has kept hidden. Strangely enough, it is your act of kindness that unbalances everything. People want to feel they deserve their good for­ tune. The receipt of a favor can become oppressive: It means you have been chosen because you are a friend, not necessarily because you are de­ serving. There is almost a touch of condescension in the act of hiring friends that secretly afflicts them. The injury will come out slowly: A little more honesty, flashes of resentment and envy here and there, and before you know it your friendship fades. The more favors and gifts you supply to revive the friendship, the less gratitude you receive.

The problem with using or hiring friends is that it will inevitably limit your power. The friend is rarely the one who is most able to help you; and in the end, skill and competence are far more important than friendly feelings. All working situations require a kind of distance between people. You are trying to work, not make friends; friendliness only obscures that fact. The key to real power and collaboration is the ability to judge who is best able to further your interests in all situations. Keep friends for friendship but work with the skilled and competent.

Your enemies, on the other hand, are an untapped gold mine that you must learn to exploit. A person who has something to prove will move mountains for you. You destroy an enemy when you make a friend of him. Make it a pol icy of working with those who disagreed with you. But do not forget, without enemies around us, we grow lazy; an enemy at our heels sharpens our wits, keeping us focused and alert. It is sometimes better, then, to use enemies as enemies rather than transforming them into friends or allies. Without a worthy opponent, a man or group cannot grow stronger.

Such a strategy of constant conflict has several key components. First, be certain that in the long run you will emerge victorious. Never pick a fight with someone you are not sure you can defeat. Second, if you have no apparent enemies, you must sometimes set up a convenient target, even turning a friend into an enemy. Third, use such enemies to define your cause more clearly to the public, even framing it as a struggle of good against evil. A sharply defined enemy is a far stronger argument for your side than all the words you could possibly put together.

Never let the presence of enemies upset or distress you-you are far better off with a declared opponent or two than not knowing where your real enemies lie. The man of power welcomes conflict, using enemies to enhance his reputation as a surefooted fighter who can be relied upon in times of uncertainty.

EXCEPTION TO THE RULE

Although it is generally best not to mix work with friendship, there are times when a friend can be used to greater effect than an enemy. There are occasions, for example, where dirty work has to be done, but for the sake of appearances it would be preferable to have other people do it for you; friends often do this the best, since their affection for you makes them willing to take chances. Also, if your plans go awry for some reason, you can use a friend as a convenient scapegoat. Of course, after you play that card, you have lost your friend forever. It is best, then, to reserve the scapegoat role for someone who is close to you but not too close.

Finally, the problem about working with friends is that it confuses the boundaries and distances that working requires. But if both partners in the arrangement understand the dangers involved, a friend often can be employed to great effect. You must never let your guard down in such a venture, however; always be on the lookout for any signs of emotional disturbance such as envy and ingratitude. Nothing is stable in the realm of power, and even the closest of friends can be transformed into the worst of enemies.

Michel Ouellette JMD, ll.l., ll.m.

JMD Live Online Subscription link.

J. Michael Dennis, ll.l., ll.m.

Business &Corporate Strategist

Systemic Strategic Planning

Quality Assurance, Occupational Health & Safety, Environmental Protection, Regulatory Compliance, Crisis & Reputation Management

Skype: jmdlive

Email: jmdlive@jmichaeldennis.live

Web: https://www.jmichaeldennis.live

Phone: 24/7 Emergency Access

Available to our clients/business partners

NEVER PUT TOO MUCH TRUST IN FRIENDS, LEARN HOW TO USE ENEMIES

30 Tuesday Jan 2024

Posted by in Empowerment

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Be wary of friends, they will betray you more quickly than your enemies, for they are easily aroused to envy. They also become spoiled and tyrannical. But hire a former enemy and he will be more loyal than a friend, because he has more to prove.  In fact, you have more to fear from friends than from enemies. If you have no enemies, find a way to make them.

WORK WITH YOUR ENEMIES

It is natural to want to employ your friends when you find yourself in times of need. The world is a harsh place, and your friends soften the harshness. Besides, you know them. Why depend on a stranger when you have a friend at hand?

