Most “Baby Boomers” are familiar with Horatio Alger’s stories of people who have overcome insurmountable obstacles to achieve success in many areas of life. However, generations to follow have become less and less acquainted with this tremendous source of motivation and inspiration. Over several decades, I’ve collected a number of these stories to pass on to my grandchildren. I often revisit the collection when I, myself, am facing a challenge or simply having a bad day. They often humble me very quickly, forcing me to count the blessings I currently possess and “reframe” my outlook on current situations.

I think today’s youth would benefit greatly from exposure to these inspirational anecdotes. On our web site, you’ll find seven installments offering 40 diverse narratives I think you’ll find enlightening, educational, and inspirational. Some focus on individuals (JFK, Elvis, Walt Disney, Marilyn Monroe, Lucille Ball, Beethoven, Edgar Allen Poe, Katie Couric, the Beatles, Jay Leno, Helen Keller, and many more) while others highlight organizations (Kinko’s, the Gap, FedEx, Home Depot, Xerox, and Chicken Soup for the Soul). Based on reader response, we’ll definitely be adding to this series of essays on a regular basis. Look them over and then be sure to share them with others who will benefit from reflecting on our rich heritage.

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

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In the spirit of the “Three L’s” (Look-Listen-Learn), let’s take a look at the wonderful world of football. Is it just me or does that phrase no longer describe our traditional Christmas to New Year’s past-time of watching bowl games? Believe it or not, there is a business connection here.

Obviously, an increasingly high number of business minds have identified a “cash cow” in the annual bowl battles. When I was young, we couldn’t wait until the end of the year to witness the customary “Big Four”—The Rose Bowl, The Orange Bowl, The Sugar Bowl, and The Cotton Bowl. In those days, we felt it was hard to keep track of them all. Little did we know that the “Big Four” would some day grow into the marathon of madness we witness today! However, apparently anyone with a product or service to sell saw tremendous potential in our devotion to the pigskin rivalries we currently follow from coast to coast. In addition, television networks have long been well aware of this potential money maker. This year there were 32 bowl games televised to feed our growing addiction, and don’t think for a minute that this offering was the result of our love for football. No indeed. It materialized from the love of money—advertising dollars to be more concise. Note the unpretentious names of the bowl games of old—Rose, Orange, Sugar, and Cotton. Compare that simplicity to what we had to choose from this past season, and I’m not fabricating one of these names:

• San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl
• Pioneer PureVision Las Vegas Bowl
• Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl
• Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl
• R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
• PetroSun Independence Bowl
• Pacific Life Holiday Bowl
• Meineke Car Care Bowl
• AutoZone Liberty Bowl
• Sheraton Hawaii Bowl
• MPC Computers Bowl
• Papajohns.com Bowl
• Champs Sports Bowl
• Tostitos Fiesta Bowl
• Toyota Gator Bowl
• International Bowl
• New Mexico Bowl
• Capital One Bowl
• Chick-fil-A Bowl
• Motor City Bowl
• Brut Sun Bowl
• Emerald Bowl
• Outback Bowl
• GMAC Bowl
• Insight Bowl
• Alamo Bowl
• Texas Bowl

Can you imagine someone calling you over the holiday break to ask what you’re doing? You’d have to say something like: “I’m just sitting here with some chips and a beer watching the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl to be followed by the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl!” What are we becoming?

And they even butchered our “Fab Four” bowl games of yesteryear. They have become the Citi Rose Bowl, FedEx Orange Bowl, Allstate Sugar Bowl, and AT&T Cotton Bowl. All in the name of greed. Is nothing sacred? And there must be good money in chips today … the folks at Tostitos managed to add their name and logo to the Fiesta Bowl as well as the BCS Championship Game that would supposedly decide the best team in the nation. That must have cost them a pretty penny!

As competing TV networks have learned how to make money on even mediocre matchups, a winning record during the regular season is no longer a prerequisite for being picked. There were four teams that made it to a Bowl this year with a 6 win – 7 loss record! They lost more games than they won! There were 10 teams that made the grade with a 7 – 6 record! That’s not a whole lot better!

Some of these teams don’t come close to qualifying as your typical legendary power-house repeaters. When was the last time you read major headlines about the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders, the New Mexico Lobos, The Texas Christian University Horned Frogs, the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, the Utah Utes, the East Carolina Pirates, the Rice Owls, the Maryland Terrapins, the Texas Tech Red Raiders, the North Illinois University Huskies, the Troy Trojans, the Tulsa Golden Hurricanes, the South Florida Bulls, the Houston Cougars, or the Boise State Broncos? They all reached bowl status this season. Come on, be honest. Nothing against any of these teams, players or coaches. I’m certain they all worked very hard this year. However, you can’t send EVERYBODY to a bowl game. It demeans the nature of the event. We may very well see bowl overload become a legitimate issue resulting in attendance and television viewership decline.

