Falling

One Wednesday morning, a salesman arrived late with one eye swollen shut, his left arm in a sling, and his clothes in tatters."It's 10:00," pointed out the sales manager, "and you were supposed to be here by 9:00."The salesman explained, "I fell out of a tenth story window." The sales manager snorted and remarked, "And what, it took you a whole hour to land?"
Moral of the story.  True sales professionals know that sales is a tough racket.   You can't let little things get you down.   No matter what, full speed ahead. 
"The future is something everyone reaches at the rate of 60 minutes an hour, whatever he does, who ever he is." -  C.S. Lewis
"Let him who would enjoy a great future waste none of his present."        -       Roger Babson

Merry Christmas!

 
All of us during this past year have had some difficulty with a carrier or a customer or even a friend or co-worker.  Let me suggest to you that you take it upon yourself to reach out to that person (or maybe those persons lol) here at Christmastime and extend them wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year (bag the Happy Holiday deal, as it is Christmas.... like it or not).  No strings attached. No ulterior motive.  Nothing but a simple wish of happiness from you to them.  Then forget about it because you have sewn the seed and it is God's business to take it from there.

     “There are many things from which I might have derived good, by which I have not profited, I dare say,' returned the nephew. 'Christmas among the rest. But I am sure I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round -apart from the veneration due to its sacred name and origin, if anything belonging to it can be apart from that- as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow-passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys. And therefore, uncle, though it has never put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe that it has done me good, and will do me good; and I say, God bless it!”
― Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol

God Bless Us Everyone.  Merry Christmas

Half-Truths

One day a young salesman burst into his parents house and said, "Mom!  Dad! I have great news!  I'm getting married to the greatest girl in the world!  Florence has agreed to marry me."

But that night the young salesman's dad took him aside for a little chat.  "I have some bad news for you son," he confessed.  "See, I used to fool around a lot, and Florence is actually your half-sister.  I'm afraid you can't marry her."

The young salesman was brokenhearted, and moped around for a good six months, but eventually he started dating again.  And a year or so later he came home with glad tidings.  "Vickie said yes! We're getting married on Christmas Eve. Isn't that great?"

Alas, the young salesman's father insisted on another private conversation and again broke the bad news to his son.  "Vickie's your half-sister, too, son.  I'm awfully sorry."

This time the young salesman was beside himself with anger and grief, and he finally pleaded with his mother.  "At this rate I'm never going to get married," he moaned.  "Every time I fall in love, Dad says the girl is my half-sister."

"Don't pay any attention to him," said the young salesman's mother, cheerfully.  "You see, I did some fooling around myself, and he's not your father!"

Moral of the story.   True sales professionals know never to use half-truths.   Once you put them out there, they always come home to haunt you .  And you can't expect others to take responsibility for them.    Just like half-sisters or half-brothers, everyone feels awkward around half-truths.

"A lie can travel half-way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes."     -     Charles Spurgeon


Wishing you a very faithful Merry Christmas,

Twenty

I read a great article today about 20 minutes.  You know I have always believed from personal experience that ones ability to concentrate and retain information is limited to about 20 minutes per session.  Take a break and then come back for another 20 has what has always worked best for me.  Today, I heard that same 20 minutes discussed relative to doing things necessary for your sales success.  Sales people hate prospecting for new business but we all know it is necessary for success.  You have to have that funnel full at all times and they way you do that is to find potentially new customers and you cannot do that without some form of prospecting.  It was suggested that you do this unpleasant task for only 20 minutes per day.  Just 20, no more no less.  So you know when the 20 is up you are done for the day.  Human nature dictates that if you have a success in one of those 20 minute sessions you might find it easy to say do it for 25 minutes and then maybe 30............
Why don't you give this a try on anything you know in your heart is good for you but you do not like doing.  Exercising would be one for me and I intend to try it. Prospecting might be one for all of us to try for 20 minutes.
Why don't you start that right now.  No New Year's resolutions.  Start doing it NOW!!
Start it with the shippers and consignees of your existing customers.  That is the best way.  You can also start it on LinkedIn by search for companies and people within them who are engaged in shipping the kind of commodity in which you have expertise.
20 minutes!!  That is all you should be asking yourself to do.
Try it!

Sales Joke and Moral

A salesman was suffering from constipation, so his doctor prescribed suppositories.

A week later the salesman was back at the doctor's complaining that his constipation had gotten worse, not better.

The doctor asked, "Have you been taking the suppositories regularly?"

"What do you think I've been doing Doc," replied the salesman, "shoving them up my "butt" or something?"

Moral of the story.   True sales professionals know that sometimes we get in our own way.  We get used to certain routines and ways of doing things that we become set in our ways and reject any form of change.  True sales professionals understand that a refusal to learn is a refusal to earn.  They know that while constipation can plug you up, constipation of your mind can ruin your career. 

"I consider looseness with words no less of a defect than looseness of the bowels."   -    John Calvin

Christmas in the Military

FLAGS WILL BE FLOWN AT HALF STAFF TOMORROW TO COMMEMORATE PEARL HARBOR DAY

This Christmas season, may we remember the men and women who sacrificed and continue to sacrifice so much to defend the freedoms of this great nation.

Throughout our nation's history, American military members have forfeited celebrating Christmas to defend their families and their homes. In fact, in 1776, the American troops took advantage of the Hessians' Christmas celebration to cross the Delaware River and attack the surprised Hessian troops, providing America with a badly needed victory.

165 years later, American soldiers were once again forced to defend their families and their country on Christmas Day. On December 7, 1941, the “date which will live in infamy,” Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, effectively declaring war on America. As December 7^th approaches, remember Pearl Harbor and those who lost their lives, as well as those who continued to fight for our freedom - the men whose stories still inspire us decades later.

As this Christmas season begins, let us take time to reflect on and thank God for the greatest sacrifice given by the Savior of the world, and to also remember to thank the men and women in uniform today who continue to sacrifice and put their lives on the line for this great nation. Reach out to those veterans and servicemen and women around you and take time to share the love of God. Here are some simple ways you can be “salt and light" to those who have willingly sacrificed so much to defend America:

• Contact a local nursing home to “Adopt a Veteran” who may not have any family this Christmas
• Find other ways to help our Veterans throughout the year (Wounded Warrior Project, Kingdom Warriors, Face the Fire, Operation Gratitude, Disabled American Veterans, etc.)
• Pray for our troops and their families
• Send a care package to those overseas or help out their family back home
• Continue to find ways to help the troops and their families throughout the year
•  
• From Wallbuilders  "Christmas in The Military"

Thanksgiving Message

The following conversation took place at Timothy’s funeral.  His memorial service affected people deeply. Mourner after mourner shared powerful stories about the way the 45-year-old man had touched their lives.

“That was wonderful,” one man exclaimed. “When I die, I want the exact same service. The same music, the same Bible readings, the same words.”

Another man put a hand on his shoulder. “Our church doesn’t do cookie cutter funerals,” he said. “If you want a funeral like this one, then you are going to have to live a life like Timothy between now and when you die.” (Condensed from “GET REAL: A Spiritual Journey For Men” - 2007)

What would you want people to say about you when you are gone?  Or better still what do you want people to say about you NOW!

I once heard this in a sermon but I have added to the first three letters the last three myself. 

You might think about it as a legacy to work toward.  

Be a FATTTE person

A Faithful,Available,Teachable,Trustworthy,Thankful,Encourager

Now there are no money back guarantees with this promise but I CAN tell you if that becomes your legacy or your DASH (the little line between the time you were born and the day you die). you will have made a difference in the lives of others.

So at this Thanksgiving time of the year

I am thankful that I can express myself to each of you and that you are gracious enough to read what I send you.

Have a Meaningful and Memorable Veteran's Day

Armed Forces Medley

"If there must be trouble, let it be in my day, so that my child may have peace." Thomas Paine

     I was talking to a friend yesterday and mentioned something that I have thought about for many years.  I tend to gravitate toward Veterans.  In groups of people I do not know in a social situation, I manage to usually end up talking to a Veteran even when I do not know that fact in advance.  Coincidence?  I think not!
     It will be my honor to lie among all of you that have served when my body moves to the dirt side of the grass.  It is also my fervent hope that our spirits will all meet "up yonder"!

