Posted by Grant on March 15, 2008 – 10:09 am
Yesterday I had a completely random encounter with one of the greatest baseball players of all time! The whole thing was really surreal but it was so cool!
Let me preface all this by saying I’m a big baseball fan and am a diehard St. Louis Cardinals fan.
So I’m on my lunch break during the seminar I’m teaching and I go down to the hotel restaurant to place a to-go order. I order my sandwich and am waiting at the bar when the bartender asks me if I’m a baseball fan. I said I was and she pointed me to the older gentleman that had just walked in the restaurant.
It was Stan “The Man” Musial!
In case you’re not a baseball fan, Stan Musial is considered one of the greatest baseball players of all time. He won the MVP 3 times, played in 24 All Star games, and is in several top 10 lists for career stats. He’s 87 years old and I didn’t want to bother him so I walked up and introduced myself, shook his hand, and walked off.
The guy is a legend. And he just happened to be in the restaurant as I was waiting for my turkey sandwich…what a cool experience!
Posted by Grant on March 15, 2008 – 9:55 am
If you follow the news at all, then it would be difficult to miss out on the scandal involving the now former governor of New York. It’s a sad, sad deal and there’s really no winner in this whole drama.
But it raises a question that we should all ask ourselves when we’re in potentially compromising situations.
Is it worth it?
I’ll bet you anything that if you were to ask Eliot Spitzer if his outings with various prostitutes were worth it, he wouldn’t have to think twice about it. The answer would be NO.
But of course we usually don’t think about how this will affect me after the fact. While it’s such a sad deal for Spitzer and his family, his poor decisions are no different than most of our stupid choices. We do something that feels good in the moment, not taking the time to think through the consequences that will come tomorrow.
So next time you’re faced with the decision that may seem fun today but may cost you more than you realize, just ask yourself:
Is It Worth It?
Posted by Grant on March 14, 2008 – 7:22 am
I’m sitting in my hotel in St. Louis getting ready to start another full day seminar that I’m teaching. But thankfully after we’re done today, I get to hit the road and head home. I figured in the last 17 days, I’ve slept in 6 different hotels in 6 different cities for a total of 13 nights in hotel beds! That’s a little crazy so I’m definitely looking forward to sleeping in my own bed for a while.
And of course I can’t wait to see my girls!
Posted by Grant on March 13, 2008 – 6:43 am
Sorry for misleading you…
I don’t know how to tell you to become an overnight success.
Why?
Because it’s not possible.
We live in a culture where everyone is looking for the magic pill, the secret formula, or the silver bullet. But it doesn’t work like that. There isn’t a magic pill to make you lose weight. If you want to lose weight, eat less and exercise more. If you want to be successful with money, quit looking for the next “get rich quick scheme” and start working with a passion.
Success is incremental.
The decision to succeed isn’t a one-time choice but it’s a daily decision you have to make.
Success happens one inch at a time.
So quit looking for the magic potion…it doesn’t exist.
Posted by Grant on March 10, 2008 – 8:10 pm
Let me throw out a random, completely hypothetical situation and you tell me how you would handle it:
You’re on a road trip and you stop at a gas station to use the bathroom. As you are walking into said gas station, you notice a van of teenagers in the parking lot, perhaps a youth group of some form. So you walk in and you see a long line of teenage girls waiting to use the bathroom. Keep in mind, it is only girls in line…no guys. So you move over to create a “line” in front of the guy’s bathroom which is currently in use. You of course seeing it’s in use assume it’s a teenage guy from said youth group.
So needless to say, you’re surprised when a teenage girl walks out of the guy’s bathroom.
This of course leaves you in a precarious situation. Do you:
A. Go to the back of the line and let the girl’s continue to use the guy’s restroom until it is your turn.
B. Go ahead and just use the guy’s restroom since you are naturally the only guy in line.
C. Get in line and use the girl’s restroom since apparently it makes no difference which you use.
D. Get back in your car and drive down the road to another gas station.
I chose a modified “B” when I was in this situation today. I felt it was my turn to use the guy’s bathroom but to be polite, I asked permission.
That’s correct.
I asked permission to use the guy’s bathroom when there were no guys in line.
It’s a sad, sad world we live in…
Posted by Grant on March 8, 2008 – 9:35 am
I’ve been gone the last five nights speaking around the state and was extremely happy to get home last night! It was a very full week and I’ve got another full week coming up but at least it’s good to be home for a few days.
Last night we ate pizza, watched some TV, and Syd fell asleep on me on the couch…it was a great night!
Posted by Grant on March 6, 2008 – 9:39 pm
Smoking is nasty…
The unfortunate thing about staying at a casino is that everywhere you go smells like one giant ashtray. By the end of the seminar I was teaching today, I had a massive headache and my throat hurt from all the smoke.
On top of that, I counted 6 ashtrays in the men’s bathroom including one at the children’s urinal! I know it’s a habit that can start when people are young but come on! Can people really not wait to finish their cigarette while using the bathroom?
I don’t get it…
Posted by Grant on March 6, 2008 – 9:34 pm
I had a brief lunch break today during my seminar and as I explored my options, I found myself in a familiar place looking for nutritional goodness.
The Buffet was Back.
It was only $9.99 for lunch and I couldn’t resist. I gave in and the buffet won.
Buffet – 2 / Baldwin – 0
Posted by Grant on March 5, 2008 – 9:04 pm
I’m in Kansas City tonight and did a seminar for about 60 people today on organization and time management. It was fun but it’s a long, draining day! The hotel where I’m staying and where the seminar is being hosted at is Harrah’s Hotel & Casino. Now I’m not a gambler and the smell of smoke everywhere is a little nasty but I will tell you the best part of any casino…
The Buffet (cue dramatic music).
I’m not talking about some tiny, little buffet with a few simple options. I’m not even talking about something like a Golden Corral. But this buffet was the mother of all buffets. All other buffets must bow to this buffet. It was a smorgasbord of delectable delights to tickle your taste buds (that was a great sentence)!
When I checked in yesterday to the hotel, I saw the buffet and knew I had to try
taste experience it.
And tonight was that night.
It was nearly overwhelming. As I browsed around, there were the typical items. But then it seemed like there was no end to the number of cuisines and options available.
There was a section for BBQ, Chinese, Italian, American plus fresh carved turkey, roast beef, and sausage. I had to give the entire buffet a quick walk through just to plan and strategize my attack.
But after multiple plates of everything under the sun plus some chocolate ice cream to wash it down, I’m back in room and ready for bed.
I wonder what’s on the breakfast buffet…….hmmmm
Posted by Grant on March 5, 2008 – 8:31 pm
Although I deeply miss my wife and daughter when I’m traveling, we both have webcams so we’re always able to talk and see each other. Sometimes when the computer is off at the house, my daughter will pick up the camera and put her face on it and say, “Hi Daddy” as if daddy is trapped inside the webcam!
I’ve been gone a lot lately but I’m headed home tomorrow night to see my girls and I can’t wait!