What’s all of this got to do with business and/or the “Three L’s” (Look-Listen-Learn)? There are lessons to be learned everywhere. For instance, from this year’s bowl season we now know:

• You should keep your eye on current trends and cash in when and where you can.
• You should recognize and take advantage of momentum.
• You can market and promote just about anything. (6 wins and 7 losses?)
• Never assume that any market is fully saturated.
• Create a niche to stand out from the crowd.
• Know your audience (customers) and give them what they want.

I’m sure there are other lessons here, but I’m too tired from watching all those bowl games to find them right now. Besides, basketball season is just picking up speed, and I’m running low on chips!

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

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I’ve visited the historic Arlington Cemetery many times over the years but have never been there during the holiday season. I’ve never left the grounds without a tear in my eye, a lump in my throat, and a tightness in my chest. It’s hard to explain. It’s overwhelming. You have to be standing there taking it all in with your own eyes to truly understand.

I found it very interesting to learn that these wreaths—some 5,000—are donated by the Worcester Wreath Co. of Harrington, Maine. The owner, Merrill Worcester, not only provides the wreaths but covers the trucking expense as well. He’s done this since 1992. A wonderful guy. Also, most years, groups of Maine school kids combine an educational trip to D.C. with this event to help out. Making this even more remarkable is the fact that Harrington is in one of the poorest parts of the state.

During this holiday season, be sure to say a prayer of thankfulness for these veterans who paid the ultimate price to protect a way of life we so often take for granted, for their families and loved ones, and for those who are today stationed all over the world defending the greatest country on earth. We can all do something to show our appreciation and respect … much like Merrill Worcester and the wonderful children of Maine. Let’s all light just one little candle this season.

Why don’t we read more stories of human warmth like this? They’re out there. Make an effort to find them and share them with as many people as you can. God Bless America.

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

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When I was very young, I began my education with the ongoing journey through the (misnamed) “Three R’s” (Readin’, ‘Riting and ‘Rithmatic). In fact, for years I could never figure out why those key words were always misspelled. Nobody ever bothered to explain it to me, and I guess I was too shy to ask. At that time I knew nothing of alliteration (a stylistic device, or literary technique, in which successive words—more strictly, stressed syllables—begin with the same consonant sound or letter. Alliteration is a frequent tool in poetry, but it is also common in prose, particularly to highlight short phrases. Whew!) It also never dawned on me that R, W, and A (Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic) simply didn’t have much of a ring to it!

Anyway, I’m currently on an aggressive campaign to persuade the masses to adopt a new formula for success. This simple credo (A Latin word which means: “a set of fundamental beliefs or a guiding principle.”) is very basic and easily adapted to both your business and personal lives. The results are phenomenal! The formula is elementary.

Three R’s + Three L’s = SUCCESS

We can’t lose sight of the basics (readin’, ‘riting, and ‘rithmatic). A fundamental education is essential to a successful career in today challenging environment. However, a critical addition to this formula occurs with the addition of the “Three L’s”—Look, Listen, and Learn! My greatest fear is that these elements are so basic that they won’t be taken seriously. There is so much more to be learned by fully utilizing these simple elements.

LOOK at newspapers, magazines, blogs, television, video, the internet, local business, global business, your competitors, current trends, and your industry to name just a few resources.

LISTEN to your current leadership, your employees, your peers, your customers, your team members, your associations, your mentors, experts in your field, consultants, authors, family, neighbors, and the list goes on and on.

LEARN is the most critical element of the three. Anyone can look and listen but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they will learn from doing so. How many organizations, companies, and individuals have you known that seem to continue to make the same mistakes again and again? They don’t learn from their own experience nor that of others who have successfully attained goals or failed miserably in the attempt. There are numerous learning experiences provided to us on a daily basis, and few of us take full advantage of this tremendous asset. We often speak of the proverbial knowing-doing gap in our seminars and keynotes as well as the crucial need to close that gap. It matters little what we know if we do nothing with that knowledge.

One of the things we’d like to accomplish with this blog is to assist you in your pursuit of the “Three  L’s.” We are constantly seeking examples, both positive and negative, to be used in our seminars, keynotes, and consulting relationships. We do so by researching all of the resources mentioned above. We’d like to share a number of those examples here in the hopes that you’ll be able to gain a variety of tips, tools, and strategies that will contribute to your search for personal success.

Caution:  Don’t make the sometimes fatal mistake of disregarding information because it doesn’t come from your particular industry, area of the country, or from a business or person you may not respect or approve of. So much of our learning can come from the observation of those who have failed OR those who may entertain a different viewpoint than our own. I’d rather learn what not to do from the trials and tribulations of others than having to experience it myself.

There are lessons to be learned every day from every walk of life and so few of us make the time or effort to benefit from such a generous gift. We hope to make it a little easier for you here. By the way, if you feel you have a learning experience that you’d like to share with others, we’d be more than happy to review your contribution in the hope and anticipation that we can pass it on to others while attributing the content to you. Simply send your content to us.

One last observation for the record. Our “Three L’s” are all spelled properly … a lesson learned from a young boy who wondered for years why the Three R’s weren’t!

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

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