From Good to Great.

Current Music: My room mates African music (it's africa week--so she's rehearsing for the show tonight--I'll be helping the with lighting and sound.)

This musing on the last day of week 5 is brought to you by--yup, you guessed it! Professional Selling.

This Tuesday we talked about a Lou Holtz video that eventually led to me talking about my fraternity (PSP). Last year we had a president who's motto for the whole year was that we were going to go from good to great.--G2G for short. His presentation of this concept was simple and set a great pace for me as a new initiate. So, follow what I say now...

Raise your hand as high as you can.

Go ahead

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Keep it raised!!
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Ok, now go ahead and raise it a little higher.

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see that?! you just went from good to great! I asked you to raise your hand the highest you could, but there was still that little bit that when asked for a higher hand you succeeded.

There's many people that do the "best they could" but in reality a whole lot more can be done about that . I'm well aware that I'm amongst those. However whenever this saying comes to mind (and it's a lot) I feel an extra burst of energy. I say to myself--"Dre, you're only raising your hand--you're not raising it any higher".

I don't think the president of my fraternity will ever be able to understand how important his words were to me. Especially since the saying (being said so many times) is a running joke to remind us about his time as a president.

:) I got to thinking about this saying and decided that it would be one of my motto's or words to live by. It's been added to the list of 2 other mottos:

1. Be the change you want in the world. (Inspired by Ghandi at a time in my prior E-board positions where I realized that what was going on was flawed, and needed something to be done.)

2. Bold and Beautiful. (taken from a Vogue magazine article--I can't name it anymore-- but it was a letter to the editor)

And now as a closing, here's a story my Professor came across and shared with the class.

During the course of World War II, many people gained fame in one way or another. One man was Butch O'Hare.

He was a fighter pilot assigned to an aircraft carrier in the Pacific. One time his entire squadron was assigned to fly a particular mission. After he was airborne, he looked at his fuel gauge and realized that someone had forgotten to top off his fuel tank. Because of this, he would not have enough fuel to complete his mission and get back to his ship. His flight leader told him to leave formation and return.

As he was returning to the mother ship, he could see a squadron of Japanese Zeroes heading toward the fleet to attack. And with all the fighter planes gone, the fleet was almost defenseless. His was the only opportunity to distract and divert them.

Single-handedly, he dove into the formation of Japanese planes and attacked them. The American fighter planes were rigged with cameras, so that as they flew and fought, pictures were taken so pilots could learn more about the terrain, enemy maneuvers, etc. Butch dove at them and shot until all his ammunition was gone, then he would dive and try to clip off a wing or tail or anything that would make the enemy planes unfit to fly. He did anything he could to keep them from reaching the American ships.

Finally, the Japanese squadron took off in another direction, and Butch O'Hare and his fighter, both badly shot up, limped back to the carrier. He told his story, but not until the film from the camera on his plane was developed, did they realize the extent he really went to to protect his fleet. He was recognized as a hero and given one of the nation's highest military honors.

The O'Hare Airport in Chicago was also named after him.

Prior to this time in Chicago, there was a man named Easy Eddie. He was working for a man you've all heard about, Al Capone. Al Capone wasn't famous for anything heroic, but he was notorious for the murders he'd committed and the illegal things he'd done. Easy Eddie was Al Capone's lawyer and he was very good. In fact, because of his skill, he was able to keep Al Capone out of jail. To show his appreciation, Al Capone paid him very well. He not only earned big money, he would get extra things, like a residence that filled an entire Chicago City block. The house was fenced, and he had live-in help and all of the conveniences of the day.

Easy Eddie had a son. He loved his son and gave him all the best things while he was growing up; clothes, cars, and a good education. And because he loved his son, he tried to teach him right from wrong. But one thing he couldn't give his son was a good name, and a good example. Easy Eddie decided that this was much more important than all the riches he had given him. So, he went to the authorities in order to rectify the wrong he had done.

In order to tell the truth, it meant he must testify against Al Capone, and he knew that Al Capone would do his best to have him killed. But he wanted most of all to try to be an example and to do the best he could to give back to his son, a good name. So he testified. Within the year, he was shot and killed on a lonely street in Chicago.

This sounds like two unrelated stories.

But, you see, Butch O'Hare was Easy Eddie's son.

--signing off for now!--
dre