Stop me if you’ve heard this one: “Timing is everything.” Okay, don’t really stop me because this would be the world’s shortest and most useless blog post. It’s safe to say that most people in the English speaking world have either said this phrase, heard it or probably both. I think non-English people probably say it too.

How about this one: “There’s no time like the present.” Or how about the competing thought, “Good things come to those that wait.” Which one is it? Should you wait or should you take action? Now we have a conundrum on our hands. I say both. More on that later.

Time dictates much of what we do in our lives. We don’t have enough of it or we’re wasting it or it’s just ticking, ticking into the future. An individual that is able to manage their time effectively has a great advantage over those that do not. Important parts of managing our time include taking action and waiting. The key is knowing when to do what.

Many great performers in athletics and entertainment are said to have great timing. Mickey Mantle’s ability to swing his bat at the exact moment needed to make contact with the baseball is attributed to great timing. Jerry Seinfeld’s expert delivery of the punchline is because he has great timing and his white Nikes. Not really.

Timing Is Preparation

Is their timing success because these legends merely have an innate sense of when to do the right thing that we mere mortals do not possess? Maybe there is some truth to that, but more likely it is because they worked at honing their craft so that it became second nature. In other words, they were prepared.

Before the late, great Mick ever stepped into the batter’s box to pound one of his 536 home runs out of the park, he was in the batting cage developing his timing. He learned to wait for the right pitch and when it came he took action. The rest is history.

Everyday we can take the necessary steps to prepare for our next big opportunity to smash it into the upper deck. This could mean a business deal, a new venture or an important relationship that you have been looking for. Now is the time in the blog post to give some actionable steps.

3 Simple Time Management Tips

Here are some simple steps to help you be ready to wait or take action when the time is right.

1. Think. Spend some time alone so that you can clear your head and think objectively about the day. Preferably this would be at the beginning of the day otherwise you might just be thinking about how bad the day went. Quiet time is good for the brain. You could very well solve the problem you’ve been banging your head against the wall about. So, stop banging the head. That’s where your brain is. You need that to think. Try driving to work in silence or using your shower time to gather your thoughts. We all should have shower time, if not there’s another blog post you need to read.
2. Plan. Once your thoughts have been gathered now is the time to plan out the day by writing it down. Maybe it is just a simple list of things to do. That alone will help you stay on track with your time and ensure your high priority tasks are taken care of. Write it down and make it plain. First of all we should have an overarching vision for our lives that dictates what we do. Our daily plan of action should support our life’s vision. Every day you are building your future. Use the right materials so that the end product matches the original plans.
3. Learn. Never stop learning especially when it comes to your life’s work. The world needs you to be your best. While we each have our own unique voice, we still must rely on the voices of others that have gone where we have yet to go. Thirty minutes a day of bettering your self will make a significant difference. Surround yourself with people that challenge you to be more than you are right now. Mediocrity produces more mediocrity. Get around the great and it will produce the great in you.

Should we wait or take action? The answer is both as I mentioned previously. Everyday making the right choices with time management will help us be prepared when the timing is right for the next big thing whatever that may be.

“Life is all about timing… the unreachable becomes reachable, the unavailable become available, the unattainable… attainable. Have the patience, wait it out. It’s all about timing.” – Stacey Charter

Hey, remember when Hollywood made a movie about Rock People who helped build a giant boat and an environmentally-conscious, murderous psychopath and tried to pass it off as Noah?  Kidding, I’m not getting into that, but back when Noah really did set his feet on the newly rearranged, green earth God made him a promise. We find it in Genesis 8:22:

 “For as long as Earth lasts, planting and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never stop.” – God

Let me check … yes, the Earth is still here. That means we will reap what we sow. The key here is to sow the right seed into the right place. I believe you may be familiar with the anecdote about sowing apple seeds and expecting oranges. It is easy to relate to this idea. No one goes out and knowingly plants an apple seed and expects anything more or less than apples. The real life application is somewhat different.

We can all probably confess to sowing one thing and expecting another at some point. It’s an easy trap to fall into if we look at another individual’s harvest. We look at the fruit without realizing the effort it took to find the right soil, till the earth, plant the seed, tend the plant, etc. There’s a lot of work that goes into a fruitful harvest.

We’ve been talking about seeds, apples and oranges. Let’s make it real. Maybe you’ve seen someone’s business flourish or their new endeavor take off. In a business setting, planting the seed starts with being a great employee before you ever become a great employer. You can be a great employee or employer but it takes time and effort.