The problem is that you often do not know your friends as well as you imagine. Friends often agree on things in order to avoid an argument. They cover up their unpleasant qualities so as to not offend each other. They laugh extra hard at each other’s jokes. Since honesty rarely strengthens friendship, you may never know how a friend truly feels. Friends will say that they love your poetry, adore your music, envy your taste in clothe, maybe they mean it, often they do not.

When you decide to hire a friend, you gradually discover the qualities he or she has kept hidden. Strangely enough, it is your act of kindness that unbalances everything. People want to feel they deserve their good for­ tune. The receipt of a favor can become oppressive: It means you have been chosen because you are a friend, not necessarily because you are de­ serving. There is almost a touch of condescension in the act of hiring friends that secretly afflicts them. The injury will come out slowly: A little more honesty, flashes of resentment and envy here and there, and before you know it your friendship fades. The more favors and gifts you supply to revive the friendship, the less gratitude you receive.

The problem with using or hiring friends is that it will inevitably limit your power. The friend is rarely the one who is most able to help you; and in the end, skill and competence are far more important than friendly feelings. All working situations require a kind of distance between people. You are trying to work, not make friends; friendliness only obscures that fact. The key to real power and collaboration is the ability to judge who is best able to further your interests in all situations. Keep friends for friendship but work with the skilled and competent.

Your enemies, on the other hand, are an untapped gold mine that you must learn to exploit. A person who has something to prove will move mountains for you. You destroy an enemy when you make a friend of him. Make it a pol icy of working with those who disagreed with you. But do not forget, without enemies around us, we grow lazy; an enemy at our heels sharpens our wits, keeping us focused and alert. It is sometimes better, then, to use enemies as enemies rather than transforming them into friends or allies. Without a worthy opponent, a man or group cannot grow stronger.

Such a strategy of constant conflict has several key components. First, be certain that in the long run you will emerge victorious. Never pick a fight with someone you are not sure you can defeat. Second, if you have no apparent enemies, you must sometimes set up a convenient target, even turning a friend into an enemy. Third, use such enemies to define your cause more clearly to the public, even framing it as a struggle of good against evil. A sharply defined enemy is a far stronger argument for your side than all the words you could possibly put together.

Never let the presence of enemies upset or distress you-you are far better off with a declared opponent or two than not knowing where your real enemies lie. The man of power welcomes conflict, using enemies to enhance his reputation as a surefooted fighter who can be relied upon in times of uncertainty.

EXCEPTION TO THE RULE

Although it is generally best not to mix work with friendship, there are times when a friend can be used to greater effect than an enemy. There are occasions, for example, where dirty work has to be done, but for the sake of appearances it would be preferable to have other people do it for you; friends often do this the best, since their affection for you makes them willing to take chances. Also, if your plans go awry for some reason, you can use a friend as a convenient scapegoat. Of course, after you play that card, you have lost your friend forever. It is best, then, to reserve the scapegoat role for someone who is close to you but not too close.

Finally, the problem about working with friends is that it confuses the boundaries and distances that working requires. But if both partners in the arrangement understand the dangers involved, a friend often can be employed to great effect. You must never let your guard down in such a venture, however; always be on the lookout for any signs of emotional disturbance such as envy and ingratitude. Nothing is stable in the realm of power, and even the closest of friends can be transformed into the worst of enemies.

Michel Ouellette JMD, ll.l., ll.m.

JMD Live Online Subscription link.

J. Michael Dennis, ll.l., ll.m.

Business &Corporate Strategist

Systemic Strategic Planning

Quality Assurance, Occupational Health & Safety, Environmental Protection, Regulatory Compliance, Crisis & Reputation Management

Skype: jmdlive

Email: jmdlive@jmichaeldennis.live

Web: https://www.jmichaeldennis.live

Phone: 24/7 Emergency Access

Available to our clients/business partners

NEVER OUTSHINE THE MASTER

29 Monday Jan 2024

Posted by in Empowerment

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“Always make those above you feel comfortably superior. In your desire to please and impress them, do not go too far in displaying your talents or you might accomplish the opposite: inspire fear and insecurity. Make your masters appear more brilliant than they are, and you will attain the heights of power.“

OBSERVANCE OF THE LAW

All masters want to appear more brilliant than other people. They do not care about science or empirical truth or the latest invention; they care about their name and their glory. Instead of insecurity you must give them glory. You shall not challenge their intellectual authority.

