My wife, Karen, and I’ve never known anyone whose home burned to the ground.
Until now.
Due to the Camp Fire in northern California last Friday, some family members lost their house in what is now an oxymoron:
Paradise, California. 😥
A brand new house just built in 2017 … gone. Our photo above tells the story.
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Okay, parents, ‘fess up: Did you take this Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup out of your child’s Halloween bucket? Did you take the big bite out of it and then rationalize and justify your actions with, Little Johnny will never notice! and Sweets have no calories on Halloween!?
Don’t worry, you’re not alone in both candy-ingesting and rationalizing and justifying. Engaging in those behaviors nowadays is a thing. An all-too-common thing.
I know, I’ve done it.
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Some stories about being outstanding are so outstanding, they speak for themselves. So let’s get right to it! Our story comes from a believer in the QBQ! book and its message of Personal Accountability. Enjoy and pass on!
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Nug the Pug “owning” Miller grandchild #10 — July 9, 2018
On Tuesday 9/18/18, we buried “Nug the Pug.” She was only 9 years old. Surreal and surprisingly painful, I miss her terribly. In fact, in a text to a daughter who checked on Dad, I responded, “I can’t find Nugget anywhere, but I see her everywhere.” 😥
As we write in the Outstanding! book, employers must begin to “hire character over credentials.” Organizations would do well to focus less on college degrees and more on candidates with strong character.
Edgar has character.
We get our vehicles serviced at our local Les Schwab Tire Center. Schwab is conveniently located only two miles from our home but the main reason we always go to Schwab?
Edgar.
Edgar, age 22, is a shining example of what a young person can do and become. Yes, the entire Les Schwab staff is courteous and helpful, and store manager, Jeremiah, gets credit for that. However, Edgar stands out.
Which makes him … outstanding.
Edgar’s character exudes from him at every turn. What’s so exceptional about this Edgar fella?
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When does compassion for people become the enabling of victim thinking?
Here’s a phenomenon I’ve noticed: Some people who love the QBQ! book’s message of Personal Accountability—and refuse to suffer from victim thinking themselves—will support other people’s tendency to play the victim. Even though they agree with this statement:
When I play the victim, I serve no one—not even myself.
Why some go out of their way to paint certain groups of people as victims—seeking to create a “fairer and more just world,” they’d say—is beyond me. PLEASE don’t get me wrong, we should desire to serve those who are less fortunate, but …
Continue ReadingALERT!!! Amazon has a terrific price right now on Raising Accountable Kids!
My son-in-law, Justin, showed me the new race car track he’d bought his two-year-old son, Wyatt.
As Justin and I were playing with it (boys will be boys, ‘ya know) the little car headed toward a bend. At the curve, the track wobbled so much it caused the car to slow down and just … fall to the carpet.
As Justin reached over to tighten a supporting track leg, something he’d clearly done before, he made this offhand comment:
“When the track’s not stable, the car loses energy.”
And I thought …
Continue ReadingALERT!!! Amazon has a wonderfully low price on all versions of the Outstanding! book here!
I ran into a gal I graduated with from high school in 1976. Though I’m not very relational and don’t spend a lot of my time “visiting folks,” I thoroughly enjoyed seeing her.
This get-together wasn’t tons of fun for me just because it was a blast from the past. It was the person—Maria Cacciotti Salino—who made it special.
She’s an impressive person. Some would call Maria “the backbone of America.”
Why?
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From Steve, a business owner:
“What’s peculiar about today’s workforce—and perplexes me to no end—is people ask to earn more money, but when we give them additional work and hours, they go home. Hence, our recruiting job never ends.”
In this QBQ! QuickNote, instead of a big story or profound lesson on Personal Accountability or outstanding QBQ!-esque customer service, we’ll dive into the world of work, mostly because, like Steve, I’m confused.
I’ll share several examples of what I see happening, and ask you to assess and comment. Here we go!
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“So, all I have to do, Beth, is push this button to evaluate you?” I asked incredulously.
“Yep. That’s right,” said Beth, an outstanding Colorado State government team member. Smiling, she handed me new license plates for a car we’d just bought.
My first thought as I pressed the EXCELLENT button: Glad my wife doesn’t have one of these for me at home!
My next thought:
