Do You Hear What I Hear?

I fancy myself an audiophile, primarily because of my history. In my earlier years (before kids, minivans, and car seats), much of my discretionary income went to high-end audio equipment and source music. I still have my B&W 801s, but they are relegated to the basement. Like most of you, most of my music is now personal. I carry my iPhone everywhere, and my 80GB iPod on my travels. The limitations of the digital sources are not nearly as challenging as the limitations of the sound transducers... those little micro-speakers that you stick on or over your ears.

That is changing dramatically.

Two years ago, before a trip to teach skiing in Europe, I picked up a pair of Westone UM2 in-ear monitors to make the long plane flights more bearable. I had taken to using earplugs to block noise because I arrived less fatigued, and my musician and audio expert friends were using UM2s on stage as in-ear monitors.

So, I decided to give them a try, even though they were designed for stage and not personal music devices.

They sound very nice, but aren't quite the top-end audiophile 'phones. At the time, I was hearing rumors about a three-way design that Westone was planning (three speakers in each ear, one each for high-, mid- and low-frequency reproduction), but it wasn't available, yet. So, I settled in with the UM2s.

Last November, Westone released the Westone 3, their first earphones designed for the discriminating consumer and audiophile. They are, without question, the finest in-ear speaker system available today.

Shortly after I received my pair, I tested them at home and on domestic plane flights. Then, after Christmas, I headed off on another long trip to Europe (this time to Frankfurt and back) to test them in a noisy environment for a long period of time. I tested them on my iPhone, my video iPod, airplane audio systems (more on those in a minute), and computers.

The executive summary: an audiophile's dream in-ear sound transducers.

First, what you get:

The box comes backed full of eartips so that you can find the ones the work just right for you, including foam tips for soft, noise-blocking fit; Shure baffle-style, and the mushroom-style that is familiar from other earphones on the market. In addition, you also have an in-line volume control, an adapter to make the Westone 3 compatible with standard headphone ports, and a pouch for carrying them.

That's a lot in a relatively small package, and the 3s pack a punch.

I listened to the 3s reproducing music as varied as Dvo?ák and Genesis. The personal entertainment system on United's new Boeing 767 international business class allowed me to test with music beyond my own 53GB digital library, and to see how they handled both quiet sections of orchestral music, subtleties of jazz vocals, and even the interesting crackle of tower communication. Regardless what I listened to, the eartips blocked most background noise, allowing me to listen in peace whether awake or asleep (Westone specifies 25 dB passive noise attenuation).

I will say that I am not one who likes active noise canceling. I think it messes with the audio too much. As an electrical engineer, I certainly understand the theory behind it, but I also recognize the distortion that the process introduces. That's why I prefer the passive approach that Westone uses, and together with the exceptional sonic characteristics of the units, you will find a very pleasant experience, indeed.

Bass? From these tiny things?

One of the primary areas missing from headphones and earphones is effective, clear bass. In the case of the Westone 3, you will be pleasantly surprised. The deep bass pedals of Genesis' Suppers Ready (from their live Seconds Out album) and the deep echoes on the Chant album (by The Benedictine Monks of Santo Domingo de Silos) were clear and deep. I almost felt that I could feel them, but decided it can't be possible that I would feel bass from these small devices.

Similarly, treble was clear and without coloration, with strings and woodwinds sounding natural and not strident.

The bottom line is that these are as sonically close to a studio monitor as I have yet heard. For anyone who is looking for ways to enjoy music in more places (and who isn't?) without the expected compromise in quality, I highly recommend the Westone 3s.

I Just Hung Up

"I just couldn't believe it!" Ross was practically beside himself as he recounted the story, "Here we are, their customer, having spent thousands with them, and they were acting like it was all our fault that we were getting nothing from the system!" "And what about all the challenges you were having with it?" I asked.

"That was our fault, too. We apparently aren't smart enough or dedicated enough to use it."

I spent more time with Ross, discussing the needs his business had for a tool to help track critical business information through his business, and we came up with some idea about what to do next.

Needless to say, the plans didn't include their former vendor.

I admit to being more than a little surprised with the way some businesses are treating their customers these days. They seem to think that you -- as their customer -- are a necessary evil. Like their products are perfect and if you would just be smart enough to use it, you'd be fine. They are getting in a fight with their customers.

What garbage!

I actually spend more time than you'd think unraveling situations like this and working with my clients to find a path that will work for them.

I will also say that technology is a fickle mistress. There are times it works amazingly well, and times when it fails miserably. Unfortunately, there are times when it's the same technology succeeding or failing, and the reasons are hidden and their appearance fleeting. The good news, though, is that there's always a solution.

If you'd like to let me know some of the things that are frustrating you right now, drop over to the survey and let me know.

