Rubber Ducky You're The One

What a variety of Rubber Ducks. 

They were giving these away in the doctor's office. 

Not quick sure why???

The guy gave me a half a dozen, and each duck is different. 

Fun in the bath for the grandchild.  

They float and make quack-quack. ;-)

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Rubber Ducky You're The One

Frog Ready To Spring

Cool photo of this frog in motion and ready to spring.

You can really see his leg muscles in action.

It's amazing all the different and wonderful creatures that Hashem has created.

Thank you G-d for this amazing world you have created for us.  ;-)

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Frog Ready To Spring

Long Nails

Ran into this lady in South Florida. 

Couldn't help but notice the nails. 

She told me she's been growing them like this for 29 years!

I asked if she had any difficulty typing, driving, or anything. 

And she told me she does everything with them.

No, I don't think that I want to touch these things. 

I'm only getting as close as the camera. ;-)

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Long Nails

Upside Down Bird, Black Sheep--Same Thing

I thought this art was funny and accurate:

There's always one in every family.

Really, it should be there is always one (or two) in every family, group, and organization. 

Whether it's the upside down bird or the "black sheep"--I think we call it that person a troublemaker!

Is it the attention they crave? 

Is it a good fight or argument they are after?

Are they just different and that's okay.

Listen, we are all the same, but we're also all different. 

Imagine being completely the same and how boring that would be. 

So being the upside bird isn't necessarily a bad thing. 

The other birds may look at this upside down bird as cuckoo.

But the bird may not be a cuckoo bird at all.

He may just be acting himself. 

To the upside down bird, he probably thinks of himself as being right side up bird, and that it's the other birds that are the cuckoos.

From my experience, there is being different and then there is being cuckoo for real. 

There really are one or more cuckoos just about everywhere you look.

Worse yet, if the other 4 birds are sane, then watch out because you may be the cuckoo bird.

And then there was the movie, "One flew over the Cuckoo's Nest."  ;-)

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal) 

Upside Down Bird, Black Sheep--Same Thing

Snowflakes Are Unique

Thought this was an interesting analogy. 

A colleague refers to some customers as snowflakes.

At first, I didn't get it. 

Then I understood. 

Every snowflake is unique. 

Based on how the ice crystals fall to the ground through different temperatures, moisture levels, and atmospheric pressures, the shape of every snowflake is different. 

Sometimes when it comes to project management, customers too think they are unique, different, and special.

They think that solutions that work industry- or enterprise-wide could never work for them and their wholly distinct ways of doing business. 

Hence, as I learned, the term snowflake. 

For those of us who have been around the project management block a few times, we know that while there are specific customer requirements, most of them are not all that unique. 

And when some customers simply don't want to do things differently than they've done it before, there can be greater resistance to change. 

Hence, the "We're special. We're different" reframe along with the standoffishness, doubting, circling the wagons, throwing up obstacles, or just refusing to fully participate. 

Obviously, it's a lot more difficult to modernize and transform through technology and business process re-engineering when your customers aren't on board. 

So it is critical to manage organizational change, address the questions, the fears, and elements that are truly unique, and bring the people along as true partners. 

Not every requirement is a snowflake and neither is every customer, but we have to manage the similarities and differences in every project and make sure it improves performance and meets the needs of the customer and the organization. ;-)

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Snowflakes Are Unique

Square Trees

So I never saw square trees until I visited Palm Beach, Florida. 

What's the saying:

"It's hip to be square!"

I definitely had to take a doubletake when I saw these. 

Wherever we were going, I was gonna stop and get a photo of this. 

These trees are almost as if they are from another planet. 

What planet would have square trees? 

Hope you enjoy it. 

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Square Trees

Left Handshake Is Right

So I heard about someone misinterpreting something I did for the worse.

Occasionally, when someone tries to shake my hand, instead of shaking with my right hand, I will take their hand in my left. 

I'll do this for various reasons such as arthritic pain or from dirt (like ink or cleaning ) from some prior work I was doing. 

But always when I extend my hand it is with warmth and friendship. 

However, I learned that one person took this handshake as a serious personal affront. 

They thought that I was "disrespecting" them intentionally.

