Meesage of the Day - Ole Reliable

Good Morning,

At times I look back through my life and wonder just how I wound up where I am today. How did I get from being a skinny kid who thought he knew it all, living in Massapequa, New York, to being the person I am today, a life-long learner, with a great wife and wonderful kids in Louisville, Kentucky?

The short answer is that I went through a lot of change.

There were many times in my life where I changed gears and directions and started to do something new. I remember leaving my family to go to college in Buffalo, NY. I remember then leaving college in Buffalo and working for the Church of Scientology for a couple of years. I remember packing up my life to move to the Catskills in New York to start over. I remember the years I worked as a welder in a machine shop, I remember sitting in the hospital with two broken legs, where I knew, just knew, that my life had changed forever. I remember the day I started commuting from upstate New York to New York City, some 2.5 hours each way. I remember driving the moving van from Maryland to Kentucky with my life packed in behind me and my cats in a carrier at my side, and breaking down after 10 minutes on the road at night in December. That was a change.

Through all that change I remember one constant which I have been looking to longingly when I get a chance. Something that has been a gauge for me throughout my life. These last few mornings as I walk Bocefus, aka ‘Bo’, at O’Dark:30 I have been able to look up through the clear skies and see my guy.

That unchanging image…

Orion: the constellation.

It has been so dark in the wee hours that you can see all the stars in his body and the stars of his sword hanging from his belt.

Throughout my life, I remember looking up at the night sky, and no matter what was going on in my life. My parents getting divorced, my going to college the first time, my dropping out of college, my moving from state to state, my going back to college, my getting married, getting injured, accepting Christ, when my Mom passed, etc. Whatever has gone in my life, I have been able to look up in the night sky and see my guy, Orion.

Orion has been Ole Reliable for me. Seeing the constellation is calming and warms my heart. It gives me hope that I can continue through everything that I am facing.

Do you have an ole reliable in your life? Something that throughout your life has been there to help you?

If you don’t you can create one. You too can share my guy, Orion. Or you can find another source, like I have as of late, in the Good Book.

Find something that you can look to even it is just a constellation, to help calm you when life throws all sorts of changes at you.

Cause no matter what happens tomorrow, ole reliable will be there.

Enjoy!

Sanford Berenberg

Sanford@berenberg.net

http://www.berenberg.net

http://learnandgrowdaily.com ß-Cick here to order: "Learn And Grow Daily!"
http://sanfordberenberg.blogspot.com/

502-533-9336

Message of the Day: The Power of a Teacher!

Good Morning,

 

A few weeks ago I was looking through my Facebook friend suggestions and I saw a name which caught me off-guard. The last name was that of my 5^th Grade Teacher. When I looked at our mutual friends I saw my sister and a few other school friends. My heart raced as I clicked to ask her to be my friend on Facebook. A day or so later, she accepted my friend request and I went to write a message to her.

 

Now this teacher was not only my 5^th Grade Teacher, but she was my favorite teacher of all times. She was a blessing to me in a time of my life when my parents had been divorced only a few years and money was tight (I received meal vouchers at school, kind of embarrassing back then). My teacher made me feel intelligent and important. So getting back in touch with her again was a joy.

 

She remembered that I was in the class of 1978-9. She even remembered a project I worked on, a report and drawing on an animal called an ‘Oribi’. Of course, me being a thick-headed fool I can be, said no, I did my project the ‘Pronghorn’ instead because it was the fasted land mammal in North America. Over the next day or so, my memories started to sharpen and low and behold, I do remember doing the report just as my teacher had said I did.

 

She had not seen nor heard from me for 32 years and has had hundreds of students before and after me and she still knew that one project I worked on. You can see how she was able to make me feel important.

 

I shared this story with my younger daughter’s 5^th Grade teacher (from last year) of how my 5^th Grade teacher remembered my project from 32 years ago and how I questioned it and was wrong. She smiled and told me that I should know better than to question my teacher.

 

In looking back over my life, this teacher, like many others has been very influential in making who I am today. I remember her above others because she allowed me to shine as a student. She knew how to reach me and make me feel important and intelligent.

 

What a powerful part of our lives a teacher can play. How many teachers can you remember from back in the day who have helped you become who you are today?

 

Maybe take the time to see if they are still out there and if possible, thank them…again!

 

If you can read this, thank a teacher. If a teacher is reading this, please forgive my grammar, I will bring in an apple tomorrow!