This all came back to me last week. I was invited to participate on a call with a couple of "Internet Marketing Experts." Always open to new ideas and to hear what others are doing that's successful, I dialed in. However, I didn't last long.

I had just entered the call when one of the hosts started his introduction, "Today," he said, "we know you're on this call to learn money-sucking strategies..." and that was all I heard. I hung up. Maybe I should have kept listening to see what I could have learned, but some things are too important to me, and he was violating one of them: integrity. I have no interest in "sucking" money from someone. Nor do I teach it to my business and entrepreneurial clients.

It bothered me enough that I brought it up with my coach, Matt Furey, when we spoke later in the week.

"I don't like it," I said to him. "It's about providing value. When we provide more value than we ask in return, it all works. When we don't..." I let it trail off. "Exactly!" he said. "More so now than it has been for the past few years. Some people just don't realize it, yet.

"Be clear about the value you generate," he continued. "Make sure that you know what it is and how your clients see it. Then always deliver more than they expect."

Good advice. I follow it and you should, too.

Let's go! ssh

PS I'm pretty excited about the ways that Facebook and Twitter are changing lives and business. I'd love to have you as a friend on Facebook and Twitter.

Transformation Through Celebration

Yesterday I was here in Colorado and got to spend the morning with my son Gabriel at his Upward basketball game. Gabe is 7, and in his second year of organized basketball, and yesterday I got a great opportunity to see how much he has learned. And not just about basketball. Yes, I'm proud of him for his play on the court (2 steals, both leading to breakaway scores, 4 other buckets, and solid defensive play), but I was even more excited to see how he handled both success and adversity during the game.

Early in the game, he collided with another player and went down pretty hard. But he just jumped back up and kept playing. He hustled the entire game, too. But what I really appreciated was the way he celebrated, both for his own success and that of his teammates. With utter abandon, he'd celebrate a shot, a point scored, or a good defensive play. After his scores, he'd run back onto defense, pumping his fist or jumping in the air. Then, he'd settle back in and play.

As I watched the video again this afternoon, I am deeply grateful for the way he has learned to celebrate his successes... and those of others. There is nothing negative or offensive about it. It is innocent, honest, and heart-felt. He's excited and pleased and lets it show, then gets back to work.

Contrast this to most people. Most people focus on the negative. They beat themselves -- and others -- up for failures. They dwell on the bad. They expect it to get worse. In the best of times, they talk about how it can't last. In the worst, they talk about how much worse it can get. If something good happens, they say something ridiculous like, "It's about time," and then get ready for something to go wrong again.

Quite a contrast. My 7-year-old has it right while these adults have it wrong: celebrate your successes, learn from your failures, and then get back to work. Here's what's interesting about this approach: your success multiplies when you focus on it. As with Gabe's game yesterday when shaking off his early tumble and his first miss allowed him to make 6 in a row, your ability to shake off both the tumbles and the errors of life while focusing on the success you imagine will make all the difference.

Let's go! ssh

Who Makes You Scared?

Yesterday afternoon I sat at the kitchen table with my wife Terry for our daily ritual of afternoon tea. Whenever we can, we slow down for a few minutes, brew a pot of strong English tea, and sit and catch up for a few minutes. Tea is wonderful that way; you can't hurry the brewing of a good pot of tea. As we drink a strong cup of PG Tips, we talk. I like to hear what she's thinking and about her experiences of the day. Yesterday, she talked with me about a conversation with one of her health care professionals. She had felt a little something that concerned her, and so she visited with him briefly earlier in the day. She came away relieved and especially pleased when he told her that by his measure she was three years younger than she had been when she last visited him.

Pretty nice, eh?

But that wasn't the thing that struck me the most. That came as she was telling me why she so appreciates him and the way he talks with her. She said, "He never makes me scared or panicy like so many health professionals. They are very arrogant that their way is the only way. They treat me like an idiot. But he never does."

You may not remember, but Terry is no slouch. A valedictorian, a graduate of the oldest college in New York state with a degree in Computer Science, and she wrote code and manuals for IBM for many years. She's a smart lady. And yet, some health professionals treat her like and idiot and scare her.

That makes me think about about ways that you interact with others.

Fear is expediency for a weak person. They use fear to get their way in the short term. Sooner or later, though, they are going to lose their grip and fail.

There's a lot of fear going around right now. Maybe you've noticed. It depends on your focus how you respond. There have been many times in history that have been hard for some. The dark ages. The world wars. The Great Depression. And others. There have been many times of challenge. You know what they all have in common, though, is that things got better. In fact, eventually, things got great.

And that's what's going to happen again.

That's what I'm focused on and thinking about. Moving as quickly as I can towards that great future. Want to come along?