KEYS TO POWER

Everyone has insecurities. When you show yourself in the world and display your talents, you naturally stir up all kinds of resentment, envy, and other manifestations of insecurity. This is to be expected. You cannot spend your life worrying about the petty feelings of others. With those above you, however, you must take a different approach: When it comes to power, outshining the master is perhaps the worst mistake of all.

Those who attain high standing in life are like kings and queens: They want to feel secure in their positions, and superior to those around them in intelligence, wit, and charm. It is a deadly but common misperception to believe that by displaying and vaunting your gifts and talents, you are winning the master’s affection. He may feign appreciation, but at his first opportunity he will replace you with someone less intelligent, less attractive, less threatening. He will not admit the truth but will find an excuse to rid himself of your presence. This Law involves two rules that you must realize. First, you can inadvertently outshine a master simply by being yourself. There are masters who are more insecure than others, monstrously insecure; you may naturally outshine them by your charm and grace. The lesson is simple: If you cannot help being charming and superior, you must learn to avoid such monsters of vanity. Either that or find a way to mute your good qualities when in the company of such a person. Second, never imagine that because the master loves you, you can do anything you want. Remember the following: Never take your position for granted and never let any favors you receive go to your head.

Knowing the dangers of outshining your master, you can tum this Law to your advantage. First you must flatter and puff up your master. Overt flattery can be effective but has its limits; it is too direct and obvious and looks bad to other courtiers. Discreet flattery is much more powerful. If you are more intelligent than your master, for example, seem the opposite: Make him appear more intelligent than you. Act naive. Make it seem that you need his expertise. Commit harmless mistakes that will not hurt you in the long run but will give you the chance to ask for his help. Masters adore such requests. A master who cannot bestow on you the gifts of his experience may direct rancor and ill will at you instead.

If your ideas are more creative than your master’s, ascribe them to him, in as public a manner as possible. Make it clear that your advice is merely an echo of his advice.

If you surpass your master in wit, it is okay to play the role of the court jester, but do not make him appear cold and surly by comparison. Tone down your humor if necessary and find ways to make him seem the dispenser of amusement and good cheer. If you are naturally more sociable and generous than your master, be careful not to be the cloud that blocks his radiance from others. He must appear as the sun around which every­ one revolves, radiating power and brilliance, the center of attention. If you are thrust into the position of entertaining him, a display of your limited means may win you his sympathy. Any attempt to impress him with your grace and generosity can prove fatal.

In all of these cases it is not a weakness to disguise your strengths if in the end they lead to power. By letting others outshine you, you remain in control, instead of being a victim of their insecurity. This will all come in handy the day you decide to rise above your inferior status. If you can make your master shine even more in the eyes of others, then you are a godsend and you will be instantly promoted.

Avoid outshining the master. All superiority is odious, but the superiority of a subject over his prince is not only stupid, it is fatal.

REVERSAL

You cannot worry about upsetting every person you come across, but you must be selectively cruel. If your superior is a falling star, there is nothing to fear from outshining him. Do not be merciful; your master had no such scruples in his own cold-blooded climb to the top. Gauge his strength. If he is weak, discreetly hasten his downfall: Outdo, outcharm, outsmart him at key moments. If he is very weak and ready to fall, let nature take its course. Do not risk outshining a feeble superior, it might appear cruel or spiteful. But if your master is firm in his position, yet you know yourself to be the more capable, bide your time and be patient. It is the natural course of things that power eventually fades and weakens. Your master will fall someday, and if you play it right, you will outlive and someday outshine him.