Wishing you a Memorable & Meaningful Veteran's Day,
Dan

Captain W Dan Dobson

United States Air Force

1967-1972 

Sales Joke and Moral

While cruising at 40,000 feet, and on his way to Las Vegas, a salesman looked out his window, "My gosh!"  he screamed, "one of the engines just blew up!"
Other passengers left their seats and came running over; suddenly the aircraft was locked by a second blast as yet another engine exploded on the other side of the cabin. 
The passengers were in panic now, and even the stewardesses couldn't maintain order.  Just then standing tall and smiling confidently, the pilot strode from the cockpit and assured everyone that there was nothing to worry about.  His words and demeanor seemed calm and he made most of the passengers feel better about the situation.  They sat back down in their seats as the pilot calmly walked to the door of the aircraft.  There he grabbed several packages from under the seats and began handing them to the flight attendants. Each crew member attached the package to their backs.
"Say," spoke up the alert salesman, "aren't those parachutes?"
The pilot confirmed that they were.
The salesman continued his probing questions to uncover the truth; "But I thought you said there was nothing to worry about?"
"There isn't," replied the pilot as the third engine exploded.  "We're just going to get help."

Moral of the story.  True sales professionals understand the importance of paying attention to non-verbal, physical cues from their prospects.   Prospects may lie to your face, but their body posture and sudden gestures give away their true thoughts, feelings and emotions every time.   Want to thrust some altitude into your sales career?   Understand first that you are the pilot of your own sales career and your ability to read the minor weather type shifts in non-verbal cues will determine whether you have a successful flight or whether you will ultimately crash and burn.  It's that simple.

Reflections on a Decision Well Made

As I grow older (by the minute), I find myself becoming more and more reflective about decisions I have made in my life.  Some have not worked out so well to say the least but more than enough have so I count that a blessing.
     I was thinking the other day about my decision to make sales a career which actually occurred when we bought our first home.  I was very impressed by the salesman ship of the real estate sales guy and having been hatched out of a sales egg anyway, I decided to give it a try.  That was 1972 and I am still going strong.
     I got into sales quite frankly because I came to realize that sales people can make a lot of money without having to invest in a formal technical education.  That sounded good to me at the time.
     But as I look back, I stayed in and enjoyed because I was able to make a difference in people's lives by encouraging them to do something which I always believed was in their best interest and would enhance their lives either professionally or personally or both.  I have never sold anything to anyone that I did not honestly believe would help them.
     I would encourage you today to spend a few minutes examining your motives for playing ball on a sales team.   

Make sure those motives are more about them than they are about you.

Happy Thanksgiving,

dan

Building Trust aka Walking the Talk

   

 As I sit here in our home office watching "Frankenstorm" bear down on us and hearing the wind moaning as it bends the trees in our woods (which I pray do not fall on our house), I am reflecting on how our company has responded to this crisis.
     There is a lot of posturing in our business world about customer's being one's # 1 concern.  Putting money behind that boast is another matter entirely.
     While preparing for the worst but praying for the best, Trinity flew a team of Delaware OPS and Support folks to our Kansas City location to set up shop so we could continue to serve our customers needs.  There were no discount fares for this emergency so the cost is significant but this is part of what TRUST involves.  If you want your customers to TRUST you, you have to be willing to do what it takes to make sure you serve them 24/7. 
     It reminded me of the quote below

     It is said that as many days as there are in the whole journey, so many are the men and horses that stand along the road, each horse and man at the interval of a day’s journey; and these are stayed neither by snow nor rain nor heat nor darkness from accomplishing their appointed course with all speed.

—Herodotus, Histories (8.98) (trans. A.D. Godley, 1924)

     I am damn proud that I am part of an organization that "walks the talk".  The lesson for all of us is very vividly depicted by this act of concern for our customers.

Sales Whisperer

 
Once upon a time a salesman was looking after his four year old nephew for a few days.  He was a very shy little boy and often had to be encouraged to say the right thing at the right time.  But he was a very fast learner.  One day at lunch, when the salesman's wife had company, her little nephew said, "Auntie, I have to tinkle!"   The salesman's wife took her little nephew aside and said, "Never say stuff like that at the table, sonny.  If you want to tinkle say, 'I want to whisper.' "  And the incident was forgotten.

Later that night when the salesman and his wife were asleep, their little nephew climbed into bed with them.  He tugged at the salesman's shoulder and said, "Uncle, I want to whisper."