Seeds Every Employee Should Sow

Do you want to see a great harvest in the workplace? Try some of these time tested seeds:

1. Bring the right attitude. Whatever is inside of us will eventually come out and that’s not just your breakfast. We have to choose to bring life and encouragement to every day.
2. Be a problem solver. Don’t make the issue. Solve the issue. Everyday we have the opportunity to exacerbate a problem or be the hero and make it better. Choose the latter.
3. Be on time. Simple, right? If at all possible don’t make people wait for you. Make sure you’re honoring other people’s time.

There Are Harvest Variables

There are basically two main variables that determine a harvest. 1) The seed. 2) The environment. While we may not have complete control of these variables, it’s our responsibility to control what can.

We control the seed. We decided what we are going to sow. We can choose to sow the good seed or the bad. Throw thistle seeds in the ground and you’ll end up injured during harvest time. The seed is in your hands. You picked it out. Make sure it is what you want before you plant it.

More often than not we control where the seed is planted. The seed is precious! Don’t throw it in a rock pile where it has no chance to live. Find the ground that is tilled, fertilized and full of nutrients. Whatever you want to grow has to be in a healthy environment. Make the right choice when it comes to how and where you spend your time.

Let’s break it down.

• We have the seed that we want to grow into something worth having.
• We put it the ground so that it can be nourished and grow.
• Now we wait.

There are other factors out of our control that make the seed grow – light and water. The seed cannot become fully formed fruit without the help of other forces. People will come to your aid to bring refreshment and enlightenment when you’re in the right place. Never stop learning and always take time to rest.

You can’t make it rain or force the sun to shine. But do not fret…

It will rain and the sun will shine.

At some point your seed will be refreshed with heaven’s showers and the sun’s warm rays will enlighten it. The seed will become all that it was destined to be.

What Do You Want to Grow?

It’s in our hands isn’t it? Since the beginning, everything that’s needed for a harvest has been given to us. What do you want? A successful business? Surround yourself with great business leaders. A great marriage? Invest quality time with your spouse. Awesome six pack abs? Stop eating ice cream every day!

I love the word strategery. If you missed it, this came into the consciousness of America through a Saturday Night Live skit featuring Will Ferrell as President George Bush. This was inspired by Bushisms which are basically humorous statements when Bush misspoke. What’s even better than strategery is strategy. It is a real word that has real value. Strategy can be defined as the art of devising or employing plans toward a goal. Strategery can be defined as one way Will Ferrell made bank at someone else’s expense.

I believe most everyone sees the value of setting goals. Having a goal is great. Attaining the goal is the best. We can set awe-inspiring goals all day and all night, but if there is not actionable steps to make the goals reality then we might as well get some sleep. A goal without a plan is just as useless as a car without gas. It’s not going anywhere.

To interject some reality here, I’ve not always been a big goal setter. Sure I had some ethereal dreams and general ideas of where I wanted to go. More than likely this comes from the fact that I wasn’t willing to get a plan together. Setting a goal — easy. Implementing a plan — hard. As I’ve matured (code for become an old guy) I’ve realized the necessity of goals and planning, and more so for the latter.

In marketing terms, strategy is the mid range goal of your company. This can be three to five years of implementing your plan to achieve success in the area you projected. How does this happen? The strategy must be broke up year by year, month by month, week by week. These are tactics which can be defined as a device for accomplishing an end. Tactics can be described as your short range goals. A goal is to increase sales. A strategy is to have a productive sales staff. A tactic is to equip them with ongoing training.

It’s important that our strategy and tactics are well thought out and planned. The book Marketing Plans explains that companies with bad tactics and bad strategy will die slowly. One with bad tactics and good strategy will survive. Great tactics and bad strategy will suffer a quick death, and those that do both well will thrive. One of my favorite quotes from this book:

Any organization doing the wrong things more efficiently is destined to die more quickly than their less efficient counterparts. It is a bit like making a stupid manager work harder, thus doubling the chaos and probably offending twice as many customers.

The goal is to thrive. This will include having a firm grasp on the day to day as well as the years to come. Maybe you have some incredible goals that you want to achieve, but don’t know how to get there. It won’t happen in one fell swoop. (Free knowledge: Did you know that “one fell swoop” was either originated or was popularized in Shakespeare’s Macbeth? I did not until I wrote it in this blog.) Get out the pen and paper if you still have them and begin to write your actionable plan.