So I learned that even the most everyday, mundane gestures like a handshake, but done differently, can be taken out of context and misinterpreted. 

Why do we judge others for the bad?

Maybe because we don't trust, don't want to ask, don't want to know, or have had bad experiences in life that jade us. 

But sometimes a handshake is just a handshake whether with the right or left hand. 

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Left Handshake Is Right

Should We Care What Others Think?

So I was talking with someone and they were telling me how self conscious they feel about what others think of them.

They said when they were in school, they were picked on, bullied, labeled, and made to feel different and excluded.

Whether it was their hair that was different or their lunchbox that got taken and hidden from them, the other kids were relentless. 

Now in life, they are still dealing with all those feelings.

Do they look right? 

Are they educated enough?

Is their profession something others will admire them for?

And on and on. 

And at a certain point, I said, "Isn't it more important what you think about yourself than what others think about you?"

And they said, "Sure, but I still feel like I have to live up to other people's standards. I don't want them to think bad about me or talk behind my back!"

I understand this way of thinking is based on trauma from the past and feelings of inadequacy and not fitting in. 

And we can spend our whole lives chasing this illusive acceptance from others. 

Or we can decide to pursue we what believe in and love, and to find healing in the good we do, rather than the nods or winks from others that we receive. 

If we are trying to live up to somebody else's arbitrary standards of perfection, cool, or being in the in-crowd, we may never be good enough.

Instead, if we pursue what we know is right from our moral compass and our heart and soul, and always do our best, we will attain the satisfaction that comes with healthy self-development and maturation. 

Seeking unconditional acceptance and love can definitely leave you feeling frustrated, self-hating, and even quite alone. 

But accepting yourself, developing yourself, and giving to G-d and to others will always leave you feeling fulfilled. 

Forget living as if your in the fishbowl, and strive for the Superbowl of achievement through incremental progress and goal attainment in your life. 

Start with making yourself proud and the others will come around. And if for some reason they don't, it's truly their deficiency and loss and not yours!

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Should We Care What Others Think?

Disability Stories and Resources

Just wanted to share this great site called Disability Blog where people tell about their experiences of being disabled and how they have overcome the odds. 

It is hosted by Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy.

And it is the official blog of Disability.gov where there is lots of information on "disability programs and services." 

The blog site promotes the "full inclusion of people with disabilities in the workforce and communities nationwide."

Disability Blog posts guest bloggers on various topics and I read some of the recent posts and they were very good, including:

- Disability rights activism
- Small business loans and mentoring support with SCORE for a veteran with disability
- Resources and support from the Amputtee Coalition for a child that was hurt in a lawn mowing accident
- A courageous description of how someone lives with syndactyly (fused fingers).
- Options for workplace accommodations at the Job Accommodation Network. 

As someone myself who has had two total hip replacements, I encourage people to get their personal stories out there to increase disability awareness, rights, and resources and support to help them.

I used to dream about retiring one day and running along the boardwalk and ocean every morning in Florida, but I know that will not happen for me anymore (so thank G-d for swimming). 

Disabilities can happen to anyone. 

We all need to be sensitive to what it's like to be different and have unique challenges, and to try and help anyone who does.  ;-)

(Source Photo: here with attribution to Abhijit Bhaduri)

Disability Stories and Resources

Color Me Different

I saw this restaurant and followed the color in to take this photo.

They had these multi-colored figurines lined up proudly on the ledge overlooking the tables and patrons. 

Each was different, but also the same. 

They had no faces, and were cut this way and that into segments of color (head, torso, butts, arms, legs, feet)...uniformity, but diversity. 

They are low-tech, but reminded me of robots or toy soldiers, but without the guns--just standing in colorful attention ushering people in to sit and eat and enjoy. ;-)

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Color Me Different

Diamonds And Opals

I just wanted to share this photo of a beautiful ring I found in Santa Fe. 

I like the big diamond in the middle surrounded/lined on both sides by more diamonds.

What seemed really special was that it was inlaid in a setting of beautiful blue, green, and red opal gemstones. 

I asked the jeweler how much this ring was...

Couldn't believe the price tag for this was $35,000!

Probably a little steep for most people, and not exactly traditional, but in my mind, it was definitely a stand out. ;-)

Diamonds And Opals