Wednesday, December 17, 2008

GM Bankruptcy?

GM Bankruptcy? Will it trigger liquidation? Will it cause mass issues in the automotive supply chain? Great questions that only time will give exact and definite answers to.

The recent events in gas prices rising, credit availability declining and the government stepping in to bail companies out is a test to our democratic system. It is a fact that government intervention; especially owning any company is one step toward Communism. I am not saying we should vote for or against any bailouts, but everyone better understand where that path ultimately leads. Read your Declaration of Indepedance and original Constitution. Have YOU ever read them? Boil down what is the government ultimately responsible for - it was originated to protect borders and control interstate commerce, my what a long way and big budget deficit we have come to. FREE ENTERPRISE is the country we live in, and it rules via consumer vote. This country was founded by people looking for opportunity to freely trade and freedom from persecution because of their beliefs.

If there is $$ to be made in the automotive industry, which there is just look at Toyota, the idea that the automotive market will topple over and we will be riding bikes is ridiculous to say the least. I have worked for automotive suppliers for 15 years and volume will shift to companies that have improved their SYSTEMS to survive in times like these. That is what the big 3 have not done and they had a warning 34 years ago. Read the TOYOTA WAY for some history. I am PRO AMERICAN, PRO FREE MARKET, PRO NO FREE RIDE, PRO YOU GET PAID FOR WHAT YOU DO and PRO CONSUMER DEMAND RULES, the alternatives are SOCIALISM which is simply COMMUNISM in a pretty dress, how is that working out for those countries? A "poor" person in American lives better than the kings of antiquity; they have more choices and freedoms than ever before in history. Today, the US economy still controls the world economy but the future looks a little bleak.

Those who come up with ideas, improvements, services and products that are of value to people who will buy them can profit in America. If there is enough value created, that person or organization can get wealthy and everyone benefits from an increased standard of living. If those that don’t provide benefit are rewarded, we will move toward communism. We live in the greatest country in the world and greatest country that has ever existed because of the Free Enterprise system which demands personal accountability, you starve that system and we all starve. My wish is that we all take responsibility to continue to learn and grow to make better choices to ultimately improve all of our lives.

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Where are you going for Christmas?

Where will your path take you over the Christmas Holiday?

It seems when we travel places we are on a mission to get to where we are going as fast as possible. Whether by train, plane or automobile, the name of the game is expediency. We want to get together around holidays as fast as possible so we can talk about where we have been, what we have been doing and the classic question to ask others, “how are you doing” or better yet, “how yah doin”. We talk about trips we have been on and places we have seen. When all other topics are exhausted some people are reduced to talking about others, but I won’t regress. The point is we rarely talk about the journey unless something bad happened; we had a flat tire, the plane was delayed, it rained or snowed. It seems there is a comfort in just being together and being in old familiar places, and we are a society of comfort seekers.

It has been six months since I have journeyed “home” to see my immediate family so I am looking forward to it. My parents recently journeyed to New Mexico so I am looking forward to hearing about their trip. I am sure we will look at pictures of places they visited and excursions they took. But what if I threw a curve ball and asked the question, “What did you learn while on that trip that could help you improve yourself or others?” Another question could be, “what did you learn that you can teach me so I can improve myself?”

All successful people who are full-filled know that it is not the things they acquire, the places they go, or freedoms they enjoy that full-fills them, those things are merely temporary comforts. For those who have started down the path of success, which starts with setting goals and self improvement, we quickly realize that the process of moving down the path becomes self-full-filling. It is like a car that you never have to fill with gas as long as you drive it daily. And when you don’t drive it the gas evaporates until you do. Thus, not driving the car of self improvement down the path for long period of time will empty your tank. Have YOU ever been there, I sure have, too many times.

Your journey WILL take you down some difficult paths. The alternative is to stop on the path so everything starts to become familiar and comfortable, but watch out, you may get run over. My prayer this holiday season is that we are lights of positive hope and joy in a society that has been told “it sure is bad”, “times sure are tough”. Give me a break, go to a third world country where they worry about what they will eat or drink not because they don’t have money to buy it, there is no food to buy. May Joy and Peace fill your holiday season and enjoy your journey down the path.

Thursday, December 4, 2008

In The Beginning...

I wonder how many people in the world know where that line comes from; perhaps a lot.
The line is the start of a wonderful story and I hope that this blog is also the start of a great story that can be shared for mutual collaboration and learning.

My views and oppinions are strong on certain topics but there is one item that I hope to always be open minded about and that is understanding the other persons point of view, their experiences and how they have come to learn what they believe. It is through this understanding that true collaboration and learning can take place no matter what your beliefs.

Another item that is key to collaboration is a peaceful heart. The book Anatomy of Peace from the Arbinger Institute is one of the best books I have read on why conflict arises and how to avoide it.

I look forward to a grand story.