Curious about the Bottom Line: What Does It Mean to You – In Your Life, Career and Business?

“You must consider the bottom line, but make it integrity before profits.” - Denis Waitley, American writer

The Bottom Line may seem like an odd theme to pick for this blog. I started thinking about it after hearing so often that everything depends on “the bottom line.” And, in the majority of statements, the bottom line meant money and profits.

It has been eye and mind opening, however, since I started hunting for quotations and found that many refer to outcomes and goals that do not refer to money and profits while others do.

Let’s start with some quotations that are not just talking about money:

• “And for the past 10 years I've been in a real commercial setting where people are all about numbers, they're all about that bottom line. So it's nice to step out of that and hang out with a bunch of people who play music just because they love it, as you can imagine.” - Lee Ann Womack, American musician
• “The bottom line is that there is a lot more that could and should be done to help people with nutrition and exercise.” - Parris Glendening, American politician
• “I also tell them that your education can take you way farther than a football, baseball, track, or basketball will - that's just the bottom line.” - Bo Jackson, American athlete
• “People just take your kindness for weakness sometimes, and that's just the bottom line.” - Ruben Studdard, American musician
• “But to me the bottom line is the more education you can give yourself, and the more preparation you can do, the less chance of failing.” - Stuart Pearce, English coach
• “Great leaders have a heart for people. They take time for people. They view people as the bottom line, not as a tool to get to the bottom line.” - Pat Williams, American athlete
• “Bottom line: if you show a genuine interest in learning about how others became successful, you can open up a world of opportunities.” - Armstrong Williams, American journalist

And, now some that equate money and profits with the bottom line:

• “We expect all our businesses to have a positive impact on our top and bottom lines. Profitability is very important to us or we wouldn't be in this business.” - Jeff Bezos, American businessman
• “I have always believed helping your fellow man is profitable in every sense, personally and bottom line.” - Mario Puzo, American novelist
• “The manager has his eye on the bottom line; the leader has his eye on the horizon.” - Warren G. Bennis, American psychologist
• “I have made the tough decisions, always with an eye toward the bottom line. Perhaps it's time America was run like a business.” - Donald Trump, American businessman
• “The big companies and their short-term bottom line rule this country.” - Alexandra Paul, American actress
• “So I come before you with a budget that is honest in its discussion of our challenges, creative in its possible solutions, compassionate in its commitment to our most vulnerable, and balanced on the bottom line.” - James H. Douglas, American politician

Plus two more quotations that appeal to me:

“Wise are those who learn that the bottom line doesn't always have to be their top priority.” - William A. Ward, American writer

“We measured our success not just by how much money we made, but by how much we contributed to the community. It was a two-part bottom line.” - Jerry Greenfield, American businessman

So, how do you define the bottom line? And, if you are in business, how important is money and profit to your bottom line? I would love to hear your feelings about this.

Curious about Work: Do You Love and Welcome What You Do? What Is Your Definition and Feeling about Work?

Definition of Work: Exertion of strength or faculties; physical or intellectual effort directed to an end; industrial activity; toil; employment. That which is produced as the result of labor; anything accomplished by exertion or toil; product; performance; fabric; manufacture; in a more general sense, act, deed, service, effect, result, achievement, feat. To exert one's self for a purpose; to put forth effort for the attainment of an object; to labor; to be engaged in the performance of a task, a duty, or the like.

“The dictionary is the only place that success comes before work. Hard work is the price we must pay for success. I think you can accomplish anything if you're willing to pay the price.” - Vince Lombardi, American coach

“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” - Confucius, Chinese philosopher

WOW! I hit the jackpot with this week’s theme of “work.” There were 28 definitions and 14 pages of quotations.

The main theme that flowed through the quotations is the importance of loving and enjoying what you do for work. Unfortunately, I know that a lot of people hate their “jobs” but stay in them for the stability.

For many years I worked in a restaurant – which, by the way, I did love and enjoy. I found, however, that the one night I didn’t enjoy was Sunday night, because the guests were usually in bad moods. My theory was that they were reacting to the fact that the next day they would be back at work, doing something they hated.

Another theme running through the quotations was the importance of working with people you like and get along well with. It reminded me of how many complain about their bosses and managers.

