Welcome…
This is my first Jerusalem Times blog… Nice to meet y’all…
I thought I’d launch this new adventure with a brief introduction of the pain you might face in coming months…
First, an apology, though…
For some totally inexplicable reason that I can’t defend, I’ve never been to Israel. It’s strange, because I have terrific family and great friends there—which makes this all the more inexplicable. So, while I have every intention of visiting soon, if you decide to stop reading right now, I’ll understand—totally! No hard feelings…
A brief introduction—and a gift…
About six weeks ago, two friends and I decided to launch a new project we decided to call “The-Gift-Tree.com.”
Our idea was simple: Through the medium of story-telling, our goal was to help people bring their ideas to life—and to bring life to their dreams. We thought we’d use our combined experiences as a story-telling tool. We saw our stories as “gifts” we’d put under a tree. We hoped that, as we did, we might just make a difference for the better in the lives of those we touch. We’ll see… I know that hope springs eternal!
In this project, I’m in quite illustrious company...
My one co-founder is Steve Burrows CBE, a world-renowned civil and structural engineer who was honored by Her Majesty the Queen for his achievements in civil and structural engineering around the world. Steve is now Exec VP of an engineering firm that employs over 32,000 people around the world. His only two incurable maladies that I know of are his a wickedly dry sense of humor and passion for Manchester Unite. As I’ve mentioned, each is incurable. Sadly, there is no hope for him. If you have an irresistible urge to send him a donation, you may send it to me. I hope I’ll then remember to pass them on to him…
My other co-founder is Prof. Diane Swanson, PhD. She is Professor of Management at Kansas State University where she chairs the Business Ethics Education Initiative. She is also a prolific author in the world of business ethics. Her only noticeable malady is her insatiable appetite for ethics. If this is curable, you’ll be the first to know…
So, in this my inaugural post, I thought I’d offer a special gift that I’d illustrate by telling you parts of my own story…
My first gift to you: “Assume nothing!”
I don’t know about you, but, for my whole life, I’ve been trying to identify dots and then trying to connect them. My optimistic hope was that this might lead me to conclusions that might make sense. I can now tell you that sometimes this happened. Often, though, it didn’t…
So, let me offer you a few examples of how some dots can lead you astray if you make too many assumptions. I thought I’d use my own background as a vivid example of this.
Consider this—
Just because I’m in the company of two enormously impressive professionals in my new project, you can’t assume for a moment that this thereby makes me an enormously impressive professional too. It doesn’t… Trust me… I know…
Similarly, when you read that, after leaving South Africa, I worked for an international trading company as a personal assistant to the managing director in their London and Zurich offices, you can’t assume that this qualifies me for anything. It didn’t then and it doesn’t now… (Incidentally, I have no recollection of learning anything from my London and Zurich experiences. Nothing, nada, squat…)
And when you read that I created my own international business law firm in Los Angeles, you can’t assume that my greatest challenges had anything to do with any sophisticated legal issues. No, my greatest challenge was simply to get paid…
And when you read that I was later the CEO of an international music company, you can’t assume that I must have at least a few musical bones in my body. Well, I don’t …
And when you read that I was the CEO of an internationally renowned award-winning architectural design firm, you can’t assume either that I’m an architect or that I have a wondrous flair for design. Again, I’m not—and I don’t…
Finally, when you read that I wrote a critically acclaimed book on Scams and Nelson Mandela, you can’t assume that I can write—or that hordes of people (other than close friends and family) have now read and enjoyed my book… Again, I’m not—and people haven’t…
Have I made my point?
I hope so! :-)