Michel Ouellette JMD, ll.l., ll.m.

JMD Live Online Subscription link.

J. Michael Dennis, ll.l., ll.m.

Business &Corporate Strategist

Systemic Strategic Planning

Quality Assurance, Occupational Health & Safety, Environmental Protection, Regulatory Compliance, Crisis & Reputation Management

Skype: jmdlive

Email: jmdlive@jmichaeldennis.live

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NEVER OUTSHINE THE MASTER

29 Monday Jan 2024

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“Always make those above you feel comfortably superior. In your desire to please and impress them, do not go too far in displaying your talents or you might accomplish the opposite: inspire fear and insecurity. Make your masters appear more brilliant than they are, and you will attain the heights of power.”

OBSERVANCE OF THE LAW

All masters want to appear more brilliant than other people. They do not care about science or empirical truth or the latest invention; they care about their name and their glory. Instead of insecurity you must give them glory. You shall not challenge their intellectual authority.

KEYS TO POWER

Everyone has insecurities. When you show yourself in the world and display your talents, you naturally stir up all kinds of resentment, envy, and other manifestations of insecurity. This is to be expected. You cannot spend your life worrying about the petty feelings of others. With those above you, however, you must take a different approach: When it comes to power, outshining the master is perhaps the worst mistake of all.

Those who attain high standing in life are like kings and queens: They want to feel secure in their positions, and superior to those around them in intelligence, wit, and charm. It is a deadly but common misperception to believe that by displaying and vaunting your gifts and talents, you are winning the master’s affection. He may feign appreciation, but at his first opportunity he will replace you with someone less intelligent, less attractive, less threatening. He will not admit the truth but will find an excuse to rid himself of your presence. This Law involves two rules that you must realize. First, you can inadvertently outshine a master simply by being yourself. There are masters who are more insecure than others, monstrously insecure; you may naturally outshine them by your charm and grace. The lesson is simple: If you cannot help being charming and superior, you must learn to avoid such monsters of vanity. Either that or find a way to mute your good qualities when in the company of such a person. Second, never imagine that because the master loves you, you can do anything you want. Remember the following: Never take your position for granted and never let any favors you receive go to your head.

Knowing the dangers of outshining your master, you can tum this Law to your advantage. First you must flatter and puff up your master. Overt flattery can be effective but has its limits; it is too direct and obvious and looks bad to other courtiers. Discreet flattery is much more powerful. If you are more intelligent than your master, for example, seem the opposite: Make him appear more intelligent than you. Act naive. Make it seem that you need his expertise. Commit harmless mistakes that will not hurt you in the long run but will give you the chance to ask for his help. Masters adore such requests. A master who cannot bestow on you the gifts of his experience may direct rancor and ill will at you instead.

If your ideas are more creative than your master’s, ascribe them to him, in as public a manner as possible. Make it clear that your advice is merely an echo of his advice.

If you surpass your master in wit, it is okay to play the role of the court jester, but do not make him appear cold and surly by comparison. Tone down your humor if necessary and find ways to make him seem the dispenser of amusement and good cheer. If you are naturally more sociable and generous than your master, be careful not to be the cloud that blocks his radiance from others. He must appear as the sun around which every­ one revolves, radiating power and brilliance, the center of attention. If you are thrust into the position of entertaining him, a display of your limited means may win you his sympathy. Any attempt to impress him with your grace and generosity can prove fatal.

In all of these cases it is not a weakness to disguise your strengths if in the end they lead to power. By letting others outshine you, you remain in control, instead of being a victim of their insecurity. This will all come in handy the day you decide to rise above your inferior status. If you can make your master shine even more in the eyes of others, then you are a godsend and you will be instantly promoted.

Avoid outshining the master. All superiority is odious, but the superiority of a subject over his prince is not only stupid, it is fatal.