Let's go! ssh

Life Would be Pretty Good...

I've been here in my office a lot the past few days working on a web site transition for one of my clients and getting my hands a little dirtier than usual tearing apart a hard drive that decided to go bad. I posted a few photos of the hard drive as I tore it apart to both Twitter and Facebook and made a few comments. It was very interesting the number of people who got caught up in my tearing apart a hard drive, including Mark, who has a couple of the same type of drives connected to his Mac, and Jim who asked if I had pulled the drives out and tried to mount them directly.

Great idea! I hadn't done that. So, I did. In the process, I found that one was completely dead, but the other would work (and allowed me to recover the data that had been on the disk since the data was the same on the two disks; they were mirrored).

Once again, my friends saved me some frustration... and money!

Of course, not everything went so smoothly. I was reminded of Rob Golden, who I worked with many years ago.

Rob was a great engineer at IBM. He was a programming engineer, and worked on a wide variety of projects across the company. I was grateful to get to know him as a young, wet-behind-the-ears IBMer. One day, I walked into his dimly lit office to catch up on projects, completely ignorant of the impact that the short meeting would have.

I leaned against his desk as he typed away, then he looked up at me over the top of his glasses. Rob was a veteran, with the gray hair and lines on his face to prove it. He was thoughtful and focused. He could laugh when we played a joke on him, but could be as serious as he needed to be.

On this day, we were talking about his latest software project, and the reactions of the users. "How's it goin'?" I asked innocently enough.

"Well," he replied, "It's going well. Life would be pretty good if it wasn't for these damn computers."

I miss Rob. And his irony.

...and I can certainly relate to his point. At least he didn't blame the users.

Like Bill Gates and other business technology experts, I am often asked about various technologies that people are considering using. Since I've worked with forums and sites like Facebook and Twitter for a while and they are really gathering momentum, I've been getting a lot of questions about them. So, I've decided to put together a new Benefits of Some Social Networks package of video and an executive summary. You'll be able to quickly scan, learn which systems you should -- and even more importantly, shouldn't -- use, what do watch out for, and how to make them beneficial instead of painful time-wasters.

Keep your eyes open for that... it'll be out next week.

Let's go! ssh

PS If you've got some technology frustrations, take the survey.

The World's a-Twitter

Last week, I got a call from CNN. I enjoy my conversations with many members of the press, and this was a great one. CNN.com journalist Lisa Respers France was interested in my comments that I got a lot of my news from the social media instead of the mass media. You may remember that this was shortly after the US Airways plane landed on the Hudson River, and the first photo came to the world via Twitter. I was able to tell Lisa how I have learned of a number of events from on-the-scene locals through Twitter, Facebook, and other social media. We talked about a couple of earthquakes, including the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989 when I was only a few miles from the epicenter (I tell the story in the book).

She asked me if I was concerned about the information I got from social networking sites, since I didn't know everyone and they weren't professionals. My reply is the one she quoted in the article:

Stephen Hultquist, a Boulder, Colorado, consultant who gets a great deal of his breaking news from Twitter, said traditional media sources also make mistakes or give skewed reports.

"If anything, Twitter reminds me that everyone is human and they all have their own views and a paradigm through which they see the world," said Hultquist who had a unique appreciation of the quick, firsthand tweets that came after the earthquake in China last year.

"I was five miles from the epicenter of the earthquake in 1989 that happened right before a World Series game and I noticed that the media that was reporting on it wasn't getting it all right," he said.

You can read the rest of the article.

The world is changing pretty dramatically. In many ways, it's getting smaller. The mass media and politicians and elite are losing their grip on information and "the truth." I think it's pretty interesting.

More than ever, it's important to be taking on your own life. That's in the book, too. Are you taking it on?

Let's go! ssh

PS Follow me on Twitter and get your news faster than CNN just like I do.

Health Comes First

G'day... Today, the news stories centered around a US Airways airplane that the pilot safely landed on the Hudson river. Virtually as soon as it happened, photos appeared on Twitter and Flickr.

But yesterday, the world was a-twitter with the news that Apple CEO Steve Jobs had announced a 6-month medial leave of absense to deal with his health. One of my friends said it well: It's great to see him show the example that health comes first.

Today, I read a great article by Kara Swicher of AllThingsD about Jobs and his 2005 commencement address at Stanford. (You can read the full article here: http://preview.tinyurl.com/79pmw9) In reading Steve's speech (the full text is in the article as well as a video of it), I was struck by a couple of things that Steve said:

1) Follow what you love and allow your passion to guide the way you serve others

2) Make your decisions today as though it is your last

Given Jobs' recent bouts with pancreatic cancer and now a hormonal imbalance, he brings an astounding perspective.

Live with passion...