 

Enjoy!

 

 

Sanford Berenberg

Sanford@berenberg.net

http://www.berenberg.net 

http://learnandgrowdaily.com ß-Cick here to order: "Learn And Grow Daily!"
http://sanfordberenberg.blogspot.com/

502-533-9336

 

 

 

 

Message of the Day - Sweet Memories

Good Morning,

 

Today we closed on our old house and are down to one monthly mortgage payment!  Hooray!

 

Yesterday, I brought my younger daughter, Samantha, to the old house for one more visit. She had lived most of her life in that house and was excited to see it one more time. When we arrived I offered to let her go through the house alone, but she wanted the company. So we went from room to room, starting with her old bedroom and going through the house. She seemed excited and shared stories of different things she remembered from the last 10 years.

 

As we left the house, we went to the backyard for a final look and then I remembered something from when I first moved into the house in 2003. Samantha and Stephanie, her older sister, told me that they kept little rocks and shells that they found in a stone tray-like block by the back of the house. Each rock and shell held a different memory. I told Samantha to look in that area and she went over to the stone and saw all of her little rocks.

 

Like prized treasures, she started picking up the ones that she wanted to take with her to the new house. Some of the stones were interesting shapes, some were crystals of some sort and there were a few sea shells. She took each one of these prized possessions and placed them into a small terracotta flower pot which was also sitting on the stone.

 

Samantha asked me how many of her stones and shells she could take. I smiled and told her as many as she wants. So she thoughtfully picked up a few more and then turned to me and said that she will leave the rest for the new home owner.

 

She wanted to leave some of her cherished memories for someone she had never met.

 

I felt warm inside knowing how much of a loving heart that 12 year old has, and how much she cares about others.

 

It also made me think of how we could share our memories with others, as a gift, like Samantha leaving some of her stones and shells for the new homeowner.

 

Shortly I will be calling a cousin of my Mom’s. They have not seen each other for years, so I will give her some of my memories of Mom as a gift to her.

 

Giving memories to others is a free gift, that we can give over and over again to as many people we would like. These gifts are unique to us, because they are our memories. Even if a bunch of people experienced the same event, each would have slightly different memories of the event as they each have a different personality and perception of events around them.

 

When you need to share something with another, why not give them some of your sweet memories?

 

Enjoy!

 

Sanford Berenberg

Sanford@berenberg.net

http://www.berenberg.net 

http://learnandgrowdaily.com ß-Cick here to order: "Learn And Grow Daily!"
http://sanfordberenberg.blogspot.com/

502-533-9336

 

 

 

Message of the Day - Deliver What You Promise

Good Morning,

 

On Thursday I finally received the funds from my Mom’s bank accounts and started the new estate bank account. Once the checks arrived, all worked out well, thankfully!

 

The road up to this event was not so smooth.

 

On Monday (of this week… week 3 of the ordeal) I called Wachovia to make sure everything was good, and you saw that message earlier in the week for that outcome. I then received a call the following day, Tuesday, from the Correspondence Team who asked me for the letter with the public notary. I advised her to look at the many faxes I sent to the bank and low and behold she found they already had it.

 

Then after that was all cleared up, I asked her to overnight the checks in one envelop with a signature confirmation, just like I requested in righting in yet another fax. I also asked her when I would get the tracking number so I could track down the UPS overnight letter. She told me to call customer service that they would know Wednesday afternoon (#1).

 

I called back on Wednesday afternoon and was told that they had no way of knowing the tracking number. She said I would have to call back on Thursday morning at 8:00 AM. Mind you, if all went well the checks would have been sent out at the time I was talking with this customer service representative (#2).

 

So, on Thursday morning I called back yet again and asked if they had the tracking number. They said no, they had no access to it (#3). Three different interactions, three different answers. Is this inspiring confidence in you? Me neither.

 

I then asked them if they could answer one simple question. Did the checks get sent overnight to my address on Wednesday? After about 5 minutes holding, I was told yes. The nice lady told me that she would research the tracking numbers and call me back when she found them.

 

At home Thursday morning, I took the day off from work, I hear the UPS truck pull up and pull out three envelops…and then I am simply handed them. No signature required…. If I had been working that day, these checks, enough to buy a couple BMWs, would have simply sat on my doorstep, alone, for 7 – 8 hours until someone came home.