REVERSAL

You cannot worry about upsetting every person you come across, but you must be selectively cruel. If your superior is a falling star, there is nothing to fear from outshining him. Do not be merciful; your master had no such scruples in his own cold-blooded climb to the top. Gauge his strength. If he is weak, discreetly hasten his downfall: Outdo, outcharm, outsmart him at key moments. If he is very weak and ready to fall, let nature take its course. Do not risk outshining a feeble superior, it might appear cruel or spiteful. But if your master is firm in his position, yet you know yourself to be the more capable, bide your time and be patient. It is the natural course of things that power eventually fades and weakens. Your master will fall someday, and if you play it right, you will outlive and someday outshine him.

Michel Ouellette JMD, ll.l., ll.m.

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J. Michael Dennis, ll.l., ll.m.

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Making It Happen ~ Rebranding Yourself

06 Monday Nov 2023

Posted by in Empowerment, Words of Widom

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You do not have to accept the roles that society foists on you. Be the master of your own image rather than letting others define it for you.

The man or woman who intends to make his fortune in this world must be a chameleon susceptible of reflecting the colors of the surrounding times and atmosphere, a Proteus apt to assume every form, every shape, supple, flexible, insinuating, close, inscrutable, often base, sometimes sincere, sometimes perfidious, always concealing a part of his or her knowledge, indulging in but one tone of voice, patient, a perfect master of his or her own countenance, as cold as ice when any other man or woman would be all fire; and if unfortunately, he or she is not religious at heart, a very common occurrence for a soul possessing the above requisites, he or she must have religion in his mind, that is to say, on his face, on his lips, in his manners. He or she must suffer quietly, if he or she be an honest man or woman, the necessity of knowing himself or herself an arrant hypocrite. If your live is not getting anywhere, rebrand yourself, re-create yourself by forging a new identity, one that commands attention and never bores the audience. Incorporate dramatic devices into your public gestures and actions-your power will be enhanced and your character will seem larger than life.

BE THE MASTER OF YOUR PUBLIC IMAGE

When appearing before crowds, make sure not to be upstaged by anyone. Know to say a lot by saying a little, intuiting the moment to end a speech for maximum effect. Never fail to incorporate a surprise into your public appearances, a starling announcement that will heighten the drama. Understand that there is a vital link between power and theater. Make yourself an actor, and director on the world stage. Say your lines as if they have been scripted and move through a crowd with a constant sense of how you appear to your audience. Incorporate surprise into your repertoire, building drama into your speeches and make your gestures broad enough for the common man to grasp them instantly. Learn to enlarge your actions through dramatic techniques such as surprise, suspense, the creation of sympathy, and symbolic identification. Also, be constantly aware of your audience, of what will please them and what will bore them. Always make sure to arrange to place yourself at the center, to command attention, and never to be upstaged at any cost.

UNDERSTAND THIS

The world wants to assign you a role in life. And once you accept that role you are doomed. Your power is limited to the tiny amount allotted to the role you have selected or have been forced to assume. An actor, on the other hand, plays many roles. Enjoy that protean power, and if it is beyond you, at least forge yourself a new identity, one of your own making, one that has had no boundaries assigned to it by an envious and resentful world. This act of defiance is Promethean: It makes you responsible for your own creation. Being a costume that you can put on and take off whenever suitable, your new identity will protect you from the world. Forge yourself a new identity, one of your own making, that will set you apart and give you theatrical presence. Those in the back rows will see you and hear you. Those in the front rows will marvel at your audacity.

The The character you seem to have been born with is not necessarily who you are; beyond the characteristics you have inherited, your parents, your friends, and your peers have helped to shape your personality. The Promethean task of the powerful is to take control of the process, to stop allowing others that ability to limit and mold them. Remake yourself into a character of power. Working on yourself like clay should be one of your greatest and most pleasurable life tasks. It makes you in essence an artist, an artist creating yourself.

In fact, the idea of self-creation comes from the world of art. For thousands of years, only kings and the highest courtiers had the freedom to shape their public image and determine their own identity. Today the concept of self-creation has slowly filtered down to the rest of society and has become an ideal to aspire to. you must demand for yourself the power to determine your position in the painting, and to create your own image.