Let's go! ssh

PS If you want to see what I mean about Twitter, join and start following me: http://twitter.com/shultquist

Getting Over Your Fear and Doubt

Hey! Yesterday I had one-on-one calls with two of my Mastermind members. They are engaged in their lives and focused on moving forward in ways that many people never even realize are available to them.

It's my role to help them see what's possible, far beyond what they can see on their own.

When I wrote the book, that was my focus, too. To use a set of word pictures for describing the basics of life and how life can work for you. I drew on my experience as a skier, teacher, and coach to give you a clearer picture of how it all fits together.

Judging by the response, it's working. Here is an email that I received from Mike in Canada:

Stephen,

I purchased the book, read it - now I have had a chance to live it and re-read it in context. I have skied here at Whistler/Blackcomb for 75 day consecutively after a 20 year break and have another 35 days to go before I head home.

I'm just starting to experience the longer runs on a more consistent basis, having overcome all the little anxieties etc re: heights although I like steeps..something about being on the ground....

Up the mountain is certainly better than halfway up and when you get above the tree line you have this vista so I understand what you have been enjoying all these years.

I've heard some delightful stories about elder persons, from the 89 y guy who skis each day to the 84 y widow who took up skiing at that age, and is now skiing in Europe with a younger ski instructor (60ish) and on some private fantasy to ski in each skiable country before she shuffles off...so hats off to the elders folks whatever they choose to do. A little closer to home I was working on the World Cup races when an elder gentleman skied on over. He was doing a mountain tour thanking various folks who assisted him when he had a heart attack. He was lucky when he fell on the run there was a cardiologist skiing behind him - 100,000/1 event - so the day he spoke with me he was skiing around thanking folks...funny thing though at 82 you think he would slow down but he was home from intensive care only 4 days earlier after being fitted with a pace maker and still had stitches to boot, but his love of the mountain and the people got him out of bed...so at 55 I feel really young in comparison.

So it appears that 550 hours + does effect the performance of boots, even Dale Boots and but at the least I can now feel what I'm supposed to feel re: the relationship between boots/skis and balance...and that has been a breakthrough for me...it is really fantastic to feel 'response' and skiing through the trees did highlight that...all very gratifying. I thought for a period I was simply not going to get it! But have ended up with a real education and have been educated real well - volumes more to discover yet.

One other change I have made is when tired I now have found a few fallen logs and nooks-and-crannies on the mountains that I wonder off to and sit quietly on, along with my hydration pack, sandwiches, feeding the birds and book(s) in lieu of heading for home, spa etc and that has been a meditation. I have a great deal to be thankful for. This placed and especially being on the mountains is a delight.

I take two books with me each day - the mountain guide and your book - I enjoy steeps and tree runs and then find a quiet and favourite place and read the chapter(s) on what I have been doing - I have a think for while, but mainly a rest and at 55 though in good form I do get tired but always smiling, then ski off with an additional insight(s) for more fun. I have Weems eBook 'Brilliant Skiing' which I have converted into a wav file for my IPod and so I have the benefit of years of experience, summarised, even if the voice is somewhat mechanical/robotic - technology sure is versatile.

So I just wanted to say 'thanks' in a roundabout way.

Regards

Mike Salewicz

ssh: Mike, thank YOU! You stepped back and took on your own life at a higher level and as a result, you'll never be the same. Keep moving forward, exploring, and finding new ways to build your life in the way that YOU choose.

And you, my friend, can do the same...

Let's go! ssh

PS You know people who need a breakthrough, especially with all the fear and doubt in the air. The book can help them see in new ways... Check out the details here: http://stephenhultquist.com/book.html

Practice Makes...

Good day! On Monday, it snowed. It was a complete surprise. We woke to 4" of puffy white that fell in just a couple of hours. It tangled traffic, cancelled flights, and messed up plans.

But, it was beautiful!

As I sat here this morning thinking about that surprise and all the plans that it changed, I remembered an email that one of my readers wrote me last year. He had written it during a challenging time for his company and written it to the members of his team. He said:

It is impossible to be perfect. When you try, you set yourself up for failure. Every time you impose perfectionism on yourself or another, you cause yourself undue stress. You are asking an impossible task.

On the other hand you can be excellent every day. Contrary to popular belief, the word excellent does not mean perfect. Excellent means "your best"; it means the best you can do right now, today, in this set of circumstances, with this knowledge and experience. If I give my best and have nothing more to give, I am excellent.

Excellence means that you never stop trying & never stop improving yourself. Each day we grow wiser with new experiences. What we learn today may have helped yesterday or a month ago.  Acknowledge your new "experience" and use it to solve tomorrow's problems, hopefully by avoiding it!

