The Key to Finding Love, Labor Shortage, Supply Chain Issues, Disparate Views, Angry People

“To love. To be loved. To never forget your own insignificance. To never get used to the unspeakable violence and the vulgar disparity of life around you. To seek joy in the saddest places. To pursue beauty to its lair. To never simplify what is complicated or complicate what is simple. To respect strength, never power. Above all, to watch. To try and understand. To never look away. And never, never to forget.”
— Arundhati Roy

Hello, how are you? I’m fine, thank you for asking.  It’s the middle of the week; how are you faring? Are you hitting some singles, doubles or are you hitting home runs?  I’ve been hitting dingers all week, and I expect that to continue.

I worked from home yesterday; if you think about it, two years ago, if someone said that, one might think, “so you stayed home and just did nothing?”  But now, these days, people accept that one can work effectively from their home.   

We went to the Indianapolis office on Monday; as we sat in my wife’s office, Cousin asked me where my office was.  I shared I had not had an office for 15 years, no place to put my stuff, I thought offices were anchors, and I am a gypsy. My job is to build relationships with others, not sit in an office. 

I continued my work prospecting; I sent out two Looms to candidates that fit my profile.  What is my profile?  I’m looking for people with commercial insurance experience loyal to their current employer.  I don’t want to talk to job jumpers.  Loyalty is important, and I think after ten years with the same company, one might be open to a new opportunity.   My strategy worked; I’m building a bench of quality people to join our firm as we continue to grow.

If I lived in New York, I would move.  The new mandate of getting a jab if you work in the city is a little authoritarian.  As of the end of the year, everyone over the age of four must show proof of vaccination to visit a restaurant or watch a broadway show.  I don’t understand the mentality, but some in our world are cheering on this move.  In Oregon, they are talking about mandating masks forever.  I’m watching our world teeter on the brink of madness. 

Here in Indiana and our other home state Colorado, people have sense.  Do as you please, respect others, and the world will be fine.  That’s my kind of leadership; guidance without mandates is a preference of mine and many others.  I’m getting my anal physical tomorrow; I was asked to wear a mask; I’ll comply. That makes a little more sense.  Isn’t it funny how the absence of two letters can add a little brevity? 

I’ll get my blood work done; I do this three times a year; I think it essential to check the bodily fluids now and then.  If you have some ailment, catch it early and treat it.  I got my blood work done in September, and it was good to go; we will see how much things have changed.  I encourage everyone to get an annual physical or anal; you can choose your pleasure.

We had our best November in the history of our company.  Our team is thriving, we have some great young talent, and our producers are working hard to hit their goals.  I’m honored to work with such a fantastic crew, and I am excited to see what the future holds for our team.

I took a call on Monday from a client on vacation in Mexico.   He owns a few restaurants in Denver; someone stole a car and, in the police pursuit, drove through one of his restaurants.  I got some details, a point person on the ground in Denver, and told him, enjoy your vacation, I’ll take care of this.  The accident occurred at 12:30 a.m. on Sunday; if they had called, I would have answered.  I’ll sheppard this claim until finished; it’s what we do.

I went online to Amazon yesterday to buy more Liquid Death water; Amazon won’t let me buy more; it stated I had bought more than my allowance.  Supply chain issues?  Let’s go, Brandon.  My wife went to Walgreens to pick up a prescription; the pharmacy was closed, no labor.  What if a person needed their medication to survive?  This time is a great time to contemplate government and governance. Is this the best way to move forward, or is there another approach that worked better, say two years ago?  Can it be as simple as mean tweets or $7.00 gas? 

A couple of weeks ago, I shared that a long-time friend had shared that he could no longer stand being around me due to our disparate views. I was sad but shared I loved him and good luck. However, this same individual texted me last night with this, “He really pissed me off.  I’m actually still pisssed.  I’ll send you a screenshot after bit.”  I feel sorry for my friend; he seems like an angry little man. However, I don’t think he alone; I think many people harbor hate and anger for others, and I pray that one day they can see that disparate views are critical to living a well-balanced life.

Many of my friends are experiencing success; some are selling their businesses, others are getting fat daddy CEO gigs; it’s truly a time of growth and excitement for many.  I am excited; my personal life is fantastic, as is my business life.  We have a bevy of friends who want to see us when home and when we return to our mountain house, we have friends waiting, wanting to shower us with hugs and love.

I think to find love; you first must love yourself.  If you don’t love yourself, you make it hard for others to love you. If you love yourself, welcome to the party; if you don’t, you might need to do some work to reach an appreciation and understanding of why you are the way you are.  Everyone is born with gifts and talents, and the sooner you can recognize those things that allow you to be you. 

I hope you have a great day; my words did not upset you but may add to your day.  If I upset you, I’m so sorry; My audience has become those with thick skin.  If you want a trophy for breathing, please reconsider your subscription to my work. At my age, I know one thing to be true. I’m not for everyone, and neither are you.

“To love. To be loved. To never forget your own insignificance. To never get used to the unspeakable violence and the vulgar disparity of life around you. To seek joy in the saddest places. To pursue beauty to its lair. To never simplify what is complicated or complicate what is simple. To respect strength, never power. Above all, to watch. To try and understand. To never look away. And never, never to forget.”
— Arundhati Roy