I Know There's An Answer

Over the past couple of days a song has been playing inside my head and it won’t go away. No, it is not the Mahna-Mahna song even though I just wrote it, you just read it, and now it is in your head never to leave. Seriously, the song that has been rattling around my brain is one I had always heard but never paid attention to until this past weekend.

After really listening to it, the song got me thinking about how people treat other people.

There are numerous occasions that we find ourselves in situations of offering advice and “knowing” what’s right for someone. Whether they are blinded by love or hate or illness or just don’t want to be messed with yet, we know that we can help. I stand before you Guilty as charged. So what does this have to do with the song inside my head?

The song is “I Know There’s an Answer” by the Beach Boys from their classic album Pet Sounds. The song as described by Brian Wilson is about “the self-centeredness of people and how the singer tells them ‘...the way that they live could be better.’”
As I heard the song, not just listened to it, I paid attention to what was being sung and I really heard the words. I heard it for what it was: a warning.

The song serves as a warning to all of us; all of us that care but are not aware that what we offer is an answer that, unfortunately, is not the answer others need. This then leaves us in a unique situation of either having those people cut us off (because we are not helping) or we cut them off (because they don’t want our help). So what do we do? What does anyone do?

We stop and think about how sad life would be if people were constantly cutting each other off because no one wanted to hear or listen what the other was saying or would it be so sad? Imagine living in a world where no one would say “in my opinion” or “listen to what I am saying” or the dreaded twosome of “well back in my day” and “if you ask me.” Now that wouldn’t be so bad? And again, what does this have to do with the song?

As I wrote, I see this as a warning. A warning that you can take with you now and unfortunately, for others it may be too late. Especially, after the recent holiday gatherings, I know that there were many people that had discussions that started with the “if you ask me” header. I know that many people are going home angry, upset, sad, or deeper in the depression they started the holidays with.

Here is the take away: Think about what you are going to say and who you are going to say it to. The next time someone you truly care for tells you that they suffer from depression or just don’t want to be messed with, take it as a warning and keep your trap shut, no matter how you much you love that person. Especially if you think what you are going to say is the right thing.

Here is the song


Here are the lyrics:

I know so many people who think they can do it alone
They isolate their heads and stay in their safety zones
Now what can you tell them
And what can you say that won't make them defensive

I know there's an answer
I know now but I have to find it by myself

They come on like they're peaceful
But inside they're so uptight
They trip through their day
And waste all their thoughts at night

Now how can I come on
And tell them the way that they live could be better
I know there's an answer
I know now but I have to find it by myself

Now how can I come on
And tell them the way that they live could be better
I know there's an answer
I know now but I have to find it by myself


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Merry Christmas

From Me to You and Your Family: MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!!!

Holiday Time Off (something to think about)

It is Monday December 8, 2008 and we are a little over two weeks away from the big day when that jolly old elf comes down our chimneys. In the meantime, it might just be time to get yourself prepped for the days you and/or your organization will be closed for the holidays. While you are not preparing for a natural disaster but you are certainly preparing to have your doors closed for some much needed rest, relaxation, and maybe some hot buttered rum.

Seriously, there are a few things to consider before starting any prep work.

Know your calendar: Decide now which days you or your organization will be celebrating. Two things that make this decision quite easy; Christmas and New Year’s Day fall on a Thursday thus the perfect segue into a long, joyous weekend.

Days off vs. half-days: Now that you have decided on what days will be part of your holiday festivities. The next big decision is to determine if you will close shop for all the days (for the sake of the rest of this post let’s say the calendar days affected will be the two weeks that encompass Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and New Year’s) or open for half days.

This may be a little lop-sided if you have employees, are you prepared to pay them for the time off from work if you decide to close for two weeks? Then would open all day with split shifts be the better solution? That way everyone gets a chance to come in, work a little, and keep their sanity ;)

Call forwarding vs. Voice Mail: If you are running a one or two person operation decide if you want your calls to be forwarded to your home office number or cell phone or keep it going to your voice mail. A word of advice, if you decide that you will keep your messages on voicemail then include in the outgoing message that you are closed for normal business but you will be checking your voicemail often and when normal business will resume.

Driving in vs. Remote Access: The next thing to consider that if you decide to do some work are prepared to do so? By this I mean, will you be accessing your computer at the office via a remote desktop application or will you be making the trek through the holiday traffic. I am more than sure that by your second trip in you will be scrambling to install TightVNC or setting up Microsoft’s Remote Desktop Connection software all in the name of protecting your sanity.

Let everyone know: Shout it from the highest roof tops…ok maybe not the rooftops, but most certainly give them a call, put it in an email, post it on a blog, upload it on your website, send a note. Of course there will always be at least one who won’t get the word. That’s OK, wish him a Merry Christmas or your appropriate seasonal greeting and move along.

On my next post, I will get into what you might need to do once you have made your decisions.

Happy Holidays!!!


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