~Mark

What does excellence mean to you? When I was writing the book (http://stephenthultquist.com/book.html), I wanted to make sure that it was as good as I could make it. It's not perfect, I know. Sometimes, I was tempted to spend too much time and energy on it to try to make it perfect.

But I know that I did my best every day. And the result is a book that has been enjoyed by many, both those who ski and those who don't.

Bring out your excellence today...

To YOUR success,

Stephen Hultquist

PS It seems more and more people are using Twitter... If you are and would like to follow me, add "shultquist"...

What's with the Attitude?

Don't you love this time of year? There's so much to enjoy. More than anything, though, it's about the attitude. Tomorrow, I'll get together with a couple of other families to celebrate Thanksgiving. There will be turkey and the fixin's. There will be football and fun. Friends, family, food, football, and freedom.

It's a reminder of how blessed we all are.

Life isn't perfect, but it's good. We wake up each morning on the up side of the grass. We can breathe and think, eat and sleep.

And this is the time of year when we refresh our attitude of gratitude...

I am grateful for so much, especially for you. Thank you for reading these emails, sharing your thoughts when you can, and working with me to make the world a better place. It IS getting better, and we'll keep working at it.

Thank you. Sincerely. I appreciate your friendship and our connection.

May you deeply experience your blessings this Thanksgiving.

To YOUR success, ssh

PS Thank you. You are one of a kind.

The Boiling Baptismal

Yesterday was a special day for my son Gabriel at me. Gabe is 7 years old. He loves football. I mean he REALLY loves football. He watches it on television (and was my excuse for getting DirecTV with NFL Sunday Ticket this year!), plays it on the computer (John Madden and Al Michaels have taught him a lot about the game!), and talks about it constantly. Often, he will stop a conversation to ask a question. "If the Jets are in white playing the Titans in blue, who will win?" He likes the team in white. He was pretty happy with the Jets this weekend.

But that's not why yesterday was so special.

You may remember that I'm a lay pastor. That means that I do pastor stuff but not as a job... I don't get paid for it. And that's just fine with me.

One of the things I've been asked to do as a result is to baptise people. It's always a joy to be able to participate with a believer in their spiritual awakening in baptism, but there are some that are more special than others...

Like Gabe's.

He has been talking about his baptism for a while, and Sunday was the day. We planned a small, private time with a few of his friends. But it didn't turn out quite the way that we had planned.

A few minutes before I started to pull the cover off, Jerry had heard the baptismal water boiling! Seems we'd be a bit delayed. The termostat had failed completely. The water heater didn't stop heating the water until Jerry cut off the power to it. Getting the cover off turned out to be quite the experience, too...

It took most of the day, but eventually the water cooled enough that Gabe was able to experience his spiritual cleansing that evening. And I got to be the pastor who baptized him.

Often, life doesn't go the way we've planned. We have to decide at each turn which way we'll go. You need to know your destination, as I wrote in chapter 11 of the book (http://stephenhultquist.com/book.html), and knowing it you'll know how to choose.

Do you know?

To YOUR success, ssh

PS Now's a good time to pick up a copy of the book for your skiing friends and family for Christmas. I'll sign it to anyone you'd like: http://stephenhultquist.com/book.html

What's Been Going On

I have mentioned a number of times that I would let you in on what has been going on with me and why I've been sending you an email so rarely... and as we approach Thanksgiving, it seems an important thing to do. I am grateful for you. Thank you for subscribing to my email list. I have received some wonderful comments and I am grateful that you get something out of these emails. Beginning next week, you will hear from me more frequently.

That said, what's been going on?

It's been a very interesting time. We had a wonderful time in England and Scotland in June, but the reentry when we returned was very challenging for me. I had a client dramatically increase their demands on my time, and was challenged by those demands at the same time that I was working on my Time Mastery system...

...talk about ironic!

It has taken me this long to recover from the "perfect storm" of too much to do with commitments that were just too aggressive. My tendency to take on the impossible just to prove it can be done was a big part of the reason I hunkered down to get those things done.

But there were other important things that went undone.

Now, though, I'm starting to come out and see more clearly what's been going on. As the air clears, I am making the changes necessary to free myself from those challenges, including dropping a client...

Have you ever been there? The good news is that I've learned A LOT in the process, will have even more to share with you as a result. And I am recommitted to being sure that you hear from me.

Drop me a line to let me know what's going on with you, and any questions that you've been considering lately. Let's get reconnected!

To YOUR success, ssh

PS Growth is a perpetual and deliberate process. Are you growing?

How to Respond to the Economy

On Friday afternoon, I had a coaching call with one of the members of my business Master Mind group. We were talking about the great job he's been doing cleaning up a bunch of loose ends in his business. As for many of us, it's easy for Roderick to ignore the little things and miss just how much energy they drain out of your life. Like a bottle of fine wine with a slow leak in the cork, they can ruin the joy in your life.

