You may have seen this; it has been making the rounds this week on the internet:

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. …. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as: Knowing when to come in out of the rain; Why the early bird gets the worm; Life isn’t always fair; And maybe it was my fault. He was preceded in death, by his parents, Truth and Trust, by his wife Discretion, his daughter Responsibility, and his son, Reason. He is survived by his 4 stepbrothers; I Know My Rights, I Want It Now, Someone Else Is To Blame, and I’m A Victim.”

A very sad take on who we are as a society. However, there are bright spots here and there. In some businesses, there are those who still believe. http://buswk.co/qrJcf1 Here’s a CEO employing the tried and true common sense of Peter Drucker. I know it’s only one in many thousands, but at least it shows that common sense may not be dead. Thriving? No – but he’s up and taking nourishment!

Let’s not glue the back of our hands to our foreheads with the “woe is me” mantra. It really does sully the memory of Common Sense – he deserves to live and we are the ones responsible for seeing to it that he rises from the ashes.

What do you think? Is Common Sense dead and gone? ♦ Ruth

(BTW, there are situations where 2 of the stepbrothers are good boys. For example, “I know my rights” – a good thing to have when falsely accused of something (which happens more frequently than you think). “I Want it Now” – is the right thing when the QB says I play to win and I want it now. However, “Someone Else is to Blame”, and “I’m a victim” are definitely the evil twins.)

Wayne Gretzky, a star hockey player said: “A good hockey player plays where the puck is. A great hockey player plays where the puck is going to be”. And while we’re at it, Seth Godin an author and star change agent said: “You can’t be remarkable by following someone else who is remarkable.”

We can’t all be Wayne Gretskys or Seth Godins, but we certainly can think about ourselves and our work in greater terms than we typically do.

My job as a coach requires me to help clients see their own abilities, have the courage to think more creatively and to believe in their own talent.

The biggest- and scariest – thing is to take a risk. There is no Great anything or anybody without risk. Now we can’t all be Gretskys or Godins, but we certainly can think about a bigger, better, not-there-yet-but-will-be place for what we offer.

I have taken risks all my life (adult life, certainly), and some have paid off, others failed. From selling cars to making movies – I traveled to countries where I knew no one; I entered into professional arenas where I didn’t have experience. What I always knew, was that I was taking a risk, I would do it anyway, and I would learn lots. I wouldn’t trade a single one of them – not the successes nor the failures.

I believe we have our own universe in which we have expertise, our own roulette wheel, our own GPS, and our own hockey stick. We have to go where the puck is going to be if we want to be a star in the universe of others. What about you? Are you using the stuff in your universe to get where the Puck is going to be?

When someone criticizes our behavior, actions, writing, or anything else, our first instinct is to get angry or fearful. That’s normal. But after the initial feelings fade, we can do ourselves a real favor if we look at the criticism with an eye to finding the kernel of truth in it. What is contained in the criticism that is really true? – even if the rest is nonsense. If we simply dismiss it, we don’t learn anything. Successful people are always learning, even in the face of criticism, even from people they don’t necessarily like or admire.

Now, the other side of this is: Do not believe the hype! When you are complimented, say thank you and move on. When you start believeing your “press”, you run the risk of thinking you ARE your press and that way lies peril.
So take them both – the criticisms and the praise. Examine the criticisms and keep the praises in check. You will be better at what you do and how you do it.

If this global meltdown has taught us anything, it’s that no matter how we feel about others, we are all interconnected and interdependent. Countries, people within a country, businesses within a country and within other countries, we are all part of the same whole. For the most part, we rise together and certainly, we fall together.

So what does that mean for each of us as individuals. for me it means, if you’ve got more than the other guy, be grateful and whatever you can share, do so. Whether it’s contributing canned goods to the food bank, helping an elderly person get to the doctor, celebrating someone’s achievement, even if you’ve never done that with them before.

Being involved is one way of knowing that you’re ok. It’s a way to keep a more positive outlook during the bleakest of times. In fact, if we don’t become involved in some way, we may wither. This election demonstrated with crystal clarity what can be accomplished when people get involved. No matter what your party affiliation, or how you feel about the outcome, one thing you have to acknowledge is that involvement equaled success.

If you have a business, think of one way you can give to the community either where you reside or where you do business. Something you haven’t done before, or if you have, then think of an additional way to reach out. When times get better, not only will you feel better about yourself, but your customers, community, competitors, and champions, will remember that you were there. It’s a tried and true business strategy as well as a human act of kindness and it’s needed now more than ever.