Pretty, random picture. That’s really all I have to say about it.

I think the key to having fun at work, is to work for a company that actually has a meaningful mission in life, that is to somehow improve lives for people in one way or another, whether it’s selling lift tickets online, or teaching people how to do a clean and jerk, or making functional technical clothing.

(via one of those chain e-mail forwards…)

Savasana:

Child’s Pose:

Bridge Pose:

Plow:

Now, being a grown adult, and with the perspective that time brings, I know that this mysterious blue liquid was a placebo, and it’s efficacy was based purely on psychology.

But as a kid, I didn’t know any better.

And I wanted to get my hands on some of this mysterious blue liquid. I wanted so much to be able to experience the smells of everything around me, like I did that day in the woods. So of course, as I was known to do, I asked the leaders the next time we had a daycamp. Of course, nobody wanted to tell me the truth about that blue liquid. It was a guarded secret. But I kept pushing. I wanted to know how it was made. And they wouldn’t tell me.

About a week of this goes on, and by this time dear ol’ mom gets involved. She is the one who finally finds out the reality, that this combination of water and food colouring is nothing magical.

But looking back again, as an adult, with the perspective of an adult, I know now that the mysterious blue liquid really was magical. It was able to something for us kids, that we adults are often unable to do: to live in and experience the present. To be in the moment. In the now.

I like to tell people that although I am getting older, I have no plans to grow up. It is important, to me, to never give up on my excitement and wonder about the world. We so often lose touch with our curious selves. There is nothing wrong with being an enthusiastic and curious individual.

With: Accompanied by, moving in the same direction, in concert and in proportion to something or someone.

For: In benefit of, or employed by someone or something.  In the service of someone or something.

As an idealist (according to Myers-Briggs, as well as the dictionary definition), I have a tough time dealing with offenses against the human spirit, and an even harder time dealing with what I consider at first to be offenses against my own human spirit (dreams, goals, ambitions, passions).  So it occurred to me, that perhaps the slight shift in usage between these two words might be a telling signal.

Consider phrases that use the preposition, “for:”

• I work a 9-5 job for Super Mega Corp.
• I make dinner for my family.

Now, consider:

• I work a 9-5 job with a team of bright and talented individuals.
• I enjoy an hour of my evenings with my family, cooking dinner, eating and talking about our days.

Again, it is subtle.  But I’m discovering that there is more power, and potentially more joy to be found by behaving collaboratively, building towards an ideal goal.  It starts with the way we focus our energy, and energy focus starts with the way we formulate our ideas and thoughts.  Life becomes less about enduring hardship, and more about overcoming it.  Choose a positive thought!

Makes sense, retailers want to put this kind of information in the hands of their customers, so that it’s available immediately online. Let’s search for the local store on hardware retailer Rona’s website.  When Google <store name> + <city name> doesn’t work, I’m stuck with using their website. Here’s a great example of what not to do:

Step 1. Go to home page and enter postal code into the box.

Step 2. Click on the “Find a Store” link at the top of the screen.

Step 3. Enter your postal code again.

Step 4: Fantastic! A Map and Everything!

Rona’s website fails this test.  Not only am I required to enter my postal code into a form to get into the site (hint: search engines can’t do that), I have to enter it a second time to find my closest store. Now I’m frustrated.

How to avoid this kind of pain:

1. Ensure that all retail locations of your stores have a page on your site that can be browsed to. This will improve the chances of a search engine picking them up, and providing the user with a direct entry point to the store.  Remember that your site’s search functionality is nowhere near as good as Google.
2. Asking for postal codes or user’s location should always be optional. This forces the user to abandon the usual mouse-click flow of a website. Instead, allow a “browse” option. If specific location is required for pricing or availability, don’t display the price/availability first. Or figure out a better business model.
3. Never ask for the same piece of information twice. It’s annoying, redundant, superfluous and unnecessary. It’s worse than a business associate forgetting your name. Websites have cookies, sessions and a million other ways to keep track of customers. Make use of this technology. There is no excuse.