The salesman said, "All right, sonny, don't wake Auntie up.  Go ahead, whisper in my ear."

The nephew was sent back t his parents the next day.

Moral of the story.  True sales professionals know that in order to be successful, whispering just doesn't cut it.  You need display confidence when speaking with prospects and customers.  And if it's your prospect who's whispering, encourage them to speak up and engage in open dialogue.   Leave whispering to those failures who take the time to gossip.  Ask yourself if you're one of those people who just sit on the sidelines content to just watch and talk about what happens or, do you have what it takes to throw caution and whispering to the wind and actually engage others and get into the game?

"The two most precious things this side of the grave are our reputation and our life. But it is to be lamented that the most contemptible whisper may deprive us of the one, and the weakest weapon of the other."              -   Charles Caleb Colton

Ditch The Fear

    Let's say that you make 650 well researched and prepared sales calls per month and out of those 650 you receive 455 outright rejections.  How would you rate your performance?
The truth is that if you sustained those numbers for your entire hitting career in major league baseball, you would likely be a candidate for the Hall of Fame.  You see that is a .300 batting average in the big leagues.And in the "big leagues" you are!  Because what you do daily is how you earn a living to support your family just like MOST big league baseball players do!
    Overcoming fear is a part of life.  I remember in my high school playing days facing one of our very own pitchers who was a fast-baller with a wild streak.  He hit me four times in the ribs during that practice last time cracking one. I saw him years later at a reunion and that was the first thing he mentioned after I spoke to him. He was surprised I did!! LOL Was I afraid for a time about stepping in against a lefty who was a little wild? You bet! I loved the game enough to hang in there.
    Sales folks who make their living talking to people on the phone often develop a phobia that causes them not to want to pick up the phone and make that necessary call or as I characterize it that necessary investment on their business which is finding new customers.
    What you need to understand, though, is that you may fear calling because you have probably been exposed to traditional selling approaches, which triggers rejection.  It goes like this: introduce yourself, explain what you do, suggest a benefit to the potential client...and then close your eyes and pray that they won't reply with "Sorry, not interested" or "Sorry, I'm busy." Unfortunately if you use this approach you are likely hearing this many more times than necessary.
  Let go of the traditional and embrace the natural is my advice.  Talk to them in normal language which is precipitated by your thoughts not a scripted litany of boredom.
    How would I do that, Sensei, you say?
    Like this caterpillar:
    Ask your current customers what issues doing business with you has solved for them.  I am betting they are the same issues most of the people shipping and receiving freight have. Now use that as your conversational hub when you are talking to potential customers.  You are now thinking about things from the prospects side of the equation and not your side.  You take the focus off you and put it on who it should be on:  Your potential customer on the other end of the line.
    You change what you think and you change what comes out of your mouth.

GIGO,
Dan

    

Asking for your prayers

Today at 930 EST Kristyn Doughty will give birth to her son Caleb by Caesarian Section.  According to sonograms Caleb has what the doctors say are life threatening problems and will likely not survive much beyond his birth.  Please pray this morning that there will be a Godly outcome to this and that HIS will be done.  Already Caleb has already blessed Mark, daughter Kinley, Kristyn, their entire family, their friends including all of us who have been privileged to share in this story.

From Kristyn’s journal written yesterday

Tonight, Mark and I listened to Caleb's heartbeat on the Doppler for about 7 minutes.  We recorded over minutes of it.  We now have his amazing heartbeat on our computer and hopefully will get it saved somewhere else soon too!  But, the cool thing is that I can listen to his heart whenever I want after he is gone.  And, that is a gift I will always treasure.

Value

A traveler wandering on an island inhabited entirely by cannibals comes upon a butcher shop. The shop specialized in human brains differentiated according to source. The sign in the shop read:

Brains On Sale.

Hi-tech Salespersons' Brains ... $9/lb

Real Estate Salespersons'  Brains ... $12/lb

Life Insurance Salespersons'. Brains ... $15/lb

New Car Salespersons´ Brains ... $33/lb

Used Car Salespersons´ Brains ... $87/lb

Sales Managers´ Brains ... $146/lb

Upon reading the sign, the traveler noted, "My, those sales managers´ brains must be something."

To which the butcher replied, "Are you kidding! Do you have any idea how many of them you have to kill to get a pound of brains?!"