Start with the big work down to the small. If you don’t know the big plan it will be very difficult to have tactics that produce the final result desired.

People may never see the strategy that you formulated for success, but the tactics will be evident everyday as your goals are achieved incrementally. Sun Tzu said, “All men can see these tactics whereby I conquer, but what none can see is the strategy out of which victory is evolved.”

We’ll, I’m back after a hiatus. It’s a wonder the stock market didn’t go haywire in my absence without my sage business advice to guide the finance world’s every turn. My lack of posting has been the catalyst for this post. After much introspection and analysis I have come to the conclusion that I should blame Adalyn. Addie, as we call her at home, is my month old baby girl. Sure, she looks adorable, but she really plays havoc with a person’s scheduling.

July 19, 2011 marked another watershed day in the life of the Rowan household. Adalyn arrived and forever changed our lives just as the three previous children did. With each new child comes new change. And as before I’ve had to adjust to this change. Having a kid is a major change and will most likely interrupt the status quo. But even small changes can effect our day to day goings on. How we react to change can often dictate our effectiveness through it.

Oddly enough, Addie does not know how to talk yet, and this produces a significant challenge at times. Her “wah” can mean one of several things. I’m hungry. I’m tired. I used the bathroom. Get out of my face, Elena Kay, Cassia and Josiah. The other children can vocalize their needs. She cannot. If our reaction were to ignore this change in communication styles, we’d be in jail. Effort is necessary to navigate through inevitable life changes.

Of course, we all love our newest change, and there are many changes that we have no problem dealing with. “Oh, hey, I just got a 50% raise. Not sure I know how to handle this bump in the road. Too much cash, aaaah!” This has never happened. It is the uncertainty of change that is the issue for most of us. Change is constant. This paradox is a true as anything. Although, we have little control over the change, we have all the control over our attitude throughout it. Something make look unfortunate at the moment of change, but the results of it are yet to be determined. We do have a say in the final outcome. We can choose to be constant in the change — believing and expecting for the best no matter what is currently in front of us.

Every change should be a reminder to us that although we do not control every aspect of our life, we do control every attitude of our life. Something is going to change today. Be ready.

Losing stinks. I was fully invested in the U.S. Women’s soccer team run for the World Cup. Despite playing a great overall game, the U.S. team fell short in the final to the deserving champion, Japan. Seeing the U.S. lose after overcoming Brazil and France in stunning fashion was tough to take. The team was gracious in defeat, though. How you lose sets you up for your next win.

Nothing says triumph over tragedy like Japan’s world cup win. Just four months after their country suffered its greatest loss from natural disaster, the Japanese women’s team proved to be winners. Great adversity provides an opportunity for great accomplishment.

Everyone loves to win. No one wakes up in the morning with a burning desire to lose at whatever they do. The desire to succeed is part of who we are. I have had to quell my desire to win at everything as I’ve gotten older. I’ve learned that destroying everyone in my way to be a glorious champion is not only impossible but also results in angry friends and relatives. Losing is still terrible, though. I just hide my disdain much better.

The U.S. team’s path to the World Cup final was exciting, harrowing, frustrating and amazing. As much as that tested the mettle of these women, the following days will do so all the more. Both of the U.S. and Japan have shown that perseverance will result in wins. I’m sure the U.S. team will move past this to enjoy many other great wins. They have proven that they have the right perspective.

Team USA’s unbelievable comeback win against Brazil was all about persevering. The sentiment from the U.S. players after the loss to Japan showed perspective. They expressed disappointment, but congratulated the victorious. Sure, it hurts to lose, but tomorrow is another chance to win. We are going to lose at some point. Not every day is a triumphant procession of awesomality and goodness. Learn from the mistakes and realize better days are ahead.

When a loss happens the first thing we have to fight against is bad perspective. “Woe is me” or “the world is against me” attitudes do not produce champions whether it is on the field or in the home or office. The sooner we can leave a disappointing loss behind the closer we are to our next win. After blowing a large lead at the Master’s golfer Rory McIlroy said, “There are a lot worse things that can happen in your life. Shooting a bad score in the last round of a golf tournament is nothing in comparison to what other people go through.” McIlroy went on to win the U.S. Open Championship by eight strokes a few weeks later. Perspective matters.

Once our sight is right we must press on through pain and disappointment. We have a choice to make losing define us or shape us. To be defined as a loser is never good. To be shaped by losing is not bad in the least. We must decide what shape we will take. A defeat can be our greatest teacher. Identifying our weaknesses and doing something to combat them will set us up for bigger and better wins in the future.

