When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, "I used everything you gave me."
Erma Bombeck
Anybody out there?
Well after a bit of a drought I am now back and have a little bit of time to start the quotes again. I am at the airport with my lovely wife Wendy. We are leaving for two weeks in South Africa for a short break and then off to England to visit our daughter Laura. Over the next few days I will fill you in on the past two months. The past months have left me exhausted and with not much talent left to give. But I haven't yet used up everything I just need recharging!!
Thank you to all of you for your encouragement and support during this little break from DDQ. I look forward to sharing some stories over the remainder of the year.
Here is the test to find whether your mission on earth is finished. If you're alive, it isn't.
Richard Bach
Well I am still alive and mission ready. How about you?
"We never know the worth of water 'til the well is dry."
English Proverb
Doing the right thing?.
Well I am absolutely flat out at the moment and as indicated a few weeks ago, for the first time in some years I just have not had the hours in the day to get a quote out for DDQ. Why is that? We, the company I work for, has been awarded a short term aeromedical contract to provide four fixed wing aircraft in support of the people in the Top End of Australia. It only runs for six months and it is a huge undertaking for such a short term commitment.
I wonder sometimes our own return in doing this. We are standing up 4 aircraft and employing about 40 new people for a six month period only. A commercial company would not contemplate the venture since the risks are significant and the benefits (return on investment) are not there. But we as a company are committed to patient care and helping people. So hopefully we can help somebody and that will be enough for us. Of course we aim to be around for a greater period, but aside from our own performance, we are in the hands of others in determining our value for the longer term.
I have found that as I have not been putting out these quotes I have missed being in contact every other day with my children and everybody else in my life. In particular my daughter Laura who is in Spain. So whilst I have been somewhat focussed on my own work at present I am not attending to what is really important in life. Relationships. I have missed deeply the interaction with my daughter, daughter's in law, two sons and my wife through these quotes. That is not to say I do not communicate with them, but I get an extra opportunity to reflect in a way that maybe I would not with other forms of communication.
A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both.
Dwight David Eisenhower 1890-1969, US General, 34th president of the United States
In my professional life I have attempted to ensure our team focusses on the relationships. I am not sure we will win the current work we are bidding for, but I do know that we have done the best we can in recognising the value in people, developing relationships founded in trust and respect and ensuring we operate at a level of integrity based in some solid values and beliefs.
“You can easily judge the character of others by how they treat those who can do nothing for them or to them.” —Malcolm S. Forbes (1919-1990), publisher
The thing about doing these quotes is that I get to reflect on these principles daily. I also get to communicate and connect with a great many people across the globe. This past month for me has reminded me of the need to be in constant community with those closest to me. Yes sometimes that is difficult and we all need to take a break. But there is nothing more important than having people in your life.
Thank you all for being in my life. To my family thank you for always being there, loving and supporting me.
To all of you thank you also for being a part of my life and holding me to a higher standard.
The challenge today?
It may not always be easy, convenient, or politically correct to stand for truth and right, but it is the right thing to do. Always. --M. Russell Ballard
“The reason why worry kills more people than work is that more people worry than work.”
Robert Frost
Thank you.
I am in a stage of my working life just now that precludes me from dedicating the time I have in recent years to these quotes. Thank you for sticking with it. I will get back into it soon. I work for an aeromedical not for profit company and we are in the process of standing up a new operation. The work involved is more than significant and as I have not had a decent break in some years I am starting to fade considerably in regards my own output in all areas of my life. DDQ being one of these areas. Most quotes take me up to three hours to compose and just now I do not have that time or energy.
I had planned on taking all of my accrued leave commencing this week that would have seen me off work until January next year!! My wife Wendy is finishing her degree on Wednesday so we were going to pack our bags on Thursday and depart on Friday. But the need for me at work at present has put paid to those notions.
Wendy and I are off on a break on 21st July and will hopefully be away for about 10 weeks. Not the break I was hoping for to recharge the batteries but a break nonetheless. Our daughter Laura is on exchange in Spain so we intend visiting her as part of our time off.