Roderick is experiencing the freedom of no loose ends. Are you? It takes a bit of focus and blocking your time to get 'er done, but it's worth it.

Just do it.

In the middle of our conversation, though, I asked him a question that caused him to pause and say, "Wow. That's a really good question." One of the things I enjoy about Roderick is his focus on moving forward and his willingness to calmly look at his own situation and be willing to take coaching and make changes.

His response to the question didn't surprise me, but it was great to hear. Then, we talked about some ideas.

You want to know the question? It was this:

How can your business prosper from the economic turmoil?

Fear is in the air. Fear is sucking the life out of people everywhere. The traditional media are amplifying the fear, uncertainty, and doubt to further their objectives. It's been about a year since they first started creating fearful expectations... and their self-fulfilling prophesy of contraction. After all, fearful people hold tight to their funds... and people holding tight don't feed the economy. It really is that simple, and yet most people think that the economy is some sentient being with its own volition. It's not. It's just the collective actions of all the people in the country and in the world.

And when people get fearful, they tremble and hide.

Some people, though, prosper in these times. And those are the people who ask themselves that question every day: How can I prosper in these economic times? Whether in an expansion or a contraction, that version of the question will serve you well.

As Elfreda Pretorius says in her great book, "Stop Struggling and Start Living," no one is coming to rescue you. It's up to you. And you CAN prosper, regardless of what everyone else is doing.

So, how can YOU prosper in these economic times?

To YOUR success, ssh

PS A few of the people who receive my email have asked about personal coaching and my Master Mind group. I do have two slots available in my Boulder Master Mind group, and three in my personal coaching group. Let me know if you are interested and I'll send you an application

How to Fight Distraction

It has been an interesting summer. And here I am, once again, at 35,000 feet somewhere over the Western United States on another United flight. I admit that the video screens are difficult to avoid, but I do my best. Especially since I've noticed this same sitcom episode on many flights this month. Ever notice how it can be difficult to avoid distraction?

In fact, for me, the summer has been much like that. Everywhere I turned, there was opportunity... and distraction. I rediscovered a fundamental of life that easily slips away from us:

Purpose

Purpose is the "why?" of life. It gives a reason for what you are doing now... and what you are doing next. It gives you clearer choices.

..and most people have no idea what theirs is. Do you?

As Zig Ziglar recommended in his great audio album "Goals" (as I quoted in my book), knowing your purpose gives you the opportunity to ask very simple questions every time you have a choice. The key question is, "Will doing this get me closer to or further from my primary objective?"

Think about how easy that makes choices that so often seem complex. Does this move me closer? If so, then it makes sense to pursue it. If not, there is no real reason to bother with it.

First, though, you have to get clear about your purpose. This is true for you personally, for you and your family, and for your business. Capturing the emotionally-charged reality of what is important to you will change your life.

So take the time to do it.

Therein lies the story behind my absence for so much of this summer. Purpose and distraction. When purpose stays clear, distractions have less impact. But sometimes it's hard to keep it clear and sometimes the distractions seem more important than they are.

Are you getting closer to or further from your primary objective? Do you know?

To YOUR success, ssh

PS Purpose is the first step to clarity. Do you carry yours with you at all times?

Why I've Been So Quiet

Life comprises seasons for all of us. This last season for me has been one of true challenge. Some things have just fallen off the list each day, and it's been unfortunate that my communication with you has been one of them. Life has been full of surprises, from my mom's wedding to my daughter's first day at school away from home. And as I researched new methods for getting more done, I discovered a number of methods that JUST DON'T WORK!

I'll tell you more about them soon.

In the meantime, I also learned that many of you haven't been receiving my emails. Email deliverability has become something of a soapbox for me, so I've written a series of articles on it for InfoWorld (you can read all of them on my blog there at http://weblog.infoworld.com/cioviews/ -- there are more coming). I also have a number of new options for you to make sure you don't miss any of the posts as I ramp them up again this fall.

As I ramp back up, drop me a note, won't you? Let me know what's on your mind. The presidential race is heating up, and I'm hearing many strong opinions. What are yours? Fall is coming, and with it football (oh, yeah!), cooler days, promise of snow, and time for me to get working harder at getting in shape. What about you?

Lots more to come. I've missed you. But I have so much to share...

To YOUR success, ssh

PS Drop me a note. What's on your mind?