The U.S. women’s soccer team gave our country joy and excitement the last few weeks. In their own minds, I am sure they have already identified areas of improvement. Champions are never formed without introspection. They are always honing, tweaking and preparing for the next challenge with expectation of success.

We may not lose a championship on a world stage, but we will face serious challenges in life that will test our perseverance and perspective. In those moments keep your vision on the bigger picture and do not quit. You were made to win.

I recently found out that former WVU quarterback Pat White had made the local UFL Virginia Destroyers roster and I am psyched. Pat was the proverbial “all that and a bag of chips” in college football. I’m hoping to relive some of the glory days by catching a game this season.

I readily confess that I am an unabashed homer and fanboi of the West Virginia University football program. Growing up in the much maligned Mountain State (That’s alliteration, folks!) you develop a fierce loyalty to all things West Virginia. A sense of “everybody’s against us” pervades the mentality of many WVU fans and West Virginians in general. So when WVU is taking college football by the throat as it did during Pat White’s illustrious career, life is good.

If you look at White’s Wikipedia page you will see a litany of awards and accomplishments from his days at WVU. While leading the Mountaineers, he helped bring four straight bowl game trophies to the university including wins over perennial powerhouses Oklahoma and Georgia. Those were the days.

These are not the days. Despite being drafted by the Miami Dolphins, professional sports has been none to kind to White. He barely played the one year he was on the Dolphins, and he was literally knocked out of his last game due to a helmet to helmet hit. After the NFL he tried play professional baseball, but that did not work out either. Now he is fighting for a position in a league that only the die-hard sports fans know exists.

How can someone as supremely talented athletically as White have such trouble finding success as a professional? I don’t know, but I do have a couple thoughts on how the past can effect us.

Past success is a two-edged sword. It can hinder us or propel us. Just because we were able to do something a certain way in the past does not mean it will happen again. White was a successful college quarterback … that ran a lot. In the NFL quarterbacks do not run unless you are Mike Vick and he doesn’t do it as much as he used to. White’s past success as a running QB wasn’t going to propel him to a lengthy career in the NFL. Adaptation is necessary. Life is always changing and we must adapt our skills, talents and training to insure that we have the best chance for success. “I’ve always done it this way” are words of death. Be willing to adjust how you see and do life without compromising your core values.

On the other hand, take extreme confidence from the fact that you have experienced great wins in the past. Pat White may be struggling to find athletic success at the moment, but he can encourage himself in future conquests based on what he has already accomplished. We cannot live in the past, but we can be inspired by it. What wins can you remember that will build your confidence right now? If you’ve done it once, you can do it again. Just be willing to adjust your strategy or skill set if need be.

We all have something in common with Pat White and it’s not sub 4.5 second 40 time. We’re all talented. We all have something to offer. We all have skills to pay the bills. Be confident in what you have done and let that be catalyst to propel you into future greatness. And one last thing …

LET’S GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, MOUNTAINEERS!!!

There is nothing like accomplishing a goal especially when time is running out, it looks as though all hope is lost … and the referees and Brazilians are doing everything they can to stop you. That last part may or may not be applicable to your everyday life. Goals are very applicable, though.

The journey for Abby Wambach and the US Women’s soccer team to pull out their amazing victory over Brazil started long ago when no one was watching. It started individually before they came together as one team with the desire to be the best soccer players possible. They put themselves through hours of training, drills and games that only parents showed up to. Collectively their goal was shaped in a similar fashion. I’m not really letting the cat out of the bag by saying that soccer is not exactly the most watched sport in America, much less women’s soccer. Even as these women reached the top of their game, the attention and support that other elite athletes enjoy was not always free flowing. But that did not stop them from pursuing their goals.

Down 2-1 with 122 minutes gone the team’s hopes of World Cup glory were all but gone. The picture was bleak not too mention questionable to horrible calls by the referees and poor gamesmanship by Brazilians trying to run out the clock. But there was still time left and there was still fight left. They chose to keep going for the goal. The choice to fight against all odds to accomplish your goals starts before the quarterfinals of the World Cup. It begins on the training ground. It ends with a header in the back of the net.

Before we score our goals we have to set them. What do you want to accomplish today, this week, month, year, decade, life? Write them down. Don’t forget about them, either. Go back and read them from time to time to see if you are still moving towards them. Maybe you will have to rewrite them. I wanted to be a horse rancher when I was 7. I’ve ridden a horse once. When I was a freshman I wanted to be in the NBA. I’m a super white guy with average speed and jumping ability. My goals have changed.

Preparation is a must. I will say I did little or no preparation to be a horse rancher in my youth. Motivation was misplaced by cartoons. Basketball was a different story. I would shoot baskets and do drills for hours on end. I didn’t quite make it to the Association but I was a decent high school player and built some great memories. The journey to the goal can be as rewarding as reaching it, if we choose to enjoy the process.

Lets get real. There are times in life that everything seems to be going against us. The refs are bad. The other team is cheating. You are down a man (or woman). The shots are not going in. We cannot focus on the things that are going wrong that we have no control over. We can only control what is in our hands. What is in our hands is the ability to prepare, the choice to believe for the best and the resolve to not give up in the face of difficulty. It could be that the right strategies have been put in place, the best ideas have been tried and the greatest effort has been put forth and still there is no victory … yet. Stay on the field. Keep running towards the goal. The unexpected can happen at any time. Even at the last minute.

My freshman year in basketball we were playing our rivals Ballard. We were a small private school and some of our guys were not top academic all-stars. Three or Four of our players were ineligible to play because of poor grades. We started the game with five players but at the first dead ball Jared McGuffey had to sit the rest of the game. So we had to play a man down with no reserves for the entire game. Four against five … what are the chances of staying in the game much less winning? Somehow we played with enough belief and heart to stay in the game. We managed to tie the game in the last minute despite being completely worn out. With only a few seconds left, Jared’s older brother John was bringing the ball up the floor for a final possession. The opposing team was all over him and he lost the ball. It rolled to me on the baseline. I picked it up and shot it. The buzzer sounded and the ball went through the net. Pandemonium! We won!

Some might say that was a lucky shot for a freshman to hit in that situation. I disagree. The goal was made long before it was shot in that game. It was made on an empty concrete court by the dairy barn. When no one is there to see you, keep preparing, keeping training, keep shooting and when the real challenge comes nothing will shake you.

First of all, never say this to a woman. Secondly, NEVER say this to a woman. Now on to the subject at hand. This post was inevitable as my beautiful bride, Jenny, is expecting our fourth child any day now. I am no expert on pregnancy as I’ve never been with child. (Yes, people still use the term “with child.” Awesome.) I have been around my wife for all four of her pregnancies. So I claim second hand revelation. Not as good as first, but it will have to do.

Pregnancy is a bear. Not an actual bear in the woods, but it is tough to bear. Thus the term childbearing. When people can’t handle something they say, “I can’t bear it.” All sorts of challenges come up during pregnancy: sleeplessness, discomfort, immobility not to mention pain. The last month is the most challenging. If you were to ask my wife if she would like to carry Adalyn (the next in the illustrious line of Rowan children) for another month, there is going to be a face punch in order. Not really … she prefers to kick.

Not everyone will physically carry a baby. I can say with certainty that roughly 50% of the world’s population will not. Although, everyone has conceived an idea or dream that is waiting to be birthed. With real pregnancy we know that in 9 months this thing is done. Figuratively speaking, the wait and travail may be shorter but many times it is much longer. Some of the same symptoms of sleeplessness, discomfort, immobility and pain will manifest when we are waiting to birth our dream into reality. The trick is not turning into a fat blob waiting for it to happen.

We may not know the exact date that our dreams will come to fruition, but we can always be actively pursing them. Not to do so will turn us into Chubs McGee. If we decide this idea pregnancy will happen when it will happen without any effort on our part, we will be greatly disappointed. We must bear the brunt of the dream. No one else is going to carry it for us. Others will come to our side and help, but they cannot be the dreambearer. New word. It falls on our shoulders to push through to the end.

How to birth a dream…

1. Take your vitamins – Feed yourself with good things. Nothing will kill a dream quicker than negativity whether it be internal or external. Get surrounded by those that will spur you on to greatness. Have self belief. If you do not believe it will happen, it definitely will not happen.

2. Go see your specialist – Find the right expert mentor to help your dreambearing experience. A person that has the experience of making a dream reality is invaluable to have as you pursue your own dream. They can share things to do and not to do that will make your life much easier.

3. Get your rest – As important as it is to pursue, create, work hard and make things happen, there also has to be rest. Do not burn out before the baby is here. There are times to relax and let your mind go somewhere else for awhile. Take a dream vacay. Literally take a vacation from your dream or go on a dream vacation. Just don’t forget to come back. You get fat if you stay too long.