The most important trip you may take in life is meeting people halfway. Henry Boye
I would spend some more time on this quote today but I need to get to work and I did want to put something out to explain my current workload. I hope you can meet me halfway and stick around until I start getting some more time to put the quotes out.
“Your birthday is a special time to celebrate the gift of 'you' to the world.”
Anon
Happy Birthday.
Laura my daughter is 19 today. This is her first birthday away from home. She is celebrating in Spain with her exchange family.
Laura writes a blog and with every keyboard stroke is becoming more and more interesting and revealing of who my beautiful daughter is and continues to become. I fear we will not see her back in Australia with the way in which she is adapting and warming to her new country!!
There are some things that she thought were stereotypical of Spain and have been gloriously confirmed to her. On her blog she elaborates but here is a summary of her latest thoughts on Spain.
I have been able to experience so many things here in Spain. I have been continually challenged by typical European stereotypes, and how true they are. There are so many things that I read about Spain that are true, and others that are wrong.
They are LOUD.
My breakfast is very typical of Spain. A hot cup of milk and chocolate (or coffee) with bollos (like buns, but with sugar or something sweet on top).
Night life is crazy. I can be walking around at 2 am in the morning, and it's the equivalent of 8pm on a Friday night in Springwood. Children in prams, people having coffees, people still eating dinner. It's such a shock to see such young kids out so late!
They are very forward. I've had people tell me when I'm blushing, if they think I've lost weight, if I am sounding stupid, if I'm doing something wrong, if I look like an idiot, if I look nice, why someone is really away ("Oh, she has really bad period cramps today, so she's not here."). They're not afraid to hurt your feelings, and not afraid to praise you. It's refreshingly lovely.
The boys are very forward. Pretty much, any foreign girl is going to have to get used to being yelled at ("GUAPAAAAA!!!!" or if you're blonde, "RUBIAAAA!!!") by men, young and old.
The people are warm. So warm and lovely. For me, I am only just starting to see the true depths and colours of my classmates, but it is such a joy. I love watching Savier yelling at the filosofía teacher, or the constant "por faaa's" to go to the toilet, the excited "dame chicle!" when they see you have chewy, the smiles and friendly touches they give each other, the playful banter, the way they interact with each other. Everything just yells Spain, and makes me incredibly happy and excited that this is something I get to experience.
Tortillas. Best things ever invented.
Wine. With every meal (even breakfast!)
Food in general.
Siestas. We have them. The shops close from 2:30-5pm. I actually love that it's closed, and that on Sundays, nothing will be open. So different, and so... relaxing!
Everyone gets angry very quickly. It's not unusual for me to go through a day with 5 different arguments that all lead to loud yelling. Though, five minutes later they'll be laughing and playing like nothing ever happened.
Fiestas. So much fun. So traditionally Spanish.
Everyone smokes. Children (yes, children!) gather outside of the school gates before class starts, smoking, and at the end of the day, as soon as they're out the door, out comes the cigarette and the lighter. My clothes permanently smell of smoke. Something I don't like about Spain!
LOVE FOR FÚTBOL. I really do love it, when I feel like I can hear the whole town scream "GOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!" when a goal is scored.
I've also been excited to discover so many things that are different. I thought it was just the French that wore berets and ate baguettes. I thought it was just the Italians that said, "Mamma mia!" (Though, the Spanish say, "Madre mia!). I love discovering this country and I love that so many Spanish stereotypes are so true.
The first sign of maturity is the discovery that the volume knob also turns to the left.
Jerry M. Wright
Wow. Some interesting observations and some lessons for all of us I suspect. Not the least is there seems to be an underlying theme of not taking self too seriously and to get out and enjoy life. Two things that are missing in my life right now.
So some words of wisdom and reflections from daughter to father. I am not too sure who is discovering the volume knob also turns to the left.
Laura you are a beautiful gift to the world. I am so proud of you and love you dearly.
Happy Birthday.
Remember your own words above and continue to love discovering life in a different country and environment. Be incredibly happy and excited that this is a birthday you get to experience in Spain. What a blessing.
