Last night, I completed something I had been preparing for 6 years. I tested for my brown belt in Seido Karate. At 48 years old, as I advance in this art form, it becomes more demanding physically and more challenging emotionally. After the 3 hour test of performing various techniques, fighting, rolling, falling and breaking boards, you learn to quickly face your fears. I can’t remember the last time I was so nervous. I would much rather speak in front of 5,000 people, then do this test! I was nervous because I wanted to perform and execute what I had learned well. I wanted to show to myself that I could do it. I wanted to show to myself that I was up to the challenge.

I find in business, this is what it always comes down to. The financial success is rewarding since its the way we keep score, but in the end we want to know that:

1. We took a risk and faced our fears by taking a business action. Not waiting, not thinking, but doing something about it

2. Succeed or Fail, we want to feel that we did our very best. We were up to the challenge.

If we accomplish these two things, we can handle whatever comes next- we can bounce! and get another chance for more success.

I got a letter from the IRS today. Correspondence from government agencies makes us all nervous. It was about the status of my “Economic Stimulus Payment”- You know the tax rebate that the government gave this year to help boost the economy? I got a kick out of the envelope that it came in. It was clearly marked with the IRS brand logo (enough to send shivers up our spines), but in bold bright red letters it said, “Enclosed is an important message from the IRS on the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008. Do Not Throw Away!”

Do Not Throw Away? Do people actually throw away letters from the IRS? Maybe the red letters should say, “We usually ask you for money but this time, here is money for you, so don’t throw it away”.

I have always loved “Black Friday” - the day in the United States after Thanksgiving. It is the one day where you can work yourself into a buying frenzy and be considered normal. With the internet taking some of the significance out of the day, retailers are resorting to “doorbusters”- 50 to 75% off an item in their store (limit 5 to 10). As a result, people get on line sometimes the day before the store opens (at 4:00 AM)! Some stores are straightforward about how many of these sale items they have and some, well, the print is pretty small.

While I was not up a 4:00 AM and did not do any real damage. The average person buys $347.44 on this day.  I did buy later that morning (less than $200): A new winter coat for me, an new winter coat for my son, a game for my son (to be given for the holidays).

What was your experience like?

I stay at alot of hotels. Its the hazard of the trade. I was in my hotel rooms bathroom (this is at dirty as this gets) and I glanced at the soap. Written on it were the words, "Smile Now". I couldn’t help but smile and chuckle a bit. It is not too often that a bar of soap gives you a lift in your day. Most days, I just want a big bar of soap like I have at home. Today, I’ll go with one that has me "Smile Now"- Courtesy of Bloom "Energy Soap"

There are many influences in our business life. I have studied and follow some of the Zen path. One of my clients recently sent me an email about a conversation she had with an employee who they plan to let go but want her to stay on for a few months for transition purposes.

He writes, "I spoke with Jill (Not her real name) yesterday and she told me that over the weekend she went to the temple and asked Buddha if she should stay through January and help with the training of the new manager and that Buddha said "yes". She seems very at peace with the situation and very willing to help us find the best person for the job. I am happy that Buddha is on our side."

We all have deja vu. That strange feeling that we had been here before. That was the exact feeling I had when I picked up Monday morning’s paper. As I sat down to have my breakfast, I had a bizarre feeling that I had read these articles and seen this news before. Then I looked up at the date…Thursday! They had delivered Thursday’s paper on Monday. This deja vu was real (this time).

I emailed the Chicago Tribune and within one half hour, they had a new paper (Monday’s this time) on my door!

In a social setting last week, I asked a woman standing near me what she did for work. She replied, "For my benefits, I work at XYZ company. For my passion, I edited medical manuscripts". It hit me hard although it has been happening for a long time. Medical insurance for all of us has become so expensive that many stay in their job just for the benefits.

The day after Labor Day. Always so ominous and yet always so promising. Living in Chicago, it is really the last official day of summer. I used to divide the year by quarters, I do it now by seasons. Today, the kids go back to school with my oldest starting high school. I head back out on the road speaking this week. Even as I prepare for the speech for my new book, Bounce! to be released in January 11, I switched around my office today to begin research on the third book (probably to be published in 2010) about customer service. (The first basic interviews for the book start tomorrow with the general manager of Red Mountain Spa!). It is good to never stand still. It is even more fun sometimes not to know where you are going.

It has been a difficult 24 hours. After spending most of the weekend trying to figure out the new T-Mobile DASH PDA, it was stolen from me. In the parking lot of a Best Buy, my son’s friend forgot to role up his window. Five minutes later when we got back to the car, the PDA, phone, and camera were gone. I went into shock. I prostrated myself on the hood of the car thinking about all the data I had lost. When a PDA and Phone falls into hostile hands, its time to panic. I immediately went home, changed my passwords and suspended the phone number. The amazing part, $275 and an hour later, T-Mobile had me back up and running with all my data on my back up drive was in tack. It’s a scary world!

Have you drank the new SEI WATER? It doesn’t come in a bottle. No to differentiate this product it actually comes in a FLASK. I have been getting some strange looks especially at business meetings where they think I am drinking vodka..straight up!

Fast Company also did a great article on bottled water this past month…its a must read!