Wednesday Words
To Go Where Your VisionPoints, a few inspiration points for you and your business.
When a dog runs at you,
whistle for him.
—Henry David Thoreau
This is one of my favorite quotations, and it fits in so nicely with observing this week: One man’s panic is another man’s opportunity. I ran it past my daughter as I sometimes do, to see what she thought of it.
“What if you can’t whistle, like me?” She demonstrated with some puckered-lip blowing and a harsh tweet or two.
“No, not a real dog. It means take a situation that’s not what you want, and bring it to you sooner, try to turn it into something exciting and positive and unexpected.” I raised an eyebrow, hoping to see her give me the aha! look.
“What exactly do you do with something, that’s not what you want?”
“Well, that’s the problem, isn’t it? It depends on the person or the business.”
“Oh.” Whether that was an “oh” of “I see,” or of “this one’s a dud,” I don’t know. It was her last word on the subject. To me, Thoreau’s words are a superb metaphor for looking at things in a new light, especially in turbulent times.
Can you turn a panic situation into an opportunity? How have you reaped the rewards of standing fast when others turn and run?
Grow and be well,
Kelly Erickson
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13 August 2008, 8:13 am
When a dog runs at you,
whistle for him,
throw him a steak,
and make him your dog!
(I had to riff off of it as I liked it very much!)
When the tech bubble burst, there were some enterprising folks who took advantage – they bought up all of the expensive furniture ($700+ Aeron chairs etc.) for a song, because no one cared and needed the money. They then turned around and sold them on eBay…
-Brett
Brett Legree’s last blog post…viking fridays – the worst sickness.
13 August 2008, 8:42 am
Brett,
I never heard that one. Very clever. Of course in that case, the dog wasn’t running *at* the enterprising folks, just nearby.
Note to self: Start looking for Aeron chairs. The timing for that may be right again.
Regards,
Kelly
13 August 2008, 8:47 am
Kelly,
Exactly… if one is ready, there is always opportunity.
There’s a nice lady here in town who got into real estate a few years ago. She picked up a lot of houses when the market went sour back in the mid-90′s – The Factory had serious cutbacks.
Now she’s selling houses for twice the price they sold for 10 years ago. She also drives a nice convertible Jaguar now, and when I met her she drove a Honda. (not that there’s anything wrong with a Honda, but you get my point)
Yep, buy the chairs now…
-Brett
Brett Legree’s last blog post…viking fridays – the worst sickness.
13 August 2008, 8:58 am
Depends on the dog, I’d say.
True story in the paper this weekend. A women was petting a pit-bull, with the owners permission who was standing right there. The dog went nuts and attacked her. She ended up retreating on the hood of a car.
So the boyfriend, trying to help, called out the dogs name to distract him.
Now the dog went nuts and attacked HIM…the boyfriend ended up unconcious and mauled, with hundreds of stitches in his arms.
In that case, I dont think whistling would have helped.
There’s a difference between insecure barking and downright aggression. I guess the moral is that you have to know how to read the dog’s signals, and recognize which dogs can’t be reasoned with.
If the dog is just insecure of bluffing, in that case, go ahead and whistle.
But if he’s in a truly aggressive, then get the hell out of Dodge…because nothing
Friar’s last blog post…The Gospel of Action Movies According to Hollywood.
13 August 2008, 2:51 pm
Hmmm, I like. Don’t think of problems as problems. Think of them as challenges that will present opportunities. I love that kind of positive thinking. And I have no idea if I actually do that!
steph’s last blog post…Know Thyself
13 August 2008, 4:42 pm
I’m a runner, so I generally don’t like dogs; way to unpredictable in their behaviours. OH! We’re speaking metaphorically here! Okay, I look at the dog, panic briefly, and then get all stubborn and say “Alright you son of a pup, let’s see what kind of show dog we can turn you into!” And while it may not end up being best of show, I think I do manage best of breed. All metaphorically of course.
Urban Panther’s last blog post…He’s a scamp
13 August 2008, 5:11 pm
” When a dog runs at you, you don’t need to outrun him…
…you just need to outrun the person standing next to you.
- S. Mart. Hasse
Friar’s last blog post…The Philosophy of Life Using Everyday Household Objects.
14 August 2008, 1:04 am
Brett,
Not that there’s anything wrong with a Honda… LOL. Too politically correct. (Next to a Jag, yes, there is.)
Friar,
Are you having a very literal day or are you too deeply philosophical for me to understand you? Thank goodness you brought your friend Mr. Hasse with you, because the second comment, I get.
Steph,
This is one I’ve had in my “collection” of quotes to inspire me for many years, and I still don’t know if I do it—at least not as often as I’d like to!
Panther,
All metaphorically of course. But if a Lion runs at you, definitely whistle!
Regards,
Kelly
14 August 2008, 3:13 am
@Friar:
LOL – That definitely puts a fun spin on the topic. Let’s see if I can interpret that one in light of Kelly’s point…
“Your problems don’t really matter as long as the person next to you has bigger problems to deal with.”
Yeah, that’s the attitude of many people, isn’t it? And if their problems aren’t that big, make them bigger so that yours appear smaller (in other words, if they look like they’re going to pass you, trip them up).
Alex Fayle’s last blog post…Introducing the Lab-Rats
14 August 2008, 8:12 am
Kelly,
LOL the Friar has a Honda so I didn’t want to bug him too much (actually the lady with the Jag helped him buy his house, she’s a nice lady). I’m more of a VW guy myself, as long as it is turbocharged…
I’ll bring some beers to Friar’s tonight, we’ll erase all memory of any mean dogs…
-Brett
Brett Legree’s last blog post…can’t fly without wings? fake it.
14 August 2008, 10:24 am
Alex,
Trip them up! Ha! I’m laughing, but I don’t feel quite as inspired….
Brett,
Tell me the good Friar wouldn’t dump his Honda in a second for a Jag. Of course it’s tougher to park inconspicuously on a fishing trip.
Until later,
Kelly
14 August 2008, 1:40 pm
@Kelly
If it was an either/or choice, I’d trade in my Honda for a Jag, then trade the Jag in for a newer Honda.
(You can’t put a canoe on top of a Jag….you cant’ take it on the logging roads to remote lakes to catch fish).
But…if you allowed me to keep my old Honda, and still give me the Jag…I certainly wouldn’t have a problem with owning BOTH.
Friar’s last blog post…Basil the Special Dog (Update Part II)
14 August 2008, 1:53 pm
Friar,
I hear you. I have a luxury car I wouldn’t mind (if the word “free” or “lottery” were involved), but without my minivan how do I carry 4×8 sheets of plywood? Gotta have that practical vehicle, too.
Later,
Kelly
14 August 2008, 4:29 pm
@Kelly & Friar,
Easy answer. People who can afford a Jag *pay* someone to take their canoe somewhere (or also own a Honda), and *pay* someone else to deliver the plywood!
^ ^
. .
^
o
-Brett
Brett Legree’s last blog post…can’t fly without wings? fake it.
14 August 2008, 4:32 pm
LOL!
(Can I pay someone else to be a control freak?)