"All the so-called "secrets of success" will not work unless you do."
Author Unknown
Are you working?
My wife Wendy has been completing a degree in Social Science with a major in Applied Psychology. I also have a Social Science degree but a few years has gone by since my completion of that qualification. I also have a degree in Management and another post graduate qualification in Military Aviation. There are a few other things thrown in there as well over the years, Outboard Motor Maintenance Course, Fitter and Machinist, Marine Engineering and the list goes on. Not too sure I am actually all that good at most of them or indeed any of them!! I am apparently pretty good at flying though.
Fairly varied academic background. But it isn't about the what you are it is about who you are. Wendy reminded me of that last night. My work is taking up all of my waking moments at present. Hence the paucity of quotes over the past month. At the moment I am the consummate workaholic who can't get away from work.
So all that people see when they look at me is not what I am doing but who I am being when I am doing that work. Right now all I am doing is more of what it is that people don't want more of... work! So they look at me and see that I have a great work ethic but, it isn't one that they want.
I have actually had that comment a few times in relation to jobs that I have handed over. The people were very reluctant to take on positions as they didn't feel that they could or even wanted to work as hard as I had in those positions.
Fair enough I must say.
I'm a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it. Thomas Jefferson
So there is a lot to be said about the quote above. Yes hard work is needed to get to where you want but too much of it?
Well work too hard and you might find your luck runs out one day through missing something or even worse.
For me I have to start finding a balance somewhere. Will let you know how that goes.
How is it going for you? Working too hard? Give some time to yourself and others.
"We are here to add what we can to, not get what we can from life."
Sir William Osler
Serving others.
I work in an area where egos are very highly inflated. Me. I am an ex-miltary aviator. Egos do not get too much more puffed up than that. Unless of course you are a doctor. I work with many doctors and they are great and do a fantastic job in saving many lives that would otherwise be lost. But I have to say that the medical profession also has some pretty big egos and they don't come much bigger than that. Well unless of course you are a lawyer. I also work with many lawyers. Again those I work intimately with are great and ensure we manage our legal matters properly to help keep the business on track. Again though, I have seen some lawyers who think they are pretty important people arguing there case. So I don't think egos come any bigger than that. Well unless of course you are a politician. In my occupation in aeromedicine it becomes very politically charged and I must admit to seeing some very big egos amongst the various politicians at all levels. Of course they are only looking after the public interest!! I guess egos don't come any bigger than that?
Well unless you are a human being and egos don't get any bigger than that.
The reality is that we are all human and sometimes get inwardly focussed and assess that we have a greater sense of importance than we should have.
If I concentrate on the professions above I can draw some pretty damning conclusions about military aviators, doctors, lawyers and politicians. And maybe that is right sometimes.
I work in a charity that has some pretty big egos that do occasionally get in the way of how we do business. But every now and again we are reminded why it is that we are here. We are called to serve in all the areas of life in which we function. To add what we can to life.
And when we all focus on how we can serve each other and help others to succeed then it becomes a joy to watch and be a part of. I see such service in our teams when they concentrate on helping the one person in the equation who really needs that help. A dying patient at a roadside. It is a real joy to see all these professions move their own egos aside and serve and save lives.
"The purpose of life is not to win. The purpose of life is to grow and to share. When you come to look back on all that you have done in life, you will get more satisfaction from the pleasure you have brought into other people's lives than you will from the times that you outdid and defeated them." ~ Rabbi Harold Kushner
Hmmm. Some wise words of advice there.
Are you being served? If not how are you serving today?
"The happiness of a man in this life does not consist in the absence but the mastery of his passions"
Alfred Lord Tennyson
Passionate People.
The company I work for, CareFlight, has been putting together a tender for the Top End Aeromedical Services. What does that mean? Well we are looking to provide patient care to the people of the Northern Territory using doctors and nurses in helicopters and fixed wing aircraft. It requires us to put together the whole clinical system involved in patient care from picking that person up, looking after them during the transport using the best acute medical care practices available and delivering them to a hospital where their needs can be most appropriately met.