THE SELF-CREATION PROCESS

The first step in the process of self-creation is self-consciousness, being aware of yourself as an actor and taking control of your appearance and emotions. The bad actor is the one who is always sincere. People who wear their hearts on their sleeves out in society are tiresome and embarrassing. Their sincerity notwithstanding, it is hard to take them seriously. Those who cry in public may temporarily elicit sympathy, but sympathy soon turns to scorn and irritation at their self-obsessiveness. Good actors control themselves better. They can play sincere and heartfelt, can affect a tear and a compassionate look at will, but they don’t have to feel it. They externalize emotion in a form that others can understand. Method acting is fatal in the real world. No ruler or leader could possibly play the part if all the emotions they showed had to be real. Learn self-control. Adopt the plasticity of the actor, who can mold his or her face to the emotion required.

The second step in the process of self-creation is the creation of a memorable character, one that compels attention, that stands out above the other players on the stage. Good drama, however, needs more than an interesting appearance, or a single stand-out moment. Drama takes place over time; it is an unfolding event. Rhythm and timing are critical. One of the most important elements in the rhythm of drama is suspense, keeping your audience on the edge of their seats, letting events unfold slowly, then speeding them up at the right moment, according to a pattern and tempo that you control. You must learn to orchestrate events never revealing all your cards at once but unfolding them in a way that heightens their dramatic effect. Besides covering a multitude of sins, good drama can also confuse and deceive your enemy. Other dramatic effects for your repertoire include the beau geste, an action at a climactic moment that symbolizes your triumph or your boldness. You must also appreciate the importance of stage entrances and exits.

Remember that overacting can be counterproductive, it is another way of spending too much effort trying to attract attention. It is less what you do that matters, clearly, than how you do it, your gracefulness and imposing stillness on the social stage count for more than overdoing your part and moving around too much. Finally: Learn to play many roles, to be whatever the moment requires. Adapt your mask to the situation, be protean in the faces you wear. Doing so, you cannot be grasped, and what cannot be grasped cannot be consumed.

ONE LAST WORD:

Bad theater is bad theater. Even appearing natural requires art, in other words, acting. Bad acting only creates embarrassment. Of course, you should not be too dramatic, avoid the histrionic gesture. But that is simply bad theater anyway, since it violates centuries-old dramatic laws against overacting.

JMD

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J. Michael Dennis, ll.l., ll.m.

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Change Your Narrative, Change Your Life!

17 Tuesday Oct 2023

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There is life changing magic in a productive story

Are you going to get that promotion? Is your marriage going to make it through a rough patch? Is your company going to hit its projections for the year? The single biggest predictor for all these events is not the facts of your situation, but the story you tell. The bad news is that there is an epidemic of rotten storytelling going on in our culture right now.

The good news is that we can fix that. And the best news is that it is not as hard as you might believe. Small shifts in mindset can trigger a cascade of changes so profound that they test the limits of what seems possible.

The secret is to identify the ideas that trigger a narrative reset, that get your brain out of a negative spiral, and into a productive mindset. Here are five strategies, grounded in science, to help you reset your own narrative.

1. Stop consuming junk stories.

People take in average of 14 newspapers worth of information every day, and most of it is junk. This epidemic of junk storytelling is killing our minds just as surely as junk food is destroying our bodies. The single best thing you can do to reset your narrative is simple: do not take in too much junk.

How can you tell if you have a lot of junk in your storytelling diet?

Junk stories are any kind of story that is designed primarily to rile up your emotions: cable news, most of twitter, lots of clickbait. It is designed to trigger an emotional response. It is addictive, destructive and dangerous. Junk stories tend to create junk thinking, and it is literally bad for our brains.

2. See the river, not the rocks.

When I was first learning to kayak, I kept banging my boat into rocks. I said to my instructor in frustration, “I am hitting every rock on this river!” He said, “Well then, stop looking at them!” This is exactly what I was doing: I was going down the river, staring straight at the things I was most afraid of, and therefore, heading right for them.

