Editor’s Note: This newsletter was originally published on August 16th, 2021.
"What About" Proves Nothing!
In our hyper-politicized environment, few discussions are held on their merits. Whether it involves international policy, economics, or NFL draft picks, we rarely debate based on the merits of our own positions. For whatever reason, we have become unable to defend our positions and instead spend our time highlighting the flaws in others.
I was involved in a discussion on Twitter recently with a user who questioned the Atlanta Falcons’ decision to draft Kyle Pitts over Justin Fields.
Fundamentally, the user dislikes the Falcons’ QB Matt Ryan and would’ve preferred that they draft Fields in the most recent NFL Draft. The point made was Fields’ performance in Saturday’s preseason game was “evidence” of their “mistake”.
Consider:
- Matt Ryan is under contract for the next couple of years with salary guarantees that make trading him near impossible without severe Cap impact. (Result: He is nigh untradeable.)
- Ryan is still performing well on a team that has a multitude of other holes where they need to improve instead of introducing greater Dead-Cap constraints.
- Top-10 pick QBs (in the Falcons case, a Top-5 ) do not “sit” behind the starter to “learn and develop”. That effectively wastes a year of their initial five-year rookie deals where teams (like Kansas City, Buffalo, Miami, etc) enjoy the below-market value at that position.
To justify his argument, the user compared Fields’ play in a preseason game which is total nonsense. Fields may be a great NFL QB & Kyle Pitts may turn out to be a bust. However, the results of a single preseason game will not be the measure of that decision.
Interestingly, this phenomenon occurs everywhere today.
The first 7-8 months of the Biden Presidency have not been good. One need only look to the U.S. Southern border, the worsening situation in Afganistan, and a worsening economy to see that our situation is not improving at home or internationally.
There have been a number of missteps and mistakes.
That said, Donald Trump has not been President since late January. As much as Biden supporters try to use it, “But Trump” doesn’t work. In the same way that “But Democrats” was not an excuse for President Trump’s behavior, it is not going to work for the Biden administration either.
How about we focus on the needed debates and conversations of the day based on their merits? Who’s game?
P.S. On a positive note, the NFL Preseason has indeed started and College Football is upcoming! Currently, there’s hope for everyone because we get to view our teams through the “rose-colored glasses” of fans without the pain of losses that will inevitably dash many dreams. At least for a few weeks, we get attention and focus before many have to face reality anticipating “next year”! 🙂
Note: If Atlanta’s 23-3 loss to the Tennessee Titans is a clue, we might be looking forward to “next year” soon! LOL
I liked this quote when I first encountered it.
While I can be cynical in a sarcastic way, I am, by nature, a positive person looking for opportunities in the situations we encounter.
That said, the above quote is a great way to look at life ensuring that we are grateful and appreciative for that which we receive.
Dave Ramsey suggests that we “do things others will not do so you can one day do things others cannot”. Diamond Dallas Page shares that “Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you respond to it”
Each of these ideas flows perfectly well with the above quote highlighting that a cornerstone of Happiness is finding the Joy in what we get and being content in those moments when we do not.
Too often, we measure our reality through the lens of what others have often ignored what they or someone else did to earn it. Make no mistake – if you base your Happiness on measures that you do not have, you will lead a bitter and ungrateful life.
This does not mean that you should become stale and satisfied as that is the first step toward inactivity and decline. The key is to continue focusing on those things you control and working to improve each day. If you wish to measure, keep an eye on how you have grown as a person.
This keeps you focused on your journey instead of momentary events that inevitably occur along the way!
For those checking out the book reviews, I reviewed E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber. You can check out my notes at this link.
Keep a lookout as I just finished One Million Followers by Brendan Kane and will be posting my notes for that one soon.
Other Links
We’ve been sharing SEO links for a while and here are some more. If you’ve got a website or a local business with a languishing digital presence, check out these links (or those from previous editions) for a starting point.
Running Successful Meetings
Effective meetings (especially as we’ve embraced a more remote work culture) has become more important than ever. This article offers some hints to improve yours from a CEO focused on continuous improvement.
I created a video on YouTube sharing 5-6 hints that I use. Feel free to add these to your toolbox as well!
Leading as an Introvert
No one would accuse me of being introverted, but I recognize that others with that tendency often have unique challenges as leaders. They are often most acute when leading a more extroverted person (like me). It is challenging for those less likely to speak and assert command to work with others for whom it comes more naturally.
All personalities and tendencies can bring valuable contributions, but it is important that we do not favor one over another out of convenience.
Practice Management Software
The folks at SweetProcess provide details about Practice Management software options in this post. If you’re dissatisfied with your existing options or looking for software to help run your legal office, be sure to check out this post.
If you want to get rich, bootstrap. So much easier x100 to sell profitable startups without investors & you walk away with everything.
— Andrew Gazdecki (@agazdecki) August 14, 2021
If want to disrupt & change a market with a bold vision, raise VC to accelerate goals. Just don’t do it for the money. Do it for impact.