Moral of the story.    Sales professionals know that the true value derived from any sales transaction does not stem from the amount of work the vendor puts into the product.  Rather true value is derived from the net benefit received by those actually utilizing the product or service just purchased.  Often sales reps who use a cost plus price model leave money on the table that a prospect or customer would be willing to pay.  Once you get your head wrapped around the concept of value based pricing, your sales career will soar.   Start today to really think about areas of your business where value-based pricing might apply.  Don't worry about really putting your brain through it's paces on this one.  It's not like your brain is going to melt down into cottage cheese or anything

Testimonials

   

 How many customers do you have who would be totally comfortable in providing you a testimonial that answers the question " Why do I do business with _______________@Trinity Logistics Inc.  (Hint:  Put your name in the blank).
Now " How many customers do you have that YOU would be totally comfortable with asking to provide a testimonial.  (Hint: you would have no concerns that it would make them feel uncomfortable or pressured).
     I submit to you that if the answer to either of these questions is ZERO or close to zero, you have some relationship building work to do.  I know there are instances of exception here nor I am not advocating that you go out and poll your customers but there is a relationship between the comfort level in being able to ask those two questions and the depth of your relationship with your customers.
     The best case scenario is never to have to ask for a testimonial but I believe that to be unrealistic in this day and age.  Not many are going to serve up a report on your unsolicited.  Do I think it improper to ask for one?  Not if you have the kind of relationship that would allow you to do it with no fear or any discomfort on either side of the table.
     This is article is meant for you to access your depth of relationship with your customers and if it is not deep then start digging.  I don't think any of us would be reluctant to ask a friend to do this for us. Right?

MYOB

A little kid is sitting on a park bench eating a bag of chocolates, an old salesman walking by stops and say to the kid, "If you continue to eat like that you're teeth will fall out and you won't live very long."

Indignantly he responds, "Oh yeah!  My grandfather lived to be 104 years old."

The old salesman counters, "But he didn't live that long by eating a lot of chocolate."

The kid, getting up to leave in the direction opposite to the old salesman, replies politely, "Oh no sir, it was by minding his own business."

Moral of the story.  True sales professionals know that to be successful they must MYOB.  Too often reps get distracted by hypothesizing how sales management is going to restructure their team.  Too much time gets wasted tracking how are others are performing in comparison to how well you are doing.  If another sales person is leaving, too much time is wasted by reps trying to make sure they get their fair share of handout accounts.  A zero sum philosophy of life is a loser's bet.  Invest in yourself and in your future by minding your own business.

"I would not waste my life in friction when it could be turned into momentum."      -    Frances Willard

Detective Work

     I am often the last resort when all else has failed in getting in touch with a prospect or lead or even in some cases a customer who fails to return phone calls or emails.  I actually enjoy the challenge of getting to the person in question.  I am no stalker but I usually manage to get a response from the person in question.  Is it always positive?  Hardly.  Am I consistently positive?  Always!

     We have so many ways to track down people these days short of paying for the information.  So I am looking for a contact at a business in Baltimore with whom we did business several years ago and there is no record of who the contact was then. (Message here is to fill our your customer file completely). So I go to Linked In and query the business name and find that I am 3rd in the thread and the direct contact with that business happens to be a person with whom I did business with in my sales days.  So I email him and he supplies me with the name of the VP of Sales who is his contact.  I call him and after a very nice conversation about the Baltimore Orioles successes this year, he gives me the name of the man who now handles the shipping and receiving.  He has yet to pickup his phone but you can bet I am going to call him until he does as voice mail in this kind of case is the kiss of death.  He will eventually answer and if after 10 calls he does not I will call the operator whose name I also have and ask her to page him for me.
     The point here is persistence will eventually pay off.  Can I guarantee it.  Certainly not.  But what I can guarantee is that each time you persist you will learn another tactic that will help you solve these problems in the future.  Quit and you gain nothing.

Sleuthingly yours,
Sherlock Dobson

Simple Acts of Kindness

Can you "picture" it?

A rancher goes into town one day and happens to run into his old pal the tractor salesman.  "How's business?" asks the rancher.

"Not very good, I haven't sold a tractor in months.  How are things on the ranch?" asked the salesman.