We all tend to obsess over the things we are afraid of. The problem is that in life, as on the river, our boat goes where our eyes go. When we read lots of stories, and tell lots of stories, about how bad things are likely to be, we literally make these bad things more likely to happen.

But therein lies the secret to changing this pattern: see the river, not the rocks. Instead of obsessing over all the things that could go wrong, focus on all the things that could go right. Tell stories to your team, your family and in your own head, about everything beautiful that could happen in life.

3. Expect setbacks.

There is a critical corollary to a good mindset: the story you are telling must be true. You cannot deceive yourself with false optimism when the world is falling apart.

To say that you feel positive about the culture in America right now, or to try to convince yourself that everything is going great when your business is faltering, is to deny reality. It creates a form of narrative dissonance: a disconnect between reality and the story we are telling. And it will ultimately break down.

The trick is not to deny suffering, or setbacks, but to accept the setback and the suffering and know that it will pass. Do not tell yourself a story about how easy things are, or how good they are. Tell yourself a story that says: this is all part of the story line. After all, every single success story in history or in literature or in business shares one quality: that moment when the hero needs to decide, against all odds, whether, or not, to keep going.

Teaching low performing people about the growth mindset, the fact that we are all bad at everything before we are good at I, helps improve their performance. Giving new employees students pep talks before they start at their new job, letting them know that struggling during the first year is normal, reduces dropout rates. Telling employees at the start of a project that failure is both inevitable and temporary, will increase the team’s likelihood of success.

4. Tell good stories about the people around you.

Spend some time thinking about the stories you tell about other people because those stories are incredibly important, too. Always look for the best in people. People are not performing the way you want! Meet with every member of your team, asked what they needed from you, and tell them that you believe in them. If their performance is not improving, then, and only then, get rid of them.

For better and for worse, the stories we tell about people tend to become true. When team leaders are cued to think good things about their team members, those team members do better. When people are told, “you are the kind of person who performs well under pressure” before doing a high-stress task, their performance goes up by 33%. Stories change brains, and behaviors.

The lesson here is this: practice telling good stories, even just in your own head, about your spouse and your boss and your colleagues and your clients. You will find that when you change the story you are telling about them, they will change too.

5. Do not plan, just do one thing.

You are overwhelmed with the size and the scope of a problem, and you believe that if you can just write all down, think it all through, you can get a handle on it. But weirdly, the more you think about it, the more stressed out you get. And how often do you find yourself at the end of a long meeting feeling frustrated that nothing has changed? That way of thinking can easily turn into a negative story spiral.

What you need to do is to reset that narrative. When you are feeling overwhelmed, do not plan, do not make, or write down a plan, just do one thing. It literally does not matter what you do. Whenever you act, take any action, it resets the chemicals in your brain from overwhelmed to empowered. Think of the brain as a binary system: you are either frozen in fear or empowered by action. So, if you have a huge to-do list, check off the smallest thing first. Talk to one person, make one call. The chemicals in your brain will change, and so will your story.

Yes indeed, this is your choice.

JMD

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J. Michael Dennis, ll.l., ll.m.

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Working From Home Has Been a Life-changing Experience

10 Wednesday Mar 2021

Posted by in Covid-19, Empowerment, Général / General, Working From Home

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“… it allowed me to be more of the person I aspire to be, The Best in The World at What I Do”

I have always been better with the written word than the spoken one and for me working from home, allowing me to be more of the person I aspire to be, revealed itself to be very much a privilege. While for some the lack of interaction can make it easy for minor anxieties and frustrations to spiral into existential crises, for me, it gives me time to think, allows me to write considered arguments, and makes me more articulate.

I am a business and management consultant, a free thinking creative systemic strategic planner and most of my days involve reading reports, finding obscure problems, addressing and solving them for the benefit of my clients. When in the office, attempting to share my ideas often meant stumbling over my words and sometimes blurting out a dumbed-down version of what I was trying to say or demonstrate. But these days, most of my work-related interaction with either my clients, contributors and associates are through office and social media chat apps. This means I have time to craft my comments before I utter them.

