Urban Thought Collective

I heard an outrageous story the other day that compelled me to call the source to re-verify.

I will not say who the cat belongs to (not me or my house) but I will say that yes, this is a true story and I’m still laughing because I warned these individuals many years ago about Reno.

A cat named Reno was sprayed by a skunk the other day…

He ran into the house through his little cat door to get away from the skunk…

He proceeded to run through the house…

He rolled on the rugs and the sofa. Then he bounced around the kitchen (probably knocking the garbage can over) and into the owners’ bedroom…

The moral ~ If you have a mean cat (Reno is very mean he hisses and scratches people for no reason) eventually he will create a stink.

Reno’s perspective is, I have battled with humans, dogs, other cats and now a skunk and I’m still standing.

To ask the question in a politically correct manner ~ How many of you vote for the owners to introduce Reno to new caregivers who run a home more compatible with his personality and antics?

I’ve also suggested tomato and lemon juice to get rid of the skunk smell.

What is the lesson learned here?

Is this a life lesson that we can take and apply to our everyday lives in business and at home?

I say yes because I’ve learned over the years that successful people are those who mind their own business. They might study their competition (whether it’s a co-worker or business down the road) but they understand the market, their competitive edge but spend the majority of their time taking care of their own “house” staying positive and inviting competition. Insulting their competition is deemed a no-no but marketing to their strengths is what makes them appear more together.

Reno did not stay out of harm’s way or do the right thing all the time even when no one was looking so he ended up with stinging eyes, burning skin and almost being evicted from his home by his owners.

He crossed the line and maybe he learned a lesson. We’ll see if he changes his ways.

Life is wilder than fiction

While others enjoy hobbies such as sports or crafts, I have enjoyed writing for a number of years now and asked one of my associates if he would let me author his biography because I felt he had a great story and I wanted to profile him and a number of associates across the country.

I was surprised by my associate’s answer as he looked me straight in the eyes and told me that he was not sure that I could handle the reality in which he lived.

He proceeded to explain that many times life is much wilder than fiction and I might just want to write a creative fiction piece.

WOW!

This actually scared me and as I continue to reflect on his comments (it’s been over 3 years since this conversation) I have become more curious and hopefully I’ll gather the nerve to ask again at some point in the future and ask him to elaborate.

Madoff an unwelcomed incident

The other day I actually heard a commentator say that the actions of Madoff was an unwelcome incident.

When did stealing money and destroying dreams become an “unwelcome” incident?

I can’t speak to the merits or details of the Madoff case, but all I know is one of my clients has good friends who have lost millions because of Madoff’s fraudulent behavior and certainly the staff members involved at his firm had to have been aware that something was not kosher if they had to create statements based upon nonexistent figures.

Across the globe, “spin” makes the world go ‘round and if you understand how to acquire wealth on a very large scale, you will find that there is a different world-view about unwelcome incidents you create or experience.

My advice, stay ethical 100% of the time even when you don’t think that anyone is looking and you should be ok.

Are you a survivor?

Are you like the cat, a survivor? Reno took his lumps and kept moving on and thriving. By the way, although Reno no longer smells he’s back to his old tricks but he’s much wiser now and has not had any additional run-ins with the skunk.

Genevia Gee Fulbright, CPA is President & COO of Fulbright & Fulbright, CPA, PA, a business strategist, tax advisor and author of Make the Leap: Shift from Corporate Worker to Entrepreneur and most recent book Make the Leap: From Mom & Pop to Good Enough to Sell (Infinity Publishing). Her sound financial planning advice tips can be read regularly on www.urbanthoughtcollective.com. Visit Fulbright at www.makeleap.com.