If ever there was an unexpected
treasure hidden behind a plain exterior, this is it! Anyone who has
lived in Richardson, Texas as long as I have will remember the building
on Campbell and Nantucket as the original Sterlings catalog store. After
that, it was offices. Recessed off Campbell, is a nondescript building,
except for the fact that there are now huge letters on the front that
say Classic Cars, Banquet Rooms and NTX.
See my family has always been sort of dysfunctional and
encountered endless arguments over senseless topics for as long as I can
remember. The lesson of karma is that at some point in time, God, the
Universe and the "powers that be" will step in with the intent of
rebuilding the structure of a family broken down.
The first
thing you need to do is keep your emotions in check. This means, don't
try to cry, shout, swear, whine, moan, or groan your way into getting
what you want. This simply won't work. Act like a mature adult and try
to keep your emotions contained, no matter how loud the other person
might get.
straight
from the source
This didn't happen over night. My wife and I separated
seven months before she filed for divorce. We stayed together though. We
still had a sex life, we still did things with each other and we still
took care of one another. Just like we did when we lived together. We
both liked the option of having our own space though. Sure, we missed
each other but it was nice for both of us to have the option of saying
to the other, "I just want to chill at home alone tonight" and send the
other home. Do any of these scenarios sound familiar? Have you ever
been involved in a situation where you felt you were treated unfairly,
yet you didn't know how to resolve it? We all face situations like these
most every day. Of course, the easiest "remedy" is to just keep quiet
and not deal with the problem. But, in reality, the best remedy is to
negotiate a resolution so the matter can end.
If your firm were a car what would it be? Strong and tough
like a
buy
kia truck? Sleek and
fast like a Ferrari? Sophisticated and state-of-the-art like a Mercedes
S-Class? How about an ice cream flavor? A beverage? A movie genre? All
of these exercises not only make for a lively discussion, but work to
help define your firm personality. Once that emerges, look for ways to
incorporate it in your firm's daily business- from answering the phones
to your letterhead. I'd never been in a fraternity in
college and only had one brother, so I never had to prove much in my
lifetime. No initiation rights, crazy acts of bravado. Not even tested
in war or proven to be a man. Sure, I've had some success in business,
but sitting in that truck with a man like Harvey just brought all those
male hormones to the front burner. Hot or mild. Just what kind of chile
man was I to become? When I came back it was just out of the guilt that I had.
I pride myself on my professionalism, and this is the first issue I've
ever had where I wasn't able to come to set ... The thing that cut deep
to the core of me was knowing that there were 65 human beings who are like family to me, waiting for me to come back. They were
sitting on their asses doing nothing because of my...you know, my
situation. Visit the NTX web site to learn of classic auto shows and
swap meets that are held periodically in the parking lot. Reservations
are now being taken for the first annual New Year's Eve party to happen
December 31, 2009.