Many of the experts also stressed the value of “hard” work. So, let’s get to some of those enlightening quotations:

• “Every person born into this world their work is born with them.” - James Russell Lowell, American poet
• “I have worked all my life, wanted to work all my life, needed to work all my life.” - Liz Carpenter, American musician
• “I've always believed that if you put in the work, the results will come.” - Michael Jordan, American athlete
• “It's great to work with people that you like, any job, no matter what you do.” - Judd Nelson, American actor
• “Whatever your life's work is, do it well. A man should do his job so well that the living, the dead, and the unborn could do it no better.” - Martin Luther King, Jr., American leader
• “Your work is to discover your world and then with all your heart give yourself to it.” – Buddha, Indian leader

And a few more:

• “I'm a great believer in luck and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it.” - Thomas Jefferson, American President
• “Anybody can do bad work, but not everybody does good work.” - Paul Simon, American musician
• “A dream doesn't become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work.” - Colin Powell, American statesman
• “When you play, play hard; when you work, don't play at all.” - Theodore Roosevelt, American President
• “I never did a day's work in my life. It was all fun.” - Thomas A. Edison, American inventor“
• If the work is going well and it's something that has value with some meaning to it, it gives back a lot.” - Richard Gere, American actor

And two to take with you – I know that I am:

“Work harder on yourself than you do on your job.” - Jim Rohn, American businessman

“A professional is someone who can do his best work when he doesn't feel like it.” - Alistair Cooke, American journalist

I hope that you love your work. And, I do worry for those of you who are presently out of work. If I can just encourage you by letting you know that whatever direction you go, you will find work that you will love and enjoy more that what you were doing in the past. That’s how I got into the restaurant business, which turned out to be one of my careers that I loved the most and worked the longest at.

Curious about Wisdom: How Do We Achieve It? Or Can We? How Important Is It?

Definition of Wisdom: The quality of being wise; knowledge, and the capacity to make due use of it; knowledge of the best ends and the best means; discernment and judgment; discretion; sagacity; skill; dexterity. The results of wise judgments; scientific or practical truth; acquired knowledge; erudition.

“By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.” - Confucius, Chinese philosopher

“In seeking wisdom thou art wise; in imagining that thou hast attained it - thou art a fool.” - Lord Chesterfield, British statesman

I chose “Wisdom” for this week’s theme because I feel, as a Senior, I should be wise. Not only because of my years of living, but also because I have filled those years with reading, studying, taking courses, attending seminars, and learning from a plethora of experiences. However, I don’t feel that I am wise. As in the words of the Greek philosopher, Socrates, “The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.”

What I do know is that as I have matured in age, I have become willing to try new endeavors, to take more risks, to listen to advice – and not take it if my heart and gut say not to – to make more mistakes and to experience more failures that eventually lead to successes.

And, even though I have formed strong opinions over the years, I am hesitant to expect others to take my advice without applying their own wisdom to it. As I hope all of you will as you read the variety of quotations that I am share – there were dozens!

General thoughts about wisdom:

• “Wisdom is knowing what to do next; virtue is doing it.” - David Starr Jordan, American writer
• “The older I grow the more I distrust the familiar doctrine that age brings wisdom.” - H. L. Mencken, American writer
• “The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook.” - William James, American philosopher
• “Common sense in an uncommon degree is what the world calls wisdom.” - Samuel Taylor Coleridge, English poet
• “Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers.” - Alfred Lord Tennyson, English poet
• “He dares to be a fool, and that is the first step in the direction of wisdom.” - James Huneker, American writer

A few with a different twist:

• “Every man is a damn fool for at least five minutes every day; wisdom consists in not exceeding the limit.” - Elbert Hubbard, American writer
• “Some folks are wise and some are otherwise.” - Tobias Smollett, Scottish writer
• “Wisdom is the reward you get for a lifetime of listening when you'd have preferred to talk.” - Doug Larson, American cartoonist
• “He who devotes sixteen hours a day to hard study may become at sixty as wise as he thought himself at twenty.” - Mary Wilson Little, American writer
• “Nine-tenths of wisdom is being wise in time.” - Theodore Roosevelt, American President
• “Wisdom doesn't necessarily come with age. Sometimes age just shows up all by itself.” - Tom Wilson, American cartoonist

And the two that I like the best:

“Patience is the companion of wisdom.” - Saint Augustine, Roman Saint

“Wisdom outweighs any wealth.” – Sophocles, Greek poet

So, how do you visualize wisdom? Let me hear from you.

Curious about Imagination: Everyone Has It, However, We Don’t Always Put It to Good Use

Definition of Imagination: The imagine-making power of the mind; the power to create or reproduce ideally an object of sense previously perceived; the power to call up mental imagines. The complex faculty usually termed the plastic or creative power; the fancy. The power to recombine the materials furnished by experience or memory, for the accomplishment of an elevated purpose.

“This world is but a canvas to our imagination.” - Henry David Thoreau, American author

“I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge. That myth is more potent than history. That dreams are more powerful than facts. That hope always triumphs over experience. That laughter is the only cure for grief. And I believe that love is stronger than death.” - Robert Fulghum, American author

There now are millions of people on the Internet. Many are starting or maintaining businesses. Many are writing, creating, marketing, chatting and interacting. Many are coaching, consulting, buying and selling. Many are making money while others are trying to make money. The list could go on forever.

I submit to you that no matter why you are on the Internet, the secret to success in whatever endeavor you are pursuing is calling upon your imagination. Even if you think you don’t have imagination – you do. You just have to realize that your imagination is what will differentiate you from the crowds.