 

So, I have the checks and I go to my bank to set up the estate account. As I am waiting to open the account I get a call from the nice lady at Wachovia to tell me the tracking numbers for the checks. I advise her thank you for your perseverance, that I had the checks.

 

What a mess. It all worked out in the end, but at each turn I was given different expectations of what was needed from me and what I needed to do next. It was like walking through a mine field, never knowing what is going to turn up next.

 

When you deliver a product or service, if you do not deliver what you promise or at least give consistent expectations to your customers, you will loose their trust.

 

It was at the point with Wachovia that they could have given me the winning lottery numbers and I would not have trusted them.

 

Is this the way you would want your business to be perceived?

 

No, me neither.

 

Deliver what you promise and try to be consistent in the service you do deliver. Each and every time!

 

Enjoy!

 

Sanford Berenberg

Sanford@berenberg.net

http://www.berenberg.net 

http://learnandgrowdaily.com ß-Cick here to order: "Learn And Grow Daily!"
http://sanfordberenberg.blogspot.com/

502-533-9336

 

 

 

 

Message of the Day: Looking Deeper

Good Morning,

 

Today I called Wachovia Bank to find out the status of closing my Mom’s accounts and issuing a check so I can start her estate account and pay her final bills. Three weeks ago I gathered the required paperwork and submitted a request to start this. You have to fax your request to the Correspondence Team, who you cannot reach directly. About a week later when I called to find the status I was told I sent the wrong paperwork and was instructed to send basically the same paperwork (Death Certificate, Certificate of Qualification to be Administrator of Mom’s estate and letter requesting what to do with her funds). The second request went nowhere as well. I had one call with a supervisor who gave me point for point each item I needed, and this still did not fit the bill, I asked for a manager to call me, I am still waiting.

 

Then at my behest, my uncle called a contact at Wachovia who advised that what I was not being asked to send, which I needed to was a letter with my signature on it, with a public notary to confirm I was who I said I was. So I sent this. Then the next day, last Friday I called Wachovia and confirmed everything was in order

 

The first call, this morning, went to a lady who when reviewing the account did not see my name on the account and refused to give me any information. She refused to contact the correspondence team as she said she could not. Note some of the other reps I spoke with did call the correspondence team. I asked for a supervisor, and she said she could not transfer me, but could take my number and have someone call me back. I told her that I am still waiting for call back from last week. I started telling her I had no trust in their customer service and she hung up on me.

 

The second call, ten minutes later, went to a guy who looked over the account and saw that while I was not on the account, there was a death certificate connected to that account. This would mean that their customer was not going to be calling in for her money. He realized that someone was going to be executor or administrator so he put me on hold and called the correspondence team and confirmed everything I had been told on Friday. He then put in a note on the account saying that I was authorized to call in for information on Mom’s account.

 

The first representative followed the script; she protected the integrity of the account information and hung up on the customer when the call started getting heated. This really irritated the customer!!

 

The second representative took the time to look deeper into the account. He also protected the integrity of the account information by not giving out any information until he verified with his own company what I was talking about. He did not irritate the customer, he made the customer happy.

 

This might sound petty, but think about it, a situation like this, which is a legal one to begin with, could end up in a lawsuit. Lawsuits cost time and money and often end up hurting the business’ public perception (especially when there is a dearly departed sweet little old lady whose last wishes were to pay for her funeral and medical bills).

 

When you have an irate customer, take a few extra moments to look deeper into the account notes or whatever information you have. You may find that they are indeed right and what you are reading in the account is wrong. You may also avoid further escalations or worse.

 

I hope I get the second representative when I call back again tomorrow to make sure everything is still moving along.

 

One only can hope.

 

Enjoy!

 

 

Sanford Berenberg

Sanford@berenberg.net

http://www.berenberg.net 

http://learnandgrowdaily.com ß-Cick here to order: "Learn And Grow Daily!"
http://sanfordberenberg.blogspot.com/

502-533-9336

 

 

 

 

Message of the Day - You Can't Fix What You Can't See

Good Morning,

 

My current read is Dave Ramsey’s “The Money Answer Book: Quick Answers to Everyday Financial Questions” (http://www.amazon.com/Money-Answer-Book-Financial-Questions/dp/0849996198). In reading through a section I saw a line that struck me as key to improving our lives. Dave Ramsey said “You cannot fix a problem until you admit you have a problem”.

