Fixing Finances

Sunday January 27^th, 2013 – Pittsburgh, PA/Fox Lake, IL

   I knew I would have another long drive home today, but I was prepared. Some drives are more difficult and/or pleasant than others, and the drive from Pittsburgh isn’t that great. I purposely do all I can to avoid taking the I-80/90 route because of the massive amount of tolls that go with it.

Maybe it’s my Wisconsin upbringing, but I’ll do whatever it takes to avoid paying one red cent in tolls if I don’t have to. I’ll drive over a muddy corn field in reverse if it saves a toll, and that’s been my mindset for years. Sometimes I get stung, but 99% of the time I choose another route.

Getting home from Pittsburgh has three main choices. The toll road eliminates one with me off the bat, so that leaves I-70 or US 30. I-70 is easier, but it takes me a lot farther south in Ohio and Indiana than I need to go. It’s toll free, but takes longer because of the extra miles to be driven.

US 30 goes through a lot of towns, and can tend to be a speed trap if one isn’t careful. I need to be extremely careful in that department, but that’s the route I chose today since it’s the best of all worlds. I would be free of tolls, and I also planned to scour some thrift stores to troll for trinkets.

I also brought along a cassette series by Suze Orman I’ve been meaning to listen to for several years but haven’t gotten around to hearing. I need massive improvement in my financial results, and I have to start somewhere. Doing what I’ve been doing has not worked to my satisfaction.

There were nine cassettes to plow through, but I found them both engaging and informative so it wasn’t a chore to listen to. I’ve seen Suze on TV and find her to be listenable and able to keep my attention and that’s a huge part of the battle for any speaker. Some people can do it and some can’t. Tony Robbins and Wayne Dyer I can hang with. Deepak Chopra and Zig Ziglar I can’t.

Suze Orman is now in the first category, and I thought this was a well produced program. What grabbed me the most was how she described money as being energy, and we all need to respect it if we want it to come our way. I guess I never thought of it like that before and it really hit home.

She also talked about how our first experiences with money as children stay with us throughout our lives and shape our attitudes into adulthood whether we want to believe it or not. I absolutely believe it, and hearing examples of what other people experienced made my own situation feel a lot less overwhelming. I’m by far not the only one struggling with this, but I so want to change.

I’m in an absolutely horrible financial situation right now, but again I’m not the only one. That doesn’t mean I’m always going to be this way, but if I don’t change my way of thinking that’s all I can ever expect. Changed results require changed thinking, and I got the wheels turning today.

This is not going to be an easy undertaking, but I have few options. I could just give up and try to get on the government dole but that’s not how I operate. I got myself into this ugly pickle, and I have nobody to blame but myself. I’m going to roll up my sleeves and get to work transforming my financial self into what I know it can and should be. If I can pull that off, I can do anything.

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Zig Was Big

Wednesday November 28^th, 2012 – Fox Lake, IL

   Zig Ziglar passed away today – or at least his physical body did. His body of work has touched millions over several decades, and he will live on through that. If there ever was a life well spent, his was right up there with just about anyone in my opinion. He made the most of his time here.

I have enormous respect for Zig Ziglar for several reasons. He was a pioneer and a legend, and neither of those is easy to pull off. He built himself up from obscurity, and stayed there. It took a long time to accomplish, but it was worth the effort. He’ll go down as one of the all time greats.

Although I wasn’t necessarily a rabid fan of much of his recorded stuff, the fact he cranked out so much of it should not go unappreciated. He was very consistent, and his work ethic was at the top of the spectrum. I know how difficult it is to create ONE audio or video program. He put out product after product after product, and wrote books too. That doesn’t count his speaking career.

Zig Ziglar became his own brand, and I’m sure he was paid handsomely for it. He was the top name in motivational speaking for years, but never rested on his laurels. Jay Leno was known as the top name in standup comedy during the boom years, and he had a stellar work ethic as well.

Coincidence? Hardly. A hearty work ethic is a must for any entertainer, and that’s exactly what Zig was. Nobody can truly motivate anyone else, and I’m sure Zig knew that. But he presented a message in an entertaining way, and those who wanted to be motivated latched on and heard it.

I have his book ‘See You At The Top’, and I really like it. His audio programs weren’t on my list of favorites, but that’s no disrespect. His style and delivery were a bit syrupy for my personal taste, but that takes nothing away from what he accomplished. He achieved a level of greatness.

To me, motivational speakers have to be listenable for long periods of time. That’s not easy to do, and it becomes a matter of personal preference just like music. I can’t stand Pink Floyd, but I know millions of others love them. Are they right? Am I wrong? Personal preference is just that.

As far as speakers go, people like Tony Robbins and Wayne Dyer I could listen to all day. Earl Nightingale is another. Stephen Covey, Deepak Chopra and Zig Ziglar I can’t. That doesn’t take anything away from the greatness of any of those people, and I still respect every one of them.

My friend Steve ‘The Homer’ True is a sports talk host on ESPN 540 in Milwaukee. His father is Dr. Herb True, a very big name in the speaking field. Homer has always been a huge supporter of my comedy, and frequently comes to see me perform when I am working the Milwaukee area.

Homer asked his dad to call me years ago and give me some encouragement, and I never forgot it. A ten minute phone call made a huge impact, and that’s what Zig Ziglar’s work did for a wide variety of people from all walks of life and will continue to do for years to come. That’s what we all should aspire to, and many of us who do still don’t come close to achieving it. Zig Ziglar took it to the highest level, and for that he deserves major kudos. He sure gets it from me. Zig was big.