How you use your imagination will produce happiness, wealth and WOW in your life. You may feel that I am going too far and strongly with this statement. However, I know that when we are true to ourselves, our uniqueness will surface as we make use of our imagination. And, when we combine our imagination with emotion, visualization and positive thoughts, there will be no limits on what we will experience in our lives and futures.

Of course, you can imagine how many quotations I found from the experts. It was a challenge to pick the ones I am going to share with you:

• “First comes thought; then organization of that thought, into ideas and plans; then transformation of those plans into reality. The beginning, as you will observe, is in your imagination.” - Napoleon Hill, American writer
• “Formulate and stamp indelibly on your mind a mental picture of yourself as succeeding. Hold this picture tenaciously. Never permit it to fade. Your mind will seek to develop the picture... Do not build up obstacles in your imagination.” - Norman Vincent Peale, American clergyman
• “The moment a person forms a theory, his imagination sees in every object only the traits which favor that theory.” - Thomas Jefferson, American President
• “The man who has no imagination has no wings.” - Muhammad Ali, American athlete
• “The man who will use his skill and constructive imagination to see how much he can give for a dollar, instead of how little he can give for a dollar, is bound to succeed.” - Henry Ford, American businessman
• “Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it we go nowhere.” - Carl Sagan, American scientist
• “Live out of your imagination, not your history.” - Stephen Covey, American businessman

And, three more to think about in the weeks to come:

• “I believe in the imagination. What I cannot see is infinitely more important than what I can see.” - Duane Michals, American photographer
• “I doubt that the imagination can be suppressed. If you truly eradicated it in a child, he would grow up to be an eggplant.” - Ursula K. Le Guin, American writer
• “Imagination has brought mankind through the dark ages to its present state of civilization. Imagination led Columbus to discover America. Imagination led Franklin to discover electricity.” - L. Frank Baum, American author

My suggestion to you is to start using your imagination in as many ways you can conjure up. Write down what you are learning and what are the results. Have fun and let yourself go.

Curious about Follow: Follow, Following, Follow Through and Follow-up

“Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors where there were only walls.” - Joseph Campbell, American author

“Follow the path of the unsafe, independent thinker. Expose your ideas to the dangers of controversy. Speak your mind and fear less the label of 'crackpot' than the stigma of conformity. And on issues that seem important to you, stand up and be counted at any cost.” - Chauncey Depew, American politician

The word “follow” and “followers” has been on mind for quite awhile, because of my involvement with Twitter. As I have mentioned before, I am enamored with social media networking. One of my most recent goals has been to become knowledgeable about Twitter, and learn how to use it to advantage. When I was first introduced to Twitter, I didn’t “get it” and what advantages it offers. However, after checking out the “follow” quotations and considering the scope, I decided to think about the different ramifications of “follow.”

We all have values and beliefs that we follow. And, whether they are good for us or not, we have habits – usually daily – that we follow. Then, there are the people in our lives – those we know and those we don’t know personally – whom we follow. And, if we are doing any kind of marketing and/or selling, we know the importance of follow-up.

So, I ask you, what does the word “follow” conjure up for you? Is the path you are following providing you with health, happiness, wisdom and wealth? Or could it be better?

Let me share some of the wonderful quotations I found in my search:

• “High achievers spot rich opportunities swiftly, make big decisions quickly and move into action immediately. Follow these principles and you can make your dreams come true.” - Robert H. Schuller, American clergyman
• “The most important thing is to follow your instinct and get involved with some friends who have similar tastes and aspirations and like music as much as you do.” - Mick Taylor, English musician
• “It was character that got us out of bed, commitment that moved us into action, and discipline that enabled us to follow through.” - Zig Ziglar, American writer and speaker
• “You must know in your heart before anyone else does what is going to be good and then follow through.” - Bill Budge, American businessman
• “To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.” - William Shakespeare, English dramatist
• “Never treat anything you do as a stepping stone. Do it fully, and follow it completely.” - Mira Nair, Indian director

And a few more for good measure:

• “A life lived with integrity - even if it lacks the trappings of fame and fortune is a shinning star in whose light others may follow in the years to come.” - Denis Waitley, American writer
• “I'll tell you one thing: Don't ever give anybody your best advice, because they're not going to follow it.” - Jack Nicholson, American actor
• “Seek out that particular mental attribute which makes you feel most deeply and vitally alive, along with which comes the inner voice which says, 'This is the real me,' and when you have found that attitude, follow it.” - James Truslow Adams, American historian
• “Action is a great restorer and builder of confidence. Inaction is not only the result, but the cause, of fear. Perhaps the action you take will be successful; perhaps different action or adjustments will have to follow. But any action is better than no action at all.” - Norman Vincent Peale, American clergyman and writer
• “Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend.” - Albert Camus, French philosopher
• “Don't follow a trend. Follow your heart.” - Krist Novoselic, American musician

Again, what or whom do you follow? Has your life been enriched by it? Let me hear from you.