Starting Our 25th Year

This past weekend was relaxing and fun as Terry and I headed up to Breckenridge for a few days of R&R. Of course, before we could relax together, I spoke at the annual Hands & Voices Leadership conference. Friday morning, I joined the leaders of Hands & Voices, a nation-wide non-profit dedicated to helping children who are hearing impared or deaf to reach their highest potential, and spoke with them about the essence of leadership and the daily roles of a leader. The members of the group are inspirational, and doing a vitally important work. As you know from reading my books or hearing me speak, my mission is to guide people and organizations to their highest potential, so we had an immediate connection. Some of the leaders were concerned that I wouldn't understand the non-profit world or their work, but after letting them know my background as a non-profit leader and also my growing up around friends who are deaf, we connected.

And I'm glad we did.

I was able to share with them the important concepts of leadership. How it's their job to communicate the "Why?", to identify the "Who?", to understand motivation and how to use it, to be clear about the "What?", to plan the "When?", and to work together with their teams on the "How?"

Many of the leaders came up to speak with me afterwards and share how some of the concepts really helped them to see more clearly how to lead and how some of the stories really brought the points home.

Stories...

I think that stories area great for illustrating much of life, but deep principles require a metaphor. Life principles are so incredibly important, and yet so few people really know what they are, understand them, or put them to use. That's why I wrote Mastering Life Through Love of the Turns; taking critical life principles and putting them to the music of the metaphor of skiing so that they are more easily understood.

...and now you can get a copy for yourself or a friend at a special price to celebrate with Terry and me. More about that in a minute...

An ancient wisdom writing says, "God speaks, first one way and then another, though man may not perceive it." We miss truth, don't we? Stories and metaphors help them become more real. Wisdom writing is full of it, but today, much of it is lost.

After my leadership teaching, I joined the conference attendees for lunch, had some great conversations, and then headed out with Terry to enjoy our 24th anniversary. That's right, we're in our 25th year!

To celebrate that, I'm going to give YOU a gift just for this week. If you buy one or more copies of the book, I'll give you 25 dimes off. Just put "25for25" in at checkout as a coupon and the amount will automatically be deducted. (Go here to read more about the book and to order: http://stephenhultquist.com/book.html) I'll even sign it for you!

Meeting leaders is always great. They are so committed to what they do and to others. And the snow that's still on the peaks just added to my enjoyment.

Where do YOU find inspiration?

To YOUR success, Stephen Hultquist

PS Don't forget that you can pick up a copy of the book for yourself and your friends at http://stephenhultquist.com/book.html. Skiers are starting to think about skiing now as the days get shorter, so it makes a great gift!

How to Stay Young

I'm back in the States now, even though I haven't finished telling you about much of our time in the UK. I need to plan my Internet access a bit better. Over the past week, though, I've put about 1200 miles on a rental car visiting a client and my mom. And what news! My mom got married!

After my dad died in late 2004, I wasn't sure what was going to happen with Mom given her propensity to stay home and become a hermit. Turns out, I needn't have been concerned. Last Thursday, she married a great guy who is 16 years her senior, and she's clearly very happy. I'm delighted for her, although carting 34 years worth of stuff out of the basement in the house she's selling was a bit of work...

Her new husband is a great guy. He laughs easily. He's in great shape, swimming off the dock of his cottage on Higgins Lake in Michigan every day when they are there. He listens well, has a great family (including two great grandchildren), and it's been great getting to know them all over the past week.

He's 91. And young.

I think that sense of humor has a lot to do with it. I'm sure that his tolerance does, as well. During the drive, I listened to one of my favorite authors/speakers, Earl Nightingale. In one of the talks, he quoted Søren Kierkegaard: "Strength and tolerance are partners." WIth strength of character and personal esteem comes tolerance.

Stay young.

To YOUR success, Stephen Hultquist

How To See the Queen

We're still in London, and today was the day for the changing of the guard, the pageantry of redcoats going off duty and on duty. At least that was the plan. It didn't quite turn out that way. Today started off like yesterday, with a tube ride into the city. This time, we got off at Westminster station. The looks on the faces of the kids when they stared up at Big Ben for the first time was priceless! We got some stills and video from the Westminster Bridge over the Thames (although the construction on the north side was a real bummer!), and then headed for Buckingham Palace.

The police presence was more the I remembered as we made our way towards the park. There are avenues leading up to the palace and surrounding the great park outside it. Ducks, herons, and other waterfowl play in the pools and laugh at the tourists. But before we got there, we had our first surprise. There, on Birdcage Walk, was the Kings Troop Royal Artillery. As we walked up, they stopped. They unsheathed their swords with a snap. Sat at attention. Yet were human at the same time. We listened to them speak with one another waiting for their command to move out, astride those glorious horses. My daughter Rachel connected with a number of the horses as she so often does, much like a "horse whisperer".

...and the day was just starting!

After the King's Troop began again, we neaded towards the palace. The crowds were much larger than I expected. Then, I happened to overhear a London police officer: "The Queen will be leaving in about 2 minutes."