 

Getting past the common allusions to Drinking and Gambling Problems we can see that there are indeed issues in our lives that we could easily fix, if we knew we had them.

 

Sometimes we don’t see these issues because we choose to ignore them: kind of like guys who get lost and refuse to ask for help for fear of bruising their ego instead of stopping and asking for directions.

 

Sometimes we actually cannot see these issues. For example, being from the northeast I tend to be loud in my speech and walk heavily. This drives my wife Karen crazy. At first when she asked me to quiet down a bit and walk softer, I was caught off-guard. I had no idea I was loud. I knew I talked a lot (and therein laid the problem for Karen). When I stopped and took an introspective look, I saw that I was indeed loud and did clomp around the house. Since that time I have endeavored to correct those issues and in the course of this now see others who are loud and clomp around.

 

When we see problems we can often fix them easily. When we can see them or admit to them.

 

So how do we address these problems we cannot see? Addressing the ones we know about and refuse to admit is a subject for another day.

 

For one, ask a friend or family if they notice anything (try to narrow the area you want looked at down). Choose someone who you know will shoot from the hip. And then be prepared to hear things that may not please you. This is okay, because you will be in a better position to see what is going on in your life that you cannot see.

 

Once you see these issues from the perspective of others, then you can decide if you wish to address them or not.

 

Another approach is to spend some time reflecting on times when you said or did something that others became upset with. Is there something that you do or don’t do that you find causes others to get upset with you? If the answer is yes and you can identify this activity or behavior, you can then decide if you want to address it.

 

Bringing our problems and issues into the open, no matter how we do it, is the best way to give us a chance to correct them.

 

Enjoy!

 

Sanford Berenberg

Sanford@berenberg.net

http://www.berenberg.net 

http://learnandgrowdaily.com ß-Cick here to order: "Learn And Grow Daily!"
http://sanfordberenberg.blogspot.com/

502-533-9336

 

 

 

 

Message of the Day - Time is Short, Don't Act Now

Good Morning,

 

Have you noticed that the amount of stuff we can do at any given time is growing in number. We have more ways to distract ourselves today than ever before in the past. We can easily find ourselves volunteering to help others or join a non-profit organization. Then when we are in one, another cause comes up and we feel obligated to join it. Then someone sees how good you are at helping and asks you to take a leadership role. Then another group’s cause catches your interest and you find yourself signing up.

 

I am currently feeling pulled in many directions this summer. I have several groups I am involved in, some of very active and others not so, but one of them has become extremely time consuming while the others are ramping up. All of this while I am working on my Mom’s estate, selling a house and still moving into our new house, etc.. And there are other groups who are looking to sign me up. I had to turn down one group looking for my help, and step away from another. A few weeks ago I went fishing with my father in-law and now I want to fit in some fishing time as well. Oh yeah, and the kids are now going back to school.

 

We can get so involved that our time becomes scarce. At that point the little things we like to do, watch some TV, read, get on Facebook become distractions to all that we have committed for ourselves to do.

 

So how do we navigate these waters?

 

We can start a list.

 

Not a to do list, but a NOT To Do list.

 

By showing some restraint and having even a mental list of what NOT to do, we can free up some of our time. And this is important because we have little time available to us. It may seem like a lot, but time, unlike many things in life, cannot be RE-spent. Once it is used, it is gone.

 

Take it from such sources as Jim Collin’s “Good to Great” and Marcus Buckingham’s “The One Thing You Need to Know” that we can get a lot more accomplished if we learn to better monitor and control our use of time.

 

Do we need to join five different social or networking organizations? Do we need have to sign up for everything that we see on the internet? Do we have to go to every concert we see in town? Do we find ourselves running to the store or logging onto to the internet every time we see a cool commercial?

 

There is nothing wrong taking a day to relax and play video games, or watch DVDs, but if you get yourself committed to doing 10 different things at the same time, you will not have much chance to play or watch with much enjoyment. The more we have to do, the more we find ourselves torn to go in multiple different directions at the same time.

 

Our time is valuable, and let’s learn to better protect it, so we can do those things we like to do, when we feel like it.

 

Enjoy!

 

Sanford Berenberg

Sanford@berenberg.net

http://www.berenberg.net 

http://learnandgrowdaily.com ß-Cick here to order: "Learn And Grow Daily!"
http://sanfordberenberg.blogspot.com/

502-533-9336