Last Saturday night I did something pretty cool - I became a fire-walker. Yeah - that kind of fire-walking…

Through the coaching of David Fabricius I was able to take the leap and walk over a 10 foot bed of coals. No burns - didn’t even hurt. It was an amazing experience and a great way to look at dealing with and overcoming your fears.

Prior to fire-walking - David gave an excellent presentation on “Breakthrough, Balance and Bliss.” There were some amazing topic covered and some great insight that I took away from the evening. One really interesting thing that I did take away was his quote about working 8-14 hours a day as the norm.

Working an extra 2-6 hours per day will do nothing to solve the real problems you’re avoiding in your life - either personally or professionally.

That’s so true. Think about it.

I was clicking through the channels today, ended up on the Military Channel and came across this fascinating story of a Hero:
31st MEU dedicates building to Marine killed in Iraq

 I did a little research and found the rest of the story and background info here:
Sgt. Rafael Peralta, American Hero: Everyone should know his name

Here’s an excerpt:

During the firefight, a yellow fragmentation grenade flew out of the room, landing near Peralta and several fellow Marines. The uninjured Marines tried to scatter out of the way, two of them trying to escape the room, but were blocked by a locked door. At that point, barely alive, Peralta grabbed the grenade and cradled it to his body.

His body took most of the blast. One Marine was seriously injured, but the rest sustained only minor shrapnel wounds. Cpl. Brannon Dyer told a reporter from the Army Times, “He saved half my fire team.”

The thing that got me in this article was this:

Kaemmerer recounts how later on the night of Nov. 15, a friend approached him and said: “You’re still here; don’t forget that. Tell your kids, your grandkids, what Sgt. Peralta did for you and the other Marines today.” Don’t forget. Good advice for all of us.

Take your own opinion of what’s going on and put it to the side for a moment - this guy is a hero. He was nominated for the Congressional Medal of Honor not long after his death. A side note: the only time a general first salutes someone of lesser rank is when that person is a Medal of Honor recipient. Usually, salutes are initiated by those of lesser rank as a sign of respect to their superiors.

Here’s the Wikipedia source: Sgt. Rafael Peralta.

Footnote: I am not interested in political views regarding the issues with terrorism or Iraq. I always try and separate politics from the Military and the men and women who serve. I hope you do too, because, for the most part, they just do what they’re told - plain and simple. That’s their job. The politicians set the policy and I’m not opening that can of worms.

I play guitar and, on occasion, sing along while I’m playing. It took me a while to learn how to do something like that - especially playing in time.

In being able to do something like this, you have to be able to move both hands independently of one another. You  also have to sing. And, then you have to think about what you’re playing and what you’re singing - at the same time.

Now I have absolutely no idea how drummers sing while they’re playing. You have all 4 appendages moving at different times and then you’re trying to flap your gums while doing all of that! These musicians are truly amazing. Next time you see one doing this, take a little extra time and admire what you’re seeing.

Here’s a great article about people coming together to figure something out:

Notes from DevCamp: Developers tackle iPhone Apps

It’s amazing what can be done when there is a common goal.

When I was beginning my business career, I worked for my father. His company did business all over the world and from time to time, he brought in consultants to help with certain projects. When this happened, I was usually assigned to be their aide and travel with them so I could learn as much as possible.

One time, Dad hired a retired Rear Admiral from the US Navy. He had a very distinguished career and was an excellent teacher. I remember being out on a road trip with him and we had many chances to sit and talk. The thing I remember most were his three lessons of being a leader in the Navy:

1. Learn from the Master Chiefs.
2. Never eat before your troops eat.
3. Never ask someone to do something you’re not willing to do yourself.

So, how do these apply to the real world?

1. There are Master Chief’s all around us. These guys are the lifers in the Navy, they are the ones who get stuff done and know how everything works. I heard that you have to have a minimum of 15-20 years in before you earn this rank. There are a lot of people older and more experienced than you are who can teach you things and give you a different perspective on stuff. Use them.

2. You have to take #2 figuratively. I like to think of this in terms of “stuff”. You’ve seen the executive who always has the latest and greatest and their staff always has the hand-me-downs. It’s almost demoralizing, isn’t it? It’s one thing if it’s a tool or something needed to conduct business. But, flagrantly waving the hottest new phone or laptop around and then turning around and asking for budget cuts is no way to lead.

3. This one really needs no further explanation. Remember that there is a huge difference between leading and managing. Leaders inspire - managers control.