As a result our modes of transport will all contain intensive care facilities. And this is what we do best is integrating the whole practice of aeromedicine. Keeping the whole team as a team, working together looking after the interests of the person in need of special care and attention to ensure their life continues.
Here is part of our team of passionate people David, Russell and Shweta
about to submit the tender online after months of work.
Chase down your passion like it's the last bus of the night. Terri Guillemets
As a company we understand what our passion is. Aeromedicine and saving lives. But within that collective passion exists individual passions. I have a passion for flying, the doctors I work with have an intense passion for medicine, the nurses have an intense passion for patient care, the aircrewman have an intense passion for aviation, our engineers have an intense passion for fixing aircraft.
These kinds of tender processes over the years have shown me there are many people and businesses that rarely bring the passions of the individuals together. That each individual skill category when left to selfishly consider itself becomes very intense and protective of what they do. And the business as a whole suffers as a result. The relationships are difficult to manage and the workplace becomes "toxic."
If passion drives you, let reason hold the reins. Benjamin Franklin
When you master your own passion but become just as passionate for the collective aims of the business, achieve what we call integration across the skill categories, something magic starts to happen.
Suzie at right is one of our magic people. Suzie and Steve took a paper copy of our submission to the Northern Territory to ensure that we got the tender in. This what we got for our efforts. A smile and a piece of paper! Thanks for the smile and your efforts Suzie.
We certainly aren't there yet as a business but we have occasional glimpses of what that looks like when we look toward contributing to the collective effort. Integrating. Looking to how we can help each other become more and contribute more.
This recent tender preparation and submission process has brought our individual teams more closely together and it has been a joy to be a part of that. My own aviation team has become ever closer as a result and they have been one of the best teams I have ever worked with and for.
Follow your passion, and success will follow you. Terri Guillemets
They are passionate people and in that we have become integrated as a team and already successful.
Well today is quote in a hurry. I have just been for a swim. It is a beautiful day here in Sydney and I have a full day at work. My wife is a little upset with me as I have been at work this past two weeks without a break and I was supposed to be on leave. I haven't had a decent holiday, and nor has Wendy either, for going on 5 years. So Wendy has a point. Work however is at a critical point and I wear the regulatory burden of the organisation so I have to be about for now with so many changes happening around me. So I guess today's quote is to apologise to my wife who puts up with so much at the moment.
Never ruin an apology with an excuse. Kimberly Johnson
Whoops!! Too late. Oh well you all had to have the context, with an excuse or an explanation.
"Easter tells us that life is to be interpreted not simply in terms of things but in terms of ideals."
Charles M. Crowe
How is your vision?
I spent my Easter break in Darwin on shift and working. Mostly completion of documentation surrounding our tender submission for aeromedical services in the Top End of Australia. Wendy came with me, which is unusual as normally we have children at home or school and she has rarely been able to travel with me to my work wherever that happened to be at any particular time.
Naturally most of my times away and locations have not allowed family in any event, Navy trips at sea for example. Nobody at home anymore so Wendy could come with me.
Wendy came for a fly with me on Thursday night in Darwin. I was just doing some proficiency flying for myself along with another pilot. Pretty boring stuff for anybody watching as we are just flying around the instrument flying pattern which is just that last 15 minutes of a flight from A to B.
Anyway, all night there had been complaints from many landing and departing aircraft about somebody shining lasers into the cockpits of aircraft in the final part of the landing phase and early part of the departure phase.
Laser pointers whilst very effective for certain activities can cause permanent eye damage at short ranges. Unlikely for pilots, given the range of a directed laser at an aircraft but when directed at a landing aircraft even temporary blindness could lead to catastrophe. The photo at right shows a laser being directed at an aircraft.
So whilst it may seem like a bit of fun to some the dangers in shining lasers at aircraft can be quite significant. For all the technology available in aviation the final bit of getting the aircraft onto the ground is mostly up to a pilots' hand eye coordination. The visual part of that naturally enough relies on being able to see!!