"Well the other day I went to out to the barn to milk that old cow I have.  I started milking her and she swatted me with her tail, so I tied her tail to the ceiling.  I started milking again and she kicked me with her left leg so I tied that to the left side of the stall.  I started milking her again and she kicked me with her right leg so I tied that one to the right side of the stall.  About that time my wife walked into the barn, and if you can convince her that I was just trying to milk that darn cow, I'll buy a tractor from you!"

Moral of the story.  Successful sales professionals know that selling to your customer's problems can be most effective.  In fact, most will agree that their largest, most lucrative sales have been the direct result of solving their customer's biggest problems.  Truly aggressive road warriors maintain that the most useful tool in their sales arsenal is now a camera-equipped smart phone or an emailed picture.  Can you "picture" it?  Is it "clicking" in yet?

I "shutter" to think of the possibilities,
Dan

Simple Acts of Kindness

I returned to my office this morning from 7 glorious days in Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic.  I have traveled to other tropic places but I love the Dominican Republic largely because of the Dominicans themselves.  They are very kindhearted people who live the same lives we do just in a different place in the world.  They fall in love, raise families, grapple with bills and taxes, deal with politicians and all the rest of the stuff that makes up our lives.  Now I am not naive as I understand that in the hospitality business one is paid to be pleasant to one's guest.  However, being polite is required but being genuinely friendly is not.  Polite is meeting the needs of one's customers and being genuinely friendly is finding about the person behind those needs.  That is what the Dominican's have done all three times I have traveled to that country.  They ask you questions about your life and take the time to remember from day to day what tidbits you have told them. I am a Boston Red Sox fan and I love Big Papi (David Ortiz) who is Dominican.  Everyone I told that to mentioned it to me repeatedly during our stay.  That is being genuine friendly as in taking the time to remember things you are told by the people with whom you interact.
The picture is of Simon and my wife Julie.  The flower in her hair was presented to her by Simon on the day of our departure at the breakfast table.  I said: "Muchos Gracias" and his reply was: "Me encanta mi trabajo" (I love my job).
There is a message in the telling as well.  I have talked often about making yourself memorable.  Sharing your story is part of that process.
For what do people remember you?  If your answer is "not much", you can start changing that right now by little acts of kindness starting with REMEMBERING!
PS:  There are too many tools to help with this to abide with the excuse " I have a poor memory"

Sales math

When you ask a housewife, an accountant and a salesman what 2 + 2 is, what do they give you?

The housewife simply say "Four."  The accountant says "It's either 3 or 4, let me run it through my spreadsheet again."

The salesman dims the lights, closes the door, draws the blinds to your office and quietly asks, "What keeps you up at night?"  After you answer; invariably the salesman will finally respond with another probing question, "What do you need it to be?"  A conference call, a consulting engagement and three on site visits from a systems engineer later and, IF you are lucky, you'll finally receive the answer you've been waiting for......    FOUR!



Moral of the story.   When it comes to business decisions....   listen to your spouses folks!  The answers are more accurate and they are FREE (in a sense- lol)!


Fore (as in look out),
Dan

Honest?

Two small boys, not yet old enough to go to school, were overheard talking at the zoo one day.
"My name is Billy.  What's yours?" asked the first boy.
"Tommy," replied the second.
"My Dad's an accountant.  What does your Dad do for a living?" asked Billy.
"My Dad's a salesman." answered Tommy.

"Honest?" asked Billy.

"No, just the regular kind," replied Tommy.

Moral of the story.  True sales professionals know that you shouldn't bring the negative aspects of your work home with you, because it can affect your kids and your spouse.  If you're having a bad day at work or if you're thinking your colleagues are out to get you; leave it at the office.  Or before you know it, your young kids will be thinking that all managers are idiots, all salespeople are dishonest and all conspiracies are real rather than imaginary.  Often in life, the results we obtain in any endeavor stem not from external forces but rather from internal expectations.  So take a step back from things today, and re-evaluate your present situation through more honest lenses.  And know this, the best gift you can give your children, is an optimistic view of the future.  If your kids grow up expecting the best of others, and their situation; happiness will surely follow.

"That inner voice has both gentleness and clarity. So to get to authenticity, you really keep going down to the bone, to the honesty, and the inevitability of something."      -      Meredith Monk

From SalesForce Data.com