i'm baaack

excuses, excuses, excuses - i've got a million of them.....let's just say i've experienced some technical difficulties layered on top of some out of the ordinary circumstances which led me to a particularly long fall off the wagon...

but i'm back - and its official - i can say that because i actually registered a domain name (http://www.aquillnaway.com/) so that hopefully i can get more interactive and add some links and things to take this fun little experiment to the next level...so my time away was not all in vain.

to catch everyone up it goes a little like - avon walk - giantly huge blisters - sporadic blogging....leading to the urban race in dc with my parents lisa and luke for luke's birthday, mothers day/luke's birthday....right into a full week out of town for 12 hr a day training....let's just say, its been entertaining.....

i'm going to work backwards.....at the end of this incredibly long, mentally taxing and sometimes downright boring week of training, i had a moment that made it all worthwhile.....not to say i didn't learn alot this week - because i did - i have blog fodder for days - but one of our vice presidents gave a presentation on "getting what you're worth"....of course as this relates to sales, its fairly obvious....however, it has long reaching implications.....and it just set off a spark.

Exert your talents, and distinguish yourself, and don't think of retiring from the world, until the world will be sorry that you retire....Samuel Johnson

do you ever question your value? what you bring to the table? or are you sure of yourself to the point that you GET what it is that sets you apart. clearly this applies at work....are you getting paid what you should? do your customers see your value? do you bring value? or just collect a paycheck? all interesting things to consider. but as i was sitting in my hotel room every night, all i could think about was how much i felt like my kids dont need me anymore.....but honestly i know that's not true. the fact that they can get by without me, means i've done my job so far.....and my VALUE to them is not just about what i can do for them, but about what i have TAUGHT them....its a cumulative worth....and i feel pretty good about it.

our job in life is to be worth more than we cost.....on a lot of levels.....its not just a p&l statement....its a mission....do i carry my weight or do you have to drag me around? it all works together.....but at the end of the day when you look in the mirror, are you carrying your load? the load of everyone around you? or are you letting everyone else carry you? think about it?

Don't try to be different. Just be good. To be good is different enough. ~Arthur Freed

hard work alone wont get it done......you have to work hard AND be good.....you need to expect great things to happen and then WORK to make them a reality, whether its in work or in life or hopefully in both.....life IS work when you think about it..... i know my life is not just "there"....its something i work at - to shape it into what i want it to be.....and if i want it to have VALUE, i have to earn it.....i have to combine all the things i am good at, all the things i am passionate about, all the things that are challenging for me - and then work my ass off to get the very best i can from all of them....and THAT is when life is satisfying and fulfilling......its knowing you've done a good job - something you can be proud of, or happy about......life CAN just happen to you....but why would you want it to, when you have the option of trying to steer it?

my vice president ended his remarks with what i named the "lightbulb theory".....he said that no matter how bad he might be feeling or what else he had going on, he would always try to picture a lightbulb before he tried to accomplish something.....why a lightbulb? because it reminded him to "bring an idea" & to "try to light up the room".....sounds an awful lot like trying to be the sunshine to me :)

the signs are everywhere -and they keep pointing in the same direction !!