Contents
Chapter 1: Skill Sets
What was the happiest day of your life? This was the title of a classroom exercise in college................“What was the happiest day of your life?”“That’s easy,” the professor responded. “It’s today.”
Chapter 2: Do the Perimeter
When I was a little boy and my family went shopping, particularly at a new store (that is a new store to me), I did the same thing as we entered it: I'd find a place on the sidewalk or front wall and follow it all the way around until I reached my starting point. I did the perimeter.
Chapter 3: The Taxi Driver
My car broke down the other day so I decided to call a cab for a ride home. A nice man picked me up and we started to talk. Soon I was just listening. It all started when I got into the front seat and had to move a gallon jug of water. The jug was half empty.
Chapter 4: Self Care
Your body is made up of 99% water. We are hungry hunter gatherers, a distinction assigned to us by scientists who studied civilization and classified man (homo sapien, homo erectus, and so on). In addition to classifying us by brain capacity and skeletal characteristics, scientists classified us by what we ate and how we got it. Thus, hunter gatherer.
Chapter 5: Be the Hammer
Early in my college days, I signed up for Psychology 101 along with all the other basics: English, Math, etc. My thoughts had revolved around psychology for years. Freud's story fascinated me. I read Kant about Gandhi, and Krishnamurti – sometimes two or three times.
Chapter 6: The Candy Drawer
I grew up in Buffalo, New York. The street we lived on was full of families with lots of kids. Our next door neighbors all had kids: the Decherds had two kids; the Reasors had three; the Mitchells three; the Smiths six; and so on. We loved playing hockey in the streets. Back then, doors stayed unlocked and you had to go home when the street lights came on. All the kid stuff was pretty equal. But as I think about the families, it turns out that there really were big differences. Not differences like the house or children but differences in financial thinking.
Chapter 7: Take the Step
Often in life, we have to deal with unpleasant situations. These situations can be anything such as bankruptcy, divorce, or even a telephone call that you don't want to make. My dad taught me that the phone call – the one you don't want to make, the one you may be afraid to make – is the one you NEED to make. It's never failed him and I can say it's never failed me. What you'll find is the other person ends up thanking you. You see, most people shy away from this. That's what we all are used to.
Chapter 8: Time
You think it's an unfair world. Rich, poor. Black, white. Disproportion all around us. But the truth is, we are all equal and there is no better example of this than time. We all have exactly the same amount of it. The difference is how we choose to spend it. Granted, some live longer than others. Some would argue that this is the result of how our ancestors used their time.
Chapter 9: Spot the Fox / Everything has a Price
It turns out that there are quite a few people out there that want to help you for a price – the professionals.
About the Author
Mark Decherd is a retired businessman currently living in Florida with his wife and child. Born in Montreal, Decherd grew up in New York where he enjoyed playing with his friends until the streetlights came on. Always eager to learn, Decherd just started taking Karate classes. You can bet he first did the perimeter – and you can bet he'll learn from the masters.
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