Don't Panic!
We can learn a lot from horses; I sure did. Before my wifegot me interested in them, I couldn't even spell hoarse (!);now I am learning from them while learning about them.Today's lesson was learned when Kelly, our mare, found herway into the breezeway of the barn. The breezeway is thearea where we humans walk when we feed or visit the horses,and also serves as a storage area for horse-relatedsupplies. It runs alongside the two stalls, which are onthe left as you walk in. (We get into the stalls from thebreezeway, the horses enter and exit through doorways on theopposite side.) The breezeway is full of horsey temptationsand dangers, including bags of food, treats, and medicationsthat, if ingested in large quantities could make themseriously ill: think of it as a candy store for horses.
Avery narrow candy store for horses.Kelly got in there when I carelessly left a gate open thatshould have been closed. There she was, sniffing away andlooking for goodies in a fairly confined space, consideringshe weighs in at about 1100 pounds.Uh-oh! She can't be in there! She could get sick or hurt!What should I do?!? I remembered being told once that whena horse is in a dangerous situation, you must remain calm.After all, what do you think she would have done had I runin there yelling at her? She would have bolted, perhapsfurther into the breezeway, perhaps towards me trying to getout. Getting run over by an upset horse is not my idea of agood time. Who knows what she would have bumped into,broken, stepped on, or??? Causing her to panic could haveeasily caused 10 times more damage than I was trying toprevent.So, I stopped to think. I made sure she had a clear routeto where I wanted her to go.
And then I walked in there andsaid in a firm, but quiet and somewhat disgusted voice,"Kelly! You know you're not supposed to be in here!" Sheslowly looked up at me, turned around, and casually walkedout with a look that said, "Gee, dad, you're no fun!" Shewent where I wanted her to go, I closed the gate behind her,and that was that.It occurred to me that this was a great lesson for ourbusinesses. Things happen all the time that could have verybad consequences for us. New competition, new laws thatadversely affect us, loss of an important client,significant world events such as September 11... the listgoes on and on. How do we react? If we react emotionally,we could make the problem worse.Your gut reaction may be to yell at an important customerthat's giving you a hard time.
Stop. Call them back later.Cash flow not what you need it to be? Don't panic. Thinkit through.Does your local government suddenly want to slap licensefees on home businesses? Be calm. Discuss it with one ofyour peers.My point is this: if a horse gets into the breezeway ofyour business, remain calm and carefully consider youroptions before reacting. The business you save may be yourown..
Saving Gorillas in Africa: Dian Fossey’s Legacy in Active Conservation
Orlando, Florida (ContentDesk) May 11, 2006 - The conservation legacy of Dr. Dian Fossey struggles to live on, more than 20 years after the mysterious death of the famous primatologist. Investigative reporter and author Georgianne Nienaber believes that through active conservation, the true legacy of Fosseys work can continue.Fosseys work to save the mountain gorillas in Rwanda is well-documented but after her death, continued conservation efforts and practices on behalf of big international non-governmental organizations (BINGOs) are open to discussion. According to Nienaber, There is no one who has worked in gorilla conservation since Dian was alive, who possesses her charisma, dedication and unimpeachable honesty. In addition, writings from Dian show that she wanted all financial contributions to her Digit Fund to be completely legal, down to the cost of a postage stamp. Nienaber said, This is a far cry from the state of wildlife conservation today, which has recently come under...
Saving Gorillas in Africa: Dian Fossey’s Legacy in Active Conservation
Horse > Saving Gorillas in Africa: Dian Fossey’s Legacy in Active Conservation
2006 Kentucky Derby Betting Likely to Break All Records
Miami Beach, FL (ContentDesk) May 1, 2006 -- Last year's Kentucky Derby provided Sports911.com with some of its heaviest traffic to date with bettors anxiously looking for online gambling race books.
The 2006 Kentucky Derby betting frenzy is not likely to decrease."We are already witnessing some decent inquiries as we approach Wednesday's determination of horse lineups," commented Christopher Costigan, Founder and President of the leading online gambling news and information web site Sports911.com.
Sports911.com has posted a special link that provides all the latest wagering news for the 2006 Kentucky Derby in addition to online gambling sites offering betting on the event:http://www.gambling911.com/Betting-on-the-2006-Kentucky-Derby.htmlWednesday could become Sports911.com's biggest traffic day as the web site has already been experiencing phenomenal traffic volume with...
Horse > 2006 Kentucky Derby Betting Likely to Break All Records