"You've got to think about big things while you're doing small things, so that all the small things go in the right direction."
Alvin Toffler
Well we were illuminated twice by lasers during the landing phase of two of our approaches, so we asked air traffic control if they wanted us to attempt to pinpoint where the laser was being directed from. Air Traffic were quite thankful and approved our request. So off we went to where we saw the laser last coming from and orbited over the location tempting the perpetrator to have another go.
Well it didn't take too much tempting and we got illuminated once again. We managed to get a position from our navigation system, converted that into a location on our moving map software and then also looked at Google Earth which gives you the picture of what is really there.
We were able to pass a location in a caravan park to the police and they went right there and arrested a 46 year old man.
The next day the news was all over it and the following day we made the paper. If you wish to read the full story click on this link or the image at right to go to the newspaper article.
Dissatisfaction and discouragement are not caused by the absence of things but the absence of vision. Anonymous
So not much vision from the guy who was arrested. For us we managed to resolve what was becoming a difficult situation for many aircraft, with a little bit of vision in the way we used the technology available to us in the cockpit.
The future belongs to those who see possibilities before they become obvious. John Scully
So how are you seeing things today? Like a laser shining in your eyes? Or are you using what you have available to you to be able to see again.
"One thing I know; the only ones among you who will be really happy
are those who will have sought and found how to serve."
Albert Schweitzer
Who is modelling you?
A couple of weekends ago we went to a mentoring weekend. How to be a mentor? It was run by a couple Phil and Di. They have had a full life with much yet to do. It was a pretty good weekend although I am surprised that a great deal of people do not see themselves as mentors. My own perspective is that you will be a mentor in this life whether you want to be or not. People I expect look at me and my life and either say they like what I say or do and would like to model their own life in that way. Alternatively, they could also look at my life and wonder why anybody would want to live that way and avoid living their own lives the way that I do mine.
"You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough." Mae West
Their are certainly many people around me that I enjoy seeing the way they lead their life and I am challenged to be as inspiring in all the things that I do. Equally I see people doing and saying things that I would not like to include in my own life.
Of course mentoring implies a more active approach than just being somebody that is seen and modelled. And in that I agree, however I also believe there are two kinds of mentoring, being active or passive. In being active you are engaging formally in that mentoring relationship. In being passive, people are watching your own life and the way you do things, or you act deliberately and behave in certain ways to effect change in other's lives, because you know people will watch and copy you whether you like it or not. Might as well be a part of the process.
We have just finished watching a movie called "In Good Company." A story about an older man, Dan, played by Dennis Quaid who runs an advertising firm that is taken over by a large conglomerate. A young upstart Carter, played by Topher Grace, is sent in by the new company to sweep things clean and improve the bottom line results. Carter, 26, becomes Dan's boss at half Dan's age of 52. The story revolves around the relationship of these two but it was interesting to note a range of mentoring notions throughout the movie.
One of the final scenes has Carter in discussion with his boss, the "big boss". The "big boss" has just "fired" Dan, and Carter decides that all Dan has shown him about his life is the way he would like to lead his. And so he puts his own job on the line.
The interesting thing about the movie is that Dan had no idea that all his actions, words, emotions were being actively watched by Carter and processed in a way that led to a life altering decision by Carter. A positive life altering decision based on the life of a man that held his family close and loved by him unconditionally, his work colleagues were equally treated with the same respect, dignity and indeed love, and his boss, despite being an upstart and half his age, something that would have been difficult to manage, was equally dealt with in a similar manner.
"Be the change that you wish to see in the world." Mahatma Gandhi
Tired old cliche? Maybe. Who are you going to be today?
A warning or an example?
Be an example and the change you wish to see in the world.
Doing the right thing?.
“You can easily judge the character of others by how they treat those who can do nothing for them or to them.”
What are you standing for today?
Passionate People.
When you master your own passion but become just as passionate for the collective aims of the business, achieve what we call integration across the skill categories, something magic starts to happen.
How is your vision?