Now, I can spend a minute writing them down as clearly as possible, making a better case for the changes I would like to make, recommend or see implemented. The slowed interaction gives me time to think, allows me to write considered arguments, and makes me more articulate. Essentially, it allows me to be more of the person I aspire to be, the best in the world at what I do. What is more, the terrain has evened out. Everyone is on the same platform, equally accessible, and they can answer me when it is convenient.

Overall, in these days of pandemic, the toll of isolation far outweighs the benefits of reduced social anxiety.

Michel Ouellette JMD

 

J. Michael Dennis, ll.l., ll.m.
Strategic Systemic Planning… and Many Other Things

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Covid-19: A Blessing in Disguise

05 Tuesday Jan 2021

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The COVID-19 Coronavirus:  The Biggest Blessing in Disguise For Mankind and Humanity

The world is changing rapidly. For over a year now, COVID-19 has been causing havoc in both human health and the economy. The coronavirus pandemic has left no corner of the world untouched.

Since the first case of the disease was reported in China in December 2019, while 62 million have already recovered, more than 86 million infections have been recorded throughout the world with about 2 million deaths in 218 countries and territories.

For many, COVID-19 has been a wakeup call that the world is changing. The coronavirus pandemic has exposed a number of crises that have been in plain view but ignored by humanity, including challenges like inadequate medical facilities, unequal distribution of income and wealth, fragile supply chains and gender inequality. COVID-19 has truly reminded us all that no man is an island.

The coronavirus is just not taking lives but has further widened the gap that exists between people and nations. While the poorest countries, the poorest neighbourhood, the oldest and weaker people are showing more vulnerability, the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer, thereby making it difficult for them to feed themselves and their families. COVID-19 has helped refocus our minds on what is really important to human survival: clothing, shelter, health, food and the need to ensure equality.

Just as the 1918 Spanish influenza pandemic led to the creation of a favorable environment for the comprehensive equal rights amendment to help women take up roles previously exclusive to men, a century later this pandemic is giving us the opportunity to recalibrate mankind lopsidedness.

The start of the year 2020 turned out to be uneventful. 2020 was supposed to bring progress and prosperity for all mankind. Early February 2020, the COVID-19 coronavirus had just started to grip China and the rest of the world thought it to be more or less a china problem. A handful of senior global leaders were still talking about trade wars and trade imbalances, ideological differences on the basis of religion/military and finance leading to deadly conflicts and business houses/businessmen gloating on the stock prices of their companies being at lifetime high.

At the end of the year, in less than 2 weeks this virus, then popularly called “the China-Virus”, spreading like a wild fire across the globe, bringing down all these alleged edifices of financial, intellectual, scientific, military and historical supremacy over each other in less than 10 days, created a havoc around the world. The global supply chains that we were so proud of suddenly came to a stop. Suddenly, so much for the conflicts, divisions and havoc that we created in the name of progress that humanity stands naked at the precipice of a bottomless abyss.

Never ever since the advent of humanity and its recorded history has the world been so genuinely secular and united just to be able to survive and save itself from this cataclysm and everyone only worrying about the most primordial need of food, shelter, clothing and procreation and everyone is wishing well for everyone else just to ensure self-preservation.

The coronavirus pandemic is here and here to stay for at least 2 more years. For the next 2 years, all we have to and need to remember is that on this earth, in these times of global economy and pandemic, the shrieks of any of our fellow cohabitants, either animal, poor, rich, fortunate or unfortunate, are all the same in the face of adversity. The coronavirus pandemic will come to an end but let us not forget that lesson that mother earth had to impose upon us.

Everything considered, the COVID-19 pandemic is a blessing in disguise, an opportunity for mankind to find its soul lost in the morass of greed, corruption, one-upmanship and destruction of our beautiful planet in the garb of progress.

We are now facing circumstances we have never thought we would. But still, life goes on; you can watch it go by or, you can jump in and be a part of the journey. Whether we like it or not, we need to deal with what is in front of us.

The choice is entirely ours.

J. Michael Dennis

Syndicated Columnist … and other things