4. Push – The last part is the hardest. When it comes time for a dream to birth into reality, we have to push through all the difficulty to see the result we envisioned in the beginning. There may be serious pain that comes at this time, but it will be worth it once you are holding your baby. Do not let temporary discomfort keep you from experiencing long term satisfaction.

If you have been waiting for something to happen, get off your duff, fatty! Your dream is waiting to born. Do something about it.

The United States declared its liberty 235 years ago and the world has never been the same. Through the providence of God, America was established to be a beacon of freedom to every country. No other nation has ever seen the unprecedented prosperity, ingenuity, equality and liberty that the U.S. has experienced. The unique quality of America is that she has provided the opportunity of success to anyone that chose to pursue it. Our land is filled with inspiring stories of men and women who came from nothing and made something great of their lives.

For those of us that have been blessed to only know American freedom, it is hard to understand its magnitude. The uprisings this year in the Middle East remind us that many people around the world are far from the liberty we enjoy. Ordinary citizens are willing to sacrifice their lives for a chance at freedom. That is how our country was formed. Because of that fight for freedom, today ordinary citizens are able to build their businesses, raise their families and pursue their dreams.

Sure, America has its issues and has not always done the right thing, but Independence Day is about celebrating the victories of freedom that greatly outnumber the defeats. Those that choose to look only at the negatives will always have poor vision. America has faults because it is made up of imperfect people. We may be flawed but we are free.

We are free to choose what we do, who we spend time with, where we live and who we worship. Unfortunately, many in other parts of the world cannot do these things. The Fourth of July is a time to bring to the forefront the reality that we are blessed to have these freedoms. Celebrate it, cherish it and most importantly do not ever forget to enjoy it. Enjoying freedom means taking advantage of its opportunities. If you don’t like something, change it. If you have a dream, make it happen.

America is beautiful. Not just because it is the good ole USA. But because it is made up of a diverse passionate people who are free to live life to the fullest. Celebrate freedom every day. Fight for it everyday. Live it everyday. Freedom is everything.

Have a blessed and happy Independence Day!

O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

Education in the largest sense is any act or experience that has a formative effect on the mind, character, or physical ability of an individual. In its technical sense, education is the process by which society deliberately transmits its accumulated knowledge, skills, and values from one generation to another.

At least that is what Wikipedia says. And everybody knows if it is on Wikipedia, then someone probably defaced the page … like me.

Fun, fun, fun, fun … wait. It’s not Friday. Nevermind.

For most part, the thought of education centers around the first 18 to 22 years of life, and maybe an additional decade if you are a doctor or if you like to take your time, a.k.a. you are a slacker. In reality, we never stop learning. Everyday we encounter information that educates us, and we choose who or what is teaching us. If our learnin’ comes from the E! Channel and Ryan Seacrest, the potential return is minimal. Although, we will know that Lindsay Lohan went to the grocery store which is vital information. On the other hand, we have so many options to properly educate ourselves so that we can be all that we can be … and not just in the Army.

I have many friends that are established in their careers and they are getting formal education to insure that they continue to move forward. But that is not the only way to go about education. There is so much free information on the Internet that you could nearly receive doctorate level schooling in just about anything. No one confirmed from a previous post, but I’m pretty sure there are still libraries that allow you to check out books for free. Amazing! Of course, there is a myriad of paid training available online and offline that does not require enrollment in a college.

Employers understand the value of education, as many of them will reimburse the cost of courses that pertain to their field. If you have that opportunity, take it! Usually companies only pay for one course a semester. So it make take a little while, but THEY ARE PAYING! Do it.

We should take advantage of on-the-job training, as well. I really like the education Wiki definition above, “…society deliberately transmits its accumulated knowledge, skills, and values from one generation to another.” Learn from those that have gone before. Experience is a powerful teacher. Be deliberate. Have a plan of how education is going to improve business and life. Arguably, the most important part is to pass on what we have learned. Share the knowledge. Don’t be a “Dead Sea of wisdom” — receiving everything, but never pouring out. Eventually, we will become bitter (I’ve tasted the Dead Sea. It’s gross.) and lifeless if we do not make an effort to improve others.

The opportunities are endless to better ourselves through education. Make it a life long goal to never stop learning and never stop teaching. Everyone is a student, and everyone is a teacher. As we realize this, we can make a concerted effort to train ourselves and others with the necessary tools to bring out the best in everyone.

To the uneducated, an A is just three sticks.  ~A.A. Milne