Wow!

We sprinted for The Mall and set up to wait. Within seconds, her consort began to pass.

You see, it was the Queen's Official Birthday!

So we saw the Queen on her Official Birthday. Not her real birthday. But, then, she's the Queen!

How many birthdays do you have each year?

She reminds us that we can master time by thinking differently. Monarchs always do. They are taught differently than we are. But, they really aren't any different. And we can learn something from how they treat time. Like they are immortal. Like they can bend it. And like they control it.

To YOUR success, ssh

Mind the Gap

Yesterday, we got to London and walked around the area near Regents Park. This large, lush park is northwest of the main downtown sites, and is set among the quiet of Camden and St. John's Wood. Near the park is a world famous address: 21b Baker Street, where today you'll find the Sherlock Holmes Museum. We found it on foot as we explored the area around our hotel and began to "get sorted" as they say here. Being in England forces a few adjustments right away. When you cross the street, you need to be careful to look both directions, since the cars are typically coming from your right as you step off the curb. On many crossings in the city, you'll see "Look Left" or "Look Right" on the street to remind you -- helpful both for those of us not of the habit and for those times when you're crossing one-way or other unusual configurations.

Today, though, we had our first full day in London, and it started at the Swiss Cottage Tueb Station where we bought an all-day pass for everyone. Gabe rides free, and the girls ride for only one pound sterling all day with us, so it was a very convenient and economical way around the city.

First stop, the Tower of London.

As you get on the tube, though, you hear those famous words: Mind the Gap. At some stations, the train cars' floors are above the level of the station platform, so you must step up or down as you enter or exit the cars. Mind the Gap. The Tube has recently gone digital, and the announcements are mostly clear, with corresponding lighted signs giving information. It was easy to find our way to the Tower Station and exit into the bright sun of a beautiful cool London morning.

I can't wait to show you our first video that we took at the Tower, and began to breathe the deep sense of history that surrounds you at places like this.

The Tower was first built nearly 1000 years ago. It has been a fortress of dread and a beacon of hope. It holds mysteries and victories within its walls.

Above all that, it connects you to history. It illustrates that we are living a small panel of an eternal tapestry that has been woven for centuries and continues into the future.

And that is profound...

In the US, it's easy to forget that written history goes back centuries and unwritten history goes back far beyond that. In Europe (and even more so in the Middle East and Orient), it's easier to connect with that truth.

The last time Terry and I were in the UK was in 1999. It was fascinating to see the difference between the mindset in the UK, where they were building the London Eye and planning a Millenium party and the US, where everyone was in a virtual panic over "Y2K". The difference is in how connected with history they are here.

What about you?

How you see time directly connects to what you do with it. It's a key to your success with time. And one of the concepts I teach in Telling Time, the book that you can now order on prepublication at http://stephenhultquist.com/shaving-book.html. You'll get the Special Report right away.

The Special Report has such vital information that after my new friend Nancy reviewed it as part of a business conversation, she told me, "I am already seeing changes in the way I'm living and how I'm thinking about time." And you'll get that FREE when you order the book as a Charter member before it's available.

After all, it's all about time.

To YOUR success, ssh

When Is In Time?

When is It Time? Dear %$firstname$%,

As I type this to you, I'm in the air, again. I love to travel. I enjoy the anticipation, the going there, the getting there, the bittersweet goodbye, and the homecoming. After nearly a year's anticipation, we're on our way to our first international family vacation, this one to the UK (England and Scotland this time). Here are 40,000 feet in the air over the Atlantic, it's becoming real. We're going! We're here as a family this time, instead of me visiting clients, meeting with my Master Mind colleagues, or checking in with my coaches as I often do. This time I get to share it.

The kids are getting used to the seats and the extra space, since my frequent flying has given us the advantage of flying in business class. The girls took the two seats by the window and Terry and I are sharing the middle three seats with Gabe. It's a perfect timing for a trans-Atlantic flight, leaving Denver at half-past eight and arriving in London midday. We should have time for getting oriented and seeing a few sights near the hotel before making it an early night.

I'm thinking, though, about the responses of those who heard about the trip. Most, like our closest friends, were delighted and wished us a wonderful journey and relaxing vacation. But sometimes someone would say, "Ugh! How could you go now? The exchange rate will kill you! It's SOOO expensive!"

I always find those kinds of comments interesting -- and sometimes find them irritating. After all, I can't control the exchange rate, or most other things like that. We plan trips like this for nearly a year, and there is nothing I can do about those things. Cancel our trip? No way! We'll just take it as it comes. And love every minute of it.

You'll hear more as we explore "merry olde England" and Scotland!

To YOUR success, ssh